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If you have a news story or link to an actual story, like in the case of Hammond Morton, it's ok to post. But to just post "I heard....." regardless of what the topic is......is not acceptable on this site.

Eastern Pekin has won 2 games out of their last 30. They must've made quite the impression last Friday.

First home game for Linton and should be the first test for the Miners to see what kind of a team they have. Linton is playing a lot of young players along with some seasoned veterans returning at key positions, namely at QB, receiver, and running back. Three tall receivers are good targets for senior QB Gennicks. Gennicks is the leading rusher as well, taking one 96 yards last week at North Vermillion. The first two games were running clock games and the varsity offense put up 106 points in the four quarters they played while the varsity D allowed 13 points. Monrovia is much improved so we'll see if the Mines are deserving of the high rankings they have in the polls. On a personal note, I didn't travel to the first two Miner games but I will be in attendance at this week's game, marking the 85th consecutive season I have attended Linton Miner football games.

I guess we all know where you stand on mattress labels.

Best tennis player in the world not allowed to play in the U.S. Open because he’s not vaccinated for Covid. Simple COVID testing should have been sufficient for participation. Vaccination that doesn’t prevent the vaccinated from contracting or spreading the very virus being vaccinated for doesn’t make a lot of scientific sense. Also if you are able to walk into our country at our Southern Border without Vaccination, Passport or work Visa without policy enforcement, what is the point of enforcing the very same policy for legal entry into the U.S.? Clearly demonstrates the idiocies and hypocrisy of our governmental leadership

This didn't age well.

I feel like most posters are just driving conversation here for the most part. I don't think anyone is truly getting bent out shape with the polls. Hard to argue there aren't some confusing placements though.

Fountain Central @ Riverton Parke - I'll take RP because this is their year. Or was it next year? Or next year? Or the year after that? North Vermillion @ Covington - the Falcons pop the Trojans. NV with a nice bounce back win. Seeger @ Attica - my profile pic is an old-school Seeger helmet. Gotta go with the Indians over the Ramblers. South Vermillion @ Parke Heritage - will the Wolves become the Turkey Run of the WRC? Did all of the Terre Haute kids move back or to RP?

The 1 first place vote for Carmel is a head scratcher for sure. I believe they should be ranked after facing two extremely difficult teams to start the season, but they literally just lost to Center Grove last week. What coach voted for Carmel OVER Center Grove after the Trojans victory? Baffling

Our victory over them feels so hollow now

I wouldn’t disagree with your assessment as other posters are saying there is a near mutiny at Wayne right now between player, coaches, and parents.

New Pal only receiving 6 first place votes is utterly comical.

It seems Harrison's win over Jasper might have quieted the PAC is just as good as the SIAC crowd. At least temporarily. From what I've read in the paper Jasper's QB didn't play the whole game and they lost Bair and then his backup during the game. Running a triple option offense with injuries to two out of three is really bad, no matter what Meatloaf said. I've always felt week 3 was the turning point in a season. Maybe that's a carryover from the 8 team/7 conference game mentality. All code of conduct players will return and we start to see more connections for SOS type discussions. I have known one team who had a goal to start the season 2-0, but that was a rare exception.

Couple interesting matchups this week, hard to know if it will be enough to stir the conversation pot in the WIC. BC over Cdale- One would hope the Clovers can see a bit of light in this game but BC wins the numbers game. WV over GC- Hard for me to like a team in purple and a win at Attucks leaves little to be said, WV might actually be playing like the team they always should have been ill take WV by 14. OV over IC- OV had an impressive showing over the Eagles with some size and backs that can lay a beating, IC looks to be much improved and pegs this as the game of the week for me in the WIC. SP over NP- The Eagles are poised to bounce back with a vengeance based on their track record and last weeks foleys, NP looks to be improving as the Moores claw out of the hole the program has been dropped in. Eagles 56-14 Northview over Sullivan- The steady and consistent NV club continues the campaign. 28-17 Peotone over Edgewood- lot of question marks here, who is Peotone? Is Edgewood good or not? Which team am i watching bc i cant tell who is who on this crazy red turf?

He was joking. No reason to go gonzo on him.

Riverton Parke North Vermillion Seeger South Vermillion

Every ranking thread in the history of mankind always has “you know these don’t matter” guy who objects himself into the conversation and acts holier than all.

Way overthinking it. He’s right in one sense, a week 2 poll doesn’t mean anything in the long run, but if you’re going to release a weekly poll, don’t half ass it. Otherwise just drop it completely.

Heritage Hills at Boonville [+15.5] North Posey at Southridge [0] Pike Central at South Spencer [-10.5] Princeton at Mount Vernon [-35.5] North Knox at Tecumseh [-8.5] Tell City at Forest Park [-2.5] Mater Dei at Vincennes [+6.5] North at Harrison [+7.5] Jasper at Reitz [-6.5] Monrovia at Linton [-21.5]

I agree.. However to drive conversation it must be without feelings involved. Just a thought

Closed hegemony

@hhpatriot04 you gave me a 0….oh no panic button panic button

Nice write up. I swear to God it is

Week 3 Picks... Fountain Central @ Riverton Parke - The Mustangs couldn't pull it off against the deceptively bad Athenians of Crawfordsville. (Maybe if they had those 2 time outs in the 4th quarter) But their QB is a tough kid. The Panthers pounded the ball against that poor team from Michigan. (Who would probably beat some WRC teams.) They are 2-0 for the first time in a while. The Panthers have a pretty good player toting the ball as well. This could be a good game or a blowout. Surprisingly, I think the Panthers actually have more depth. They win without throwing a pass, 24-12. North Vermillion @ Covington - The Falcons get a rebound game this week after getting destroyed (as expected) by Linton. Although I don't think anyone in the WRC could hang with the Miners. I don't know how far the Trojans have fallen, but I heard their numbers are down. Tough loss last week at home against a usually not good South Newton. Soccer fever must be gearing up. Falcons get a running clock, 44-6. Seeger @ Attica - Really thought the Patriots would pull it off against Benton Central. They find themselves 0-2 and looking for a win. This week they finally get it done against a struggling Red Ramblers squad. Big trouble in little Attica these days on the football front. Another running clock, 41-0. South Vermillion @ Parke Heritage - I'd love to know how the Woolfs managed to have 3 home games to start off the season. Unfortunately, it has not helped them in the win/loss column. West Vigo was pretty impressive in handing them a beat down after a close start last week. The Wildcats look to get back to their winning ways after getting roughed up last week also in Sullivan. This may be a Dog Fight early, but the Wildcats will pull away, 35-12.

If everyone can keep their replies like this, it greatly increases the speed at which I can tabulate. Thanks!

Also keep in mind that Ben Davis was without their starting QB for the Brownsburg game.

Seems legit. Once the dog chased the rabbit down the hole, he had nothing left to do but leave a big pile of poop.

I also suspect that the incident of dog cr*p on your field goes down too with artificial turf. Had a game one time on a grass field, where after the first play from scrimmage, we all get back in defensive huddle, and all of a sudden the smell just hits us all. Everyone's checking their shoes and looking on the ground and all of a sudden one of the corners just jumps back out of the huddle and starts pointing at the right tackle's back. Apparently on the play, he'd tackled the back and rolled in it and it was smeared all over his back. Wasn't quite like the huddle scene in The Replacements, but there was a lot of gagging going on.

I certainly think South will compete much more than they have in the past few years.

Not at all unpopular. He should have had ALL Blue rings... IMO

Agree. Maybe a little less comical then Dwenger ranking higher than North Side after just losing to them. To be fair, this is a "coaches poll." All these guys really know are their own teams and the ones they've played. I doubt they have too much time for research.

I think you could make a good argument that a student-athlete has to either finish a season with the school he started it with or otherwise sit out the remainder of a season once started. I agree that policies shouldn't encourage the situation you're describing. I just don't agree with losing a year of eligibility. Again, you really can't compare it to the NCAA -- even pre-portal. Because the NCAA always gave student-athletes a time period of 5 years to complete 4 years of participation. If they transferred, they had to sit out a year -- but they didn't forfeit any eligibility. In a practical sense, most HS athletes only get 1-3 years of varsity participation to begin with. And nobody's extending HS to 5+ years to accommodate athletes being forced to sit out. Anyway, most of the situations you cite seem kind of extreme -- kids jumping 3 or 4 times, doing so after a week, etc. I don't think that's representative of the typical transfer.

Here you go @Muda69 A study completed in 2011 found that there is no scientific evidence to support concern that the turf is harboring the bacteria that causes MRSA. Serensits TJ, McNitt AS, Peterunak DM. Human health issues on synthetic turf in the USA. J Sports Eng. & Tech. 2011;225(Part P). DOI:10.1177/1754337111398407. Furthermore, a study completed in 2004 found that while turf burn may open up the skin for infection, the bacteria was actually being transmitted in the locker room. Begier et al. 2004. A High-Morbidity Outbreak of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus among Players on a College Football Team, Facilitated by Cosmetic Body Shaving and Turf Burns. Clin Inf Dis. 2004;39:1446-53. If you need more studies which reinforce the above here is some light reading for you: Serensits, T J, et al. “Human Health Issues on Synthetic Turf in the USA.” Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology, vol. 225, no. 3, 13 June 2011, pp. 139–146, plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/ssrc/documents/human-health-issues-on-synthetic-turf-in-the-usa.pdf, 10.1177/1754337111398407. THE SYNTHETIC TURF COUNCIL On the Research Project SURVIVAL OF Staphylococcus Aureus ON SYNTHETIC TURF College of Agricultural Sciences For Athletes. 2019, www.cdc.gov/mrsa/community/team-hc-providers/advice-for-athletes.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fmrsa%2Fgroups%2Fadvice-for-athletes.html. Accessed 11 May 2019.

Best thing about this week is that at least more than one conference team will win! FC @ RP - After watching RP play last week I hope FC pulls this on out. With that being said, the running back #24 for RP is pretty darn good. If any team can stop him they will have a chance to win. I'm going with FC 27 RP 20 NV @ Covington - After Covington's bad loss last week I think NV will beat them badly. NV will be better coached and prepared for this game. I'll take NV 35-14 Seeger @ Attica - Seeger looks to bounce back and win big after a horrible loss last week. Seeger wins 50-12 SV @ PH - After watching PH last week I don't think they'll have a chance against SV. SV will move the ball however that want. SV win 34-12 I went to two games last week. I went to PH vs West Vigo. Safe to say that PH will struggle the rest of the season. I also went to the RP game and the team they played was terrible. Most of the kids were home schooled and only practiced a couple times a week. RP was up big and left the starters in the whole game and kept feeding their stud running back.. Pre-Conference play rankings NV SV FC RP Seeger Covington PH Attica

12 wrestling titles to go along with his one football title.

Penn is definitely resurgent (or at least appears that way) from the last two years and should be a more formidable opponent this go around. That being said, I think this is a terrible week to be playing Cathedral given the outcome of last week, especially how poorly the Irish played for most of the game. I can assure you practice this week will not be fun and I think the Cathedral defense will be out for blood.

Don't sleep on East Central. They are very talented with their two WRs and their RB.

Sure, Darwin’s still making a living with 200 year old data.

Also.. great time at CT this evening. Beautiful field and stadium. Had music, good time. Hour weather delay sucked. 🤣

If Carroll hosts Penn in the sectional, come check it out. Here's hoping Penn makes it a game with Cathedral. Of course I'll be rooting for the Kingsman.

Of course you do. I don't agree with everything the IHSAA does, but you don't want Indiana High School Football turning into a charade like the NCAA has become do you? The NCAA has lost full control on the power dynamic they once held and college athletics is turning into a circus.

I think at one time it was a benefit for both teams but Liptons will probably never be 1A again and should look for some 2-4 A teams to prepare them for Madder Days

One of the best venues in the North, without a doubt.

WOW!!! I don't think I have EVER been ALONE and in the lead of the Pick 'em and I have been doing this for over 10 years! Think I will have to pin and save this.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7222665/

Great response by Whiteland last night to beat LN and help rally their community after Thursday's events. They look like the clear favorites on the south side of the bracket to get to the 5A state title game.

Greyhounds, Trojans to face off for Copper Kettle By Andrew Smith GridironDigest.com One of the state’s top rivalries isn’t forged by being neighbors, but competition on the football field. For the 25th time, Center Grove and Carmel will meet in the regular season, with the “Copper Kettle” trophy on the line this Friday at Center Grove. The two programs have become two of the state’s football blue-bloods, winning five of the last seven Class 6A state titles. Carmel has eight state titles in its history, Center Grove four. Three times since 2008, they’ve met for the state championship. CG is ranked No. 1 in Class 6A, Carmel No. 4. Interestingly, the No. 2 and 3 teams - Cathedral and Brownsburg - also meet this week. Their regular-season series has been dead-even - each team has won 12 games. “The rivalry is very important to the players,” Carmel coach John Hebert said. “I’m trying to get them to understand that it is just one game and it’s only Week 2 but I don’t think they are buying that. It will be a very tough, physical game. (Center Grove has) won 29 games in a row, so it goes without saying that are extremely hard to beat. I think if you are a real competitor, you love a game like this. We are all excited for the opportunity.” Center Grove, winners of the last two state titles, has the fourth-longest winning streak in the IHSAA tournament era. The longest is 34 games, held by Warren Central from 1983-86. Carmel was the last team to knock off the Trojans in the 2019 state title game - and the desire for the Greyhounds’ seniors to get back to Lucas Oil Stadium is palpable. “Our seniors were freshman when we last won the 6A title so they are very intent on earning a ring,” Hebert said. “They are very focused getting that opportunity and seem to understand that it is a season long process to get there. They’ve been a lot of fun to coach already.” The Trojans’ attack was led last week by senior running back Micah Coyle, who tallied 221 yards and two touchdowns in a 17-8 victory over Warren Central. Tyler Cherry takes over at quarterback, with two-year starter Tayven Jackson having graduated and now playing at the University of Tennessee. Carmel, ranked No. 4 in Class 4A, dropped a 17-7 decision to Kentucky powerhouse Louisville Trinity in the opener. Blake Matthews had 87 receiving yards and a touchdown to lead the Greyhounds, while senior Reece Bellin had 65 yards receiving last week. Desmond Duffy is an Ohio University commit, giving quarterback Jackson Kazmierczak a number of quality targets. “The 2022 Carmel team is a very experienced team with several starters returning, but as per usual Carmel will have great size and speed,” CG coach Eric Moore said of this week’s opponent. “Carmel’s offense runs the ball with speed and power, but has an excellent passing attack, with a big offensive line that is quite athletic.” Both teams are stout defensively. Carmel’s defense is led by 6-6 linebacker Will Heidt - whom Moore cited as one of the state’s top players - and safety Winston Berguland, a fellow Purdue commit. Mason Bardwell had 15 tackles and Hunter Snow 14 against Trinity. CG’s Parker Doyle had a team-high seven tackles and an interception in the win over Warren Central. Safety Jalen Thomeson is the leading returning tackler, with 60 tackles and an interception in 2021. For the Trojans to keep the Copper Kettle, ball control will be key. “The Trojans will have to control the football and not have useless turnovers, Moore said. “First downs for the will be key and will keep the Carmel offense off the field. Once again the Trojan defense must eliminate the big play drive and make Carmel earn every yard.” Battle of 5A/4A heavyweights The first time New Palestine and Decatur Central met on the football field, it was the 2018 State Finals - a game won by New Palestine 28-14. Even then, the two schools had planned to face off in the regular season, and they’ll face off Friday at New Palestine in a matchup of top-two teams in their respective classes. Decatur Central is No. 2 in Class 5A, while New Palestine is No. 2 in the IFCA 4A poll and No. 1 in the AP, returning to the top spot for the first time since the start of the 2020 season. Big non-conference matchups are nothing new for either squad. This week will be New Palestine’s sixth consecutive non-conference game against a ranked team since a 2019 - facing Center Grove, Brebeuf Jesuit, Decatur Central and Westfield in that stretch, all of which have recently been to the State Finals. Decatur Central has also faced Center Grove and Westfield in recent years, as well as Franklin Central and Roncalli. “Our number 1 goal is to win the Mid-State Conference, but a close second is to be playing our best football in November when it matters most. We feel playing great competition early helps us get to where we need to be in November,” Decatur Central coach Kyle Enright said. DC beat Columbus North 26-12 in last week’s opener and features one of the state’s top seniors in quarterback/linebacker Aycen Stevens, a Virginia Tech commit. “Aycen is a talented football player, but an even better young man. He leads by example and has taken that a step further as a senior and has become a vocal leader as well,” Enright said, calling Stevens a coach on the field. Stevens and fellow linebacker Cam Renick - who are also best friends - both spent the offseason recovering from knee injuries and pushing themselves to get back into action. “They pushed each other to get back on the field by June,” Enright said. “When your best players are your hardest workers, you have a chance to be a very good team and no one outworks Aycen and Cam.” K.C. Berry played a big role in the Hawks’ season-opening win. He had a 35-yard interception return for a score and an 86-yard TD reception last week. New Palestine opened the year with a 42-28 victory over Westfield, which entered the year ranked No. 6 in Class 6A. The Dragons used their offensive line - led by Louisville commit Luke Burgess and heavily-recruited junior Ian Moore - to amass 299 yards on the ground, 189 of which belonged to junior Grayson Thomas. The Dragons ran the ball on all but two of their second-half snaps. Leading 28-14 in the third quarter, New Palestine ground out an eight-minute drive to restore a three-score lead, and then finished the game with another long march. “We told them at halftime … you guys are going to have to win the game for us,” New Palestine coach Kyle Ralph said. “If we’re supposed to have a really good offensive line that’s as talented as they are, as heralded as they are, those are things you expect. You put the game on their back and they delivered. For Week 1, that’s something you want to see, especially against a very good inside six as Westfield has.” Big game in the Fort In Fort Wayne, two heavyweights won their first games, as 5A No. 3 Snider defeated arch-rival Fort Wayne North 20-18, while 6A No. 10 Carroll won 42-3 over Luers. This contest, which Carroll will host, is an early test for both teams and could go a long way in determining the Summit Athletic Conference champion. Two of the last three matchups between the schools have been decided by one point. Sophomore quarterback Jimmy Sullivan threw for 234 yards and three scores in Carroll’s win over Luers, completing passes to six different receivers. Snider coach Kurt Tippmann described the Chargers as a team that is very well-coached by Doug Dinan, plays extremely hard and has a quick, disruptive defense. For Snider, Luke Haupert returns at quarterback and led the Panthers to an early two-score lead before they held off a late North comeback last week. The Panthers return their top three receivers. “Game 1 is always a bit sloppy and certainly was the case for us,” Snider coach Kurt Tippmann said. “However, we were extremely proud of our players toughness and willingness to fight in a tight game and come away with a victory. I think North Side is a good team and will make tough competition for the SAC opponents.” This is the final time the SAC will play a nine-game conference schedule, as the league will split into divisions next season. Thus, each week in the 10-team conference has title implications. Snider, Carroll and Luers shared the league title with 8-1 regular-season records a year ago. “I think our schedule is great and does do a great job preparing for the playoff season,” Tippmann said. “Each week we face players that can take over a game and score any time they touch the ball. The coaching is good and provides a great challenge every week. Next year will be different and we look forward to facing some non-conference opponents to get experience with other teams.” Milestone win Mooresville coach Mike Gillin reached a milestone last week in the Pioneers’ 38-13 victory over Bloomington North. The victory was Gillin’s 350th in a career that has spanned 44 seasons. He is in his sixth season at Mooresville after stints at Indian Creek, Decatur Central and Tri-West. Gillin led Tri-West to the Class 2A State Finals in 1989. Most recently, he took Mooresville to the semistate in 2020. “I’ve had a lot of good support and some good kids,” Gillin told the Martinsville Reporter-Times. “The formula’s pretty obvious. If you’ve got kids who want to compete, practice and work hard, you’ll win. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of those.” Gillin is the fourth-winningest coach in Indiana, behind Sheridan’s Bud Wright (436 wins), Knox’s Russ Radtke (380 wins) and former Jasper coach Jerry Brewer (368 wins). Mooresville hosts Danville this week. Quick hits Roncalli running back Luke Hansen ran for 335 yards and five touchdowns Friday in the Royals’ 46-7 victory over Southport. That broke a 20-year-old school record previously held by Marcus Nally. … Two teams broke long skids last week. Rushville snapped a 24-game losing steak with a 41-35 win over Milan. It was the Lions’ first victory since Sept. 20, 2019, and the first career head coaching win for Isaac Sliger, a former Rushville player. The Lions face Shelbyville this week. North Miami beat Manchester 14-12, snapping an 18-game skid that had dated back to Aug. 28, 2020. … Tri-West’s Ty Owens threw for 380 yards in a 20-14 victory over Western, completing 27-of-40 passes. The Class 3A No. 4 Bruins face 4A No. 9 Brebeuf Jesuit this Friday. Braves QB Nolan Buckman threw for 2,993 yards in leading Brebeuf to the Class 3A State Finals last year. … Guerin Catholic’s Ryan Zimmerman also had a stellar season-opening passing performance, completing 26-of-39 for 363 yards in a 45-21 victory over McCutcheon. … There were two changes atop the IFCA poll. In Class 4A, Roncalli moved to No. 1 after its win over Southport and Noblesville’s 43-35 victory over previous No. 1 Mt. Vernon. In Class 2A, Evansville Mater Dei moved to No. 1 with a 35-0 victory over Evansville Central. Previous No. 1 Andrean fell 27-7 to 5A No. 1 Merrillville. … Center Grove (6A), Merrillville (5A), Indianapolis Chatard (3A) and Indianapolis Lutheran (1A) remained No. 1 after season-opening wins. Other key games this week 6A #9 Lawrence North at 5A #3 Whiteland 3A #6 Guerin Catholic at 2A #5 Lafayette Central Catholic 5A #7 Castle at 2A #1 Evansville Mater Dei South Bend St. Joseph at 5A #6 Mishawaka 4A #4 East Central at Harrison (Ohio) 4A #9 Brebeuf at 3A #4 Tri-West East Noble at 4A #7 NorthWood Tech at 3A #1 Indianapolis Chatard Speedway at 2A #7 Scecina Indianapolis Ritter at 1A #1 Indianapolis Lutheran