My stretch of good luck in the post-season continued as I went 20-4 (83 percent) last week. Heading into the regional round, my overall mark is 158-35, which leaves me at 82 percent for the season.
CLASS 6A
Carroll (Fort Wayne) (11-0) at Lafayette Jeff (9-2): Nathan Starks ran 18 times for 176 yards with a touchdown in the No. 5 Chargers’ 34-17 win over Warsaw. Ethan Smith was 13-of-18 for 158 yards with two scores in the Bronchos’ 38-28 win over No. 6 Crown Point. Matt’s pick: Carroll (Fort Wayne) 36, Lafayette Jeff 23.
Westfield (8-3) at Hamilton Southeastern (11-0): The top-ranked Royals held on for a 26-21 win over No. 9 Westfield on September 16. Charlie Dager racked up 16 tackles in the Shamrocks’ 42-21 win over Noblesville. Azariah Wallace raced 19 times for 70 yards with a score in Hamilton Southeastern’s 35-13 win over Fishers. Matt’s pick: Hamilton Southeastern 31, Westfield 27.
Indianapolis Cathedral (9-1) at Brownsburg (10-1): The No. 3 Bulldogs came up with a 42-35 win over No. 2 Cathedral on August 26. Carson Johnson scampered 17 times for 76 yards with a touchdown in the Irish’s 33-13 win over Lawrence Central. Ariyan Ballance had eight carries for 74 yards with a score in Brownsburg’s 56-21 win over Avon. Matt’s pick: Indianapolis Cathedral 35, Brownsburg 33.
Warren Central (6-5) at Center Grove (9-2): The Warriors suffered a 17-8 loss to No. 4 Center Grove on August 19. De’Marion Harris tallied 24 rushes for 120 yards with a score in Warren Central’s 43-7 win over Perry Meridian. Tyler Cherry went 8-of-14 for 120 yards with three touchdowns in the Trojans’ 49-14 win over Columbus North. Matt’s pick: Center Grove 23, Warren Central 14.
CLASS 5A
Merrillville (9-2) at Valparaiso (8-3): The No. 6 Pirates rolled to a 37-10 win against No. 9 Valparaiso on September 30. Rahkeem McLin recorded nine tackles in Merrillville’s 52-8 win over Hammond Central. Justin Clark went 3-of-9 for 59 yards and rushed 15 times for 112 yards with a touchdown in the Vikings’ 14-7 win over Chesterton. Matt’s pick: Merrillville 37, Valparaiso 29.
Fort Wayne Snider (10-1) at Mishawaka (10-1): The top-ranked Panthers captured a regional crown in 2016 with a 31-7 win over No. 4 Mishawaka. Lincoln Firks caught the game-winning three-yard touchdown pass in Fort Wayne Snider’s 25-21 decision over No. 7 Fort Wayne North. Aiden Hooten returned a fumble 70 yards for a score in the Cavemen’s 38-17 win over Concord. Matt’s pick: Fort Wayne Snider 20, Mishawaka 16.
Plainfield (6-5) at Whiteland (10-1): The No. 2 Warriors cruised to a 45-14 win over Plainfield on October 7. Hunter Newell completed 14-of-24 for 106 yards with a touchdown in the Quakers’ 13-10 win over Decatur Central. Gunnar Hicks came up with two catches for 53 yards with a score in Whiteland’s 24-0 win over No. 8 Franklin. Matt’s pick: Whiteland 40, Plainfield 12.
Bloomington South (9-1) at Castle (7-4): The No. 3 Panthers slipped past Castle, 18-14, in last year’s sectional semifinal. Zach David was 9-of-16 for 116 yards with two touchdowns in Bloomington South’s 28-7 win over Bloomington North. Antonio Harris came up with 12 carries for 122 yards in the Knights’ 28-18 win over Evansville North. Matt’s pick: Bloomington South 21, Castle 18.
CLASS 4A
Northridge (8-4) at New Prairie (11-1): The Raiders earned a trip to the state finals last season with a 20-14 win at No. 6 New Prairie in the northern semistate. McClain Miller registered 23 rushes for 151 yards with a touchdown in Northridge’s 34-17 upset of No. 3 NorthWood. Noah Mungia racked up 17 carries for 227 yards with three scores in the Cougars’ 49-28 win at Hobart. Matt’s pick: New Prairie 28. Northridge 17.
Kokomo (11-1) at Columbia City (11-1): Darrian Story recorded 18 carries for 127 yards in the No. 7 Wildkats’. 44-13 win over Mississinewa. Josh Arntz accumulated 20 rushes for 96 yards with a score in the No. 9 Eagles’ 27-21 overtime win over Leo. Matt’s pick: Columbia City 22, Kokomo 21.
New Palestine (12-0) at Indianapolis Roncalli (11-1): The No. 1 Dragons were a 44-13 winner over No. 2 Roncalli in the 2014 regional final. Isaiah Thacker hauled in four passes for 109 yards in New Palestine’s 43-14 win over Connersville. Luke Hansen carried the ball 29 times for 138 yards in the Royals’ 21-14 win over No. 10 Brebeuf Jesuit. Matt’s pick: Roncalli 33, New Palestine 30.
East Central (10-2) at Evansville Memorial (9-3): The Tigers claimed a 17-14 win over No. 4 East Central in last year’s regional finale. Cole Burton was 5-of-6 for 104 yards with a touchdown in the Trojans’ 47-0 win over Martinsville. Matthew Fisher went 10-of-13 for 210 yards with a score in Evansville Memorial’s 33-14 win over Boonville. Matt’s pick: East Central 24, Evansville Memorial 19.
CLASS 3A
West Lafayette (12-0) at Knox (9-3): Benny Speaker tallied seven tackles and an interception in the top-ranked Red Devils’ 44-17 win over No. 5 Hanover Central. Cohen Watson raced 13 times for 188 yards with three touchdowns in the Redskins’ 42-21 win at Jimtown. Matt’s pick: West Lafayette 39, Knox 16.
Yorktown (9-3) at Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (8-4): Jalen Thomas managed 20 carries for 165 yards with three scores in the Tigers’ 42-41 upset of No. 4 Norwell. Colin Guy amassed five catches for 130 yards with a touchdown in the No. 6 Trojans’ 49-13 win over Guerin Catholic. Matt’s pick: Bishop Chatard 42, Yorktown 25.
Monrovia (5-7) at Owen Valley (12-0): The Bulldogs recorded a 26-18 win against No. 8 Owen Valley during the 1998 campaign. Jozy Hand accumulated 22 carries for 148 yards with two touchdowns in Monrovia’s 19-14 victory over Danville. Chris Zeilstra had seven catches for 121 yards with a score in the Patriots’ 56-9 win over Pike Central. Matts pick: Owen Valley 39, Monrovia 13.
Lawrenceburg (11-1) at Southridge (11-1) (Saturday): The No. 10 Raiders racked up a 49-28 win over No. Lawrenceburg in 2020 to earn a regional championship. Logan Ahaus was 7-of-10 for 135 yards with two scores in the Tigers’ 33-7 win over Batesville. Noah Wright caught three passes for 115 yards with a touchdown in Southridge’s 42-14 win over Heritage Hills. Matt’s pick: Southridge 25, Lawrenceburg 22.
CLASS 2A
Lafayette Central Catholic (9-3) at Andrean (8-3): Aiden Sattler racked up 18 tackles in the No. 9 Knights’ 24-8 win over No. 7 Rochester. Billy Henry went 15-of-17 for 173 yards with two scores in the No. 5 and defending state champion 59ers’ 56-13 win over Bremen. Matt’s pick: Andrean 38, Lafayette Central Catholic 21.
Bluffton (8-4) at Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (7-5): The Knights crowned Bluffton, 49-21, in the 2002 sectional semifinals. Braxton Betancourt went 3-of-13 for 69 yards with two touchdowns and ran 10 times for 54 yards with another score in the Tigers’ 42-35 win over Eastbrook. Nick Thompson returned a kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown in Bishop Luers’ 35-21 win over No. 8 Eastside. Matt’s pick: Bishop Luers 45, Bluffton 20.
Lapel (7-5) at Linton-Stockton (12-0): Tyler Dollar ran 21 times for 251 yards with three touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 21-20 win over No. 10 Heritage Christian. Logan Webb managed seven catches for 78 yards with a score in the top-ranked Miners’ 33-24 win at Sullivan. Matt’s pick: Linton-Stockton 40, Lapel 19.
Evansville Mater Dei (9-3) at Triton Central (10-2): The No. 6 Wildcats clawed past No. 4 Triton Central, 35-7, in last season’s regional championship. Joey Pierre raced 18 times for 100 yards with two touchdowns in Mater Dei’s 35-0 blanking of North Posey. Ray Crawford managed 20 rushes for 69 yards with a score in the Tigers’ 10-7 win over No. 3 Indianapolis Scecina. Matt’s pick: Evansville Mater Dei 14, Triton Central 11.
CLASS 1A
North Judson (11-1) at Park Tudor (9-3): Cheyenne Allen rambled 11 times for 84 yards with two scores in the No. 4 Bluejays’ 54-0 win over Culver. Jonathan Harris carried the ball 21 times for 136 yards with a touchdown and returned an interception 97 yards for another score in the Panthers’ 49-20 win over Traders Point Christian. Matt’s pick: North Judson 41, Park Tudor 32.
Carroll (Flora) (11-1) at Adams Central (12-0): Keegan Ellis scampered 18 times for 224 yards with five touchdowns in the No. 8 Cougars’ 47-6 win over West Central. Gavin Cook managed five rushes for 71 yards with a score in the No. 2 Flying Jets’ 41-13 win against Northfield. Matt’s pick: Adams Central 43, Carroll (Flora) 18.
North Decatur (12-0) at Sheridan (11-1): The No. 6 Blackhawks racked up a regional crown in 1998 with a 56-20 win over No. 3 North Decatur. Reid Messer accounted for nine rushes for 49 yards with five touchdowns in the Chargers’ 56-6 win over Knightstown. Jacob Jones recorded five carries for 143 yards with three scores in Sheridan’s 75-36 win over Hagerstown. Matt’s pick: Sheridan 42, North Decatur 39.
Providence (8-3) at Indianapolis Lutheran (12-0): Thomas Lynch hauled in a 59-yard touchdown pass in the Pioneers’ 21-7 win over No. 5 Tecumseh. LJ Ward had two receptions for 85 yards with two scores in the top-ranked and defending state champion Saints’ 56-0 win over Covenant Christian. Matt’s pick: Indianapolis Lutheran 48, Providence 10.
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