ANDREAN (0-0) AT MERRILLVILLE (0-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. CDT, Demaree Stadium.
COACHES: Chris Skinner, 66-25 in eighth year at Andrean. Brad Seiss, 62-32 in ninth year at Merrillville, 75-49 in 12th year overall.
LAST YEAR: Andrean 10-4, Merrillville 9-3.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Merrillville, 27-7, on August 19, 2022.
UP NEXT: Andrean entertains Valparaiso. Merrillville hosts Hobart.
TOP PERFORMERS: Junior defensive back Jimmy Finley, recorded 70 tackles, six interceptions with two returned for touchdowns, a forced fumble, and two blocked punts for the No. 5 (Class 2A) 59ers. Senior Trey Stephens had 72 rushes for 327 yards with five touchdowns and three receptions for 37 yards for the No. 4 (Class 4A) Pirates.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We are excited for another ‘Battle of Broadway.’ Coach Seiss continues to develop talent at Merrillville as they have another strong team. Last year, we did not handle their defensive pressure effectively. It disrupted our offensive game plan, so we will need to be better in pass protection and blitz recognition Friday night. Our offensive and defensive schemes are slightly different than the previous two seasons. We believe the adjustments suit our current roster, but Friday represents our first official game with these schemes. Hopefully, we clean some things up and learn from last week’s scrimmage versus Lake Central. As always in this game, conditioning and endurance will play a role. We have a large number of players playing offense, defense, and special teams, so we’ll need to battle for a full 48 minutes.” – Andrean’s Chris Skinner.
“For us to win, we’ll need to play a clean game. Week one is typically plagued with special teams’ issues, turnovers, substitution issues, and conditioning-cramping problems. The biggest thing we’ll preach to our team is to take care of ourselves and do our jobs. The ‘Battle of Broadway’ is an exciting way to start the season at home versos a high-quality program that has really good coaches and players led by Coach Skinner. We look forward to getting the 2023 season underway.” = Merrillville’s Brad Seiss.
BREBEUF JESUIT (0-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (0-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Alumni Stadium.
COACHES: Matt Geske, 24-12 in fourth year at Brebeuf Jesuit. Rob Doyle, 63-20 in seventh year at Bishop Chatard.
LAST YEAR: Brebeuf Jesuit 7-4, Bishop Chatard 11-4.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Bishop Chatard, 24-13, on August 19, 2022.
UP NEXT: Brebeuf Jesuit hosts Tri-West. Bishop Chatard plays at Indianapolis Tech.
TOP PERFORMERS: Junior quarterback Maverick Geske tossed for 1,651 yards with 22 scores for the No. 10 (Class 4A) Braves. Senior wide out Colin Guy racked up 51 catches for 523 yards with six touchdowns for the top-ranked and defending Class 3A state champion Trojans.
COACHES’ CORNER: “To find success on the field this week, we will have to first find success off the field. Chatard is obviously the most storied program in the state of Indiana and competing with them starts with mentally not playing their history. You don’t have to play all 16 state champions at once and focusing on the game at hand is a hurdle for most teams. We will do our best to win field position with our special teams, convert scoring opportunities in the red zone on offense, and create difficult third down situations for them on defense.” – Brebeuf Jesuit’s Matt Geske.
“Brebeuf has great team speed to go along with a very efficient passing game, so we will have our hands full to slow them down. On offense, we will need to try to control the ball in the run game to keep them off the field.” – Bishop Chatard’s Rob Doyle.
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (0-0) AT HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (0-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Royal Stadium.
COACHES: Doug Dinan, 103-46 in 14th year at Carroll. Michael Kelly, 26-7 in fourth year at Hamilton SE, 40-23 in seventh year overall.
LAST YEAR: Carroll (Fort Wayne) 13-1, Hamilton Southeastern 12-1.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Carroll (Fort Wayne), 21-15, on November 18, 2022 in Class 6A semistate.
UP NEXT: Carroll (Fort Wayne) hosts Warren Central. Hamilton Southeastern travels to North Central (Indianapolis).
TOP PERFORMERS: Junior running back Nathan Starks ran for 1,134 yards and seven touchdowns for the No. 5 (Class 6A) Chargers. Junior defensive back Mason Alexander recorded 21 tackles, two interceptions, and a pair of interceptions for the No. 4 (Class 6A) Warriors.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We met Hamilton Southeastern in the 2022 (Class 6A) northern semistate championship and this matchup opening the 2023 season will be exciting. They return plenty of starters that are very good football players. They are also a very well coached team and very disciplined. We will have to control the line of scrimmage and take care of the football if we desire to be successful.” – Carroll’s Doug Dinan.
“To beat a great opponent like Carroll, we are going to have to be assignment sound, match their physicality, and play with relentless effort. They have several players back from a (Class 6A) state runner up team, so their experience will require us to be locked in to play discipline assignment sound football. We challenge our players to play fast, physical, relentless, and play for one another.” – Hamilton Southeastern’s Michael Kelly.
EAST CENTRAL (0-0) AT LAWRENCEBURG (0-0
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Neary Field (The Pit).
COACHES: Jake Meiners, 42-9 in fifth year at East Central. Ryan Knigga, 112-37 in 13th year at Lawrenceburg.
LAST YEAR: East Central 13-2, Lawrenceburg 13-2.
PREVIOUS MEETING: East Central, 38-3, on August 19, 2022.
UP NEXT: East Central hosts Harrison (Ohio). Lawrenceburg travels to Taylor (Ohio).
TOP PERFORMERS: Senior quarterback senior quarterback Cole Burton went 98-ot-159 for 1,794 yards with 22 touchdowns and ran 51 times for 99 yards with six scores for the top-ranked and defending Class 4A state champion Trojans. Senior running back Teagan Bennett earned all-state and all-conference accolades for the No. 2 and defending Class 3A state runner-up Tigers with 227 carries for 1,532 yards with 18 touchdowns and four receptions for 32 yards.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Lawrenceburg is a great program who is coming off of a (Class 3A) state runner-up performance last year. They return several key players from that team who are motivated to keep their tradition going. Coach Knigga does a great job with his group, and we fully expect to be in a dogfight down in the Pit. I anticipate Lawrenceburg to do what makes them successful. They play strong defense and run the football effectively. With it being week one, Coach Knigga and his staff normally have a wrinkle or two that we haven’t seen on film. We are looking to play a clean game on Friday. That means limit penalties and turnovers, play assignment football, and be great tacklers. We will also need to handle our emotions. The Pit is a difficult environment to play in and I am sure that it will be packed. There is always a feeling out process early, so we will need to be ready to make adjustments. If we can do these things, then we will give ourselves a chance to win the game.” – East Central’s Jacob Meiners.
“East Central is one of the best teams in the state. Not just in Class 4A, but all classes. They have weapons all over the field. They are aggressive and fast on defense. We love playing this game in week one because it is a game that always tests us. It is a physical game that always prepares us for a deep tourney run. We are going to need to find ways to keep the ball in our possession. We must get first down and every possession must end in a kick. Defensively, we must tackle well in open space and not give up the big play. We have a good football team. East Central has a good football team. We look forward to the challenge. There is no doubt it will be a great environment in the Pit this Friday.” – Lawrenceburg’s Ryan Knigga.
FORT WAYNE SNIDER (0-0) AT WARREN CENTRAL (0-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Warrior Stadium.
COACHES: Kurt Tippmann, 137-36 in 15th year at Snider. Mike Kirschner, 11-10 in third year at Warren Central, 150-80 in 21st year overall.
LAST YEAR: Fort Wayne Snider 11=2. Warren Central 6-6.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Warren Central, 35-23, on November 27, 2004 for Class 5A state championship.
UP NEXT: Fort Wayne Snider plays at East Noble. Warren Central travels to Carroll (Fort Wayne).
TOP PERFORMERS: Senior linebacker Lukas Rohrbacher managed 115 tackles with four for loss, four sacks, and one interception for the No. 2 (Class 5A) Panthers. Junior quarterback Keith Jackson threw 643 yards with eight touchdowns, ran for 479 yards with four scores, and caught a pair of touchdown passes for the No. 6 (Class 6A) Warriors.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Warren Central is one of the top football programs in the state of Indiana and will pose a huge challenge for us in game one. Their offensive and defensive lines are very experienced and talented. Matched with being extremely well coached, our challenge begins here. They have speed and size at the wide receiver positions and a quarterback (Keith Jackson) that is elusive and very capable of throwing the ball. Defensively, they will be the fastest defense we see all year and have several guys that will be difficult to block. We must be effective on the line of scrimmage on both sides to stay in the game. Our quarterback (KeRon Billingsley) has to distribute the ball with what the defense gives us and run the offense effectively. We can’t turn the ball over. Defensively, we have to defend their option scheme effectively by being disciplined in responsibilities and pass coverage. We have to take the ball away a few times to get them off the field. This is a great challenge against a very talented and well-coached team. It should be fun.” – Fort Wayne Snider’s Kurt Tippmann.
“Fort. Wayne Snider is one of the top programs in the state year in and year out. Coach Tippmann is one of the state’s best head coaches. We will have to come out and play very well mentally and physically in order to compete with Snider on Friday night.” – Warren Central’s Mike Kirschner.
JASPER (0-0) AT EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (0-0)
KICKOFF: 6:30 p.m. CDT, Enlow Field.
COACHES: Tony Lewis, 28-12 in fifth year at Jasper, 159-78 in 22nd year overall. John Hurley, 128-66 in 16th year at Evansville Memorial.
LAST YEAR: Jasper 6-4, Evansville Memorial 9-4.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Evansville Memorial, 21-18, on October 28, 2022, in Class 4A sectional semifinals.
UP NEXT: Jasper travels to Evansville Harrison. Evansville Memorial hosts Evansville North.
TOP PERFORMERS: Senior running back Carter Holsworth recorded 136 carries for 698 yards with six touchdowns for the Wildcats. Junior quarterback Matthew Fisher tossed 1,830 yards with 15 touchdowns for the No. 8 (Class 4A) Tigers.
COACHES’ CORNER: “To defeat Memorial, we need to be physical, take care of the football, and score inside the red zone.” – Jasper’s Tony Lewis.
“Jasper is a well-coached football team that plays physical football. Coach Lewis and his staff do a great job preparing for big games. Enlow Field on Friday will be a playoff environment. We need to stop the run, protect the ball, avoid penalties, and make big plays on both sides of the ball.” – Evansville Memorial’s John Hurley.
JIMTOWN (0-0) AT NORTHWOOD (0-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Andrews Field.
COACHES: Cory Stoner, 25-10 in fourth year at Jimtown. Nate Andrews, 73-29 in 10th year at NorthWood, 113-68 in 17th year overall.
LAST YEAR: Jimtown 9-3, NorthWood 11-1.
PREVIOUS MEETING: NorthWood, 31-7, on August 19, 2022.
UP NEXT: Jimtown plays at Concord. NorthWood travels to Portage.
TOP PERFORMERS: Senior wide receiver Jackson Clopton came up with 17 catches for 247 yards with two touchdowns for the Jimmies. Senior wide out NiTareon Tuggle accounted for 21 touchdowns for the No. 7 (Class 4A) Panthers.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We have to limit their possessions. They are incredibly talented with generational talent. We can’t give them extra chances with the ball. They are also one of the best-coached teams we will face this year. We also need to rally to the football, create turnovers, and win the special teams battle. Every yard will matter.” – Jimtown’s Cory Stoner.
“We must embrace the pace, set the tempo, be prepared for the speed of the game, and substitute frequently. We must play four to six A to B plays where we play as hard are we can for the entire duration of each play from point A to point B. We also must celebrate sudden change. Crazy things happen in openers, so we need to respond positively when things don’t go our way.” – NorthWood’s Nate Andrews.
LAFAYETTE JEFF (0-0) VS. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (0-0)
KICKOFF: 6 p.m. EDT, Lucas Oil Stadium.
COACHES: Pat Shanley, 60-16 in eighth year at Lafayette Jeff. Bill Peebles, 52-13 in sixth year at Cathedral, 126-78 in 19th year overall.
LAST YEAR: Lafayette Jeff 9-3, Cathedral 10-2.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Cathedral, 43-12, on August 19, 2022.
UP NEXT: Lafayette Jeff entertains Michigan City. Cathedral plays at Brownsburg.
TOP PERFORMERS: Senior running back Glenn Patterson scampered for 1,376 yards with 13 touchdowns for the Bronchos. Senior tight end Zach Meeks hauled in 35 receptions for 412 yards for the No. 3 (Class 6A) Irish.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We have a number of guys who are getting their first varsity action. These guys have worked really hard for their moment and we are excited for them compete their tails off. For us to be successful, we will need to take care of the football and be able to sustain drives. If and when we get into the red zone, we need to come away with points. Defensively, we must play fast and work to create some take-a-ways. (Cathedral quarterback Danny) O’Neil is a special talent that can extend plays with his feet. We must work to make him uncomfortable and get him to the ground when we have the opportunity. Limiting their explosive plays is also critical to our success.” – Lafayette Jeff’s Pat Shanley.
“We are going to have to play mistake-free football to have success Friday night. Lafayette Jeff is a very talented and well-coached team. It is exciting to play our first game in Lucas Oil Stadium. Not many of the players that will take the field on Friday will have actual experience playing there, so it will be a good test for a lot of new starters.” – Cathedral’s Bill Peebles.
PENN (0-0) AT VALPARAISO (0-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Viking Field.
COACHES: Cory Yeoman, 198-54 in 21st year at Penn. Bill Marshall, 52-11 in sixth year at Valparaiso.
LAST YEAR: Penn 7-3, Valparaiso 11-3.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Penn, 35-6, on August 19, 2022.
UP NEXT: Penn entertains Mishawaka. Valparaiso travels to Andrean.
TOP PERFORMERS: Senior running back Jake Balis raced for 726 yards with five scores for the Kingsmen. Senior running back Travis Davis tallied 1,047 yards with 11 touchdowns for the No. 1 and defending Class 5A state champion Vikings.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Valparaiso is a well-coached team with plenty of experience. We have to execute in all three phases of the game and avoid costly mistakes. Our success depends on our senior leaders because we will go as far as they take us.” – Penn’s Cory Yeoman.
“We have team that is returning 14 out of 22 starters from last year. This group last year matured throughout the season and got great experience. Our success this year will be based on their ability to ‘Stay Hungry’ and not allow complacency to seep in. We have to continue to challenge each other and ourselves every day at practice. We must play as a team and outwork everyone. We do not have the ability to fly under the radar this year. People are out to get us and that should only motivate us more.” = Valparaiso’s Bill Marshall.
WEST LAFAYETTE (0-0) AT HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (0-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Rickard Field.
COACHES: Shane Fry, 107-19 in 11th year at West Lafayette. Terry Peebles, 60-35 in 10th year at Harrison.
LAST YEAR: West Lafayette 12-1, Harrison 8-2.
PREVIOUS MEETING: West Lafayette, 27-14, on August 19, 2022.
UP NEXT: West Lafayette hosts McCutcheon. Harrison travels to Plainfield.
TOP PERFORMERS: Dawson Martin scampered 221 times for 1,154 yards with 19 touchdowns for the No. 3 (Class 3A) Red Devils. Carter Knoy combined for almost 900 rushing and receiving yards with eight touchdowns for the No. 10 (Class 5A) Raiders.
COACHES’ CORNER: “This is going to be a game with many new faces. We are bringing back nine starters and they are bringing back five regulars. Big plays, turnovers, and special teams will decide the game. We must protect the football, limit their big plays, and be solid on special teams to have a chance to beat Harrison.” – West Lafayette’s Shane Fry.
“West Lafayette is loaded with players again this season. Last year, we matched up fairly well physically, however, four second half turnovers were too much to overcome. We will be without our Ball State commit CL Zeltwanger for the first few games due to a healing broken arm, so we will have little experience our first few games up front. We do have some depth at running back with Carter Knoy, Ethan Popp, and Chris Ferguson, who are all back after getting good reps a year ago. Defensively, we are relying on Gavin Halsema to be our leader at outside linebacker. Early in the season, we will probably rotate players on the defensive line and at inside linebacker. Matching West Lafayette’s athletic ability and tempo will be our two biggest concerns in week one. Their quarterback (Carson Kitchell) has a very good arm and their running back (Dawson Martin) is a returning 1,000 rusher from year ago. It should be a good matchup again this year.” – Harrison’s Terry Peebles.
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