ANDREAN (0-1) AT FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (0-1)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Luers Field.
COACHES: Chris Skinner, 91-39 in 11th season at Andrean. Kyle Lindsay, 104-72 in 14th season at Bishop Luers.
LAST CONTEST: Andrean lost to Merrillville, 27-21. Bishop Luers lost to Adams Central, 35-20.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Andrean beat Bishop Luers, 13-0, on August 30, 2025.
UP NEXT: Andrean travels to Kankakee Valley. Bishop Luers plays at Fort Wayne Snider.
TOP PERFORMERS: Galvin Helpingstine hauled in five receptions for 100 yards for the No. 2 (Class 3A) 59ers against Merrillville. Owen Weaver tallied 13 tackles for the Knights against No. 3(Class 3A) Adams Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We are excited for the opportunity to play Bishop Luers, a program that has been a model of success and consistency in our state. In 2022, we played them in the Class 2A playoffs and four years later, they’re up in Class 4A due to the (IHSAA) success factor. That’s truly impressive. I have a lot of respect for programs that play football the right way. Playing with emotion and with physicality, yet always maintaining respect for their opponent, and I believe Bishop Luers is one of those programs. On the football side, we only have one game of film to study, so definitely not an extensive amount of data to track. They have a good combination of size in the trenches and athleticism outside the box, which is obviously common for them. We’ll need to match that physicality upfront on both sides of the ball to limit the space by which their athletes can operate. We’ll need to take care of the football on offense. We cannot give Luers any freebies. We’ll also need to avoid three-and-outs to help in the field position battle. Defensively, we need to limit explosive plays. This cost us against Merrillville. We did many things well on defense, but we gave up too many explosive plays. Luers has dynamic athletes like Merrillville, so consistency on every play will be important.” – Andrean’s Chris Skinner.
“To beat a tough Andrean team, we’ll need to play physical football. In all facets of the game, they are very good. Special teams will need to make some plays. The offense will have to protect the football and eliminate mistakes that piled up in the fourth quarter last week against Adams Central. The defense will have to dig down and get some stops against a powerful Andrean attack. We’ll have to play much better to have a chance.” – Bishop Luers’ Kyle Lindsay.
CARMEL (1-0) AT WESTFIELD (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Riverview Health Stadium.
COACHES: Kevin Wright, 54-12 in seventh season at Carmel, 169-30 in 18th season overall. Josh Miracle, 24-5 in third season at Westfield.
LAST CONTEST: Carmel beat Fishers, 47-0. Westfield beat Homestead, 49-21.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Westfield beat Carmel, 23-20 in overtime, on November 7, 2025 in Class 6A sectional final.
UP NEXT: Carmel entertains Center Grove. Westfield welcomes Zionsville.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jackson Treadway went 10-of-14 for 139 yards with three touchdowns and ran eight times for 17 yards with a score for the No. 3 (Class 6A) Greyhounds against Fishers. Maison McCray tallied six rushes for 59 yards with a touchdown for the No. 2 (Class 6A) Shamrocks against Homestead.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We need to own the middle eight and display red zone discipline. We have to score touchdowns, not field goals and hold them to field goals, not touchdowns. We need to dictate the emotional tempo early, win the turnover margin, and improve on special teams because we had some miscues in this area last week.” – Carmel’s Kevin Wright.
“We look forward to this week’s matchup with the Carmel Greyhounds. We have the utmost respect for Coach Wright and their program. In order to be successful Friday, we will need to continue putting an emphasis on winning both the takeaway and explosive play battles. We look forward to celebrating Senior Night and will look to our group of seniors to lead the way contributing in all three phases of the game.” – Westfield’s Josh Miracle.
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (1-0) AT CENTER GROVE (0-1)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Ray Skillman Stadium
COACHES: Doug Dinan, 129-56 in 17th season at Carroll. Eric Moore, 265-84 in 28th season at Center Grove.
LAST CONTEST: Carroll beat Hamilton Southeastern, 54-23. Center Grove lost to Warren Central, 20-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Center Grove beat Carroll, 35-24, on August 29, 2025.
UP NEXT: Carroll hosts Fort Wayne Concordia. Center Grove goes to Carmel.
TOP PERFORMERS: Eli Neuhauser came up with four receptions for 72 yards with a touchdown as well as nine tackles for the No. 5 (Class 6A) Chargers against Hamilton Southeastern. Hudson Winkler ended with six rushes for 15 yards with a score for the No. 6 (Class 6A) Trojans against No. 4 (Class 6A) Warren Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “First of all, anyone that understands the tradition and history of Indiana high school football clearly see that Center Grove is one of the schools that defines success and productivity. Coach Moore has built a program that is the model that all programs emulate. They are disciplined, physical, and efficient on both sides of the ball. For us to be successful on the road at Center Grove, we must be physical on the line of scrimmage, win the turnover battle, and capitalize on special teams.” – Carroll’s Doug Dinan.
“This is another tough game for the Trojans. For Center Grove, to have success, we will have to figure out how to slow down the great Carroll offense. This offense features an outstanding running game and running back (Jackson Rhodes), complimented by and explosive passing offense. The Chargers can score on any given play and may be the most potent team in Class 6A. With fast, athletic wide receivers and a fast, physical running backs, it really conflicts coaches on what to try and take away. With that said, we can’t give up the one-play drive and expect to win. We have to cut down on penalties from last week, especially in the kicking game. Our offense has to get back on track running the football. The passing game is really effective, but to take off the stress of the pass rush, we must be able to run the ball. Getting first downs, moving the chains, and keeping the great Charger offense on the sidelines will be the key to the game. We had zero turnovers last week and that will always be the number one priority. Continue putting pressure on their quarterback (Gabe Frisinger) will be must. If the defense tackles better in the open field and we run the ball with more passion, it could be a better night for the Trojans.” – Center Grove’s Eric Moore.
CASTLE (1-0) AT EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Boots-Baumann Field.
COACHES: Doug Hurt, 150-81 in 21st season at Castle. Cody Hess, 7-6 in second season at Mater Dei.
LAST CONTEST: Castle beat Evansville North, 29-26. Mater Dei beat Evansville Central, 56-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Castle beat Mater Dei, 31-28, on August 29, 2025.
UP NEXT: Castle hosts Evansville Bosse. Mater Dei takes on LaVille at Southport
TOP PERFORMERS: Brodie Farmer totaled 11 tackles for the No. 4 (Class 5A) Knights against Evansville North. EJ Rainey accounted for four touchdowns for the No. 7 (Class 3A) Wildcats against Evansville Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Mater Dei is a very good football team. They are always sound and disciplined. I think the winning formula for either team will be very similar to the one that we used to win a close game versus (Evansville) North last week. We forced a turnover late, which was the only turnover of the game. I feel that this game could be very similar. It will come down to one or two plays in the game and which team makes those plays. This is always an exciting week because it is a faceoff between two programs that believe in similar principles and have rich traditions. We always have amazing games with them. It should be a really good game for the fans.” – Castle’s Doug Hurt.
“We will have our hands full this Friday night against Castle. They are coming off an impressive win over (Evansville) North and continued to improve as the game went on. Coach Hurt does a great job with their program, and we have a lot of respect for them. For us to be successful on Friday night, our first priority offensively is taking care of the football. Castle has a great defense and will challenge us on every play. Second, we must stay ahead of the chains on early downs. Third, we must know our defensive assignments and get off the field on third downs. Last, but not least, we must make plays on special teams. Castle excels in special teams and we must match them in those situations.” – Mater Dei’s Cody Hess.
EAST CENTRAL (1-0) AT NEW PALESTINE (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Kelso Stadium.
COACHES: Jake Meiners, 75-16 in eighth season at East Central. Kyle Ralph, 156-14 in 14th season at New Palestine.
LAST CONTEST: East Central beat Lawrenceburg, 21-0. New Palestine beat Wheaton St. Francis (Illinois), 28-17.
PREVIOUS MEETING: New Palestine beat East Central, 20-6, on November 14, 2025 in Class 5A regional final.
UP NEXT: East Central travels to Cincinnati Elder (Ohio). New Palestine plays at Yorktown.
TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan Minges recorded 13 rushes for 85 yards for the No. 3 (Class 4A) Trojans against No. 6 (Class 3A) Lawrenceburg. Kade Stephens accounted for 13 carries for 69 yards with a score for the top-ranked and defending Class 5A state champion Dragons against Wheaton St. Francis.
COACHES’ CORNER: “This should be an incredible game. We are looking forward to it. First of all, New Palestine is an incredible program. They have been incredible under Coach Ralph and are currently on a great win streak. We know the history, and we have had two great battles in the two games we have faced them. They always have great line play, great athletes, and are very well-coached. This year is no different. They play hard and are sound within their schemes. They are a complete team with no holes. It is impressive to watch them. We are going to have to be great tacklers in space and limit explosive plays on defense. Offensively, we cannot beat ourselves by turning the ball over. We have to hold momentum. In big games like this, special teams play a huge role, so we are going to have to be clean. In order to have a chance, we are going to have to play a clean game in all three phases.” – East Central’s Jake Meiners.
“We have a ton of respect for Coach Meiners and his East Centra program. Their success and tradition speak for themselves. We have had some playoff run ins with them in recent years and now playing in the regular season is a tremendous challenge. It has to be rare this early in the season that two number one teams play each other which is unique and really cool for both programs. We will need to play our best to compete with them. Our goal, with such a young team, is weekly improvement, so we are going to need to see that.” – New Palestine’s Kyle Ralph.
EAST NOBLE (1-0) AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER (0-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Isaacs Stadium.
COACHES: Alex Stewart, 25-3 in third season at East Noble, 79-42 in 12th season overall. Kurt Tippmann, 161-48 in 18th season at Fort Wayne Snider.
LAST CONTEST: East Noble beat Fort Wayne North, 19-0. Fort Wayne Snider lost to Warsaw, 33-30.
PREVIOUS MEETING: East Noble beat Fort Wayne Snider, 29-7, on August 29, 2025.
UP NEXT: East Noble goes to Huntington North. Fort Wayne Snider hosts Fort Wayne Bishop Luers.
TOP PERFORMERS: Ian Ramey galloped 12 times for 44 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 9 (Class 4A) Knights against Fort Wayne North. Braylon Burton exploded for a 74-yard touchdown romp for the No. 10 (Class 5A) Panthers against No. 6 (Class 5A) Warsaw.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We have a lot of respect for the Snider program and their coaching staff. To come away with a victory, we need to run the ball effectively, stop the run, win the turnover battle, and play sound on special teams.” – East Noble’s Alex Stewart.
“East Noble is a good team that has weapons on both sides of the ball. Everything starts with the line of scrimmage and we will have to be good on both sides. East Noble wants to run the ball and we will have to be excellent in gap responsibility in attempting to control the line of scrimmage. They have very capable backs and guys that are tough to tackle. Defensively, they run to the ball well and play sound defense. We have to get our skill guys the ball in space and let them use their speed to hit some big plays. Special teams is a big factor and one we feel we have an advantage. We want to win the battle of field position as well as flip the field when punting or punt returns. It should be a great game as we open our new stadium.” – Fort Wayne Snider’s Kurt Tippmann.
EVANSVILLE REITZ (1-0) VS. TRI-WEST (1-0)
KICKOFF: 4 p.m. EDT, Saturday at Gibson Southern.
COACHES: Cory Brunson, 47-23 in seventh season at Evansville Reitz, 81-63 in 14th season overall. Jason Ward, 61-23 in eighth season at Tri-West.
LAST CONTEST: Evansville Reitz beat Evansville Harrison, 46-0. Tri-West beat Western Boone, 42-20.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First time playing on the gridiron.
UP NEXT: Evansville Reitz hosts Jasper. Tri-West plays at Monrovia.
TOP PERFORMERS: Hunter Moers went 9-of-12 for 144 yards with a touchdown and ran three times for nine yards for the Panthers against Evansville Harrison. Quentin Alexander snatched five receptions for 100 yards with a touchdown for the No. 4 (Class 3A) Bruins against Western Boone.
COACHES’ CORNER: “This should be a big game atmosphere. We need a great week of practice and fix all of our previous game mistakes. Our younger guys will need to step up and make some plays. We need to do all the little things right.” – Evansville Reitz’s Cory Brunson.
“This is a very unique game. Playing a team you have never played or seen before. Not knowing their tendencies, team speed, and their physicality. Offensively, they have good size upfront which we do not have on the defensive line but will have to use our speed to negate their physical play. They have very fast skilled players including their running back who will be featured Saturday. It will take a team effort to keep their running back (Amyr Wilford) in check. He is a type of player that can score if you give him just a little seam. Defensively, they pose a problem because we do not see a 3-3 stack very often during the regular season. We have been working all week on blitz pick up that can come from anywhere from their defense. They have very quick corners, but they are young and we will try to exploit their lack of experience. It will be a very difficult physical game and we are very excited to have the opportunity to play in the classic.” – Tri-West’s Jason Ward.
INDIANAPOLIS BEN DAVIS (1-0) AT AVON (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Oriole Stadium.
COACHES: Brett Cooper, 1-0 in first season at Ben Davis, 43-55 in 10th season overall. Rob Gibson, 12-20 in fourth season at Avon, 34-23 in 6th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Ben Davis beat Indianapolis Cathedral, 33-27. Avon beat Decatur Central, 31-6.
PREVOUS MEETING: Avon beat Ben Davis, 23-21, on October 31, 2025 in Class 6A sectional semifinal.
UP NEXT: Ben Davis goes to Indianapolis Pike. Avon hosts Hamilton Southeastern.
TOP PERFORMERS: Cam Crawford registered two catches for 23 yards, including the game-winning nine-yard touchdown pass, for the No. 10 (Class 6A) Giants against No. 3 (Class 5A) Cathedral. Silas Cross rolled up 12 tackles with three for loss, two sacks, and caused a fumble for the Orioles against Decatur Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “The Giants will need to clean a lot of pre-snap penalties that occurred last Friday night as well as not turning the ball over this week against Avon. Avon is a very talented team on both sides of the ball and they have a great kicking game. In order for us to have success this week is win in all three phases and at a much higher rate than we did last week versus Cathedral. Our weekly three in-game goals are always to win the turnover battle, win the explosive play battle, and win the field position battle. On the offensive side of the ball, we need to be able to establish the run game better than we did in week one and we need to grow from our experience on the offensive line heading into week two. Avon is very stout up the middle. Their defensive line is very good and aggressive and it is married with two high level inside linebackers. On the defensive side of the ball, we need to tackle better than we did in week one. We must utilize our speed and quickness each snap and run 11 hats to the ball. Avon has a very good run game, and we need to be more stout in the run defense in order for us to have success against the Orioles. If we can protect the football, establish the line of scrimmage, it’ll be a good night for the Giants.” – Ben Davis’s Brett Cooper.
“In order to be successful Friday night, we will have to eliminate explosive plays. Ben Davis is a fast and athletic group. It will be important that we limit big plays and try to swing momentum our way. Offensively, we will have to be exceptional at blocking athletes in space. Perimeter blocking will be the key to offensive success.” – Avon’s Rob Gibson.
MERRILLVILLE (1-0) AT LAFAYETTE JEFF (0-1)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Sheumann Stadium.
COACHES: Brad Seiss, 95-40 in 12th season at Merrillville, 108-57 in 15th season overall. Pat Shanley, 87-24 in 11th season at Lafayette Jeff.
LAST CONTEST: Merrillville beat Andrean, 27-21. Lafayette Jeff lost to Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, 35-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Merrillville beat Lafayette Jeff, 42-14, on November 5, 2021 in Class 6A sectional final.
UP NEXT: Merrillville welcomes Crown Point. Lafayette Jeff travels to McCutcheon.
TOP PERFORMERS: Cameron Jordan scampered 25 times for 100 yards with a touchdown and caught five passes for 64 yards with another score for the Pirates against Andrean. Nadarius Young recorded six catches for 58 yards with two scores for the No. 8 (Class 5A) Bronchos against No. 1 (Class 4A) Bishop Chatard.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Lafayette Jeff is another great test leading up to conference play. Coach Shanley on a year-by-year basis has a very good football team and this season is no different. We’re looking forward to traveling to Schuemann Stadium to play a very good football team.” – Merrillville’s Brad Seiss.
“Our young guys have to grow up in a hurry. We had 23 guys playing their first extended action last week. As coaches we need to do a better job of putting them in a position to be successful. We must make their quarterback (Michael Hill) uncomfortable and not let him sit in the pocket and dissect us. Additionally, when he gets out of the pocket, he is very fast and dangerous. Their running back (Cameron Jordan) is extremely dynamic as well. We need to be aware of where he is at all times. Taking care of the football on offense is crucial since we turned it over four times last week. Our third down conversions and third down stops must also improve from week one to week two. The kicking game needs to be better and our return game needs to be exponentially better. Field position will have something to say about the outcome of this game.” – Lafayette Jeff’s Pat Shanley.
PENN (1-0) AT MISHAWAKA (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Steele Stadium.
COACHES: Pete Riordan, 20-4 in third season at Penn. Keith Kinder, 76-23 in ninth season at Mishawaka.
LAST CONTEST: Penn beat Valparaiso, 49-24. Mishawaka beat Mishawaka Marian, 40-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Penn beat Mishawaka, 28-22, on August 29, 2025.
UP NEXT: Penn goes to Jackson Field to play South Bend Riley. Mishawaka entertains Plymouth.
TOP PERFORMERS: Buddy Hurley caught four passes for 125 yards with a touchdown for the No. 9 (Class 6A) Kingsmen against Valparaiso. Layten Denaway recorded eight tackles with two for loss and a sack for the No. 5 (Class 4A) Cavemen against Mishawaka Marian.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We will need to be balanced on offense. Mishawaka will do a good job mixing up their defense and we will need to take what they give us. Defensively, we must play sound option responsibility football. With three-year starters at quarterback (Landon Snyder) and fullback (Kadyn O’Neal), they have the experience and talent to hurt teams in multiple ways. Making tackles in space will also be a huge factor for us.” – Penn’s Pete Riordan.
“We are excited about the opportunity to play a great opponent in what should be a championship level atmosphere and environment. Penn is, as always, extremely well-coached and disciplined. They are extremely talented in all three phases of the game. We have to play with better discipline than we did in week one and cannot give away free yards due to penalties. It should be a fun night for our program to compete against one of the state’s best teams.” – Mishawaka’s Keith Kinder.
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