CLASS 6A SECTIONAL 1
LAFAYETTE JEFF (8-2) AT CROWN POINT (10-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Dog Pound.
COACHES: Pat Shanley, 59-15 in seventh season at Lafayette Jeff. Craig Buzea, 15-5 in second season at Crown Point, 228-92 in 30th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Lafayette Jeff beat Lake Central, 34-28, OT. Crown Point beat Portage, 44-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First encounter on the gridiron.
UP NEXT: Lafayette Jeff hosts No. 5 Carroll (Fort Wayne) (10-0) or Warsaw (8-2) in regional final. Crown Point travels to Warsaw or entertains Carroll (Fort Wayne).
TOP PERFORMERS: Glenn Patterson scampered 30 times for 168 yards with three touchdowns for the Bronchos against Lake Central. Eli Tiawhan had 92 yards on the ground with a score for the No. 6 Bulldogs against Portage.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Our keys to the game are winning first down on both sides of the ball, win the turnover-take-a-way battle, limit their explosives plays, and work to create our own.” – Lafayette Jeff’s Pat Shanley.
“Jeff is undoubtedly the best team we will face to date. Extremely explosive on offense and diverse on defense playing multiple fronts with several game wreckers on that side of the ball. The biggest challenge is to limit their big plays and get off to a better start than we did last week. Tremendous challenge for our program as one our biggest challenges is to find a way to compete with elite teams with excellent overall speed.” – Crown Point’s Craig Buzea.
CLASS 6A SECTIONAL 2
WARSAW (8-2) AT CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (10-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Gorsuch Complex.
COACHES: Bart Curtis, 39-14 in fifth season at Warsaw, 240-116 in 32nd season overall. Doug Dinan, 100-45 in 13th season at Carroll.
LAST CONTEST: Warsaw beat Elkhart, 14-9. Carroll beat Penn, 35-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Carroll, 36-0, on November 5, 2021 in Class 6A sectional final.
UP NEXT: Warsaw entertains Crown Point (10-0) or goes to Lafayette Jeff (8-2) for regional. Carroll travels to Crown Point or Lafayette Jeff.
TOP PERFORMERS: Braden Steely tallied eight carries for 33 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 5 Chargers against No. 10 Penn. German Flores-Ortega raced 18 times for 117 yards with a score for the Tigers against Elkhart.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Carroll is 10 – 0 for a reason in 2022. They also won our sectional in 2021 (trouncing us 36-0 at their place). The Chargers are a well-coached outfit with a high-octane offense that can score from anywhere and in any fashion. Defensively, they have some serious runners and hitters and have improved in this area significantly over the past few years. For us to be in the game Friday night, we must not turn the football over and must not give up huge chunk touchdowns.” – Warsaw’s Bart Curtis.
“Warsaw is a very good football team that plays a very disciplined brand of football. The wishbone offense is very difficult to defend due to their scheme and due to the fact that most teams we play against don’t utilize this type of offense. Defensively, they fly to the football and play very physical up front. For us to be successful Friday night, we have to defend the run and win the line of scrimmage. We have to be efficient on offense and take care of the ball. We also must make a difference on special teams.” – Carroll’s Doug Dinan.
CLASS 5A SECTIONAL 12
FORT WAYNE NORTH (8-2) AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER (9-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Spuller Stadium.
COACHES: Ben Johnson, 10-9 in second season at North Side. Kurt Tippmann, 135-35 in 14th season at Snider.
LAST CONTEST: North beat Anderson, 49-9. Snider beat Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, 41-6.
LAST MEETING: Fort Wayne Snider, 20-18, on August 19, 2022.
UP NEXT: Fort Wayne North entertains No. 4 Mishawaka (9-1) or Concord (5-5) in regional. Fort Wayne Snider travels to Mishawaka or hosts Concord.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jontae Lambert carried the ball 14 times for 240 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 7 Legends against Anderson. Luke Haupert went 10-of-14 for 115 yards with a score for the top-ranked Panthers against No, 10 Bishop Dwenger.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We have to be disciplined for the entire 48 minutes. In all three phases of the game, we have to play North Side football. We have to win the turnover battle and we have to limit penalties as much as possible. Defensively, we know we have to stop their run game. Offensively, we have to block through the whistle and get our playmakers the ball in space and let them make plays.” – Fort Wayne North’s Ben Johnson.
“North Side is an extremely talented team that is having one of their best seasons in recent history. They have one of the top players in the country in wide receiver-defensive back (Brauntae) Tae Tae Johnson. They have a 2,000-yard passer in quarterback Bodhe Dickerson, a 2,000-yard rusher in Jontae Lambert, and a wide receiver (Johnson) that is as good as anyone in the country. They pose a huge challenge for us defensively. Not sure we can take anyone away, but we have to defend them all. We will have to be very sound in assignments and gap responsibilities to be successful. Defensively, they have size on the defensive line and very active linebackers. They also have talented defensive backs, so we have to be able to block their linemen and get hats on the linebackers for us to be successful. We will have to be effective in the passing game, as they will load the box and try to take away our run game. Kicking game will be a huge determining factor in this game.” – Fort Wayne Snider’s Kurt Tippmann.
CLASS 5A SECTIONAL 14
WHITELAND (9-1) AT FRANKLIN (8-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Shireman Field.
COACHES: Darrin Fisher, 127-72 in 18th season at Whiteland, 188-144 in 32nd season overall. Chris Coll, 25-35 in sixth season at Franklin, 104-78 in 17th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Whiteland beat Terre Haute North, 63-3. Franklin beat Terre Haute South, 35-34.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Whiteland, 21-0, on September 9, 2022.
UP NEXT: Whiteland hosts Plainfield (5-5) or Decatur Central (4-6) in regional. Franklin goes to Decatur Central or entertains Plainfield.
TOP PERFORMERS: Kevin Denham completed all four of his passes for 74 yards with a touchdown for the No. 2 Warriors against Terre Haute North. Alex Leugers had 14 rushes for 85 yards with a score for the No. 8 Grizzly Cubs against Terre Haute South.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We need to play great complimentary football. Our defense has to keep the ball inside and in front to eliminate big plays. Special teams have to give us good starting field position, while our offense needs to average four yards per play to put together long scoring drives.” – Whiteland’s Darrin Fisher.
“Defensively, we must be sound in our run fits. We have to account for their formation changes, shifts and motions. We must adjust accordingly and make sure our numbers match correctly and our run fits are sound. They will try to put our defense in a numbers disadvantage and exploit those breakdowns. We have to be correct and sound in how we align, and we must attack our run fits. Offensively, we must take advantage of our opportunities. We can’t have 10 and 12 play drives with no points. That has been our issue when we have struggled against them in the past. We have to get some points, especially in the first half. We cannot force our defense to play a perfect game. Our offense has to be productive. It will really come down to execution and effort. As a team and program, we can’t let the moment distract us from doing our jobs. We know they are a great team. We just need to play with poise and composure and match them with execution and effort.” – Franklin’s Chris Coll.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 17
NEW PRAIRIE (10-1) AT HOBART (8-3)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, The Brickyard.
COACHES: Casey McKim, 26-9 in third season at New Prairie. Craig Osika, 45-16 in fifth season at Hobart.
LAST CONTEST: New Prairie beat Lowell, 42-6. Hobart beat Highland, 42-25.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Hobart, 36-7, on November 15, 2019 in Class 4A regional.
UP NEXT: New Prairie entertains Northridge (7-4) or No. 3 NorthWood (11-0) in regional final. Hobart entertains NorthWood or goes to Northridge.
TOP PERFORMERS: Dallas Ryans hauled in two receptions for 96 yards with two scores for the No. 6 Cougars against Lowell. Noah Ehrlich was 13-of-23 for 170 yards with two touchdowns for the Brickies against Highland.
COACHES’ CORNER: “There are three major keys to the game this week for us. First, we must stop their big play ability. Hobart has some big-time playmakers on the outside led by (wide out) Cody Johnston. (Running back) Trey Gibson is an unbelievable talent who can turn any touch into an explosive play. (Noah) Ehrlich does an outstanding job at quarterback as he gets everyone involved and has the ability to push the ball down the field with his arm or his legs. Hobart’s offense has the ability to put up big numbers quickly and we must stop the big play if we are going to be successful. Second, we must dominate the line of scrimmage. Hobart, on both sides of the field, has very large and long athletes along their offensive and defensive lines. We must match that size and physicality with great technique and an aggressive mentality. If we can win in the trenches and impose our will, then we are going to allow our playmakers to create big plays. Finally, we must execute at a high level. We must take care of the ball and work to take the ball away. We have to limit our penalties while still playing aggressive and to the whistle. Defensively, Hobart will throw a lot of fronts, blitzes, and twists at your blocking and protection schemes. We must ID what we are seeing and do our job play in play out.” – New Prairie’s Casey McKim.
“Defensively, we will have to tackle a lot better than we did last week. We need to emphasize getting 11 hats to the ball to contain their run game. We must ensure that we read our run keys and not bite on their play-action passes. Offensively, we need to execute our game plan and sustain drives. We need to try and limit the amount of time their offense is on the field. It is no secret, the team that is more disciplined and makes the fewest mistakes is the team that usually moves on.” – Hobart’s Craig Osika.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 24
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (8-3) AT BOONVILLE (8-3)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. CDT, Bennett Field.
COACHES: John Hurley, 127-65 in 15th season at Evansville Memorial. Darin Ward, 48-34 in eighth season at Boonville, 118-64 in 17th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Evansville Memorial beat Jasper, 21-18. Boonville beat Evansville Reitz, 28-27.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Evansville Memorial, 33-13, on November 1, 2019 in Class 4A sectional semifinals.
UP NEXT: Evansville Memorial travels to Martinsville (8-3) or hosts No. 4 East Central (9-2) for regional. Boonville plays at Martinsville or East Central.
TOP PERFORMERS: Porter Rode recorded 12 carries for 144 yards with two touchdowns for the Tigers against Jasper. Marques Ballard had two catches for 70 yards with a score for the Pioneers against No. 5 Evansville Reitz.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We are excited to have the opportunity to compete for a sectional title at Boonville. We will have to play a complete game. Offensively, we will have to have a better tempo and eliminate mental penalties. Defensively, we will need to stop the run and eliminate explosive plays. Coach Ward does a tremendous job getting his kids ready to play. Boonville has proven to be a tough place to go into and get a victory.” – Evansville Memorial’s John Hurley.
“Evansville Memorial is a well-coached football team that expects to win in November and will not beat themselves. We will have to play well in all three phases of the game and make some timely plays on offense and defense. From a defensive perspective, we will have to tackle their receivers in space and not allow any big plays from their running back. Offensively, we must have positive plays and be aggressive in our throw game. It should be a great game Friday night.” – Boonville’s Darin Ward.
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL 25
WEST LAFAYETTE (11-0) AT HANOVER CENTRAL (11-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Hanover Central Field.
COACHES: Shane Fry, 105-18 in 10th season at West Lafayette. Brian Parker, 42-15 in fifth season at Hanover.
LAST CONTEST: West Lafayette beat Calumet, 52-12. Hanover beat Griffith, 42-21.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First meeting in football.
UP NEXT: West Lafayette hosts Jintown (9-2) or plays at Knox (8-3) in regional. Hanover Central travels to Knox or Jimtown.
TOP PERFORMERS: Dawson Martin registered 19 carries for 114 yards with four scores for the top-ranked Red Devils against Calumet. Gannan Howes came up with four receptions for 136 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 5 Wildcats against Griffith.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Hanover Central is a very good football team and we will have our hands full. A huge key for us to be successful is that we must win the turnover battle. Also, we are going to need to find ways to score points. Their starting defense has given up one touchdown the entire season.” – West Lafayette’s Shane Fry.
“For us to be successful Friday night, we need to establish the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, take care of the football and in turn, find a way to get a couple of takeaways. Their quarterback (Max Mullis) is a very talented player that thrives in making explosive plays, so if we can limit those chunk plays and keep their offense in front of us, hopefully we’ll be there at the end. Defensively, they are solid at all three levels. Their scheme allows them to play confidently and fast which plays right into their athleticism.” – Hanover Central’s Brian Parker.
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL 28
INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (7-4) AT GUERIN CATHOLIC (7-4)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Guerin Catholic Field.
COACHES: Rob Doyle, 59-20 in sixth season at Bishop Chatard. Tom Dilley, 56-41 in ninth season at Guerin Catholic, 136-118 in 23rd season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Bishop Chatard beat Hamilton Heights, 41-14. Guerin Catholic beat Tippecanoe Valley, 34-14.
SERIES LAST 35 SEASONS: Bishop Chatard, 13-2
PREVIOUS MEETING: Bishop Chatard, 31-30, on September 23, 2022.
UP NEXT: Bishop Chatard hosts No. 4 Norwell (10-1) or Yorktown (8-3) for regional finale. Guerin Catholic entertains Norwell or goes to Yorktown.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Weybright recorded 17 carries for 115 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 6 Trojans against Hamilton Heights. Malcolm Houze was 10-of-20 for 196 yards with two scores and ran for another tally for the Golden Eagles against Tippecanoe Valley.
COACHES’ CORNER: “It will be important for us to be much more consistent in our pass coverage this week. We did a poor job in our first game. It’s also important for us to run the ball better especially this time of year in the playoffs. We also had a lot of penalties in our first game which led to other inconsistencies. We need to be sure that we play a solid mistake-free game up front as Guerin is always well-coached and well-prepared.” – Bishop Chatard’s Rob Doyle.
“To be victorious this week against a very good Bishop Chatard team, we will need to play our best. Fundamentally, we will need to play with great leverage, pad level, and physicality. As always, the outcome of this game will be heavily impacted by ball security and the kicking game. Our opponent presents a tremendous challenge with an explosive and balanced offense as well as a swarming and stingy defense. Our defense will need to tackle well and be sound in our alignment and adjustment to the wide variety of formations the Trojans will utilize. Offensively, we will need to handle the movements, stunts, and blitzes that their defense uses to cause confusion for opponents.” – Guerin Catholic’s Tom Dilley.
CLASS 2A SECTIONAL 39
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (10-1) AT TRITON CENTRAL (9-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Mendenhall Stadium.
COACHES: Ott Hurrle, 224-145 in 31st season at Scecina, 225-154 in 33rd season overall. Tim Able, 89-34 in 10th season at Triton Central, 214-132 in 29th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Scecina beat Clarksville, 48-18. Triton Central beat Brownstown Central, 24-19.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Indianapolis Scecina, 21-20, on September 30, 2022.
UP NEXT: Scecina hosts No. 6 Evansville Mater Dei (8-3) or North Posey (9-2) in regional final. Triton Central entertains Evansville Mater Dei or travels to North Posey.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brandon Fitts-Ramsey managed 14 carries for 164 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 3 Crusaders against Clarksville. Ray Crawford ran 23 times for 149 yards with a score and caught a 22-yard pass for another tally for the No. 4 Tigers against Brownstown Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We will need to play better on our offensive line and do a better job on stopping their running game than we did in game one.” – Scecina’s Ott Hurrle.
“Scecina has become a nemesis for us in the past and present. Ott Hurrle is a great coach and has a great program with a storied tradition. They always bring a high level of intensity and always are sound in their fundamentals. In our first matchup, we had four fumbles that Scecina created, including one fumble that was on the one-yard line after an interception and went out of bounds in the end zone. All the credit goes to Scecina as they always take advantage of all opportunities that we gave them. We hope we can come ahead this time.” – Triton Central’s Tim Able.
CLASS 1A SECTIONAL 43
WEST CENTRAL (10-1) AT CARROLL (FLORA) (10-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Carroll Field.
COACHES: Marc Hall, 29-61 in ninth season at West Central, 42-79 in 12th season overall. Blake Betzner, 19-5 in second season at Carroll.
LAST CONTEST: West Central beat Taylor, 40-0. Carroll beat Tri-Central, 35-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First meeting on the gridiron.
UP NEXT: West Central goes to No. 2 Adams Central (11-0) or hosts Northfield (6-5) for regional. Carroll travels to Adams Central or Northfield.
TOP PERFORMERS: Spencer Leman hauled in five passes for 31 yards with two scores for the Trojans against Taylor. Keegan Ellis finished with 18 carries for 77 yards with four touchdowns for the No. 8 Cougars against Tri-Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “For us to get a victory on Friday, we will need to take care of the football, block well, and tackle. We have one a pretty good job of taking care of the football this year outside of one week. If we can do that again, it will give us an opportunity to be successful. If we are also able to block well upfront and on the perimeter, we will increase our likelihood of success as well. Defensively, we not only will have to tackle well, but will also have to figure out how to slow Carroll down a bit. They are a good team that scores a lot of points. We will have to do our best to try to limit some of the things that they do.” – West Central’s Marc Hall.
“West Central is a very good football team. They have the best lineman that we have seen all year. He is an issue on both sides of the ball. They have a lot of team speed on offense and the big play potential is always there for West Central. They are very well-coached and do a really good job of execution offensively and defensively. Our players are excited about a chance to go play a 10-win football team and see where our program currently stands.” – Carroll’s Blake Betzner.
Recent Comments