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I have long railed against ESPN/NCAA for bringing college games to Friday nights, yea I’m looking at you IU. Now the NFL is getting in the act. I suggest you join my merry band of pirates, screw the Big10, screw IU, screw TV, dare I say it screw….the man….there I said it. Go to a local school of your choosing tonight, plop down your 6-7 bucks, spend a 20 at the concession stand and enjoy the hell out of kids who just love a game! Who’s with me? …..que patriotic music

That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard all day and I’ll say it right to your face

You may not be perfect and us parents are sure willing to let you know when we disagree with you but without your time and dedication, none of these young men would get to live out their dreams each and every Friday night. For that I want to thank all of you sincerely.

Sorry about the down time. I was upgrading everything in preparation for a new season and things went south. It really wasn't a major deal, but if took me a couple hours of reading to see what had changed in the new version of mySQL to fix the issue. I just had to add a line to the config file because the new version requires it although all the previous versions did not. Carry on, back to the football discussions.

Earlier in the week, @Bobref started a thread titled "Sectional Draw 2023" and the thread kind of went a couple directions away from the intended purpose. One of those directions pertained to the notion that 6A and 1A should be the classifications with 32 teams rather than 6A and 5A. This topic interested me, and I decided to take a deep dive researching it. It took me about ten hours total over the course of several days to compile. I'm not saying this to get a pat on the back, but to help you understand I didn't just breeze through it without any deep thought or research. Nevertheless, for this particular scenario, I compiled lists for 1A through 5A using the most recent enrollment numbers the IHSAA released (which was two years ago). I excluded 6A since it obviously wouldn't be affected by the change. In compiling the classification lists, the goal was to base it off this specific year's tournament in regard to the Fort Wayne Dwenger situation and the teams playing up due to the success factor. The 1A through 5A breakdown for this year's tournament is the following: 5A - 31 teams 4A - 64 teams 3A - 64 teams 2A - 62 teams 1A - 58 teams Total - 279 teams I wanted to keep these numbers as similar as possible. This meant that 5A would have 63 teams rather than 64 as a result of the IHSAA moving FW Dwenger down in the middle of the classification period. Therefore, these were the classification numbers I came up with: 5A - 63 teams 4A - 64 teams 3A - 64 teams 2A - 56 teams 1A - 32 teams Total - 279 teams After compiling lists for the classifications, I wanted to look at the ranges for each classification from the largest school to the smallest school. See below. 5A (63 teams) Largest School: Harrison (WL) - 2,079 students Smallest School: New Haven - 1,064 students 4A (64 teams) Largest School: Kankakee Valley - 1,062 students Smallest School (aside from the success factor team): Bellmont - 641 students Success Factor Team: Evansville Memorial - 556 students 3A (64 teams) Largest School: John Glenn - 638 students Smallest Schools: North Putnam and Tell City - 444 students 2A (56 teams) Largest School: Indianapolis Scecina - 439 students Smallest School: Covington - 294 students Success Factor Team: Lafayette Central Catholic - 296 students 1A (32 teams) Largest School: Fremont - 291 students Smallest School: Attica - 170 students Here are the ranges from the scenario above compared to the current numbers (excluding success factor teams): 5A: 1,064 - 2,079 (currently 1,513 - 2,079) 4A: 641 - 1,062 (currently 795 - 1,510) 3A: 444 - 638 (currently 511 - 790) 2A: 294 - 439 (currently 379 - 510) 1A: 170 - 291 (currently 170 - 378) Instead of just compiling a list of classifications given the scenario, I wanted to get the full scope of what this could look like as it pertains to sectional assignments. As a result, I put together classification maps and spent a ton of time trying to come up with sectional assignments that limit travel time as best as possible while also ensuring schools from the same school district aren't split up. I cannot stress enough how hard I tried to keep travel times down. I flirted with many different scenarios by looking at the travel times on Google Maps but some long trips just couldn't be helped. It's important to note I'm only including these sectional assignments to give you an idea of how 1A through 5A could look given the hypothetical 32 team 1A scenario. I'm not necessarily saying this is how they should look. See the link below to view the classification/sectional assignment maps. https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1SqvN_8IxXWiJQxvs4E0RSxadUGh_f9k&usp=sharing Here are the sectional assignments I came up with. 5A (63) Sectional 9 (8): East Chicago Central, Gary West, Hammond Central, Hammond Morton, Harrison (WL), Lowell, McCutcheon, Munster Sectional 10 (8): Chesterton, Hobart, LaPorte, Merrillville, Michigan City, Mishawaka, South Bend Adams, Valparaiso Sectional 11 (8): Columbia City, Concord, Goshen, Huntington North, Kokomo, Logansport, Northridge, Plymouth Sectional 12 (7): DeKalb, Fort Wayne North, Fort Wayne Snider, Fort Wayne South, Fort Wayne Wayne, Muncie Central, New Haven Sectional 13 (8): Anderson, Greenfield-Central, Indianapolis Attucks, Indianapolis Roncalli, Mt. Vernon (Fortville), New Palestine, Pendleton Heights, Richmond Sectional 14 (8): Columbus East, East Central, Franklin, Greenwood, Jennings County, Seymour, Shelbyville, Whiteland Sectional 15 (8): Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Decatur Central, Martinsville, Mooresville, Plainfield, Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South Sectional 16 (8): Bedford North Lawrence, Castle, Evansville Central, Evansville Harrison, Evansville North, Evansville Reitz, Floyd Central, New Albany 4A (64) Sectional 17 (8): Hanover Central, Highland, Kankakee Valley, New Prairie, South Bend Clay, South Bend Riley, South Bend St. Joseph, South Bend Washington Sectional 18 (8): Angola, Culver Academy, East Noble, Leo, Mishawaka Marian, NorthWood, Wawasee, West Noble Sectional 19 (8): Bellmont, Delta, Fort Wayne Dwenger, Jay County, Marion, Mississinewa, Norwell, Yorktown Sectional 20 (8): Frankfort, Guerin Catholic, Hamilton Heights, Lebanon, Peru, Twin Lakes, Western, West Lafayette Sectional 21 (8): Brebeuf Jesuit, Crawfordsville, Danville, Edgewood, Indianapolis Shortridge, Indianapolis Washington, Northview, Owen Valley Sectional 22 (8): Batesville, Beech Grove, Connersville, Franklin County, Greensburg, Indianapolis Chatard, New Castle, Rushville Sectional 23 (8): Charlestown, Corydon Central, Lawrenceburg, Madison, North Harrison, Scottsburg, Silver Creek, South Dearborn Sectional 24 (8): Boonville, Evansville Bosse, Evansville Memorial, Gibson Southern, Jasper, Mt. Vernon (Posey), Vincennes Lincoln, Washington 3A (64) Sectional 25 (8): Benton Central, Boone Grove, Calumet, Griffith, Hammond Noll, Rensselaer Central, River Forest, Whiting Sectional 26 (8): Bremen, Fairfield, Jimtown, John Glenn, Knox, Lakeland, Rochester, Tippecanoe Valley Sectional 27 (8): Bluffton, Fort Wayne Concordia, Fort Wayne Luers, Garrett, Heritage, Manchester, Wabash, Woodlan Sectional 28 (8): Alexandria-Monroe, Blackford, Eastbrook, Eastern (Greentown), Maconaquah, Northwestern, Oak Hill, Tipton Sectional 29 (8): Greencastle, North Montgomery, North Putnam, Southmont, South Vermillion, Tri-West, Western Boone, West Vigo Sectional 30 (8): Centerville, Christel House Manual, Frankton, Heritage Christian, Indianapolis Ritter, Lapel, Purdue Polytechnic, Speedway Sectional 31 (8): Brown County, Brownstown Central, Cascade, Indian Creek, Mitchell, Monrovia, Salem, Triton Central Sectional 32 (8): Evansville Mater Dei, Heritage Hills, North Posey, Pike Central, Princeton, Southridge, Sullivan, Tell City 2A (56) Sectional 33 (8): Andrean, Lake Station, LaVille, North Judson, North Newton, South Central (Union Mills), Wheeler, Winamac Sectional 34 (7): Adams Central, Central Noble, Churubusco, Eastside, Prairie Heights, South Adams, Whitko Sectional 35 (8): Carroll (Flora), Clinton Prairie, Covington, Delphi, Lafayette Central Catholic, Lewis Cass, Pioneer, Seeger Sectional 36 (6): Elwood, Madison-Grant, Monroe Central, Sheridan, Taylor, Winchester Sectional 37 (6): Covenant Christian, Eastern Hancock, Indianapolis Scecina, Knightstown, Park Tudor, Shenandoah Sectional 38 (6): Hagerstown, Milan, North Decatur, Northeastern, Switzerland County, Union County Sectional 39 (7): Cloverdale, Eastern Greene, Linton-Stockton, North Knox, Parke Heritage, Riverton Parke, South Putnam Sectional 40 (8): Clarksville, Crawford County, Eastern (Pekin), Forest Park, Paoli, Perry Central, Providence, South Spencer 1A (32) Sectional 41 (4): Bowman Academy, Frontier, South Newton, Tri-County Sectional 42 (4): Culver, North White, Triton, West Central Sectional 43 (4): Caston, Clinton Central, North Miami, Tri-Central Sectional 44 (4): Fremont, Northfield, Southern Wells, Southwood Sectional 45 (4): Cambridge City Lincoln, Tri, Union City, Wes-Del Sectional 46 (4): Edinburgh, Indianapolis Lutheran, Indianapolis Tindley, South Decatur Sectional 47 (4): Attica, Fountain Central, North Central (Farmersburg), North Vermillion Sectional 48 (4): North Daviess, Springs Valley, Tecumseh, West Washington I hope you all find this information as interesting as I did. Does this information change your original opinion? Should 5A remain at 32 teams or should 1A have 32 teams instead? Feel free to provide your thoughts and share any ideas you have.

I want to thank all the Veterans here for their service to help make all this possible !!! Hope you all had a great day so far and it should get even better around 7:00/7:30 this evening ! Godspeed !

If you figure out the answer, bottle it and sell it. I supervise travel SB tournaments in the summer. This has been an ongoing issue for some time. I feel like I’m beating my head against the wall. I see guys/gals come into officiating and in the world of travel sports it’s usually to supplement their income, as you can make decent side hustle cash. At any rate they come into it with their eye on the $300-$1200 paycheck for a weekend’s work. You can usually tell pretty quick, the guys/gals you’re talking about will be expert officials in a couple of weeks once they figure out if anyone disagrees with them, they can just “toss them”. Then as the supervisor/UIC I have to deal with it. Here’s my thing I will do absolutely anything within my power to help a young official. What I’m trying to say is there are people officiating, who like every other walk of life are only interested in the paycheck. They have no pride in what they do, their appearance (proper uniform and looking professional), their performance, or any of the things you aspire to as a normal functioning member of society. They look at the weekend as an “quick and easy” side hustle and it just shouldn’t be that easy if you’re doing a good job. I spend a great deal of time watching hand and helping young umpires. But the uncoachable ones I don’t waste any of my time on. If they do a decent job no worries, if they’re a pain in the ass, I tell my boss don’t send them to my site. And I do hold the trump card, because as hard as officials are to find, decent site directors are even harder! Bottom line what you are seeing is largely a societal issue. How’s your experience in fast food restaurants today vs what it was 10 years ago? What about just your everyday dealings with people in general? I’m nearing the end of my officiating career. I feel like I’m working harder than I ever have. Basically at 57 it requires more than it did when I was younger. I’ve worked more games this fall than I’ve worked in years. I’ve traveled a little to do JV/Frosh/MS games. Driving an hour for a JV game and a $65 paycheck isn’t exactly adding to my IRA. Spending eight Sunday evenings driving two hours round trip plus the hourish long required association meetings doesn’t exactly add 0’s to the bank account either. All the time spent studying film, studying rules, casebook, yea just time you don’t get back. Or just Friday night at a large CI school, five guys get crammed into a little room with five chairs, two folding, one pisser, one shower, five bottles of water and five little Powerade towels. This is inside a gym with countless locker rooms in it. Left home about 3:30 got home about 11:30 for 80 bucks. I’m not whining about what we get paid or how we’re treated, honestly we probably get treated better today than we ever have. But there is this growing stigma out here there officials are all of the sudden getting rich, and it’s just simply not the case. But I will tell you this, the older I get the more schools I drive by to get to schools that take care of the officials, and it’s never been about the money.

Give me a case of Zimas and some boner pills and I’ll show you performance enhancement. I swear to God I will

Been here a long time....this thread is top 10 for one of the dumbest conversations ever.

im bored the hell have you people been up to? ive spent my winter harassing vegans on reddit but it just hasnt filled the void of football season

Coach Hummer was my freshman coach in 1969 at Rensselaer Central. Coach Siderwitz, Coach Geisman and Coach Hummer all influenced the direction I chose. Coach Hummer was an outstanding classroom teacher and an inspirational coach on the gridiron. I remember his wit and smile as if it were yesterday. My prayers go out for him and to his family! What a great man… George Gilbert, retired coach

Speaking of recruiting, D Tees is on Facebook going all Mel Gibsons on the Catholic and private schools. I swear to The Virgin Mary he is. I gotta go

I think we got it now.

That’s what we get for soccer player homecoming winners. Back in my day we gave it to a football player and cheerleader like God intended.

Wow, where to start. Roughly twenty years ago I was asked by Rivals to get with some other posters on their forum to compile a Top 100 for that site after Dallas Jackson was removed from their staff. That started my interest in compiling the poll for discussion and debate among others with similar interests in the national aspect of the game. Dallas Jackson soon established his own site and requested that I post exclusively on his site, which I did. In the following years, I have added other sites, including this one, to my "customer" base. My methodology is simple. I read, watch, and analyze this game on a daily basis from May to January. I am not smart enough to develop nor do I believe in algorithms. I am constantly viewing MaxPreps, rivals and other forums to gather all the information I can on teams throughout the country. I attend as many games as possible throughout the season and watch games both on TV and streaming services. For instance, next weekend I am going to Massillon, Ohio to watch four of the Cleveland area's best teams play four state champions, including Center Grove from Indiana. This does not only give me a chance to gauge those teams, but also a gauge on each state's strength. The following weekend, I will not only attend a game (most likely Warren Central at Carroll) but also watch the national games being broadcast on ESPN as part of their kickoff weekend. With all that of background, plus empirical data from prior seasons, I compile team rankings for every state, yes that includes states like Wyoming, Rhode Island, and other non-power states. From there I compile a Top 100 by looking at game results, player evaluations and the state's strength to compile the list. Hope this helps.

I think you have the wrong Donnie Baker. I swear to God you do

For those who have not heard, my family and I have decided that the time is right for a change. My wife has wanted to live in Florida for quite some time, but I have always had an excuse of why to not make the move. My son graduated in May, and with that a lot of those reasons disappeared. That being said, I am leaving Roncalli after 23 years. We are in the process of moving to Cape Coral, Florida and I will start teaching and coaching at Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda. My time in Indy was phenomenal - both the experiences and the people that I have had the honor to be associated with. I truly hope that I have left things at Roncalli in a better position than when I arrived and have had a positive impact on all in the football community! Keep making Indiana football better - always raise the bar, never lower it! Coach Stryker

Leaving conference is fine, Leaving Conference without following what I am sure is some sort of by law for time is another. That is always a bad deal for the schools you leave behind. Leave, fine, leave with month left of school, yikes

We may not always see eye to eye but we have one thing in common…our love for the greatest sport on planet earth! Happy holidays and safe travels to all in the GID Nation! - Temp

Sorry guys, I had a busy day and could not make this a priority until after work. We are up and going once again, enjoy.

and you intend to watch this on purpose?

I’d be willing to bet that most kids are referring to creatine and weight gainers. When asking kids if they use anything to enhance their appearance that leaves a lot to interpretation. “12% of boys reported using products to enhance appearance, muscle mass or strength” vs “12% of boys reported using steroids” would have been more in line with the clickbait headline. The author clearly doesn’t know the difference. And he refers to “one study” for his data set. A quick peek at his LinkedIn says he has “research experience”. This article might be the full extent of that experience. This is the actual cited reference from the article “According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the prevalence of PED use among high school athletes in the United States ranged from 2.7% to 4.0%, depending on the specific sport.6 Another study found that 8% of girls and 12% of boys used products to improve appearance, muscle mass, or strength, and 3.3% of high school students admitted to using steroids.7 “3.3% of high school athletes admitted to using steroids” is the actual number. This is the cited study: Dandoy C, Gereige RS. Performance-enhancing drugs. Pediatr Rev. Jun 2012;33(6):265-71; quiz 271-2. doi:10.1542/pir.33-6-265 It’s from 2012. Not sure that it qualifies as “still a major issue”. Why did I waste my time going down this rabbit hole? I must be bored out of my skull this morning.

Every public school in the state is in your corner. Go get'em!

It takes time to get Chatard, Roncalli, Brebeuf, and Dwenger all in the same sectional and make it look random.

- this entire thread as well as any calls to action in the following should be interpreted entirely as fiction, witches are not real, and the refs didn't screw your son on a pass interference call, he is slow and can't cover the deep ball and that is why he got pass interference called on him. furthermore don't hurt the zebras or Rodney Rodenstein might be officiating your next HS football game. Trust me, this is not a viable option for you. I tried last year to nudge you people in the right direction, and you all failed miserably to take the hint!!! Witches are real and likely the reason behind your favorite team's demise so at great personal risk to myself, I'll make this one more on the nose Our brethren in Salem tried to get it done, however they couldn't complete the job them witches, buncha freakin shapeshifters just stopped posing as women, they went underground that was until some time in the 1800s when they resurfaced realizing they could pose as zebras and torture people mentally by ruining football games Their most famous work was introducing pass interference into the game so they could pick their favorite team to win because witches obviously have favorites However, they are responsible for other atrocities as well, such as roughing the passer, and the fair catch so now we have approximately 63% of all referees are actually witches in disguise pictured below and there is only one indisputable way of dealing with witches and I'm here to give you a step by step guide on how to solve the issue phase 1: witches love money, this is common knowledge, so were going to lure them to a secure location directly after the game by using additional pay the optimal location for this is your local bar more info on this later. if they don't fall for our money trap, you know what you have to do phase 2: get as drunk as you possibly can it will help you defend against the witch's mind control powers liquor not beer, this step has to be done quickly phase 3: interrogate them until they admit to being a witch witches POV below phase 4: Call the police, they can handle it from here

While unfortunate for those that can't figure out how to view streamed content, this was a step that people should have seen coming with Bally's bankruptcy. The only thing that I've never liked about the exclusivity of broadcasting the state finals, is that it is forcing private companies or even school broadcasts out. If a school or broadcaster has been showing the entire season up to the state championship game, I'd like to see the IHSAA give those broadcasters an opportunity to do the game, ESPECIALLY if it's an educational broadcast team. Broadcasting a State Final in Lucas Oil Stadium is an experience that no student would forget.

That was before GS invented football so it doesn't count.

All: Just want to give a shout out to the Gridiron Digest staff for all their had work and for the opportunity for us to continue to talk about high school football in Indiana! I do not work for GID. I have renewed my membership with a donation to help support the cause. Would you please consider making a donation today? There are bills to pay and the donation seems a bit down this year. Appreciate all you guys at GID! Keep up the great work! as always, the game is better from_the_sidelines007

There should not be any P/P in 1A. Fire away if you must…..

Yeah, that’s why they’ve won 16 state championships. Because they think like that.

That guest guy is probably getting a stiffie seeing his ode post come back to life. I gotta go

How fortunate I have been to be involved with this man since my playing days. He is going to be inducted this Summer with NFF: Joe Tiller chapter ceremony, which is common choice for many Region 4 coaches blessed to get the nod to the HOF. Last year, it was Kevin O'Shea and John Hendryx for HS coaches of modern era. https://rensselaercentral.com/2023/04/19/meeks-becomes-hall-of-famer/

Lemme first start by saying I’m not a huge fan of court storming. It’s not a mountain or hill I’m willing to die on but it’s a slippery slope when you mix fans, players and coaches. That being said, this looks calculated. Osborn has the wherewithal to guide his players and keep them out of harms way yet then charges right through the crowd students immediately thereafter. It’s almost like he was looking for trouble. Both parties share some of the blame but we should hold a leader of young people/adult to a higher standard. Just my opinion… (Oh, and one more…) This decision comes across as weak as hell from Carmel.

I don’t mind my money going to the IHSAA, but I have problem with my money going to ticket company’s at 30% mark up.

Biggest win in school history and some guy with a man buns is bitching about the refs on Facebooks.

That'll be tough to do, now that they're in 3A.

It should have been left at 2 points to start with rather than the current 3 points. If you can move up a class and either win a Sectional two years in a row or a Regional one of two years then you are in the appropriate class…..insofar as the purpose of the SF was intended to be.

Glad this family was able to make this personal decision to benefit their son. That's the way it should be. Now I'm going to shuffle off to a 2A thread to avoid that whiny Sheridan announcer complain that benefits like this should keep parochial schools out of 1A.

Buy your Potato farm for retirement yet in Idaho ? 😃

Muda you’ve been screaming for over a decade that Frankfort should leave the Sagamore, and now that they have you are complaining about that. After 20 years of listening to you I think it might actually be possible that you just like to complain, and that you dont actually care about the issues you rage against. 😜

Why not? It's an Indiana high school football forum, and this is concerning an Indiana high school football coach. I will agree that rumors and speculation need not run rampant, but forums are literally built to have discussion.

A - A V - Valley O - Of N - Neighbors Avon a long time ago was said to be called A Valley Of Neighbors (A-V-O-N). New coaches wanted the kids to believe in something to fight for and protect. Becoming more of a community than individuals as athletes. A "Protect your own" mindset

Why is it so hard to accept that private school families are just better than public school people?

It will be called the Sagaless Conference.

Want to give a shoutout to the game tomorrow night at Gordon Straley Field in West Lafayette. It will be a special night not only because the Red Devils will be playing one of their most respected rivals in the Rensselaer Bombers, and not just because it will be homecoming, but more importantly they will be celebrating 100 years of playing football at West Lafayette High School. There will be many alumni players, coaches and others there to celebrate a storied history. Through 2020, West Lafayette HS had the fourth most wins of any school in the State. They have numerous other accomplishments that are listed in the IFCA record book as well. I hope to take some pictures of some of the festivities associated with this special night and post them on this thread.

Probably half of Merrillvilles. I gotta go

Jets, Starfires to meet in annual Adams County war Andrew Smith GridironDigest.com To find some of the best small-school football in Indiana, look no further than Adams County. Since 2011, the Adams Central Flying Jets and South Adams Starfires have each won six sectional titles. Each has been a state runner-up in the last couple of years - Adams Central advancing to Lucas Oil Stadium, South Adams in 2020. Both are mainstays in the Class A polls, and their regular-season meeting frequently decides the Allen County Athletic Conference title. This week, the two schools again meet on the gridiron at South Adams. Adams Central (5-0) is ranked No. 2 in the Class A IFCA poll, while South Adams (4-1) is No. 5. “It is the best small school rivalry in the state,” South Adams coach Grant Moser said. “The ACAC conference (title) has gone through one of us since 2016. Both teams have small tight-knit communities that love their football programs and show up in droves to support. It is an incredible atmosphere to be able to witness.” The familiarity makes for a great game. It’s 9.6 miles from Adams Central’s campus in Monroe to South Adams in Berne. “It's a big game for both teams,” Adams Central coach Michael Mosser said. “We know each other well. I think it's neat that both programs have had a lot of success which makes the game even more special. The game is always hard-fought - neither team has really been able to dominate the other. AC does have more wins; however, games are usually very close. It is rare that one will dominate the other. This year could see a lot of the same.” A year ago, Adams Central won both meetings - 48-7 in the regular season and 41-0 in the regional. In 2020, South Adams won a 29-9 decision in the regular season. Led by quarterback Ryan Black, Adams Central posted a 25-21 victory over Eastside - a 2A semistate team from a year ago - and has scored 40-plus points each in consecutive wins over Covenant Christian, Jay County and Heritage in the last three weeks. This year’s success is building on a recent history. The Flying Jets are 118-47 in Mosser’s 14 years in Monroe. “I think the reason for our success is the tradition that we have,” Mosser said. “We have a system and a culture that kids believe in. I think this helps us be successful. Kids love playing football at Adams Central. Last year's success is definitely part of it but it really goes deeper than last season. It's built into the kids and lasted long before me.” The same takes place at South Adams, where the Starfares are 62-26 in Moser’s eight years. “We have total buy-in from players, parents and administration along with great community support,” Moser said. “Our kids have set the culture and now know what it takes to be successful.” South Adams won its first three games before falling 28-27 to Heritage in Week 4. The Starfires bounced back with a 35-19 victory over Monroe Central - another team that has spent time in the Top 10 this season - last week. Quarterback Owen Wanner has thrown for 1,046 yards and 12 TDs to lead South Adams. Maverick Summersett is averaging 6.4 yards per carry on the ground. “Wanner is a good passer and runner. We will need to contain him and not let him pass or run all over the field,” Adams Central’s Mosser said. “Offensively we must be able to run the ball. They have always made that hard on us. They like shifting around a lot and blitzing.” Adams Central’s run game, led by Keehan Blum, will be keyed on as well. “They are the favorites in the 1A north once again,” South Adams’ Moser said of the Jets. “We will need to play mistake free football and find some way to slow down their run game.” Sheridan joins the 700 club When one thinks of small-school success in Indiana, the Sheridan Blackhawks have long been the gold standard. The program reached another milestone last Friday with a 42-0 victory at Clinton Prairie, winning its 700th game all-time. Sheridan, which has been playing football since 1898, is the third program in the state to reach the 700-win mark. Indianapolis Cathedral (771) and Evansville Reitz (721) are the only two with more victories. Mishawaka (665) and Hobart (652) are the next-closest to 700. Head coach Larry “Bud” Wright was a part of 24 of those wins as a player from 1955-58. After graduating from Sheridan and Ball State, he returned to his alma mater in 1966 as the head coach after one year at Mt. Ayr High School - which is now part of North Newton. He has been the head coach for 439 of those victories since then. Wright has led the Blackhawks to nine state championships - the first coming in 1980, the latest in 2007. “The first thing is it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to what you’re doing,” Wright told Hoosierland TV after the milestone win. “In the younger days, I went to probably 15 to 20 clinics every year, listened to the best speakers I could, took things from everybody and started putting things together. The pieces started fitting together. “You also have to have a lot of good people around you. I have been blessed down through the years to have some excellent assistant coaches and fine athletes”. This year’s squad is currently unranked in Class A - it’s receiving votes in the AP poll - but is 4-1 and outscoring opponents by an average score of 40-11. After a Week 1 loss to Western Boone - a Top 10 3A team - the Blackhawks have rolled off four straight lopsided wins. This year’s team features a powerful running game led by senior Peyton Cross, who has 729 yards and eight touchdowns, and junior Zach Bales, who has tallied 429 yards and seven scores. Both average more than 10 yards per carry. Sheridan will go for win 701 this week at home against Taylor in a non-conference game. ICC lead up for grabs as No. 1, No. 2 meet The lead in the Indiana Crossroads Conference is up for grabs this week as 1A No. 1 Indianapolis Lutheran meets 2A No. 2 Indianapolis Scecina. The game will be played at Roncalli. Both teams are 5-0 to start the year. “The Lutheran game is very big in it positions the winner to win the conference, which is always a goal,” Scecina coach Ott Hurrle said. “This game will help us get a better understanding of where we are in regards to tournament play.” Lutheran, the defending Class A state champion, is averaging 53 points per game. The Saints’ offense is led by sophomore quarterback Jackson Willis, who leads the state with 1,639 passing yards. He thew for 385 in last week’s 50-12 victory over Cascade and has a season-high of 417 in a 54-41 Week 3 win over Triton Central. Willis has more than capably filled the shoes of now-graduated Montasi Clay, who accounted for 4,579 yards of total offense and 65 touchdowns a year ago and is now at Marian University. Micah MacKay has 640 receiving yards and ranks fourth in the state. The Saints have been a perennial Class A power under coach Dave Pasch, winning seven sectionals, six regionals, two semistates and a state title since 2014. They have won 20 consecutive games dating back to 2021. Scecina has been a defensive stalwart so far through five weeks, posting two shuouts and allowing five touchdowns in five games. The Crusaders are building off a strong season in which they went 10-4 and won a regional. They’ve already avenged two of their regular-season losses from last year, beating Speedway 28-7 in Week 2 and Heritage Christian 27-13 last week. A victory this week would avenge the third. “Senior leadership during the off season in getting players to buy in and be at workouts during the summer,” Hurrle said of a key to the Crusaders’ success this season. “Our defense has played very well and has allowed our offense to come along and its getting better.” Hurrle is in his 31st year at the helm of the Crusaders. He has led them to two state titles in 1990 and 1991. Senior Mason Beriault leads the Crusaders’ defense with 48 tackles, while Tamir Woods has 43 stops and 13 tackles for loss. Defensive tackle Adam Young, another senior, has 11 TFLs. Hurrle also has cited the play of linebacker Calvin Connor, defensive end Jaylen Long and linebacker Keaton Thibo, all seniors, as leaders on defense. Offensively, running back Brandon Fitts-Ramsey has 531 rushing yards, leading a balanced attack. Cougars into the Top 10 After knocking on the door at the end of last season, Greenfield-Central’s Cougars have spent much of the season in the IFCA Class 4A Top 10. The Cougars went 7-4 last season - their third winning season since 2002 - and have started this season 4-1, with the only blemish a 35-28 defeat to defending 4A champion Mt. Vernon. G-C travels to 4A No. 1 New Palestine this week. The Cougars have slowly built from going winless in 2018, the year before coach Travis Nolting took over, to two wins, then three, then seven. Now, they're in the Top 10 for the first time since 2002 and spending multiple weeks there for the first time since the program's heyday in the 1970s - when they won the first Class 2A state title in 1973 and were runners-up two years later. “Four years ago, we established a direction for where we wanted to go as a program. We have committed to that direction and will continue to commit to it,” Nolting said. “Consistency has been a large piece of that direction. I have always believed that program consistency yields the best results. Our seniors have now been in our program for four years and have bought in. I can't say enough about the hard work they have put in over the past four years making Greenfield football relevant once again.” That direction has featured the wishbone offense - a patient, powerful running game that spreads the ball around. It currently features senior fullback Andrew Zellers, who has 655 yards and averages 7.1 yards per carry. Fellow senior Brayden Herrell has tallied 473 yards and 8.0 yards per carry. The Cougars are averaging 348 yards per game on the ground. They rushed for 400 yards in a 35-0 victory over Pendleton Heights Week 4 and 377 yards last week in a 54-7 victory at Shelbyville. Defensively, G-C is allowing 198 yards per game and has shut out two foes - Greensburg and Pendleton Heights. The group is led by senior defensive end Brad Allen, who has four sacks and 11 tackles for loss, as well as junior linebacker Jake Hinton, who has 59 tackles. The Cougars have forced 17 takeaways, led by Kirk Knecht’s four interceptions. This week features a road trip to county and Hoosier Heritage Conference rival New Palestine, with first place in the league on the line. “New Pal is very good. Coach (Kyle) Ralph is one of the best in the state,” Nolting said. “His teams are always well coached and very prepared to play. There are multiple Div. 1 athletes on the field for New Pal which makes them even more dangerous. “In order for us to be successful on Friday Night, we can't make mistakes or turn the ball over and have to battle in the trenches all night.” Other games of note 6A No. 9 Westfield (3-2) at 6A No. 1 Brownsburg (5-0) 6A No. 10 Lawrence Central (3-2) at 6A No. 2 Center Grove (4-1) Zionsville (4-1) at 6A No. 4 Hamilton Southeastern (5-0) Lawrence North (2-3) at 6A No. 5 Ben Davis (3-2) 5A No. 1 Whiteland (5-0) at Martinsville (4-1) 5A No. 2 Mishawaka (5-0) at Warsaw (4-1) Crown Point (5-0) at 5A No. 5 Valparaiso (4-1) 5A No. 6 Castle (4-1) at 4A No. 9 Evansville Reitz (5-0) 5A No. 8 Harrison (4-1) at Lafayette Jeff (4-1) 4A No. 2 Roncalli (5-0) at No. 8 Brebeuf Jesuit (3-1) Franklin (3-2) at 4A No. 3 Mooresville (5-0) 4A No. 5 East Central (4-1) at South Dearborn (5-0) Benton Central (3-2) at 3A No. 1 West Lafayette (5-0) 3A No. 9 Guerin Catholic (3-2) at 3A No. 2 Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (3-2) 3A No. 3 Gibson Southern (5-0) at Heritage Hills (3-2) 3A No. 4 Tri-West (4-1) at Lebanon (3-2) 3A No. 5 Norwell (5-0) at East Noble (3-2) 2A No. 1 Linton (5-0) at North Daviess (4-1) 2A No. 3 Andrean (3-2) at Hobart (3-2) 2A No. 4 LaVille (5-0) at Knox (3-2) Rensselaer (3-2) at 2A No. 9 Lafayette Catholic (3-2)

I have it on background that GS has been actively recruiting out of state for a new QB1. He probably won't be ready this week, but should be by the time we hit the Mt Vernon/Princeton/Boonville home stretch. The hope is that those three games will get him familiar with the offensive scheme by the time sectionals roll around. Word is that he's not quite the speedy running QB that GS historically has had, but Coach Hart really wanted to get back to that pocket passer type of guy since we had some success with it last couple of years. I did hear something about possibly having some eligibility issues, but I'm sure the GS admin can get that sorted out. #ThinkFastRunFast #FastChad #Homeschooled