HAMILTON — Ethan Mills showed off his shiner after a Friday night’s worth of work. A busted lip. It bulged sporting the color of Ross Rams maroon.
“I was running to make a tackle on (Badin quarterback Zach) Switzer and the back of his heel came up and got me,” mumbled Mills, a Ross senior linebacker.
“I’m a little beat up right now,” Mills added. “But it means everything in the world right now.”
Ross outlasted Butler County rival Badin in overtime 20-19 on Friday night, giving the Maroon Rams their first-ever victory over the Green Rams.
“What does this mean? It means we’re 1-0,” Ross coach Kenyon Commins said. “We had a huge win last year and fell flat on our faces. So this means we’re 1-0, and this means that this community is behind this program. These kids are bought in to the idea of working people. This means we have an opportunity to go 2-0 now. So we’re excited about that.”
The Ross Rams will look to go 2-0 for the first time since 2014 when they take on Monroe (0-1) at home on the newly-laid turf of Robinson Field.
Here are your other Week 2 Butler County games to keep an eye on:
Edgewood (1-0) at Franklin (1-0) — The Cougars come off a dominating win over Monroe in Week 1, while the Wildcats dropped Madison in big-time form.
Badin (0-1) at Talawanda (1-0) — Brave coach Larry Cox got his first victory at the helm on Friday against Preble Shawnee, while Nick Yordy and his Rams are looking to bounce back from a stunning 20-19 overtime loss to Butler County rival Ross.
Anderson (1-0) at Hamilton (1-0) — Big Blue coach Nate Mahon got his first W at the helm with a win over West Clermont. The Redskins are coming off a marginal win over Simon Kenton.
Centerville (0-1) at Lakota West (0-1) — Firebirds coach Tom Bolden is looking to grab his first win at the helm. Lakota West will host the Elks, who fell to Fairfield in Week 1.
Fairmont (0-1) at Lakota East (0-1) — The Thunderhawks hope to regain their steps after a bruising loss to Turpin. Fairmont lost to Alter 21-7.
Fairfield (1-0) at Springfield (1-0) — The Indians took care of Centerville on Friday while sporting their Army National Guard camouflage outfits. The Wildcats dismantled Hilliard Bradley 44-7 in Week 1.
Landmark (1-1) at New Miami (1-0) — The Vikings rumbled in the Village with a huge 32-6 season-opening victory over Gamble Montessori. Landmark fell to Summit Country Day this past Friday.
Madison (0-1) at Reading (0-1) — Head coach Ricky Davis attempts to get the Mohawks going in the right direction after sustaining a lopsided defeat against Franklin. The Blue Devils lost to Purcell Marian.
Springboro (1-0) at Middletown (1-0) — The Middies came out hot in their season-opening victory over Western Hills. The Panthers look to continue what they’ve started after their win over Mason.
Follow the Report’s Twitter account every Friday night for updates, highlights and results @BCHSSReport.