It was an exciting week in the city of Cincinnati, with two FC Cincinnati matches, six Reds games, the NFL Draft, and some portal action for the college squads. Let’s recap the past week!
Last Week’s Recap
Bengals: The Bengals had the NFL Draft this past weekend, here is a complete list of their picks.
- Round 2 (Pick 41): Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M
- Round 3 (Pick 72): Tacario Davis, CB, Arizona
- Round 4 (Pick 128): Connor Lew, G/C, Auburn
- Round 4 (Pick 133): Colbie Young, WR, Georgia
- Round 6 (Pick 211): Brian Parker II, G/C, Duke
- Round 7 (Pick 221): Jack Endries, TE, Cal
- Round 7 (Pick 226): Landon Robinson, DT, Navy
Grading the Draft: B+
The Bengals did a solid job in adding some beef on the offensive line, while bolstering the defensive side of things. I would also argue they officially won the Dexter Lawrence trade with the Giants, as they passed on Caleb Downs. I give Cincinnati a B+ for their draft.
FCC: FC Cincinnati had two matches this week, picking up a total of four points. Here is a summary of each clash.
FCC @ NYCFC | 4-4 Draw | 4/22 | Yankee Stadium
The match started off relatively slow, until Nicolas Fernandez punched in a 20th minute goal to take a 1-0 lead. Kevin Denkey netted a response just twelve minutes later to even it at 1-1. Fernandez wasted no time after Denkey’s goal, punching one in just three minutes later to continue his hot streak. It was 2-1 New York at half. New York came out firing, with Agustin Ojeda putting in a 53rd minute goal. Kevin Denkey put in another goal in the 65th minute in an attempt to rally FCC back. New York delivered a brutal punch in the 79th, with a Talles Magno goal. FCC trailed 4-2 heading into extra time, it looked impossible. However, Andrei Chirila made quick work for Cincy and put one in to make it 4-3. It still looked as if Cincy would fall short, but in the 95th minute, Evander was awarded a penalty kick and he nailed it to force a tie. FCC achieved yet another draw in a game they should have lost.
NY Red Bulls @ FCC | FCC wins 2-0 | 4/25 | TQL Stadium
This was a revenge game for Cincy, as New York beat them 4-2 to kick off April. This game was pretty passive for about 40 minutes, until Kevin Denkey continued his tear and punched in a goal to make it 1-0 just before half. Denkey didn’t stop there, five minutes of time were added and Denkey was awarded a penalty kick. He punched it in to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room. FCC’s defense locked it down in the second half to take a clean sheet win.
Reds: The Reds had a tough schedule this week and they went 4-2, here’s a recap of each game.
Game 23/162 | Reds beat Rays 6-1 | 4/20/2026 | Tropicana Field
Sal Stewart started the game hot, hitting a two-run homer in the first inning. This was already his eighth homer of the season. Rhett Lowder let up a run in the first and was solid the rest of the way, throwing six innings with one run. The Reds led from the jump and never looked back here.
Game 24/162 | Reds beat Rays 12-6 | 4/21/2026 | Tropicana Field
This game was a fun one to watch. Cincinnati went yard five times, with three coming in the first two innings. Elly De La Cruz hit two bombs, and Dane Myers, Ke’Bryan Hayes, and Spencer Steer added their own.
Game 25/162 | Rays beat Reds 6-1 | 4/22/2026 | Tropicana Field
Nick Martinez dominated his former team, throwing eight innings while only letting up five hits and one run. Brandon Williamson was shelled early and was pulled after just 4.1 innings. The Reds lone run came from a sac fly by P.J Higgins.
Game 26/162 | Reds beat Tigers 9-8 | 4/24/2026 | Great American Ballpark
This was a game to remember for Cincinnati. The Tigers started out with five straight runs on Andrew Abbott. Matt McLain and Nathaniel Lowe hit homers, (McLain’s was a two-run) to make it 5-3. Soon after, a massive storm came and put the game in a delay for almost two hours. At 10:50, the Reds came out and continued their hot streak, scoring four runs in the seventh. Matt McLain hit another homer to jumpstart the surge. The Tigers took the lead back and the Reds trailed 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs and the game on the line, Nathaniel Lowe smacked a two-run home run to walk it off, which was his second home run of the game.
Game 27/162 | Reds beat Tigers 9-2 | 4/25/2026 | Great American Ballpark
The Reds continued their barrage of home runs, hitting four on Saturday. Sal Stewart started off the game with a two-run dinger, and Nathaniel Lowe hit another one. De La Cruz added a two-run homer in the second inning to take an early 6-1 lead. The Tigers attempted to rally back but fell way short and their grave was dug by a two-RBI single by Sal Stewart and a bomb by TJ Friedl.
Game 28/162 | Tigers beat Reds 8-3 | 4/26/2026 | Great American Ballpark
The Reds started out well, thanks to homers by JJ Bleday and Nathaniel Lowe, and a Matt Mclain RBI double. These would be their only runs of the game. The Tigers offense unloaded and cruised to an easy win.
It was another great week for the Reds, picking up two series wins.
Portal Madness Continues:
This week, Hunter will be diving into each of our local teams’ rosters. Keep an eye out for breakdown videos of each team (@bracketNKY on Instagram and TikTok), plus exclusive graphics and long-form deep dives on here for each roster as we move forward!
Cincinnati:
Tylen Riley was the biggest recruit of the cycle for coach Calhoun and co. As soon as Riley hit the portal, the Bearcats made him a priority. This week, that effort came to fruition, landing the 6’3” point guard to lead the offense in Clifton next year!
Xavier:
Xavier’s portal season started off lightning fast, so yes, it feels like things are slowing down, and that’s because they are. The Musketeers did, however, land one more piece this week! Nikolaos Chitikoudis, from Robert Morris will help fill out the front court this year. Chitikoudis has a nose for the ball and plays high-IQ ball. Read more on him here.
NKU:
The Norse landed two transfers this week! Both were brought on campus and bought into what coach Horn and staff were selling! First, Eric Acker a 6’2” guard from La Salle. He’ll help solidify the backcourt with a veteran presence! Read more about Eric here. Second, the Aussie pipeline continued, as NKU landed a commitment from Noah Pagotto, a 6’7” Wollongong, Australia native. He’ll help anchor the wing this year. Think of him as a pseudo Kael Robinson replacement (though, admittedly those are huge shoes to fill). The Norse still have multiple open spots and will look to continue building depth and likely another front court piece.
Miami (OH):
Travis Steele and staff brought in Rich Rolf from Youngstown State this week. The redshirt senior averaged 9/5/2 last year while shooting 37% from deep. His game fits the mold of Brant Byers, and he’ll look to fill that specific void in the RedHawks’ rotation.The RedHawks now have a relatively full roster and while another addition is possible, I expect the key portions of the roster to be filled out at this time. Reminder, Evan Ipsaro, Almar Atlason, Luke Skaljac, and Justin Kirby are all back, meaning the majority of the starters likely come from that grouping.
This Week’s Preview
Bengals: Their focus shifts to Rookie Mini-Camp and incorporating the new guys into the team.
FCC: The Garys have a rematch with the Chicago Fire this week. The two met earlier this month and it ended in a 3-3 draw. Cincinnati is looking to extend on their solid week and pick up a big three points. In their last meeting, Cincy dominated possession, shots on goal, and corners. They played like a better team and should have picked up a win. If they can repeat that success, while locking down Chicago on defense, they are looking solid. FCC must stop Hugo Cuypers, as he scored two goals on them last time and has eight goals in six games. Kevin Denkey must stay hot and put at least one ball in the net. Cincinnati always closes strong, so they must open the game and preferably put a goal in the net by the 20th minute.
Reds: The Reds have two series this week, one being very pivotal in the NL Central battle for the top. However, they must first get through the Rockies.
April 28th-30th | Reds vs Rockies | Great American Ballpark
The Rockies have started off the season rough, as they have found themselves at 13-16, and last place in the NL West. They are a pretty average team all-around when looking at statistics. The Reds traditionally struggle with the Rockies, despite Colorado’s recent struggles. In a way, this is a major test for the Reds to see if they can dominate a Colorado squad that they are much more talented than.
Goal: Two wins
May 1st-3rd | Reds @ Pirates | PNC Park
The Redlegs and Pirates have met once this season, with the Pirates taking the series 2-1. The Reds are looking for some redemption this weekend. Pittsburgh is a strong pitching squad, with an average ERA of 3.34 (4th in MLB). They are also 4th in total strikeouts. Fortunately, the Reds will avoid Paul Skenes. This is a pivotal series for control of the NL Central lead.
That’s all for this week’s edition of the Nati Report. It will be another exciting, action-packed week in Cincy. Make sure to check back next week to get a recap of all the action.
