The sectional round ended on a decent note as I went 35-10 (78 percent) last week. With three weeks left, my overall record is 163-45, which keeps me at 79 percent for the year.
CLASS 6A
Merrillville (9-1) at Elkhart (9-0): The No. 7 Pirates and No. 5 Elkhart are meeting on the gridiron for the first time. Jojo Johnson caught four passes for 108 yards with two touchdowns in Merrillville’s 48-14 win over No. 3 Lafayette Jeff. Cameron Wiltfong was 3-of-10 for 67 yards and ran 11 times for 35 yards and a score in the Lions’ 14-10 win over Chesterton. Matt’s pick: Merrillville 35, Elkhart 30.
Homestead (10-1) at Westfield (10-1): The No. 8 Spartans are playing No. 2 Westfield for the first time in football. Gage Sparrow had six receptions for 67 yards and two scores in Homestead’s 30-22 win over Warsaw. Micah Hauser scampered 11 times for 91 yards with a touchdown in the Shamrocks’ 31-0 win over Fishers. Matt’s pick: Westfield 33, Homestead 24.
Carmel (9-2) at Ben Davis (6-5): The No. 6 and defending state champion Greyhounds downed Ben Davis, 31-9, on October 2. Daniel Mullins caught a 69-yard touchdown pass in Carmel’s 21-7 win over No. 4 Brownsburg. Devon Wiley ran seven times for 83 yards and two scores in the Giants’ 41-6 win over Perry Meridian. Matt’s pick: Carmel 39, Ben Davis 21.
Warren Central (4-5) at Center Grove (11-0): The Warriors are looking to avenge a 20-0 loss to No. 1 Center Grove on August 28. Joe Walker hauled in seven receptions for 109 yards with a touchdown in Warren Central’s 21-7 win over No. 9 Lawrence North. Carson Steele recorded nine carries for 67 yards and two scores in the Trojans’ 55-7 win over Columbus East. Matt’s pick: Center Grove 40, Warren Central 15
CLASS 5A
Mishawaka (7-3) at Valparaiso (7-0): The No. 9 Cavemen were blanked 49-0 by No. 3 Valparaiso in last year’s regional final. Justin Fisher completed both of his passes for 31 yards and ran 12 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns in Mishawaka’s 49-21 win over Adams. Hayden Vinyard raced 44 times for a school-record 336 yards with three scores in the Vikings’ 35-21 win over LaPorte. Matt’s pick: Valparaiso 38, Mishawaka 27.
Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger (10-1) at Zionsville (5-5): The Eagles captured the 1996 Class 3A state title with a 14-7 win over No. 2 Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger. K.J. Tippmann had 23 rushes for 114 yards in the Saints’ 20-12 win over Fort Wayne North. Colin Price registered 32 carries for 270 yards with two scores in Zionsville’s 33-21 win over No. 8 Harrison (West Lafayette). Matt’s pick: Bishop Dwenger 28, Zionsville 14.
Whiteland (9-1) at Indianapolis Cathedral (10-1): The top-ranked Irish cruised to a 48-14 win over No. 4 Whiteland in the 2014 regional final. Kayden Welling registered nine tackles in Whiteland’s 48-13 win over No. 5 and two-time defending state champion New Palestine. Michael Page tallied two catches for 94 yards with two scores in Cathedral’s 42-7 win over No. 6 Decatur Central. Matt’s pick: Cathedral 34, Whiteland 12.
Jeffersonville (5-5) at Castle (7-3): The Knights captured a sectional crown in 2012 with a 50-29 win over Jeffersonville. Davahry Julian returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown in the Red Devils’ 35-25 win over New Albany. Nyles Sutton racked up 12 tackles in Castle’s 35-24 win over Bloomington North. Matt’s pick: Castle 36, Jeffersonville 10.
CLASS 4A
Hobart (9-2) at Logansport (6-6): The No. 7 Brickies edged Logansport, 21-14, in the 1999 sectional quarterfinals. Miki Djankovich booted a 22-yard field goal in Hobart’s 10-7 win over No. 9 Lowell. Gavin Barron accumulated 18 rushes for 130 yards and three scores in the Berries’ 22-14 win over Culver Academy. Matt’s pick: Hobart 31, Logansport 8.
Marion (9-3) at East Noble (9-3): The Giants and East Noble have never met before in football. Cubie Jones went 5-of-8 for 142 yards with a touchdown and ran 10 times for 71 yards in Marion’s 38-21 win over Delta. Michael Mosley ran 10 times for 51 yards with a score in the Knights’ 10-0 blanking of No. 6 East Noble. Matt’s pick: East Noble 17, Marion 13.
Indianapolis Roncalli (10-1) at Mount Vernon (Fortville) (12-0): The No. 4 Rebels suffered a 25-17 loss to top-ranked Mount Vernon (Fortville) in last season’s regional. Cole Beckman recorded two catches for 74 yards with a touchdown in Roncalli’s 42-7 win over Lebanon. Keagan Labelle came up with 16 carries for 111 yards and two scores in the Marauders’ 49-20 win over New Castle. Matt’s pick: Mount Vernon 39, Roncalli 25.
Mooresville (11-1) at Evansville Central (12-0): The No. 3 Pioneers have never played No. 2 Evansville Central before on the gridiron. Caden Robinson ended up with nine rushes for 72 yards and a touchdown in Mooresville’s 52-27 win over Martinsville. Jacob Boberg managed 12 carries for 78 yards in the Bears’ 30-21 win over defending state champion Evansville Memorial. Matt’s pick: Evansville Central 26, Mooresville 23.
CLASS 3A
Marian (10-0) at Calumet (5-1): The No. 2 Knights opened the 2011 playoffs with a 49-12 win over Calumet in the sectional quarterfinals. Maddix Bogunia-Bright was 4-of-6 for 113 yards and a touchdown in Marian’s 44-19 win over Jimtown. Justin Marshall ran for 150 yards with four touchdowns and caught a 60-yard pass for another score in the Warriors’ 38-21 win over Hanover Central. Matt’s pick: Marian 45, Calumet 11.
Fort Wayne Concordia (6-5) at Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (10-1): The Cadets dropped a 56-28 decision to top-ranked and defending state champion Indianapolis Bishop Chatard in the regional final a season ago. Amir Drew scampered 28 times for 120 yards in Fort Wayne Concordia’s 24-0 win over No. 7 Norwell. Tommy Hannon rambled 28 times for 110 yards with a score in the Trojans’ 35-3 win over No. 10 Brebeuf Jesuit. Matt’s pick: Bishop Chatard 40, Concordia 18.
Sullivan (8-3) at Danville (9-0) (Saturday): The No. 5 Warriors claimed a 42-21 win over Sullivan in the 1998 sectional quarterfinals. Jaeden King recorded 19 rushes for 121 yards and two scores in the Golden Arrows’ 28-26 win over Vincennes Lincoln. Ethan Dutra accounted for 26 carries for 116 yards in Danville’s 35-19 win over No. 8 Tri-West. Matt’s pick: Danville 41, Sullivan 19.
Southridge (12-0) at Lawrenceburg (11-1) (Saturday): The No. 4 Raiders and No. 6 Lawrenceburg are getting together for the first time. Matt Springer added six rushes for 104 yards with a score in Southridge’s 35-7 win over Salem. Adam Burd managed 19 carries for 109 yards in the Tigers’ 49-12 win over Franklin County. Matt’s pick: Lawrenceburg 30, Southridge 24.
CLASS 2A
Andrean (11-1) at Pioneer (11-1): The No. 1 59ers are visiting No. 3 Pioneer’s Panther Pit for the first time. Evan Gilligan accounted for 17 carries for 65 yards and two scores in Andrean’s 28-14 win over Rensselaer Central. Tyler Gaumer registered 13 tackles in the Panthers’ 30-14 win at Bremen. Matt’s pick: Andrean 32, Pioneer 31.
Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (6-6) at Tipton (9-2): The Blue Devils came up on the short end of a 22-12 contest to Fort Wayne Bishop Luers in the 2012 regional final.. Ramon Anderson had 17 carries for 117 yards with a touchdown in the Knights’ 56-49 win over No. 4 Eastside. Drew Pearce hauled in five passes for 70 yards with a score in Tipton’s 28-20 win over Lapel. Matt’s pick: Tipton 34, Bishop Luers 31.
Western Boone (8-4) at Heritage Christian (8-2): The two-time defending state champion Stars were a 35-14 winner over No. 8 Heritage Christian a year ago in the regional round. Elliott Young raced five times for 65 yards with a touchdown in Western Boone’s 42-12 win over Seeger. Maxwell Milton went 7-of-13 for 104 yards and three scores in the Eagles’ 45-26 win over Shenandoah. Matt’s pick: Heritage Christian 27, Western Boone 18.
Triton Central (10-1) at Evansville Mater Dei (8-4): The No. 5 Tigers slipped past Evansville Mater Dei, 13-7, in last season’s regional finale. Ray Crawford tallied 21 rushes for 118 yards in Triton Central’s 35-7 win over Providence. Mason Wunderlich was 11-of-15 for 277 yards with four scores in Evansville Mater Dei’s 37-20 win over Linton-Stockton. Matt’s pick: Triton Central 35, Mater Dei 26.
CLASS 1A
Lafayette Central Catholic (4-3) at Winamac (7-2): The defending state champion Knights rolled to a 49-14 win over Winamac in the 2012 regional final. Brinn Robbins caught four passes for 112 yards with a touchdown in Lafayette Central Catholic’s 28-6 win over Clinton Central. Russell Compton went 8-of-12 for 150 yards with a touchdown and ran for another tally in the Warriors’ 14-8 win over No. 10 North Judson. Matt’s pick: Lafayette Central Catholic 42, Winamac 16.
South Adams (11-0) at Southwood (12-0): The No. 1 Starfires needed overtime to claim a sectional crown in 2013 with a 40-39 win over No. 3 Southwood. Christian Summerset ran 11 times for 96 yards with a touchdown in South Adams’ 55-7 win over Madison-Grant. Elijah Sutton ended with 17 rushes for 218 yards and three scores in the Knights’ 28-14 win at No. 7 Adams Central. Matt’s pick: South Adams 45, Southwood 41.
South Putnam (12-0) at Covenant Christian (12-0): The No. 6 Eagles soared to a 40-15 win over No. 5 Covenant Christian in the 2017 sectional quarterfinals. Hayden Switzer registered seven receptions for 176 yards in South Putnam’s 43-40 win over No. 8 Parke Heritage. Adrian Terry notched five passes for 123 yards with a touchdown in the Warriors’ 46-38 win over No. 2 Indianapolis Lutheran. Matt’s pick: South Putnam 42, Covenant Christian 38.
West Washington (10-0) at North Decatur (10-2): The No. 4 Senators slipped by North Decatur, 24-16, in last year’s regional final. Jacob Strange caught three passes for 152 yards and two scores in West Washington’s 20-19 win over Perry Central. Carson Parmer completed 13-of-24 for 123 yards with a touchdown in the Chargers’ 6-0 win over Milan. Matt’s pick: West Washington 13, North Decatur 12.
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