CARMEL (0-1) AT CENTER GROVE (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Ray Skillman Stadium.
COACHES: John Hebert, 68-24 in eighth year at Carmel. Eric Moore, 225-72 in 24th year at Center Grove, 273-77 in 28th year overall.
LAST CONTEST: Carmel lost to Louisville Trinity (Ky.), 17-7. Center Grove beat Warren Central, 17-8.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Center Grove, 41-14, on September 3, 2021.
UP NEXT: Carmel hosts Detroit Cass Tech (Michigan). Center Grove travels to Louisville Trinity (Kentucky).
TOP PERFORMERS: Blake Matthews hauled in a 76-yard touchdown pass for the No. 4 (Class 6A) Greyhounds against Louisville Trinity. Micah Coyle rambled 23 times for 209 yards and two scores for the No. 1 (Class 6A) Trojans against No. 6 (Class 6A) Warren Central.
COACHES CORNER: “Center Grove has won 29 games in a row. They’ve done such an amazing job getting their program to the place it is. They are very hard to beat because they expect to win, and their players compete very hard. In order for us to be successful and ultimately win, we have to execute our game plan more efficiently. We competed very hard with Louisville Trinity last week but fell short in executing at key times which cost us a chance to win the game. I believe we have a special team and that we are close to putting it all together. I’m excited to see the progress we can make from week one to this week.” – Carmel’s John Hebert.
“This week’s 25th annual Copper Kettle game is expected to be a great one. It’s hard to imagine as Center Grove entered the MIC and knew we had to play Carmel every year, that we may never beat the Greyhounds. But as we go into the 25th Kettle game, it’s tied 12-12. That is why it is has been chosen by the US Army as “The Great American Rivalry Game” for the fourth time. The 2022 Carmel team is a very experienced team with several starters returning, but as per usual they will have great size and speed in this year’s team. Their offense runs the ball with speed and power but has an excellent passing attack with a big offensive line that is quite athletic. The three-headed receiver crew consisting of Reece Matthews, Blake Bellin, and Desmond Duffy is outstanding as well. Most importantly their senior quarterback Jack Kazmierzak is outstanding as well. Their defense has a human gladiator type player known as No. 15 (linebacker) Will Heldt, who could possibly be the best player in Indiana high school football this year. The defensive line is fast and athletic, and their linebackers are great tacklers. The other cog in the wheel is the fantastic play of No. 5 Winston Berglund, their all-state safety who is another excellent player. We will have to control the football and not have useless turnovers. First downs will be key and will keep their offense off the field. Once again, our defense must eliminate the big play drives and make then earn every yard. As all football goes, the team that blocks and tackles with the most proficiency will most likely win this game.” – Center Grove’s Eric Moore.
CASTLE (1-0) AT EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. CDT, Reitz Bowl.
COACHES: Doug Hurt, 120-65 in 17th year at Castle. Mike Goebel, 249-79 in 26th year at Mater Dei.
LAST CONTEST: Castle beat Evansville North, 28-21. Mater Dei beat Evansville Central, 35-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Mater Dei, 21-14 (OT), on August 27, 2021.
UP NEXT: Castle hosts Evansville Bosse. Evansville Mater Dei plays at Vincennes Lincoln.
TOP PERFORMERS: Caden Gordon tossed for 266 yards and three touchdowns for the No. 7 (Class 5A) Knights against Evansville North. Joey Pierre scampered 22 times for 88 yards and two scores for the top-ranked (Class 2A) Wildcats against Evansville Central.
COACHES CORNER: “To have a chance to win against Mater Dei, the first thing we will have to do is not beat ourselves. They are very disciplined and know who they are. They have a balanced offense that is a challenge to defend. Mason Wunderlich is an excellent quarterback with a host of weapons at his disposal. Joey Pierre is one of the best running backs in Southwestern Indiana. We will have our work cut out for us just trying to slow them down. Defensively, they are hard-nosed and physical. They will bring a good deal of pressure and create havoc if we allow it. It is going to be a great environment in which to play. As it usually does, it will come down to the team that makes the fewest mistakes.” – Castle’s Doug Hurt.
“Castle is Castle. They are always disciplined and hard-hitting and they look to be in mid-season form. Coach Hurt and his staff, as always, will have a great game plan prepared. This game is always hard-fought and usually very close. Castle has their usual mix of offensive sets and a big offensive line. We must contend with their excellent three-year running back in Peyton Guerzini and defensive back turned quarterback Caden Gordon, who had an excellent debut against Evansville North. Defensively, size-wise, this may be the smallest overall Castle defense in decades. However, this might be the quickest, fastest, and most aggressive defense yet. John Purdy, from his middle linebacker position, is a beast. Surrounded by numerous veterans, we will have a difficult time finding openings for our offense. Obviously, we must control mental mistakes, penalties, and attempt to maintain good field position. I hope we hold up our part. If we do, it could be another exciting game.” – Evansville Mater Dei’s Mike Goebel.
DECATUR CENTRAL (1-0) AT NEW PALESTINE (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Kelso Stadium.
COACHES: Kyle Enright, 56-15 in seventh year at Decatur Central. Kyle Ralph, 105-10 in 10th year at New Palestine.
LAST CONTEST: Decatur Central beat Columbus North, 26-12. New Palestine beat Westfield, 42-28.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Decatur Central, 31-29, on August 20, 2021.
UP NEXT: Decatur Central hosts Whiteland. New Palestine travels to Yorktown.
TOP PERFORMERS: Bo Polston went 5-of-10 for 145 yards with a touchdown for the No. 2 (Class 5A) Hawks against Columbus North. Isaiah Thacker recorded four catches for 81 yards with a score for the No. 1 (Class 4A) Dragons against No. 8 (Class 6A) Westfield.
COACHES CORNER: “New Pal is a very good football team. Coach Ralph and his staff do a great job in the off-season building strong young men in the weight room and that is what stood out on film watching them play Westfield week one. They have big, strong kids at every position, and they have more speed than any New Pal teams I’ve seen in the past. It will be a challenge for our young football team to go on the road in a crazy environment against a veteran team, but we are looking forward to it. In order to compete, we must weather the storm. The emotions of a big game and being on the road will be at a high level and we must stay calm and play our game early in the contest. We have to win the turnover battle. The team that takes care of the ball usually wins and this is especially important in big games. We need to play fast and physical. We need to be able to use our team speed in all three phases of the game to minimize the impact of their size advantage on both lines of scrimmage.” – Decatur Central’ Kyle Enright.
“Coming off a big win last week full of emotion and physicality, we need to recover and refocus to prepare for a very good Decatur Central team. Our games in the last few years have been close and extremely well contested. They have been one of the top programs in Indy now for a few years and produce some of the best athletes in the area. It is going to be another incredible challenge to play above our division and enrollment against a highly ranked and very good football team. We need an incredible week of prep and practice to allow ourselves to compete well Friday night.” – New Palestine’s Kyle Ralph.
EASTSIDE (1-0) AT ADAMS CENTRAL (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Minnich Field.
COACHES: Todd Mason, 46-15 in sixth year at Eastside. Michael Mosser, 114-47 in 14th year at Adams Central.
LAST CONTEST: Eastside beat Woodlan, 50-24. Adams Central beat Garrett, 56-6.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Eastside, 21-19, on August 27, 2021.
UP NEXT: Eastside travels to West Noble. Adams Central plays Covenant Christian at Taylor University.
TOP PERFORMERS: Briar Munsey ran 16 times for 201 yards and two touchdowns for the No. 6 (Class 2A) Blazers against Woodlan. Ryan Black tallied six rushes for 111 yards and two scores for the No. 2 (Class 1A) Flying Jets against Garrett.
COACHES CORNER: “Coach Mosser has built a program that is one of the best in the northern half of the state. Offensively, it is absolutely vital we clean up our penalty situation and we cannot turn the ball over. Defensively, we must play very disciplined assignment sound football and tackle well. Special teams are going to be a major influence in the game, we must flip field position and tackle well. We’re Looking forward to it and we’re all in.” – Eastside’s Todd Mason.
“This game between our two teams has really blossomed into a great matchup and both coaching staffs would agree. It’s a tough physical game for both teams and both teams will need to play their best if they are going to win. We must move the ball against their very stubborn defense and obviously must be able to prevent them from doing so. This is no easy task. Their defense as a said is tough, physical, stingy, and fast to the ball. They are very big and strong up front which will of course give us fits. Although they’re in the spread offense, they love to run the ball and they do so very efficiently. Dax Holman will be the guy we will need to watch out for on both sides of the ball. He is an outstanding fullback and linebacker. They do have other very talented players as well and very well coached. We will have our hands full for sure.” – Adams Central’s Mike Mosser.
FORT WAYNE SNIDER (1-0) AT CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Gorsuch Complex.
COACHES: Kurt Tippmann, 127-34 in 14th year at Snider. Doug Dinan, 91-45 in 13th year at Carroll.
LAST CONTEST: Snider beat Fort Wayne North, 20-18. Carroll beat Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, 42-3.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Carroll, 29-28, on August 27, 2021.
UP NEXT: Fort Wayne Snider hosts Fort Wayne Concordia. Carroll entertains Fort Wayne North,
TOP PERFORMERS: Langston Leavell registered 11 carries for 120 yards and two scores for the No. 4 (Class 5A) Panthers against Fort Wayne North. Jayden Hill recorded three receptions for 30 yards with a touchdown for the No. 10 (Class 6A) Chargers against Fort Wayne Bishop Luers.
COACHES CORNER: “Carroll’s defense is really good. Their strength is their linebacker group. They are fast and physical and make plays for the Chargers. We have to get hats on them and keep them from disrupting our offense. We always start with establishing the run game. We have to be balanced on offense with the passing game and need to get the ball in the hands of our playmakers. Defensively, we have to stop the run and make their young quarterback (Jimmy Sullivan) put the ball in the air. We have to get better and defending breakdown plays and quarterback scrambles. Turnovers will be key in this type of game as well as special teams and the field position battle.” – Fort Wayne Snider’s Kurt Tippmann.
“We started slow but got things going in the second quarter on both sides of the ball. Luers is a very good football team that will win a lot of football games in 2022. Snider is an outstanding football team coming off a very physical game with North Side. Many returning starters from last year’s team give them stability. We must play well in all three phases of the game to be successful.” – Carroll’s Doug Dinan.
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (1-0) AT BROWNSBURG (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Roark Stadium.
COACHES: Bill Peebles, 43-11 in fifth year at Cathedral, 117-76 in 18th year overall. John Hart, 51-15 in seventh year at Brownsburg, 317-97 in 38th year overall.
LAST CONTEST: Cathedral beat Lafayette Jeff, 43-12. Brownsburg beat Ben Davis, 21-16.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Cathedral, 20-7, on August 27, 2021.
UP NEXT: Indianapolis Cathedral plays at Penn. Brownsburg travels to Franklin Central.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brennan Wooten hauled in eight passes for 71 yards with three scores for the No. 2 (Class 6A) Irish against Lafayette Jeff. Keegan Moore racked up 11 tackles for the No. 3 (Class 6A) Bulldogs against No. 9 (Class 6A) Ben Davis.
COACHES CORNER: “We are going to have to play a near-perfect game Friday to pull out a victory. Brownsburg is a big, fast, and physical football team. They are very well-coached and fundamentally sound. Defensively, our run fits and tackling have to be great. Offensively, we need to match their defense’s physicality up front and win one-on-one matchups on the outside.” – Cathedral’s Bill Peebles.
“The Irish are loaded, well-coached, and very disciplined. We had several self-inflected wounds last week and we will need to eliminate those to have a chance to win. We will need to rise up to their physicality and limit big plays with (quarterback Danny) O’Neil and (wide out Jaron) Tibbs, who are both are special players. They blocked two punts for two scores vs. Lafayette Jeff and blocked a punt against us in last year’s game, so we need to play great on special teams.” – Brownsburg’s John Hart.
LAWRENCE NORTH (1-0) AT WHITELAND (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Sleighter Field.
COACHES: Patrick Mallory, 32-62 in 10th year at Lawrence North, 46-70 in 12th year overall. Darrin Fisher, 119-71 in 18th year at Whiteland, 180-143 in 32nd year overall.
LAST CONTEST: Lawrence North beat Avon, 32-25. Whiteland beat Columbus East, 28-10.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First get together on the gridiron.
UP NEXT: Lawrence North plays at Lawrence Central. Whiteland travels to Decatur Central.
TOP PERFORMERS: Demario Moore came up with six catches for 106 yards and two scores for the No. 7 (Class 6A) Wildcats against Avon. Jonathan Crowley raced 10 times for 133 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 3 (Class 5A) Warriors against Columbus East.
COACHES CORNER: “Offensively, we need to play smart and fast. Defensively, we need to play assignment football and play fast and physical. They run a very unique offense and the potential ball carriers all run hard and carry out their fakes very well. We know that Whiteland is big, strong, and very well-coached. Therefore, we need to be fast and physical in all aspects of the game.” – Lawrence North’s Pat Mallory.
“Lawrence North has a dynamic quarterback (Montez Jones) who extends plays to go along with a set of receivers with speed. It will be critical for us to keep the ball inside and in front defensively. Our defensive line depth will have to show up. Defensively, they have an aggressive style. The nickel player is a playmaker, and their perimeter defenders are well-coached. We will need to execute well in the run game, be deceptive to play the game at our pace, and set up play action pass opportunities. We are excited to start fast on Friday night.” – Whiteland’s Darrin Fisher.
MERRILLVILLE (1-0) AT HOBART (0-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. CDT, The Brickyard.
COACHES: Brad Seiss, 54-29 in eighth year at Merrillville, 67-46 in 11th year overall. Craig Osika, 37-14 in fifth year at Hobart.
LAST CONTEST: Merrillville beat Andrean, 27-7. Hobart lost to Chesterton, 35-20.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Merrillville, 41-14, on August 27, 2021.
UP NEXT: Merrillville hosts Crown Point. Hobart entertains Griffith.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jayden Thomas went 8-of-22 for 137 yards with a touchdown for the top-ranked (Class 5A) Pirates against No. 3 (Class 2A) Andrean. Cody Johnston hauled in six passes for 62 yards for the Brickies against No. 9 (Class 5A) Chesterton.
COACHES CORNER: “Hobart will be a great opportunity for us to compete on the road for the first time in 2022. The Brickyard is a tough place to play, and we know Hobart will be ready to play. Merrillville-Hobart was a great region rivalry for a very long time, and we look forward to playing them once again since we renewed the series in 2019.” – Merrillville’s Brad Seiss.
“We need to see improvement from week one to week two. We have 15 kids that played in their first varsity game last Friday. We have to continue to coach them up on how to be a varsity football player. Merrillville’s team speed is going to challenge every school they face this year. We are going to have to limit their big plays and control the ball on offense.” – Hobart’s Craig Osika.
NORTHRIDGE (1-0) AT ELKHART (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Rice Field.
COACHES: Chad Eppley, 11-5 in second year at Northridge. Romison Saint-Louis, 1-0 in first year at Elkhart, 22-21 in fifth year overall.
LAST CONTEST: Northridge beat South Bend Adams, 50-12. Elkhart beat Concord, 33-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First time playing on the gridiron.
UP NEXT: Northridge travels to Mishawaka. Elkhart plays at Hammond Morton.
TOP PERFORMERS: Qade Carrington was 5-of-6 for 116 yards with a touchdown and ran for another score for the Raiders against Adams. Rodney Gates came up with four catches for 137 yards and a score in the Lions’ blanking of Concord.
COACHES CORNER: “Our keys to success against Elkhart are to control the line of scrimmage, keep everything in front of us on defense, and have no drive killing penalties or turnovers.” – Northridge’s Chad Eppley.
“Northridge is a solid program with hard-nosed and well-coached players. They have a few players who are also very shifty, so we will have to game plan for them. We must take care of us. We need to limit penalties and play discipline football. We can’t afford to hurt ourselves. This game will be decided in the trenches. I am looking forward to seeing it firsthand. We have some advantages, and they have some advantages as well. I believe how disciplined and physical we play will be the deciding factor.” – Elkhart’s Romison Saint-Louis.
SPEEDWAY (1-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, University of Indianapolis.
COACHES: Shane Clampitt, 10-3 in second year at Speedway. Ott Hurrle, 215-144 in 31st year at Scecina, 216-153 in 33rd year overall.
LAST CONTEST: Speedway beat Covenant Christian, 41-0. Scecina beat Phalen Academy, 55-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Speedway, 17-14, on August 27, 2021.
UP NEXT: Speedway hosts Beech Grove, Scecina travels to Cascade.
TOP PERFORMERS: Landon Short ended with three receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown for the Sparkplugs against Covenant Christian. Brendan Keen finished with five rushes for 69 yards and two scores for the No. 7 (Class 2A) Crusaders against Phalen Academy.
COACHES CORNER: “Scecina is always a physical, well-disciplined team that is tough to beat on any Friday night every year. We will have to limit their run game and force them into obvious passing situations. We will need to handle their front four offensively and especially No. 13 (Tamir) Woods. I think he is one of the best defensive ends in the state. But most importantly, we need to match their physicality and do what we do which is spread the ball around offensively, get (Deejay) McFerson the ball as much as possible, and play fast defensively.” – Speedway’s Shane Clampitt.
“We will need to be at our best in order to contain their explosive offense with McFerson, (Carmell) Perry, and their quarterback (Carter) Watson. This is a very good Speedway team which will present us a number of problems.” – Scecina’s Ott Hurrle.
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