By Jesse Swafford | CSwaff Media
Photography by Cole Swafford | CSwaff Shots
DAYTON, Ohio — Five games. Five wins. Five shutouts.
North College Hill’s defense has yet to surrender a point in 2026.
The Trojans continued their dominant start to the season Thursday night at Welcome Stadium, scoring three times in the opening quarter, building a 40-point halftime advantage and rolling past Belmont, 61-0.
North College Hill improved to 5-0 with the victory, while Belmont fell to 2-4. Through five games, the Trojans have outscored their opponents 257-0.
North College Hill entered Thursday having already posted shutout victories over Ponitz, Bethel-Tate, Meadowdale and Western Hills. Belmont came closer than most to ending that streak late Thursday night, reaching first-and-goal at the North College Hill 9-yard line in the fourth quarter.
That’s when Ezra White made sure the zero remained.
“It was really important,” White said. “We haven’t had no school score on us all season, so we wanted to keep it that way. Backs against the wall, goal line — had to make the play. I made the play.”
Long before that interception, North College Hill had taken control of the game.
The Trojans opened the scoring when Chris Bradley Jr. connected with Josiah Pouncy for a 29-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was no good, giving North College Hill a 6-0 advantage.
The big plays continued.
Torii Lipscomb found Maurice Watkins III for a 46-yard touchdown with 7:33 remaining in the first quarter. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful, extending the lead to 12-0.
North College Hill’s defense then created another opportunity. Jayden Harris intercepted a Belmont pass and appeared to return it for a touchdown, but a holding penalty during the return erased the score and gave the Trojans possession at the Belmont 38-yard line.
North College Hill still capitalized on the takeaway, eventually finding the end zone on a White touchdown run to make it 18-0 with 4:40 remaining in the opening quarter.
Belmont stopped the Trojans on their next possession, forcing a turnover on downs at the Bison 18, but North College Hill carried an 18-0 advantage into the second quarter.
It didn’t take long for that lead to grow.
Marlee Godfrey scored on a 19-yard touchdown run with 11:30 remaining in the half. The extra point was good, pushing the advantage to 25-0.
Less than a minute later, the North College Hill defense got on the scoreboard when Mason Goldsmith recorded a safety, making it 27-0.
Lipscomb then connected with Pouncy for a 9-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 33-0.
Pouncy wasn’t finished.
Later in the second quarter, he intercepted a Belmont pass and returned it for a touchdown, sending North College Hill into halftime with a commanding 40-0 lead.
The break did little to slow the Trojans.
North College Hill recovered the second-half kickoff and quickly turned the extra possession into points. White scored from 15 yards out, his second rushing touchdown of the night, to push the lead to 47-0.
The defense continued creating turnovers as Zaevion Evans intercepted a Belmont pass, giving North College Hill possession at its own 41-yard line.
Lipscomb and Watkins later connected again, this time for a 47-yard touchdown pass, giving the Trojans a 54-0 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
By that point, the outcome was decided. The shutout wasn’t.
Belmont put together one of its best drives of the night in the fourth quarter and reached first-and-goal at the North College Hill 9. With the Bison threatening to become the first team to score against the Trojans this season, White stepped in front of a pass for an interception.
For a player who had already scored twice on offense, the defensive play gave White an impact on both sides of the football.
He said playing both ways can provide an advantage because understanding the defensive scheme helps him recognize what defenders are doing when he lines up on offense.
“It’s like a mental thing,” White said. “You gotta know the strategy, like the scheme on the defense. You gotta know where the defense is gonna line up when you’re on offense.”
White said understanding how defensive backs and linebackers align and move helps him recognize where opportunities and running lanes will develop.
Godfrey added another touchdown run in the fourth quarter, and the extra point produced the final 61-0 margin.
It was a dominant performance in every phase for North College Hill. The Trojans produced explosive plays through the air, scored multiple times on the ground, recorded a safety and forced several Belmont turnovers.
The offensive numbers continue to pile up for a team averaging more than 51 points per game through five weeks.
But the most remarkable number remains on the other side of the scoreboard.
North College Hill has opened the season with five consecutive shutouts — 46-0 over Ponitz, 53-0 over Bethel-Tate, 43-0 over Meadowdale, 54-0 over Western Hills and now 61-0 over Belmont.
The Trojans left Welcome Stadium Thursday night with 61 points, another victory and a perfect 5-0 record.
But the number they fought to protect until the end was much smaller.
Zero.
Five weeks into the season, that’s all North College Hill’s opponents have scored.
