Leaderboard

North Vermillion @ Rockville- NV in a shutout unless Coach Rector dials up the Billy Bettis playbook and sling the ball around 50-60 times tonight Otherwise, it’s a running clock. The Rox finish the season with NV, RP and FC - three very physical teams. NV 45 Rox 6 Riverton Parke @ Attica- My sources tell me that the RP coaches deleted the SV film from Hudl and moved on From JH to Varsity, Attica’s skilled kids and horses are nonexistent compared to the Ryan Good teams Panthers get healthy this week give the Rox the choice between SV film and Attica to scout for next week RP 42-6 Seeger @ Covington- Seeger wins in another WRC blowout this week Having the chance to watch Covington last week, they do throw the ball with much more effectiveness than they run I don’t see how this happens vs Seeger’s DL Seeger 35 - 13 South Vermillion @ Fountain Central- SV was bigger, strong and faster than RP at every level last weekend, plus their number’s are strong. I don’t see how FC hangs around in this game. Herb may have to get back to a JH game a refuse a running clock before his next win in a couple weeks. SV in a route. I can hear the SV fans chanting in unison from across the Wabash River, “We want Linton!!” “We want Linton!!”

Holy Account Necro Batman! Been a long time since I've talked to any of you cats and crazy kittens. Sent the Nug a text just a few minutes ago, a trek to Newton Obviously needs a detour for tasty treats Wagon Master bound respect the gameday haiku... good luck tonight fellas Real Bits of Panther, so you know it's good Knights swinging shillelaghs Huskies yackin on a bone You can't say bomb on a plane Look momma it's the Debil Greyhounds are faster than Giants Bishop Bowl 2k22, Luers Who picked these.. Durham you're killing me: Mooresville NJSP MItchell is the home of Chase Briscoe and if you're not first you're last Rebels Valpo

Cavemen new No. 1 in 5A Andrew Smith GridironDigest.com There’s a new No. 1 in Class 5A, as the Mishawaka Cavemen have won six straight to begin the season to move to the top spot in one of the state’s deepest, most-balanced classes. So far, Merrillville, Whiteland and now Mishawaka have spent time at No. 1 in the polls. The Cavemen did so with a 43-19 road win at Warsaw last week, knocking off one of the top area teams in 6A. But another challenge awaits, as undefeated 4A No. 5 NorthWood visits Mishawaka this Friday with first place in the Northern Lakes Conference on the line. “We continually remind our team that the majority of people voting in the polls have not seen us play,” Mishawaka coach Keith Kinder said, noting the No. 1 ranking is “neat” for the players and community. “Trophies are not awarded because of rankings and it is our goal to win trophies. To do that, we have to be focused on the process of trying to get better every day. “We have a great group of hard-working, tough-nosed kids. The success that they have had up to this point is attributed to that. We had a great off-season and have done a good job of being efficient on offense and coming up with critical stops on defense.” That continues with this weekend’s matchup against NorthWood in a matchup of NLC titans. Mishawaka has won nine sectional titles in the last 13 years. NorthWood is seeking its first sectional since 2016, a year in which the Panthers were state runners-up and made the program’s seventh appearance in a title game. “NorthWood is one of the premier programs in our conference in terms of post-season success and consistency,” Kinder said. “They are loaded with weapons all over the field on offense and play so hard on defense. They present so many problems when they have the ball. A key for us will be to try and limit their big plays, which nobody has been able to do up to this point. We also must take good care of the football. They have scored a number of touchdowns on defense and have generated great field position by creating turnovers.” With both teams being 6-0 and the conference stakes on the line, it’s one of the premier games in Indiana this week. “It should be a great HS football game,” NorthWood coach Nate Andrews said. “Two proud communities. We must be mentally and physically tough for four quarters.” A big boost for Mishawaka was the return of running back Chase Gooden to the lineup after missing three games due to injury. He ran for 108 yards and two scores against Warsaw. Quarterback Brady Fisher added 90 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore fullback Novell Miller provides another weapon in the ground game. “It was great getting Chase back in the lineup,” Kinder said. “He has very good vision and runs with a forward lean. We like the 1-2 punch we have with Chase and Novell Miller at fullback. Brady has done a very good job of leading our offense and making sure we are in the right play.” NorthWood has started 6-0 with an offense that has scored at least 31 points in each game and has tallied 40-plus points in four straight - 41-13 over Concord, 42-7 at last year’s 4A runner-up Northridge, 42-21 over Warsaw and 48-0 over Plymouth. The Panthers are led by quarterback Owen Roeder, who is completing 61 percent of his passes for 1,075 yards and 16 touchdowns. Nitareon Tuggle has 488 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, while Wes Yoder leads the team on the ground with 407 yards and also has 327 receiving yards. All three are juniors. “Overall we have been consistent,” Andrews said. “We’ve battled through small adversities during games that have allowed us to finish strong.” Artesians into Top 10 The reason there’s a new No. 1 in Class 5A is because Martinsville downed previous No. 1 Whiteland 35-21 last week. The Artesians have experienced a renaissance year, starting 5-1, with the lone blemish a three-point loss to Decatur Central. The win last week forged a four-way tie atop the Mid-State Conference between Martinsville, Whiteland, Mooresville and Plainfield. Martinsville took a 21-14 lead at halftime, then scored two fourth-quarter TDs to build a three-score lead. Artesians QB Tyler Adkins was 19-of-24 for 215 yards and three TDs, spreading the ball around to five different receivers. Running back Brayden Shrake ran for 175 yards and two scores. “They do such a good job of mixing up fronts and coverages, that you have to really be dialed in mentally,” Martinsville coach Brian Dugger said. “I thought Tyler Adkins was on all night, in identifying coverages and fronts and getting us in the right play. We gave him a lot of freedom at the line and he was a huge part of Brayden Shrake having a successful night. It seemed in the second half that they were trying to slow our pass game down and Tyler made the run check every time. He only threw the ball five times in the second half. That honestly has been the key the past two weeks. If he is able to get us in the right play, we feel really good about our chances.” The week before, Martinsville rallied to beat Franklin 27-26, scoring in the final minute after the Grizzly Cubs had taken a lead with 50 seconds left. Adkins is in his third year as the Artesians’ starter. He’s completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,348 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, and is closing in on 5,000 career passing yards. He has thrown 52 touchdown passes. His top receiver is Garrett Skaggs, who has 587 yards and four TDs. “Tyler is a coach on the field. We have spent the past three years talking and watching football together almost daily,” Dugger said. “My job has been to put as much into his brain as I can and stay out of his way. “There is not a play in our offense that he doesn't have to make a decision or check at the line. It's been a lot of fun to watch. Letting Tyler have that kind of freedom has really expanded to kids like Garrett. He is another one who has put in the time and trained harder than anyone we have. He is having a great senior year, but more importantly he is one of those right there with Tyler during the game telling us what concepts are going to work.” Defensively, Nic Crone and Devon Brenner have led the Artesians, a unit allowing 17 ppg. Crone has 37 tackles, six sacks and nine tackles for loss. Brenner leads Martinsville with 58 stops. “Our defense has been great this year and more importantly extremely coachable. When they make a mistake, they own it and fix it,” Dugger said. “We know we are a little undersized upfront, but our kids fight! Nic has been the heart of our defense. We know that if we get into a passing situation, that Nic is going to impact the game. Whether it's QB pressure, or that they have to change their blocking scheme for him and open it up for someone else, or that they just decide to throw quick, it all has changed their approach, because of Nic. He is another one who has put in the work and it's showing up.” Martinsville hosts Perry Meridian this week and then travels to county rival Mooresville in a matchup of ranked teams in Class 4A, before finishing at home against Plainfield. Six of the eight teams in the conference have received poll votes this season and five have been ranked. Three - Whiteland, Decatur Central and Mooresville - have been in the top three of their respective classes’ polls. “The Mid-State is ridiculous,” Dugger said. Great teams and even better coaches. Each week is a challenge. Honestly, you have to keep blinders on and just try and go 1-0 each week.” Southmont, WeBo meet for Sagamore supremacy The Southmont Mounties are 6-0 for the first time in 41 years and are up to No. 9 in the AP Class 2A poll, while receiving votes in the IFCA rankings. The Mounties are currently leading the Sagamore Conference with a 4-0 mark - one game ahead of 3-1 Western Boone, Lebanon and Tri-West, their next three opponents. “The community support has been great this season,” 16th-year Southmont coach Desson Hannum said. “The excitement generated by our team can be felt in the school and the community as a whole.” This week’s matchup takes place at 3A No. 5 Western Boone. A big reason for Southmont’s success so far is its defense, which is allowing 13 points a game. Only one team - North Putnam in a 42-21 Southmont victory in Week 2 - has scored more than twice against it. Junior Wyatt Woodall has 51 tackles, while senior Seth Tolliver has 15 tackles for loss and six sacks. Sophomore Dylan Howell 14 TFLs and seven sacks. Kion Cornelius has two interceptions. “We have been led by our defense this year,” Southmont coach Desson Hannum said. “We have had several guys that have stood out at each level of our defense. Some keys for us this year have been the number of negative plays that have been able to create and the amount of pressure that we have been able to put on the opposing team's quarterback. We have also been led by great individual performances by Dylan Howell and Seth Tolliver along our defensive front. At linebacker, Wyatt Woodall has put together another solid year, along with Kion Cornelius and EJ Brewer leading our secondary.” Offensively, Woodall leads a strong running attack with 590 yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior Carson Chadd has 410 yards and five scores and is averaging 9.1 yards per carry. Southmont faces Western Boone this week. The Stars are always a measuring-stick game as one of the top teams in West Central Indiana. The program won three straight state titles from 2018-20. But this matchup is not only a big one for Sagamore supremacy, but also in preparing both teams for the state tournament. Southmont will be seeking its first-ever sectional title when tournament play begins in October. “Western Boone has been one of the top teams in the Sagamore Conference for the last several years,” Hannum said. “They are well coached. They are led by their defense and strong rushing attack. It will probably be our most challenging game to date. The Sagamore Conference is up for grabs at this point during the season with several teams still vying to win the championship. Games like this are games that will prepare us for the tournament. We expect a close game that will be physical and hard hitting.” Western Boone is expecting a similarly strong game. “Southmont is a very similar program to ours,” Western Boone coach Justin Pelley said. “Coach Hannum does a great job of preparing his teams each and every year and we look forward to the challenge that awaits us. It is good we are playing at home and we are very familiar with them and them with us. This game will come down to kids making plays and who makes the least amount of mistakes, which is how it should be. It should be a fun night, but we will have to be ready if we expect to compete.” WeBo has started the season 5-1, with the lone blemish a 41-34 loss to Tri-West in Week 4. The Stars have followed that up with a 35-8 victory over North Montgomery and a 56-6 win at Frankfort. Their offense has scored at least 34 points in every game this season and is averaging 42 points per game. “Our offense is based on facets of the triple option so the QB and RB will naturally end up with the stats,” Stars coach Justin Pelley said. “However, we have been able to spread the ball around a fair amount which I hope makes us difficult to prepare for. Senior wings Ryan Taylor and Ethan Bayles have been instrumental to our success as they are involved with the run and the pass. However, you don't average 42 points a game running the triple option without the efforts of the lineman up front: Korbin Smith, Clayton Unroe, Maddox Gadbury, Andrew Foster, Wyatt Dickey, Jaxson Gott, Emmy Roys and Josh Dickey.” Rowen Durbin has thrown for 774 yards and run for 325, while senior Trevor Weakley has 804 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Bayles has 366 receiving yards and five touchdowns this season. “We have had a good year so far. We take pride in taking it one game at a time and letting things play out from there,” Pelley said. “Expectations are high at Western Boone, but we embrace the challenge and simply take one game at a time. Our recent success has elevated some of these expectations around the state, but we cannot control that. We are doing the best we can with what we have and what we have is a group of players who have experienced winning and know what it takes.” Heritage walks off with wild win The wildest finish of Week 6 came at Heritage Christian, which beat Covenant Christian 34-28 on a strip-sack on the final snap. With the game tied 28-28 and Covenant Christian setting up for one last play near midfield, Heritage’s Collin Thompson forced the ball free with a strip-sack. Carter Taylor scooped up the loose ball and took it downfield for a touchdown. It was Heritage’s only lead of the night. “It was definitely the craziest finish I have ever been a part of,” Heritage Christian coach Kyle Ray said. “To win our homecoming game on a walk-off fumble recovery for a TD is something I will never forget. The sheer excitement and enthusiasm was incredible in the moment. I made a promise to myself to stay composed and positive the whole game, which was very challenging at times because we didn't play great. But, when Carter crossed the goal line, I just let all the emotion out and celebrated with our players and coaches. It was an amazing moment.” The victory gave the Eagles a 4-2 record, with the two losses coming to 2A No. 5 Scecina and 3A No. 8 Guerin Catholic. Senior QB Kyle Antoine has thrown for 1,291 yards and run for 521 to lead the Eagles. The vast majority of those yards have gone to seniors Luke Valerio (541 yards) and Christian Dora (407 yards). Antoine has had a handful of big games this year, running for 248 yards and throwing for 176 in a season-opening 55-20 victory over Traders Point Christian. In Week 4, he threw for 304 yards and ran for 78 in a 49-22 victory over Eastern Hancock. Antoine had 222 passing yards in the win over Covenant Christian. Antoine is a two year starter. “It has been awesome having Kyle back at QB. A tremendous leader, competitor, and person. We have developed a close relationship over his career, and there is no one else I would rather have at QB for our team this season,” said Ray, who was an All-American quarterback himself at Franklin College. “His ability to run and throw makes us a very dangerous team. He's got to take better care of the football down the stretch, but he has played some really great plays this year.” Thompson, who had the strip-sack to start the game-winning play Friday, leads Heritage’s defense with 60 tackles. Ray said “he has been all over the field this year,” This week, the Eagles travel to 3-3 Lapel before facing South Putnam and Indianapolis Manual to finish out the year. “We've had a great schedule this year,” Ray said. “Each and every week, we have to compete at a high level. It has been fun! To advance in the state tournament, you have to beat good football teams. Lapel is a very good team, and it's always a battle when we play them.” Other games to watch this week 6A No. 1 Brownsburg (6-0) at Zionsville (4-2) Cincinnati LaSalle at 6A No. 3 Indianapolis Cathedral (4-1) 6A No. 5 Ben Davis (4-2) at 6A No. 6 Carmel (4-2) 6A No. 7 Carroll (Fort Wayne) (6-0) at Homestead (3-3) 5A No. 7 Valparaiso (4-2) at 5A No. 2 Merrillville (5-1) Jasper (3-3) at 5A No. 9 Castle (4-2) 4A No. 7 Mooresville (5-1) at 5A No. 4 Whiteland (5-1) Louisville Male at 4A No. 2 Roncalli (6-0) 4A No. 6 New Prairie (6-0) at South Bend Riley (4-2) 4A No. 9 Evansville Reitz (6-0) at Evansville Memorial (4-2) Yorktown at 4A No. 10 Greenfield-Central (4-2) 2A No. 9 Cass (5-1) at 3A No. 1 West Lafayette (6-0) Christian Brothers (Mo.) at 3A No. 2 Indianapolis Chatard (4-2) Mt. Vernon (Posey) (4-2) at 3A No. 3 Gibson Southern (6-0) Northview (4-2) at 3A No. 8 Guerin Catholic (3-3) North Knox (3-3) at 2A No. 1 Linton (6-0) 2A No. 6 Triton Central (5-1) at 2A No. 5 Indianapolis Scecina (5-1) Fort Wayne Dwenger (4-2) at 2A No. 8 Fort Wayne Luers (3-3) Monrovia (2-4) at 1A No. 1 Indianapolis Lutheran (6-0) 1A No. 8 Triton (5-1) at 1A No. 3 North Judson (6-0) 1A No. 4 North Decatur (6-0) at North Daviess (4-2)

That is not correct. Any time the defense possesses the ball in OT, the play is over. OT rule 5-1-1: “If the defensive team gains possession, the ball becomes dead immediately and the offensive team’s series of downs is ended.”

That was a colleague's take on punting as well in youth football games. He actually discounted the one good thing and considered the punter's knee touching the ground to retrieve the snap as being the best possible outcome in youth ball punting.

Perhaps something is lost in translation. Apparently there is a cheap Mexican Restaurant in the Floyd’s Knobs area called the Cactus, tell us more? In the greater metro area of Seymour we do not have such a restaurant, however we often refer to the local El Nopal as “The Cactus” because well, you know. IO actually has his own bar stool at multiple locations now. Cheapest place around to drink, I highly recommend the fishbowl margaritas, I typically go for the pitcher myself it’s a little better value. 32oz domestic drafts 5.50, imports 6.50. One of the few bars you’ll find Modello Negra on tap.

My phone ran out of space and I had to delete about 5k memes and random pictures…..but I just stumbled upon this gem of a picture from I believe 2018. the dennys on Hwy41 wishes they served pancakes like this

When I was in high school 1957-1961, if Joe Dezelan called for a pass play, that was considered a trick play.😉

Final from Enlow. 27-18 Reitz

Judson final 62-22.

I want to give a shoutout to the gentlemen on the Goshen football team. Basically nothing has gone right for them luck-wise this season. They lost their D1 recruit lineman to injury after two games. They lost their first-string and second-string QBs to season ending surgery in the same week. They've had so many injuries and departures from the program that they've had to cancel the rest of the JV season. (All of this came from Coach Wogomon on the postgame radio show tonight.) But despite all that, they managed to pull together after a crushing loss last week where nothing went right and heads were hanging and gut out a last-minute win. Doesn't matter against who or where or how, winning in a situation like that takes guts. Hats off to them and I pray that next season, they avoid injuries and can continue to build.

North Central was outscored 139 - 0

Shifting classes will do that, right? Esp when dealing with schools that are “historically strong” or have a success factor to consider. I think both of the FW schools you cited have the right elements going for them this season (solid), the last few (ppl here are ALWAYS gonna challenge SoS lol), and the actual frequency with which FW is rep’d @ Semi… and for sure @ State.

No backlash as you have your opinion, even if it is probably wrong. My picks for the week. Lincoln MD Harrison Castle and of course, Reitz

She kinda disappeared after telling everyone how good RP is.

I actually remember a couple of those in Texas too. Being from Texas you know about how it's really weird that even though it's below 32 degrees, it doesn't really freeze or snow there; at least in the large cities due to the trapped heat. Played an 8th-grade game where it was raining, but didn't freeze, so we were just wet in that cold the whole game. Being the center, I had a guy on the sideline dedicated to keeping my hands dry and rubbed down the whole game to keep them somewhat "bendy." Won the game 8-0. Headed to the locker room and realized that my hands were so frozen that I couldn't grip the latch to pull it up to open my locker. Had to sit there for 15 minutes waiting for the ability to pinch my fingers together to open the locker. The thing I always remember about that game/season was 1) our coach making us "warm up," butts on the ground stretches, in the water puddles on the field as the opponent's bus pulled in and 2) sitting in that locker room after the game waiting for my hands to thaw out. I thought our coach was kind of crazy for having us in that water before the game, but looking back, it was genius. The other team got there and avoided the water as long as they could and no one on their team hit the ground until the game started. Our team drove that first possession, being about as comfortable as you can be while wet and freezing, and scored while the other team got accustomed to being wet. Once they got over tiptoeing on the field and trying to avoid falling in the slime of mud and freezing water, they settled down after that first drive, but it turned into a stalemate for the rest of the game; giving us the win.

I never thought I'd see the day when Snider bumped down to 5a and Dwenger bumped up to 5a and the class would be considered "down." Losing teams like Cathedral, Zionsville, and Westfield will do that I guess.

Drink value ain’t even close. Food, not sure either are in the running for best.

As you know cousin, Mom was a proud graduate of Memorial and she adopted the Wildcats as all of her children and most of her grandchildren passed through. Over the years of competition across a number of sports, she developed, hmmm, how shall we put it tactfully...strong feelings about our west side brethren... She would come back and HAUNT me if I picked the Panthers over her Tigers. Plus, I have a feeling about this one😎

Reitz at Memorial Arguably the biggest night of the year, as the SIAC title is literally on the line. As Reitz can officially clinch at least a share of the title against Memorial and likely effectively ending the race to, on the projected scenarios. However, if Memorial does get the victory tonight, SIAC will be opened a little bit more for the 2 loss teams. For Reitz, it has been a fantastic season so far, as it finally appears that Reitz is finally back in the SIAC. I know they are ready for this game tonight, not only a win unofficially seals up the SIAC, but to spoil Memorial’s Homecoming weekend too. This Reitz team is dynamic all around with a strong #1 Offense and very good #1 Defense in the SIAC. What is even crazier is that I think they will be better next year, since a lot of the main players are juniors. #7 Summers is arguably one of the best receivers in the area, as he leads the team, however, they also have a nice duo in Vera/Thomas too in receiving game. Also RB Burnett is one fine tailback with his his speed and quickness to find holes. All thanks to an O-Line that averages roughly 6’3 250 and a strong/accurate QB in Davies. But with his status up in the air tonight, and Vera being QB the last 2 games, they are going to let Memorial guess until kickoff. Defensively, Reitz is all over the ball, as they implemented a new 3-3-5 scheme that has been serving well. Reitz’s D-Line has been wreaking havoc for the most part under a trio of Utley/Oxley/Brantley. Can’t forget about a very nice backfield/LB core too with Ringo, Wells, Phifer, Martin and Davis. However, this Memorial team shouldn’t be taken lightly either too. While they did get blown out by Jasper and was shut out by North, there were some factors involved in that game. However, the Tigers are have been looking forward after those 2 blemishes and is on a 4 game winning streak and getting better each week. They did make some changes too, as Fisher is now the starting QB over Ellspermann (who is quite becoming a gem at Receiver). However, Fisher has a wide variety to throw to, like Collins, younger Ellspermann, Pearce, and RB Rode. Also the running game has drastically improved too with RB Rode returning in Week 3 and a very big O-Line to push around too, with D1 Miami(OH) commit 6’6 290 Hartig. While the offense was shaky at first, it appears they are in full steam ahead right now, increasing their points each week. Memorial’s Defense, however, has taken a full 360, from statistically being one of the worst, to one of the best defenses in the Conference behind a very good DLine under Brackett, Seward, Farmer, Collins or Cassidy. While the backfield has improved too with some young talent out there and a very hard nose LB core. Starting to look like the Tigers are finally getting their pieces after a disappointing start to the season to remain in the SIAC hunt. No question is that Reitz is a monster right now, seems like when they get punched they get right back up. As Reitz always finds away to win. I mean all they have to do is beat this Memorial team to finally get ahold of the SIAC crown early, nothing is in their way on getting it. While Memorial is improved over the last few weeks, this game is very questionable for them, while they will be fine overall. I having a strong feeling that a party is gonna happen tonight. Party at Reitz?……Don’t hate on me, I don’t know how they are going do it……I’m picking the upset tonight, give me the Tigers by an inch (I will accept the backlash)

Linton, North Knox, Sullivan, Southmont, South Vermillion, Cascade, Greencastle & North Putnam. Well it just occurred to me that several of us in this somewhat new arrangement in Sectional 47 really don't know much about each other. So... creating this thread will hopefully get some discussion about the teams involved, and bring others into the conversation as well as follow each team through the remainder of the season. I know for me, there are teams I've not really any info on other than their records of the past and basic school info. Obviously for Linton we know Sullivan and North Knox particularly well having played these local rivals for years and years. We've played Cascade in a series from 1999-2003 winning 4 of 5, and met them in post season 1992 losing 45-13. We've not played South Vermillion, but have faced Clinton in '71 and '72 getting blanked twice! Greencastle is a foe Linton has never beaten, but we've not played then since a 1990 post season 55-0 loss. They were a regular schedule opponent from 1970 to 1975 where we lost all 6 meetings....add a loss in 1961 and Linton is 0-8 vs the Tigercubs... but those Linton teams weren't the Miners of the last 15 years. Linton faced Southmont in back to back years 1997 and 1998 splitting those games. North Put is a team Linton has never faced. So I am continuing this thread hoping it picks up speed as we get nearer to post season!

Week 7: Sect 37 team North Knox 3-3 at Linton 6-0 A big matchup locally between old foes. Linton had won 14 in a row til a loss 27-15 in Linton on 2020. Linton won 38-24 in 2021. NK's losses have come to 3-3 Sullivan,6-0 1A Tecumseh and 3A 4-2 Boonville. All 3 wins have come against a combined 2-15. This is a big opportunity for North Knox to prove they belong in the discussion of post season. Linton took care of then 4-1 1A North Daviess 42-7, after a back n forth tussle the week before with Boonville 50-40. Linton averages 50.7 pp and it's offense has so far not been stopped. NK defense allows just 17.8 a game so something has to give. Both teams played Sect 37's Sullivan, Linton winning 40-20, NK losing 31-17. Linton remains at the top of both 2A Polls. Southmont 6-0 at Western Boone 5-1 A true test for the Mounties, who haven't started 6-0 since.. well .. I don't think they ever have. They had 8 win seasons in 2008 and 2009, but head into the hardest part of their schedule tonight and the following 2 Fridays. 5-1 WeBo's only loss was to 4-2 Tri-West, who Southmont will see in week 8. Western Boone and Southmont have played several common opponents, both winning... but WeBo looks to have dominated Crawfordsville (49-0) and North Montgomery (35-8) while the Mounties, while getting the "W", had 26-13 and 14-12 battles. Both teams doused Frankfort by huge margins. The MOunties defense has been steller (13.2/game) WeBo comes in over 42 a game. And it's a road game. I don't necessarily think any other Sect 37 team would come away with a win aganst the Stars, but you never know. A lot of eyes will be on this one. the AP has Southmont at #9, but the Coaches put them a #13 . WeBo at #8/#6 in 3A polls. South Vermillion 5-1 at Fountain Central 2-4 The Wildcats had back to back 7 win seasons in 2019 and 2020 then a little falloff in 2021. They appear to be back to winning ways with Coach Barrett, and should be favored against the Mustangs tonight. SV has a won 4 in a row and had dropped the ppg allowed to under 10 (8.2). They had a resounding 38-0 win over previous 4-1 1A Riverton Parke last week, and their only loss has been to 3-3 Sullivan 24-14 in week to at Sportland Field. Fountain Central opened with 3 losses but put up big numbers on Covington and Attica. They battled 4-2 Seeger losing by 1 (28-27) Edgewood 1-5 and Sullivan 3-3 Coach Caton's Arrows are much better than the 3-3 record they sport. Their losses have come to 6-0 Linton, 6-0 Owen Valley and 4-2 Northview. They were in both the Linton and Owen Valley games to the end. It was 27-20 Linton at one point in the second half and Sullivan left points on the field as well as giving points away. It ended up 40-20 Miners. The Patriots Beat Northview 28-7, and the Knights beat the Arrow 28-7, but Sullivan mounted a big comeback against OV and just fell short losing 40-20. Edgewood started 1-0, but have lost their last 5, and the Mustangs could be on the receiving end of some pent up anger. The Arrows will be battle tested coming into the post season with games like Northview, Owen Valley, and again with 3A 4-2 Indian Creek in week 8. 3-3 Cascade at 4-2 Speedway The Cadets have gone back and forth but are back at .500 after winning an inter-37 matchup with 1-5 North Putnam 40-21 last week. They have a solid test hosting a rejuvenated Speedway team that is 4-2. Of course the 3 losses Cascade has endured have been lopsided losses to some of the top programs in the area- Scecina, Lutheran and Triton Central. It will interesting to see how the Cadets do in this matchup. Speedway fought Scecina decent in a 28-7 loss, the Saints beat Cascade 41-14. An interesting score was a loss to Beech Grove by Speedway, while Cascade beat the Hornets 28-13 in week 2. hmm. 1-5 Cloverdale at 3-3 Greencaste The Tigercubs stopped the 2 game skid by blasting winless Brown County 63-0. That same offense was blanked the week previous by SUllivan 38-0. Greencastle has wins over 2-4 West Vigo and 3-2 Attucks but have not fared well against solid opponents. Losses as well to Northview and 5-1 1A South Putnam. There really isn't much doubt that the Tigercubswill pick up win 4 tonight against the 1-5 Clovers. Cloverdale's long win was over winless Brown County. Unless Greencastle starts looking ahead at Owen Valley next Week 2-4 West Vigo at 1-5 North Putnam The Cougars continue to look for improvement after a loss to Cascage 40-21 and face a Viking team who's only wins have come against Brown Co. and Parke Heritage. North Put have lost to good programs in Southmont, SOuth Put and Covenant Christian. West Vigo lost to SOuth Putnam 40-8 last week while the Eagles beat NP 52-20.

I love gimmicks and gadgetry on the field, in large part because such plays often present a real challenge to the officiating crew. So, let’s collect and discuss trick plays here. One of my favorites illustrates a difference between NCAA and high school rules. In this play, the holder’s knee never comes off the ground. Under the NF code, that would make the ball dead as soon as he passes it.

He ain’t wrong!

Azul Tequila is by far the best Mexican restaurant in Seymour not El Nopal lol

Miners and Warriors to Tangle at the Roy on Homecoming Night. North Knox and Linton is another long term rivalry for Linton that dates back to the Bicknell Bulldogs days of battles on the gridiron. I only have records to 1930, but Linton seemed to get the best of that series from 1930 to 1958 winning 21 of 27 meetings with 2 of those ties. Oaktown, Bicknell, Freelandville and Vigo consolidated to North Knox in 1963. It became Miners vs Warriors in 1966 with newly christened North Knox winning the first 7 of 8, and 9 of the first 12. For whatever reason these two teams, separated by 30 miles of farmlands, did not meet in 1972 nor ’73, then again not in 1980-81-82. But they’ve met every year since 1983, sometimes twice a year which I have totaled up as 58 times with the Miners winning 42 of those, and including those 1930-58 Bicknell years Linton leads 63-20-2. Linton has dominated on the gridiron but North Knox won three in a row from 1990 to 1992. The Miners then won 32 of the next 36. The Warriors last win was a dominant one in 2020 at Roy Williams Field in Linton that shocked Miner Fans, 27-14. Linton had won 14 in a row coming into that game. That loss, and another in 2009 (15-7) are the only two losses Linton has had to the Warriors from 2000 onward. Linton got revenge on the 2009 loss by blasting NK 44-0 in the sectional rematch, but had to wait a year for the big loss in 2020. That would be last year’s 38-24 win at Warrior Field. The Miners and Warriors have met in post-season 7 times, when they’ve been in the class and sectional, with Linton winning all 7. Being that both schools are in Sectional 37, it could happen again. Josh Chambers in the head coach of North Knox, this being his 8th season at the helm. They went 8-3 last year, matching his 8-4 2019 season in wins but both seasons ended with losses in sectional play. Since the new post season system came into place in 1985 I don’t show the Warriors with a sectional title, but I know they had a rich tradition in the early 70’s. The best season in the 2000’s came with Shawn McDowell at the helm, in 2014 finishing 9-3 where they lost to Linton 41-0 in sectional championship. With Chambers NK has had winning campaigns in each of the last 3 years. Having to replace some big names in the North Knox program due to graduation certainly a big thing to do. Rhett Sheren rumbled for 262 yards in the 2020 win, and had 67 in 2021. Holtman Doades had 205 rushing against the Miners in the 2021 loss. They do return QB Mason Lyons, FB Kale Jones and both Tight Ends, or as they call them (Y & Z) in Brennan Messel and Devan Kent. Up front 3 year starters Dylan Bond (5’11 225) and Landyn Worstell (6;2 185) return to lead newcomers Logan Foster (5’10 190), Jacob Etmeier (5’9 250) both seniors, and sophomore Garret McGuire (5’11 170). I’ve also seen Blake Goodwin in there at 5’11 335. Junior RB Carter Lemberg is in Sheren’s familiar role, as the offense has not change in any way. Lamberg averages 6.8 per carry and has 693 yards on 102 carries, but is not the leading rusher of the Warriors; That person is WB Caleb Bottum, another junior. Bottum, a starter at safety last year as a sophomore, has an impressive 961 yards on a team high 104 carries with 9 rush TDs. QB Lyons adds 131 yards on 37 keeps and those three have all but 28 of NK’s 271 rush attempts, and all but 178 of their rushing team total of 1963. Passing has never been a Warrior commodity but they always seem to complete a couple big passes in past Miner meetings. Lyons has only put the ball up 37 times, hitting just 32.% of them (12) for 191 yards with 1 score and 3 interceptions thrown. I would also point out that in the 2020 loss to NK, then QB Reese Hammelman threw only 8 times, hitting 4 for just 23 yards. Everyone and their brother in law know what you will get when NK lines up across from you. It’s mano a mano, and if you can stop them running the ball successfully, you have a good chance at a win. NK has put up over 400 rush yards twice this year (489 vs Eastern Greene, 358 last week against Pike Central), and 306 against Sullivan in week 1. Messel had the most catches with 4 (61 yards), with 3 from Kent (49 yard and the lone air TD). As is always the case, opponents will load the box on the warriors and both squads will fight hand to hand helmet to helmet in a huge scrum play after play. Miner fans will hope that Lamberg, Lyons or Bottum will not pop thru that scrum into the secondary for big plays, but also that the defense isn’t lulled to sleep by anticipating the run only to see Warrior receivers 20 yards behind them wide open for huge plays. The Miner D came out with some changes last week in Elnora, and it looked to inspire the team, as well as supply depth at positions and put players were they seemed to be perfect fits. I know there will still be things to work on and mistakes made but it looked like a most cohesive group, and as it’s said completion breeds excellence. There is a lot of rotation at positions which not only gives guys a rest who play both sides, but allow time to watch and see what’s happening which can occasionally be a help. Russell Goodman at ILB even as a freshman, has been more and more involved and is 2nd in tackles with 42 with 4.5 TFL, 1.5 Sacks. Bradyn Cox, 3rd in tackles with 39 and 1.5 TFL, as well as Christian Shonk who moved to ILB from the nose tackle spot previous. Shonk has 4 TFL 1 sack and 9 Hurries. These three man in ILB spot, with Paul Oliver and Wrigley Franklin at OLB. Between Oliver and Franklin, both at 6’3” and leapers, they have 19 pressures on opposing QB’s, 13 TFL and 4 Sacks. In addition, Oliver, just a freshman, has 2 picks (1 returned for a TD).and a fumble recovery, plus 2 blocked punts. Up front Shonk still saw action at NT, but it was a rotation with Soph Hank Gennicks and Jr Ty Boyd. Boyd has 18 stops 3.5 for loss and .5 sacks. He also was in the mix at DE along with Senior Aiden Giles and Junior Ashton White. Giles had been at DE in 2021 but at ILB these first 5 games. He has 37.5 stops 3 for loss and half a sack. White has gone from mainly special team’s duty early in the year to time at ILB and more snaps at DE the last couple games. White makes plays, and it was evident immediately against North Daviess. He leads the team in total tackles with 43, with 5 TFL 1.5 Sacks and 5 Hurries. All of this means you can have an assortment of talent on the field at any time. Giles, Boyd, Gennicks, Shonk, White at any of the front 3 spots and feel good in any situation. The Defensive Backfield has seen good and back in 2022 giving up 16 pass plays of over 20+ yards but held a successful pass heavy 4-2 North Daviess squad with 1000-yard passer to just 6 of 15 for a mere 53 yards last week. Miner Coaching staff made a couple changes with Hunter Johns moving to CB from Free Safety. He has started at OLB in 2021, and the move put his speed and reaction time to the fore-front. In non-passing plays he is an asset to containing the outside run pushing it to the inside, not to mention he is a great tackler as well. Braden Walters moved to Free Safety where I feel his 6’5” height plays a bigger role. He’s already provided some big hits to break up would-be receptions. Soph Jesse Voigtschild was at the other corner, with mainstay Hunter Gennicks at Strong Safety. Gennicks speed makes it difficult for anyone to outrun him on a break-away, and his closing speed in a huge plus on any busted plays. Gennicks is always solid on run support with 38 tackles, 23 of those solo, 2 TFL and 2 picks. Both picks would have been TDs but one was called back via a questionable flag. You also have 6’5 Logan Webb with a lot of experience at CB, and add 6’1” sophomore Hayden Feltner in that mix. Feltner is another special teams’ mogul with 20 tackles to his credit. The Miner offense has been a juggernaut in 2022. Averaging 440.8 of total offense per game. Remember that three games have had running clocks the entire second halves which means the bulk of those yards came in Quarters 1 and 2. The most damage has come in the 2nd quarter with 135 of their total 304 being scored then. The Miners have found themselves up at the half by scores of 50-0, 56-7, 34-13 and 36-0. Only against Boonville have the Miners been behind at any time. They have shown the ability to face adversity with important scoring drives at big moments against Monrovia, Sullivan and many times against Boonville. The ability to churn out long time consuming drives as well as big play soul breakers, as evidenced by 38 plays of over 20+ yards. Linton has also been successful in scoring 62.5% of their possessions (40 of 64), which is you look at varsity time it jumps up to 69.6% (39 of 56). Linton has rushed for 1,853 yards with 30 rush TDs, averaging 308.8 per game. Credit must be given to Center Nathan Watson, Guards Aiden Giles and Wrigley Franklin, and Tackles Jacob Breedlove and sand Hank Gennicks. They have been consistent from week one. They love to compare Pancake Block tallies, but honestly a good block that springs a back for a big play or crucial first down and merely be a shove to be as effective. But for them I’ll say Franklin leads with by my tally 22, Gennicks and Giles with 15 each. Hunter Gennicks leads in touches (66) yards (788) and Tds (13) with an amazing 11.9 per carry average. His partner in “the Firm” in the backfield is fellow senior Hunter Johns, who has 510 yards on 53 totes, 10 TDs and himself a 9.6 average doing the in between the tackles work. Once more I bring out the fact these guys have essentially not played in at least 5 if not 6 quarters of games well at hand. Voigtschild has broken a few long runs and adds 204 yards on 27 carries, Walters as well with 139 on 22 carries. Capable back-ups are there with sophomore Eli Scott who started week 1, Russell Goodman, Ashton White, Bradyn Cox, Cody Pigg, and Tyson Walker all having their moments. A big plus to 2022 has been the array of receivers with size to this year’s edition. Logan Webb came out to play football his junior year, and by week 3 he was very involved in the pass game. At 6’4 he has proven to be Gennicks most targeted at 33 passes, and has made good on 18 of those for 195 yards and 2 TDs. But the addition of two newcomers has bolstered the passing game to new heights. The Air attack now accounts for 132.0 yards per game, with Gennicks on target 63% of his passes (57-90) for 785 yards with 10 TDs and just 1 interception thrown. Hunter has had 1,000 yard passing seasons in both his shop and junior years, not to mention 916 rushing as a sophomore and 1,195 last years. He is well within reason to eclipse both those again this year. The addition of 6’5 junior Braden Walters, who like Webb, came out his junior year and as stand-out for the Miner Basketball program. His 1st game was week 2, and he has had immediate impact with 18 catches for 286 yards and 4 scores. Freshman Paul Oliver at 6’3” had 11 catches, 3 of those scores with 169 yards. Voigtschild and Johns have 7 catches between them and 12 yards and a score. It’s been awhile since the Miners have had this many viable receivers each with the ability to make the big play. The Warrior defense will have their hands full, but it won’t be anything they haven’t seen and faced what Linton does. They faced the same Boonville Pioneer offense Linton did and held them to 7 points in regulation before losing in OT 13-7. Boonville put 40 on Linton. While NK held Boonville’s QB Conner to a 1 of 11 passing night producing 23 yards and a pick, the same QB out 218 yards, 3 touchdowns on 12 of 21 passing. So it’s to be seen how the Warriors fare. Sullivan ran for 161 yards and 4 scores while passing for 136 and another score in week 1’s Arrow win 31-12. By comparison Sullivan has 121 rushing and 224 passing against Linton in week 4. NK is led in tackles by ILB junior Kaleb Archer with 69, 7 TFL and a Sack. OLB Brennan Messel, a sophomore, is next up with 39, with the other ILB senior Logan Foster at 37 with 2 TFL. Junior Caleb Bottum also has notched 37 stops from Free Safety. OLB Devan Kent had 3.5 TFL from OLB with 31 stops, with Corner back Lane Adams, another soph adding 30. Nose Tackle Jean Pierre gets in the action with 25 tackles and 1 each of a TFL, Sack and Interception. NK only returns 4 starters from the Linton game of 2021- Kale Jones at OLB, Dylan Bond at DT, Mason Lyons at CB and Bottum at Free Safety. NK comes to the Roy with an eye on upsetting the Miners on Homecoming. As always the Miners have the target on their back, but even more so with a #1 ranking in 2A in the State. The Warriors coming in after back to back wins over 1A North Central 35-0 and 3A Pike Central 35-14. Their other win came in week two 45-14 over 1A Eastern Greene. Those wins come against a collective opponent Won-Loss of 2-15. Their losses come to Sullivan (3-3) 31-17, 1A 6-0 Tecumseh 35-14 and to 4-2 A Boonville 13-7 in OT. You can bet Coach Brian Oliver in year 10 at the helm of his Alma Mater will have his Miners primed with enthusiasm and intensity. Coach Oliver is 45-17 since taking over for Steve Weber staring in 2013 and led Linton to the promised land of Lucas Oil in back to back years (2015 and 2016) with the trophy coming to Linton in 2016. The bad taste of losing to North Knox in the Warriors last trip to Roy Williams (2020) still fresh in the mind, a game that saw Linton out done in physicality and embarrassed on their home turf. Many of these current seniors were sophomores: Hunter Gennicks, Aiden Giles, Wrigley Franklin, Hunter Johns certainly remember that game. Once more I can’t impress on Linton fans how important it is to fill the Roy with full voice and support for your Miners. They have put on quite the show in 2022, as well as in 2021 and should be taking the field to a packed house of Miner Red and Blue. Again we have been blessed by weather as it looks to be a perfect fall night for football. You can bet North Knox will show up in full voice. Beating Linton is always something huge locally, but beating Linton at Linton, on Linton’s Homecoming, when Linton is ranked #1 in the State would be talked about forever. The crowd support has been stellar thus far, and was very impressive in the last home game with Sullivan. This was noted by Coach Oliver and by the players themselves as helping them in many ways. You can’t know how it feels unless you have been on that field and experienced it. Let’s keep that happening for these guys. You can carry our radio broadcast online on your phone while at the game by going to www.wqtyradio.com. Listen as the game plays out to hear all the pertinent info, and maybe a little more than you necessarily want to hear! All the stats as they happen, and experienced play by play from Kevin Rader, and all the color you’d even need from my 23 years of coverage as well as my great memories of playing Linton Miner Football. Go Miners Linton NK Pre Game Stats.docx

great read as always...see you this evening...

I can attest to this!

When you throw the ball, one of three things is going to happen, and two of them are bad.

We played at Heritage in 2006 in a torrential downpour. When the referee set the ball the dang thing near floated away. We threatened to score but we fumbled on the 3 yard line. Heritage came down and scored to go up 6-0. Heritage missed the extra point and the rest of the game was football follies. Heritage and Cass had a good little rivalry going in the early to mid 2000's before sectional realignment. Seeing Heritage under your moniker reminded me of this night and that game. Coldest, wettest and sloppiest game I have seen. If the game would have been played on turf I wouldn't have had that memory (LOL). Im not sure anyone in Northeast Indiana should have been playing on October 27th 2006.

WEEK 7 THOUGHTS: Whitko at Manchester: Both teams still looking for first win. Always a big rivalry game but more so on the basketball side where things could get chippy, especially from the 1970s through the 1990s. Back to tonight, Manchester has been competitive in some games, Whitko has not. Manchester by double digits. Wabash at North Miami: What a furious comeback by the Warriors last week that just came up a 2 point conversion short last week against Maconaquah. More momentum for the Warriors tonight at home. Tough for Wabash to catch North Miami napping with their passing attack when the Warriors played Maconaquah last week. Peru at Southwood: Teams headed in opposite directions. Southwood has taken it to another level by moving Winer to quarterback and Lloyd to running back. The Knights get their fifth win in a row and keep their hopes for a conference championship alive. Rochester at Northfield: My lone road team prediction for this week. Norse have won 4 out of 5 and 3 in a row against the Zebras. Rochester with more depth and strength up front this year. Zebras also still keep their conference hopes alive. Maconaquah at Tippecanoe Valley: Muda69 will believe, but Valley too strong and has enough speed to somewhat control the Braves passing attack. Valley won 52-7 last year and it may be a little closer this year but my concerns for the Braves defense have not be alleviated. Interesting side note, because of the schedule left remaining and possible conference title shots, Rochester will be cheering for Maconaquah and Southwood will be cheering for Valley since Vikings play at Southwood week 9, and Rochester ends their season with the Braves.

Thaks for the info. I'll eat light during the day. And my ticket is in hand. I'll be there early too!

Tep. But always against the traffic.

Correct. It’s a cop out. Letting the idiots win…and it’s being adopted by more schools than just Pike. These last two Fridays, Warren and Ben Davis have cut off ticket sales at 4 PM and are doing online sales only. Nothing says we are out of touch more so than making it harder for the average fan that just wants to check out a local high school game on Friday night and support his/her community. Hate to say this and I know it is going to piss you off but Center Grove and Carmel are looking smarter with each passing day. This nonsense is sorta proving them right.

My favorite Bill Parcell’s quote: “You are what your record says you are.”

Uphill … both ways! 🤣

In my time at Cathedral, the football team jogged, ran, to CYO Field, which was at least two miles from school. And, of course, after practice, they ran back to school.

Harris hails US ‘alliance with North Korea’ in latest Biden admin botch: https://nypost.com/2022/09/29/kamala-harris-hails-us-alliance-with-north-korea/ Gees, I don't know who is worse, sleepy Joe or stupid Kamala.

Here is a very good article from Referee magazine on 3 of the toughest judgment calls on fouls — holding, pass interference, and blocking in the back — from the point of view of the official. Fans, coaches, etc., I bet when you read this, you’ll learn something new. For example, the next time you hear someone drag out that tired cliche that the officials “could call holding every play,” you can explain to them, using the information in the article, why that is not really true. https://www.referee.com/3-miscalled-fouls/ Three of the Toughest Judgment Calls In most seasons, false starts are the most frequently occurring fouls and arguably the foul that requires the second least amount of judgment (calling 12 players in the formation doesn’t require much judgment). But every foul requires some degree of discretion before the flag is thrown. For various reasons there are three fouls that seem to be most often called incorrectly. Holding Judging the legality of blocking is arguably the most difficult aspect of officiating a football game. On any given play there are six to 10 blocks and some of them go unobserved by a crew of five. Consequently, holding and illegal use of hands may be the most problematic of all fouls in football because there are so many forms of hand contact between players during constant personal collisions. Complicating the matter is the rules allow defensive players more freedom (push, pull and grasp to get at the runner) in how they use their hands. For a holding foul to be called, a player must prevent an opponent from possibly making a play by using an illegal technique. In other words, there must be a demonstrated restriction. If an opponent is taken to the ground, that is an obvious restriction. That could occur either through an outright tackle, a takedown or, less frequently, the pull-over in which the blocker pulls the opponent down over himself to make it look like he has been run over. An upright restriction can occur if the opponent is grabbed and prevented from moving to participate in the play (grab and restrict). The opponent can also be grabbed and physically manhandled to a different position (jerk and restrict) or be hooked with an outstretched arm to alter his path to the runner (hook and restrict). None of the preceding restrictions are likely to have an impact on the play unless they occur at or near the point of attack — an area in close proximity to where the play is intended to go. Since that isn’t really a “point,” some prefer to call it the “attack zone.” By examining the logic trail an official must follow, we can begin to understand why that foul is inconsistently called. First is the judgment on the legality of how the hands are used. Often the hands are hidden from the observing official and the decision must be made on the effect of the apparent grip. If the hands are deemed to be used illegally, the official must decide if the technical indiscretion actually restricted the opponent. Did the jersey pluck slow him down? Did an arm bar change his path sufficiently to prevent a tackle? Sometimes opponents will hold onto one another while they are moving — the so-called “dance.” Who is holding who? In actions such as that, it is hard for an official to make an accurate distinction. The next step is to assess the impact of restriction on the play. A block may begin legally and then progress to an illegal restriction. In passing situations, that may happen after the quarterback has released the ball. Or it may happen far enough away from the quarterback that an impact on the play is highly unlikely. Some officials will call that; others won’t. Additionally, because the point of attack is not a precisely defined term and is not addressed in the rulebook, there are officials who do not take that into account when ruling on holding. Whether an act does or does not prevent a play may not be taken into consideration. Takedowns by offensive players who are well away from or behind the play pose a particular problem for officials, especially when they are out in the open for all to see. Some officials believe the takedowns should always be called while others make exceptions especially when a touchdown would be negated. Similarly, there is a school of thought that holding should not be called when a defender is double-teamed. The theory is that if the offense is committing two players to one opponent, any advantage gained by holding is negated because a different defender has gone unblocked. Other variations include calling unnecessary roughness instead of holding and declaring a dead-ball foul when the act began while the ball was live. Without taking all those notions into consideration, a simple grab of a jersey — and a relatively quick release — may look like a foul, but it isn’t necessarily so. Consequently, making judgments on holding requires a thorough knowledge of what is legal, plus long study and experience to detect the actual behavior and to determine if an advantage has been gained. Pass Interference The inequities in the calling of pass interference appear to emanate from two elements. The first of those is an apparent lack of understanding on the part of the officials that both receiver and defender have a right to the ball and that “incidental contact” is a legitimate option if both players are making a simultaneous and bona fide attempt to reach the ball. Some officials are unconsciously biased in favor of the offensive player. When you think about it, any favoritism should be for the defender; he doesn’t know what’s happening, while the receiver is following a planned route that has been decided in the huddle. The words “not playing the ball” often enter the discussion by officials on pass interference and although the phrase is not mentioned in the rulebook, it is a legitimate factor — to a point. A player who is not playing the ball is responsible for any contact with an opponent, while a player who is playing the ball — making a bona fide attempt to reach the ball and looking back at it — may be absolved from unintentional contact. The second source of inconsistency is “catchability.” Under NCAA rules, a pass must be catchable for there to be defensive pass interference. However, an uncatchable pass does not excuse offensive interference (7-3-8c). In NFHS play, it is not interference if the contact by team B is obviously away from the direction of the pass (7-5-11c). However, if such contact interferes with an eligible opponent’s opportunity to move toward, catch or bat the ball, catchability is not a factor. The spirit of pass interference restrictions is to apply them to intended receivers and their defenders and not to other players who go downfield. Some prep officials will avoid calling an interference foul when the pass is not catchable and they can be very creative in explaining their rationale, such as, “The play was over when the contact occurred.” That discretion is frequently applied when the ball is past both players when the contact occurs or when both players are or nearly are out of bounds and no catch is possible. Other officials will strictly follow the rule and call a foul. Blocks In The Back The challenge in calling blocks in the back is that contact from the side is legal. If the player who is blocked saw or could have seen the blocker, there is probably not a foul. A block from the side, even though violent and even though it results in a player being put on the ground in vigorous fashion, is not a foul unless for some other reason it is also a personal foul. Frequently blocks from the side are erroneously flagged. The placement of the hands or shoulder during the block is a good indicator. If an official can see both jersey numbers, unobstructed, on the back of the player being blocked when the initial contact occurs, it’s difficult to rule such contact a foul. To be called a foul, a block in the back should clearly meet the definition of contact on or near the numbers of the player being hit. Another guideline is to note how the player who is blocked falls. If the blocked player falls forward, he almost certainly was blocked in the back. That is the type of fall that is most prone to cause injury and a player would not go down like that unless it was unavoidable. If he falls to side, it is a sign he was most likely blocked from the opposite side, but it is not an absolute indicator because in some cases players who are blocked in the back are able to turn to their side to lessen the impact. Another aspect of those blocks that is subject to varying philosophies is whether the blocked player is knocked to the ground. Those should be called as a safety foul and they usually are (if observed). Contact that merely puts a player off stride is subject to advantage/disadvantage. Not every bump in the back should be flagged. A slight brush that does not cause the contacted player to tip off-stride is not a foul. Some contact of that sort is incidental, because the player making the contact may himself have been jostled into another individual. However, slight contact that causes a defender to stumble and to perhaps miss an opportunity to make a tackle is deserving of a flag. Additionally, location is a factor. That type of block may take place far from where a play can be made. If an opponent is tipped off balance far from where the ball is in play, such action may be judged incidental, as having no effect on the play. If the contact occurs away from the point of attack and does not affect the outcome of the play, a verbal reminder.

Okay I have been challenged to do a ranking. My disclaimer is I know very little about 3A on down so oh well: Brownsburg Center Grove Ben Davis New Palestine Cathedral Carmel Roncalli Hamilton Southeastern Lawrence Central Fishers Warren Central Westfield Carroll (Fort Wayne) Fort Wayne Snider Bishop Chatard Gibson Southern Crown Point Merrillville Elkhart Penn East Central Zionsville Fort Wayne North Mishawaka West Lafayette

I might give you the argument that North Vermillion benefited from some schools moving to 2A due to the success factor, but they were pretty darn good. I would say the Josh Smith/Attica and Eli Cook/Seeger teams and some of the Fountain Central teams were very good football teams. 2007 Rockville wasn't bad, but they ran into a really good Sheridan team. SV, big fish, small pond in the WRC. They aren't anywhere near the caliber of some of these past teams. That's a hill I'll die on.

Hard disagree. Between PH last year and SV this year, I think those two teams are the most dominant forces that this conference has ever seen. Powerhouse is the most applicable word, especially for SV this year. I think this year's SV would wipe the floor with last year's PH squad then that PH squad would run circles around the NV state team. I think there's a lot of undervaluation of the athletes we're watching grace our presence right now and the quality coaching jobs that were at PH last year and the stellar program that SV has built.

Reitz Memorial Vincennes North Jasper Boonville Gibson Southern North Knox Tecumseh