Last week, Hurricane Helene turned the opening week of the second half of the high school football regular season into a two-day affair.

But Mother Nature was kind to Greater Cincinnati football teams in Week 7 as the calendar flipped to October and a slew of different squads tried to polish a playoff resume or climb into contention.

Here are the biggest storylines from Week 7.

More: High school football scores: Who won Cincinnati's Week 7 games?

More: High school football scores: Who won Northern Kentucky, Southeast Indiana Week 7 games?

Moeller wins GCLS, continues to look like state contender

Moeller controlled the game against Elder from start to finish, winning 42-14 to clinch an undefeated record in the GCL South and the conference title. The Crusaders held Elder to 174 total yards (just four rushing yards) and gained 472 themselves. Quarterback Matt Ponatoski was excellent as usual, completing 19-of-22 passes attempted for 331 yards and three touchdowns. If the Crusaders are on, it will be tough to knock them off in the chase for the state title.

Harrison takes charge of SWOC race and improves to 6-1

Harrison ran past Mount Healthy Friday night, 49-26, to improve to 6-1 overall and 1-0 in the Southwest Ohio Conference, dropping the Owls to 5-2, 1-1. Harrison next plays Talawanda (3-4, 1-0) with a chance to clinch a share of the SWOC title.

Harrison set the tone when senior Cole Koops ran 65 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. QB Dickie Engel threw two TD passes to Josh Adelsperger in the first half, lifting the Wildcats to a 35-14 halftime lead.

The Harrison defense made it stand against one of the city's top quarterbacks, Jahmeir Spain. Spain connected with Ace Cooper for three long touchdowns, but the Wildcats kept them in check the rest of the time. Harrison junior Logan White had a phenomenal game with 17 tackles and five sacks, giving him 13.5 sacks for the year. Ben Markarian cemented the win with two pick-six interception touchdowns in the second half.

GMC's three-way, first-place tie remains

With three weeks left in the regular season, there is still a three-way tie for first place in the Greater Miami Conference. The logjam at the GMC's summit didn't come easy on Friday night as Lakota East and Princeton had to overcome sluggish starts.

Princeton and Oak Hills were tied 0-0 in the second quarter before the Vikings ran away with a 23-10 victory behind three touchdown passes from De'Angelo Birch. Lakota East trailed winless Colerain, 21-15, at the half but took control in the third quarter with touchdown runs from Chauncey Peck and Jamison Kitna. Ryder Hooks ran for 140 yards and the Thunderhawks churned out 228 rushing yards for a 36-31 win.

Lakota West, the third team in the three-way tie, left little doubt in dismantling Sycamore, 52-0.

Elsewhere in the GMC, Mason climbed up the standings thanks to a last-minute win over Middletown. Ashton Sheafe threw a six-yard touchdown to Ethan Jordan with seven seconds left for a 17-14 victory.

Which teams began October on the right foot?

Bishop Brossart

Last year, Bishop Brossart lost to Paris, 41-3. On Friday, the Mustangs pulled out a dramatic 21-14 victory over Paris, the No. 7 team in Class 1A. Cameron Mandel had a 68-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. With the score tied in the final minutes of regulation, Brady Boruske's fumble recovery set up the game-winning 25-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Holtz to Nicholas Cozzi.

Bishop Brossart's Shane Willike sealed the win with an interception and the Mustangs improved to 5-1.

La Salle

After getting crushed by Moeller in Week 6, La Salle bounced back with a dominant second half to beat Indianapolis Roncolli on the road Friday, 28-17. The Lancers, 4-7 a year ago, are now 6-1 and remain the No. 4 team in Division II, Region 8.

Madeira

The Mustangs snapped a four-game losing streak with a 35-9 win over rival Mariemont. They did their damage with defense, limiting the Warriors to 33 passing yards and forcing four interceptions.

Simon Kenton

The Pioneers earned a wild, 44-43 win over Ballard. They led by 15 points with seven minutes left in regulation before going to overtime tied at 36. After giving up a touchdown to begin the extra period, Brady Lee found Tysin Weaver for the score. Lee then connected with Kyle King for the walk-off two-point conversion.

Williamsburg

Gary Robinson's 5-yard touchdown run with 2:35 remaining proved to be the game-winner as Williamsburg beat Blanchester, 22-18.

Winner of five straight, Williamsburg (6-1) is tied with Bethel-Tate atop the Southern Buckeye Conference-National. The two will meet at Abrams Stadium Oct. 18.

Batavia

The Bulldogs have clinched their first winning season since 2018 after beating Wilmington, 28-21 Friday night, snapping a five-game losing streak to the Hurricane. Batavia is 6-1 and 2-0 in the Southern Buckeye Athletic & Academic Conference-American Division. Quarterback Carson Harris threw four touchdown passes, two to Marcus Hughbanks and two to Max Mehlman, including the winning score with 10 seconds left. Batavia will travel to New Richmond (5-2, 1-1) in a SBAAC-A showdown next week.

Which Cincinnati football players stood out on Friday night?

Logan White, Harrison

The junior defensive lineman had 17 tackles and five sacks in Harrison's 49-26 win over Mount Healthy. White now has 13.5 sacks through seven games this season.

Carson Evans, Ludlow

Evans caught touchdown passes of 59 and 20 yards from quarterback Jackson Mays in Ludlow's 43-0 win over Bellevue.

Gracen Goldsmith, Hamilton

Another standout week for the GMC's leading rusher. Goldsmith tied a school record with five rushing touchdowns and a career-high 244 yards in Hamilton's 42-21 victory over Fairfield.

Pat McLaughlin, La Salle

The senior quarterback threw for 179 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 53 yards and a score in La Salle's victory over Indianapolis Roncalli.

Lee Thomas, Cincinnati Country Day

Despite battling strep throat during the week, the senior showed up on Friday night and carried the ball 16 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded an interception.

Dylan Wolf, New Richmond

Wolf turned just 10 carries into 127 rushing yards and two touchdowns in New Richmond's 38-16 win over Western Brown. The sophomore is averaging 6.6 yards per carry this season and has eight rushing touchdowns in seven games.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati high school football: Takeaways, top performers from Week 7