EVANSVILLE REITZ (6-0) AT EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (4-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. CDT, Enlow Field.
COACHES: Cory Brunson, 14-14 in third season at Evansville Reitz, 48-54 in 10th season overall. John Hurley, 123-64 in 15th season at Evansville Memorial.
LAST CONTEST: Evansville Reitz beat Castle, 41-10. Evansville Memorial beat Evansville Bosse, 54-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Evansville Memorial, 49-10, on October. 1, 2021.
UP NEXT: Evansville Reitz travels to Evansville Bosse. Evansville Memorial plays at Vincennes Lincoln.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jonas Burnett ran 20 times for 201 yards with a score for the No. 8 (Class 4A) Panthers against Castle. Matthew Fisher went 18-of-24 for 217 yards with three touchdowns for the Tigers against Evansville Bosse.
COACHES’ CORNER: “This will be another big game for us. Memorial is playing awfully good right now. We need to have a great week of practice and continue to work on the little things. Just like last week, we will need a total team effort. We need to play well in every part of the game.” – Evansville Reitz’s Cory Brunson.
“Reitz is one of the top programs in Indiana high school football history. Coach Brunson has continued the tradition. They play very hard and are physical and explosive on both sides of the ball. For us to win, defensively, we’ll need to eliminate mistakes, stop the run, and make plays in space. Offensively, we’ll need to make big plays and protect the football.” – Evansville Memorial’s John Hurley.
INDIANAPOLIS BEN DAVIS (4-2) AT CARMEL (4-2)
KICKOFF: 7 pm. EDT, Greyhound Stadium.
COACHES: Jason Simmons, 29-26 in fifth season at Ben Davis, 55-45 in ninth season overall. John Hebert, 72-25 in eighth season at Carmel.
LAST CONTEST: Ben Davis beat Lawrence North, 34-28. Carmel beat North Central (Indianapolis), 50-19.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Carmel, 35-21, on October 1, 2021.
UP NEXT: Ben Davis entertains Lawrence Central. Carmel plays at Warren Central.
TOP PERFORMERS: Alijah Price scampered 22 times for 136 yards with a touchdown for the No. 7 (Class 6A) Giants against Lawrence North. William Heldt recorded eight tackles and a blocked punt for the No. 5 (Class 6A) Greyhounds against North Central (Indianapolis).
COACHES’ CORNER: “Friday shapes up to be another test for our football team. We go on the road to face a top five team in the state of Indiana. We will have to be disciplined in our assignment execution in all three phases. We will need to be sound defensively and work to tackle the catch, minimizing yards after the catch opportunities by their wide receivers. We will need to keep the quarterback in the pocket and not allow him to extend plays. Offensively, we will need to take what they give us. We have to stay balanced and utilize our run game in critical situations. Our special teams’ coverage units will have to be disciplined and elite. We need to capture their returners. We have to be sound in protection on punts, extra-points, and field goals.” – Ben Davis’s Jason Simmons.
“Ben Davis is extremely talented and very well-coached. In order for us to be successful, we will need to tackle well and limit their explosive plays when we are on defense. Offensive execution will be vital as well, both in the run and passing game. We’ll need to continue on our path toward improvement in those areas. If we can create advantages in the turnover differential and starting field position, that would improve our chances of winning. We will have to play complimentary football to get that done.” – Carmel’s John Hebert.
LEWIS CASS (5-1) AT WEST LAFAYETTE (6-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Straley Field.
COACHES: Clayton Mannering, 10-15 in third season at Lewis Cass. Shane Fry, 100-18 in 10th season at West Lafayette.
LAST CONTEST: Lewis Cass lost to Western, 28-6. West Lafayette beat Benton Central, 55-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: West Lafayette, 42-0, on October 1, 2021.
UP NEXT: Lewis Cass hosts Hamilton Heights. West Lafayette travels to Twin Lakes.
TOP PERFORMERS: Haden McClain scampered 24 times for 134 yards and a touchdown for the Kings against Western. Wyatt Curl hauled in three passes for 81 yards with a score for the top-ranked (Class 3A) Red Devils against Benton Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “West Lafayette is the best team in Class 3A, and the lone undefeated team remaining in the conference. They are extremely fast and efficient on offense, and don’t make mistakes on defense. If Cass is able to compete this week, we’ll need to move the ball offensively, and limit their big plays on defense. We will likely need for West Lafayette to turn the ball over, and we’ll have to capitalize on those mistakes. Our goal this week is to be a better Cass team than we were a week ago, and we’ll be tested against a very good team this week.” – Lewis Cass’s Clayton Mannering.
“Lewis Cass is a much-improved football team that is full of athletes. In order for us to be successful, we will need to stay disciplined and slow down their Wing-T offense. For us offensively, we will need to take care of the ball and sustain drives. Cass has a very good defense, and they are well-coached.” – West Lafayette’s Shane Fry.
MACONAQUAH (5-1) AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY (6-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Smith-Bibler Field at Death Valley.
COACHES: Tyler Campbell, 7-7 in second season at Maconaquah. Stephen Moriarty, 38-22 in sixth season at Tippecanoe Valley.
LAST CONTEST: Maconaquah beat North Miami, 28-26. Tippecanoe Valley beat Whitko, 60-6.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Tippecanoe Valley, 57-6, on October 1, 2021.
UP NEXT: Maconaquah entertains Manchester. Tippecanoe Valley hosts Wabash.
TOP PERFORMERS: Braxton Birner was 33-of-48 for 325 yards with three touchdowns for the Braves against North Miami. Karl Parker registered six tackles for the Vikings against Whitko.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Coach Moriarty has built his program into the class of the TRC (Three Rivers Conference) and they’re a team that we will have to beat to achieve our own championship goals. His team plays extremely hard, and they are very physical. For us to come away with a win on Friday, we will have to match or exceed TV’s physicality. On top of us needing to win that battle, we must also be the better team fundamentally. Tippy is an excellent team which means to beat them you cannot make unforced errors. Things like dead-ball penalties, missed assignments, or poor technique will get us beat. We must play a high effort, physical game while maintaining a high level of execution. If we can be the more physical and the more fundamentally sound team, that gives us the best chance to win on Friday night.” – Maconaquah’s Tyler Campbell.
“Maconaquah has a fantastic passing game. To have a chance at beating them, we are going to have to slow down their passing game. It will be near impossible to stop. One big thing we will be working on this week to stop them is having good communication in the secondary to ensure we are all on the same page. With them getting rid of the ball so quickly, we will also have to make sure the defensive line is getting their hands up to try and knock some of those passes down. Special teams will play a big factor in the game with field position. We need to play a clean game to beat them with no penalties and no turnovers.” – Tippecanoe Valley’s Steve Moriarty.
MOORESVILLE (5-1) AT WHITELAND (5-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Sleighter Field.
COACHES: Mike Gillin, 49-20 in sixth season at Mooresville, 354-137 in 44th season overall. Darrin Fisher, 123-72 in 18th season at Whiteland, 184-144 in 32nd season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Mooresville lost to Franklin, 28-21. Whiteland lost to Martinsville, 35-21.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Whiteland, 24-14, on October 1, 2021.
UP NEXT: Mooresville hosts Martinsville. Whiteland travels to Plainfield.
TOP PERFORMERS: Wes Reaves came up with seven receptions for 72 yards with a touchdown for the No. 9 (Class 4A) Pioneers against No. 8 (Class 5A) Franklin. Peyton Emberton ran 11 times for 65 yards for the No. 4 (Class 5A) Warriors against No. 7 (Class 4A) Martinsville.
COACHES’ CORNER: “They are very difficult to prepare for defensively. The jet-sweep offense in conjunction with the inside running game is tough to simulate in practice with speed. They are very well-coached, so we need to play discipline defense without giving up big plays thru run or pass…Their quarterback is also very capable of throwing the ball. They are also very solid on defense, so we need to be able to take what they give us without turning it over. Our quarterback Nick Patterson will have to come up big for us to win. He is having an excellent season so far and will need to continue to carry the load for us.” – Mooresville’s Mike Gillin.
“Defensively, Mooresville has a very good dual threat quarterback. Keeping him as well as their entire offense inside and in front will be key. On special teams, they have an excellent kicker and have been opportunistic gaining extra possessions with their kickoff team, so we are prepared for the unexpected. Offensively last week, we failed to finish drives due to unforced errors, which have been uncharacteristic for us in 2022. We must improve this week to win.” – Whiteland’s Darrin Fisher.
NORTHWOOD (6-0) AT MISHAWAKA (6-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Steele Stadium.
COACHES: Nate Andrews, 68-28 in ninth season at NorthWood, 108-67 in 16th season overall. Keith Kinder, 41-13 in fifth season at Mishawaka.
LAST CONTEST: NorthWood beat Plymouth, 48-0. Mishawaka beat Warsaw, 43-19.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Mishawaka, 40-20, on October 1, 2021.
UP NEXT: NorthWood hosts Wawasee. Mishawaka travels to Concord.
TOP PERFORMERS: Owen Roeder completed 14-of-24 passes for 264 yards with five touchdowns for the No. 3 (Class 4A) Panthers against Plymouth. Chase Gooden tallied 26 carries for 103 yards with two scores for the top-ranked (Class 5A) Cavemen against Warsaw.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We need to be mentally and physically tough for four quarters. We have to be able to make schematic adjustments in game and not flinch when it comes to handling the atmosphere.” – NorthWood’s Nate Andrews.
“NorthWood is an incredibly impressive team. They are loaded with talent on offense at all the skilled positions. Their quarterback (Owen Roeder) throws it really well, makes good decisions, and is a threat to run it. We will have to do our best to try and limit their big plays and make them try and go eight to 10 plays on drives. If we do that, maybe we can force them into a mistake or two. Defensively, they play very fast and physically. They play harder than any team we’ve played this year and I believe it will be a challenge for us to match their intensity and physicality. Lastly, they are so well-coached. We have a ton of respect for their program and consider them to be one of the premier programs in our conference and northern Indiana. We will have to play very well to have a chance to win the game.” – Mishawaka’s Keith Kinder.
SOUTHMONT (6-0) AT WESTERN BOONE (5-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Western Boone.
COACHES: Desson Hannum, 74-91 in 16th season at Southmont. Justin Pelley, 90-30 in 10th season at Western Boone.
LAST CONTEST: Southmont beat Danville, 28-14. Western Boone beat Frankfort, 56-6.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Western Boone, 49-0, on October 1, 2021.
UP NEXT: Southmont entertains Lebanon. Western Boone hosts Danville.
TOP PERFORMERS: Carson Chadd accumulated 15 rushes for 193 yards with a touchdown for the No. 9 (Class 2A) Mounties against Danville. Rowan Durbin went 10-of-13 for 364 yards with five scores for the No. 8 (Class 3A) Stars against Frankfort.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We expect a close game that is physical and hard-hitting. I think turnovers will play a huge role in who wins the game on Friday. For us to win, we need to continue to play well defensively, control the game with our rushing attack, and also be able to create some explosive plays in either the running game or passing game.” – Southmont’s Desson Hannum.
“Southmont is a solid team and playing as well as anyone seeing that they are 6-0 and currently sitting atop of the conference standings. They picked up a big conference win last week against Danville and I am sure their confidence is at an all-time high. I have a great deal of respect for Coach Hannum and know he will have his team prepared. We run the same offense and defense and are very familiar with one another. Because of this familiarity, the game will (and should) come down to the players on the field making plays. Something will have to give. The team that makes the fewest amount of mistakes will win the game on Friday. Turnovers and penalty’s will be magnified, and we will have to be assignment sound if we want to come out on top. Should be a great night for high school football and playing on our home field doesn’t hurt anything.” – Western Boone’s Justin Pelley.
TRITON (5-1) AT NORTH JUDSON (6-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Liberty Field.
COACHES: Rodney Younis, 55-104 in 15th season at Triton. Brett Lambert, 31-12 in fourth season at North Judson.
LAST OUTING: Triton beat Pioneer, 35-12. North Judson beat Culver Academy, 39-10.
PREVIOUS MEETING: North Judson, 35-16, on October 1, 2021.
UP NEXT: Triton hosts Knox. North Judson travels to LaVille.
TOP PERFORMERS: Anthony Schuh had 24 rushes for 175 yards with two scores for the Trojans against Pioneer. Cheyenne Allen raced 12 times for 89 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 3 (Class 1A) Bluejays against Culver Academy.
COACHES’ CORNER: North Judson is a very good team with multiple weapons. Defensively, we will need to have great eye discipline and focus on our keys. We will need to play exceptional team defense and make sure we are all doing our job, and when the opportunity arises, we need to create turnovers. Offensively, we need to take care of the ball, no unforced penalties, and when we get in the red zone, we must finish with points. On special teams, we want to win the field position battle. If we can do all these things, we feel it will put us in the position at the end of the game to have an opportunity to win.” – Triton’s Rodney Younis.
“Triton presents a lot of challenges for us this week. They have a solid line and a tough running back (Anthony Schuh). However, they also have an athletic quarterback (Cole Shively) and skill position guys that can make you look silly if you key too heavily on stopping the run. Like any big game, we have to take care of the football and not commit penalties. We also have to continue to play a physical brand of football in all three phases of the game. This game will present great challenges to us as we creep closer to the playoffs.” – North Judson’s Brett Lambert.
TRITON CENTRAL (5-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (5-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Howard-Longshore Stadium (Arsenal Tech High School).
COACHES: Tim Able, 85-33 in 10th season at Triton Central, 210-131 in 29th season overall. Ott Hurrle, 219-145 in 31st season at Scecina, 220-154 in 33rd season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Triton Central beat Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, 58-15. Scecina lost to Indianapolis Lutheran, 28-19.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Scecina, 27-0, on October 1, 2021.
UP NEXT: Scecina travels to Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter. Triton Central hosts Beech Grove.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jace Stuckey went 10-of-11 for 315 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 6 (Class 2A) Tigers against Cardinal Ritter. David Mendez finished 15-of-24 for 184 yards with three scores for the No. 5 (Class 2A) Crusaders against No. 1 (Class 1A) Indianapolis Lutheran.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We have struggled with Scecina in the past, and they will also be a big hurdle to clear this year. We have played well since our Lutheran loss (54-41 on September 2). We need to have a balanced offensive attack with extreme ball security against their physical defense. Our defense has to defend their dual-threat playmaking quarterback (David Mendez). Our special teams must excel in all phases to create big plays and workable field position. Coach Hurrle does a masterful job with his classy program.” – Triton Central’s Tim Able.
“First, we need to shake off last week’s loss, and then we will need to prepare for their speed and their very efficient passing game.” – Scecina’s Ott Hurrle.
VALPARAISO (4-2) AT MERRILLVILLE (5-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. CDT, Demaree Stadium.
COACHES: Bill Marshall, 45-10 in fifth season at Valparaiso. Brad Seiss, 58-30 in eighth season at Merrillville, 71-47 in 11th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Valparaiso lost to Crown Point, 34-13. Merrillville beat LaPorte, 41-3.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Merrillville, 42-7, on October 1, 2021.
UP NEXT: Valparaiso hosts Portage. Merrillville entertains Lake Central.
TOP PERFORMERS: Pete Crossin chipped in eight tackles for the No. 9 (Class 5A) Vikings against No. 8 (Class 6A) Crown Point. John Peters caught three passes for 85 yards for the No. 2 (Class 5A) Pirates against LaPorte.
COACHES’ CORNER: “In order to come away with a victory, we will get back to the basics at practice this week. Much like a heavyweight boxer who gets knocked down, we have to get off the mat and get back at it. Our ground on offense will need to sustain drives and defensively, we have to take away the big play potential that Merrillville has. On special teams, we will need to minimize our own self-inflicted mistakes.” – Valparaiso’s Bill Marshall.
“Valpo- Merrillville, as of late, has been one of the premier games in the region. They are always physical and well-coached. We look forward to the opportunity as it is always a good measuring stick to see where we are at as the post-season nears.” – Merrillville’s Brad Seiss.
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