BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (1-0) AT CHARLESTOWN (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Reis Field.
COACHES: Reed May, 292-62 in 31st year at Brownstown. Jason Hawkins, 115-49 in 16th year at Charlestown, 121-62 in 18th year overall.
LAST CONTEST: Brownstown beat Corydon Central, 42-6. Charlestown beat Silver Creek, 28-13.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Charlestown, 30-13, on August 26, 2022.
UP NEXT: Brownstown Central goes to Eastern (Pekin). Charlestown hosts Clarksville.
TOP PERFORMERS: Gregory Hutchinson ran for 71 yards and two touchdowns for the No. 7 (Class 2A) Braves against Corydon Central. Clay McClelland threw for 74 yards and ran for 153 yards and two scores for the Pirates against Silver Creek.
COACHES’ CORNER: “They are a very good and experienced team with seven seniors starting on offense and six on defense. They beat us last year at our place and for us to beat them at their place, we are going to have to play a mistake-free game and stop their big play capabilities.” – Brownstown Central’s Reed May.
“We will have to be very sound on defense and tackle better. On offense, we can’t turn the ball over and cannot have penalties. It’s always fun to coach against a (Indiana Football) Hall of Fame coach (Reed May), so hopefully, we will be ready to play.” – Charlestown’s Jason Hawkins..
HOBART (1-0) AT MERRILLVILLE (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. CDT, Demaree Stadium.
COACHES: Craig Osika, 46-17 in sixth year at Hobart. Brad Seiss, 63-32 in ninth year at Merrillville, 76-49 in 12th year overall.
LAST CONTEST: Hobart beat Chesterton, 16-13. Merrillville beat Andrean, 40-13.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Merrillville, 17-7, on August 26, 2022.
UP NEXT: Hobart hosts Munster. Merrillville travels to Crown Point.
TOP PERFORMERS: TJ Caldwell caught five passes for 116 yards with a touchdown for the Brickies against Chesterton. Jacquarious Johnson had 31 carries for 148 yards with three scores for the No. 3 Pirates against No. 8 (Class 2A) Andrean.
COACHES’ CORNER: “As expected, there are a lot of things that we need to clean up from week one. We have to do a better job of tackling and finishing blocks. Merrillville will cause most teams they play issues because of their overall team speed. We must ensure we contain (quarterback Dontae) Pope and keep him in the pocket in the passing game. We must ensure we are gap-sound and stay in our lanes to stop their run game. Offensively, we have to sustain and finish blocks. We have to do a great job of getting to the second level and covering up their linebackers and defensive backs for us to have success in the run game. Jonny (Sorensen) has to continue to trust the pocket and step up to find the open receivers. Merrillville will be a tremendous challenge, but it will be a great game to see where we measure up going into conference play.” – Hobart’s Craig Osika.
“Hobart vs. Merrillville is the game that many Region football enthusiasts think of from all the great teams in the 1970’s, 1980’s. and 1990’s. It’ll be an exciting atmosphere as both teams come into week two at 1-0. For us to win, we’ll have to contain the big play ability of (wide receiver) TJ Caldwell and (quarterback) Jonny Sorensen. Offensively, we need to play a much cleaner game as we had way too many penalties and negative plays.” – Merrillville’s Brad Seiss.
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (1-0) AT BROWNSBURG (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Roark Stadium.
COACHES: Bill Peebles, 53-13 in sixth year at Cathedral, 127-78 in 19th year overall. John Hart, 61-17 in eighth year at Brownsburg, 328-98 in 39th year overall.
LAST CONTEST: Cathedral beat Lafayette Jeff, 55-14. Brownsburg beat Fort Wayne Dwenger, 51-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Cathedral, 14-7, on November 11, 2022 in Class 6A regional final.
UP NEXT: Cathedral entertains Penn. Brownsburg hosts Franklin Central.
TOP PERFORMERS: Desare’ Thomas came up with five carries for 103 yards and a score for the No. 2 (Class 6A) Irish against Lafayette Jeff. Jake Dunn was 10-of-17 for 155 yards with two touchdowns for the No, 5 (Class 6A) Bulldogs against Bishop Dwenger.
COACHES’ CORNER: “The last couple of years this is a game that has come down to the final couple possessions to determine the winner. They have been tough, hard-hitting physical games. The team that has won the special teams battle has been the winner of the game the last four times we have played. I expect this game to be no different. Coach Hart and his staff do a great job and they are a very well-coached team.” – Cathedral’s Bill Peebles.
“We need to clean up on self-inflicted mistakes like quarterback-center exchanges and false starts. If we clean those mistakes up and show game one to game two improvements, we have a chance. Special teams have decided this game for the last several years and our defense will be challenged to keep (Cathedral quarterback) Danny (O’Neil) from throwing from the pocket.” – Brownsburg’s John Hart.
INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (1-0) AT FRANKLIN CENTRAL (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Flashes Stadium.
COACHES: Eric Quintana, 13-2 in second year at Roncalli. Jayson West, 8-13 in third year at Franklin Central, 131-51 in 16th year overall.
LAST CONTEST: Roncalli beat Southport, 43-20. Franklin Central beat Perry Meridian, 29-12.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Roncalli, 17-0, on August 26, 2022.
UP NEXT: Roncalli travels to Indianapolis Bishop Chatard. Franklin Central goes to Brownsburg.
TOP PERFORMERS: Henry Adams ran for 105 yards with a score in the No. 2 (Class 4A) Royals against Southport. Jayon Harvey caught seven passes for 171 yards with two touchdowns for the Flashes against Perry Meridian.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Offensively, we need to stay balanced and stay ahead of the chains. We have to continue to focus on ourselves and get better. Defensively, don’t allow big plays, get after the quarterback, and be physically dominant.” – Roncalli’s Eric Quintana.
“We will have to play 48 minutes to win this game. They are a team that does not make mistakes, so we cannot give them opportunities from mistakes on our end. It will be a physical game and our kids have to ready to play hard every play for four quarters. We cannot let them drive the ball and wear us down. Special teams will play a big role if both teams get stops. We have to run the ball better than last week if we want to be successful this week and this season.” – Franklin Central’s Jayson West.
KOKOMO (1-0) AT WHITELAND (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Sleighter Field.
COACHES: Austin Colby, 25-9 in fourth year at Kokomo, 41-15 in sixth year overall. Darrin Fisher, 131-73 in 19th year at Whiteland, 192-145 in 33rd year overall.
LAST CONTEST: Kokomo beat Leo, 16-14. Whiteland beat Jeffersonville, 52-20.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First time playing on the gridiron.
UP NEXT: Kokomo hosts Logansport. Whiteland entertains Decatur Central.
TOP PERFORMERS: Reis Beard went 5-of-6 for 129 yards with a touchdown and ran for 93 yards for the No. 5 (Class 4A) Wildkats against Leo. Maalik Perkins accounted for 107 yards rushing and two scores on 10 carries for the No. 2 (Class 5A) Warriors against Jeffersonville.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Whiteland is a great team coming off one of their best seasons in school history. Coach Fisher does a great job and their kids know their system well. We will have to play with discipline and physicality. We will have to play mistake-free and continue to bring energy for 48 minutes.” – Kokomo’s Austin Colby.
“This matchup is like looking in a mirror. The scheme is different, but the philosophy of how to win football games is the same. Offensive possessions will be at a premium. Long clock consuming drives is the goal of both teams. The key will be creating big plays on offense and special teams and/or forcing turnovers on defense in order to steal one or two more possessions in the game.” – Whiteland’s Darrin Fisher.
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (1-0) AT GUERIN CATHOLIC (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, GCHS Field.
COACHES: Brian Nay, 40-23 in sixth year at Central Catholic. Tom Dilley, 57-42 in 10th year at Guerin, 137-119 in 24th year overall.
LAST CONTESTG: Central Catholic beat Seeger, 35-8. Guerin beat McCutcheon, 18-10.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Guerin, 47-10, on August 26, 2022.
UP NEXT: Lafayette Central Catholic goes to Hamilton Heights. Guerin Catholic travels to Heritage Christian.
TOP PERFORMERS: Alex Hardebeck caught six passes for 113 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 3 (Class 2A) Knights against Seeger. Peter Rooney raced 23 times for 102 yards for the No. 2 (Class 3A) Golden Eagles against McCutcheon.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Guerin Catholic is always well-coached and ready to play. We will need to play extremely disciplined football in order to come out of there on top. We have to eliminate the big play and get off the field defensively. Offensively, we will need to take care of the football and come away with points when the opportunity presents itself. Clean special teams’ play will be crucial as well.” – Lafayette Central Catholic’s Brian Nay.
“We are looking forward to hosting a very good Lafayette Central Catholic team this week. In order to be successful this week, I believe that we need to contain their offense, win the kicking game, and generate explosive plays. Defensively, we need a no running allowed approach. Whether in the actual run game or as run after catch, we must limit the Knights’ ability to run with the ball. Additionally, we must restrict the ability of the quarterback to run around to extend plays. Through the kicking game, we must pick up hidden yardage in this game by maximizing return opportunities and having great kick coverage. We must also capitalize each time in the scoring zone, even if in the form of field goals. Offensively, we must maintain the ability to threaten the entire field and entire defense. Maintaining offensive balance will be very important to our success.” – Guerin Catholic’s Tom Dilley.
MISHAWAKA (1-0) AT PENN (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Everwise Freed Field.
COACHES: Keith Kinder, 46-15 in sixth year at Mishawaka. Cory Yeoman, 199-54 in 21st year at Penn.
LAST CONTEST: Mishawaka beat Mishawaka Marian, 44-12. Penn beat Valparaiso, 38-21.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Penn, 21-13, on October 18, 2019.
UP NEXT: Mishawaka goes to Northridge. Penn travels to Indianapolis Cathedral.
TOP PERFORMERS: Novell Miller came up with 16 carries for 79 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 5 (Class 5A) Cavemen against Marian. Ryan O’Connell registered an interception for the No. 9 (Class 6A) Kingsmen against No. 7 (Class 5A) Valparaiso.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Penn is very well-coached and disciplined. They have great experience on the defensive side of the ball (starting 10 seniors) who have played significant roles for them in previous years. We will need to be very disciplined and try to shorten the game when we are on offense. Offensively, Penn is as loaded athletically as I can remember. They have two very good backs, three really good receivers and a quarterback that is a good thrower and a huge concern for us as a runner. We’ll have to tackle well Friday night and try to limit the big plays. I anticipate it being a very physical game and we will need to match Penn’s physicality for 48 minutes.” – Mishawaka’s Keith Kinder.
“Penn-Mishawaka is back. There will be an electric atmosphere on Friday night. Mishawaka has a three=year starter at quarterback (Brady Fisher) running their potent offense and very few have rans it as well as he does. Their running backs and offensive line are impressive as well. Defensively, we will have to be focused, play assignment football, and tackle well. Their defense flies around and are great tacklers, so we must find ways to get first downs. Their special teams are also explosive as they ran back a kickoff for a touchdown last week. I can’t tell you about their punt team because they have not punted this season. It should be a great game.” – Penn’s Cory Yeoman.
TRITON (1-0) AT LAVILLE (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Lancer Field.
COACHES: Zach Whittaker, 1-0 in first year at Triton. Jeff Kaiser, 1-0 in first year at LaVille.
LAST CONTEST: Triton beat South Central (Union Mills), 30-6. LaVille beat Bremen, 17-10.
PREVIOUS MEETING: LaVille, 56-14, Aug. 26, 2022.
UP NEXT: Triton welcomes Caston. LaVille entertains Pioneer.
TOP PERFORMERS: Cole Shively scampered 17 times for 157 yards with three scores for the Trojans against South Central. Braedyn Foster accumulated 11 tackles for the No. 9 (Class 2A) Lancers against Bremen.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Offensively, we need to execute in the trenches. We learned a lot last week, so we need to take those lessons and apply them this week. We did a pretty good job executing the run game, but we need to try and become more balanced overall. Defensively, we need to be sure we are setting the edge and maintaining our gap responsibilities. LaVille does a great job keeping you off balance with the running game by attacking the edges with speed and being physical up front when they run right at you. We are excited for the challenge, and have a lot of respect for LaVille.” -Triton’s Zach Whittaker.
“In order for us to beat Triton, we must contain and not let their all-state quarterback Cole Shively get in a rhythm. We must limit our self-inflicted mistakes and penalties. We have to be able to make adjustments throughout the game based on what Triton is doing and manage our team through the heat on Friday.” – LaVille’s Jeff Kaiser.
VALPARAISO (0-1) AT ANDREAN (0-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. CDT, Eckert Field.
COACHES: Bill Marshall, 52-12 in sixth year at Valparaiso. Chris Skinner, 66-26 in eighth year at Andrean.
LAST CONTEST: Valparaiso lost to Penn, 38-21. Andrean lost to Merrillville, 40-13.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First contest against each other.
UP NEXT: Valparaiso travels to LaPorte. Andrean hosts Kankakee Valley.
TOP PERFORMERS: Justin Clark was 5-of-12 for 143 yards with two touchdowns for the defending Class 5A state champion Vikings against Penn. Jimmy Finley tallied six receptions for 88 yards for the defending Class 2A state runner-up 59ers against Merrillville.
COACHES’ CORNER: “This week, we will need to get back on track after a self-inflicted loss. We made mistakes last week that showed how young we are at some of the positions. We will need to win the line of scrimmage this week and be able to make good decisions with the ball in our hands on offense. Defensively, we have to secure and finish tackles and also be able to adjust to the offensive schemes as they change throughout the game.” – Valparaiso’s Bill Marshall.
“We have a lot of respect for Valpo’s program and all they’ve accomplished these past few seasons. They are a physical football team that is clearly coached at a high level. They play with great technique at all position groups. In order to have success, we must play a cleaner game than last Friday. I’m proud of the way we battled against Merrillville last week, but we did not execute at an acceptable level. It was a 7-6 football game with 5:00 minutes left in the first half, and we had the ball in plus territory. Next thing you know, the halftime score is 21-6. Teams like Merrillville and Valpo are too talented for us to play sloppy football. They will win matchups at times, so adding unforced errors only makes that challenge more difficult. We will see how much improvement we’ve made in a week on both the technical and mental side of the game. We are excited for another challenge against a great opponent.” – Andrean’s Chris Skinner.
WARREN CENTRAL (0-1) AT CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (0-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Gorsuch Complex.
COACHES: Mike Kirschner, 11-11 in third year at Warren Central, 150-81 in 21st year overall. Doug Dinan, 103-47 in 14th year at Carroll.
LAST CONTEST: Warren Central lost to Fort Wayne Snider, 42-20. Carroll lost to Hamilton Southeastern, 28-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First time playing football.
UP NEXT: Warren Central hosts North Central (Indianapolis), Carroll travels to Fort Wayne South.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jordyn Barlow returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown for the Warriors against No. 1 (Class 5A) Fort Wayne Snider. Jimmy Sullivan went 22-of-40 for 260 yards with a touchdown for the Chargers against No. 4 (Class 6A) Hamilton Southeastern.
COACHES’ CORNER: “The biggest test this week will be how we respond to the thrashing we took from Fort Wayne Snider, Coach (Kurt) Tippmann, and his team. We need to get better in all phases of the game if we are going to be able to compete at any level of high school football. Getting better starts at the top with me. I need to do a better job.” – Warren Central’s Mike Kirschner.
“Warren Central is a very athletic football team that will come to Carroll High School on Friday night. To be successful, we have to be effective in all three phases of the game. We have to take care of the ball and we have to win the line of scrimmage.” – Carroll’s Doug Dinan.
Recent Comments