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I was wondering when someone would put a poll out here. I voted for all in with seeding, but I don't want the entire field seeded. Seed the top two. Draw the rest. In my opinion this option provides the best of both worlds. It makes the season meaningful, and it gives the poor teams a shot at a favorable draw in the first round.

Mason McIntyre left education to run a non-profit organization after the 2020-2021 school year. Mr. Younis has been filling both roles (head coach and AD) this year, but is giving up the coaching duties moving forward.

Zach Whittacker named the new coach at Triton High School. He replaces Rodney Younis who remains with Triton as the Athletic Director. https://www.tritontrojans.org/articles/football/whittaker-named-new-head-football-coach?fbclid=IwAR03-DaVEmrmyrg6xZFjDl9nzf_MGFhh-N_0cChKXN7iPQrGfGYlkKzbWmo

West Lafayette @ Knox - The Redskins have had a great season! But it likely ends this week at the hands of the Red Devils. WL averaged over 45 per game against much better weekly competition. And while Knox can score the football, defense has not been their strong suit this year. I think Knox will move the ball, but they won't beat West Lafayette in a shootout. West Lafayette Red Devils 42-20 North Judson @ Park Tudor - North Judson is a game away from the rematch they've been wanting for the last 51 weeks! They need to take care of business Friday night to get their shot at the Jets. They should be focused and ready to impose their will. Can the Panthers slow down the option? Maybe for a while, but eventually the Jays will find a week spot and go to town. In the end this one shouldn't be close. North Judson Blue Jays 35-14

Knox @ Jimtown - The Redskins head over to Baugo to face the Jimmies for a Sectional 26 title. It's been a few years since this guy's been to Baugo Township for a game, but last I knew it was the home of Shaved Ice and burning leaves! Welcome to football in November! This should be a good game between two former NSC teams. Knox has been solid all year. Jimtown has won 8 straight after losing their first two, and they seem to be improving along the way! Can the Jimmies stop Knox's multi-headed running attack? I'm going to say no. Knox will be the highest ranked Sagarin team Jimtown has faced since their week one loss to Northwood. Knox Redskins 28-21 Culver @ North Judson - Culver had a very good season and won every game they should have won all year long. But they shouldn't win this one, and they won't. The Blue Jays are headed toward a rematch with Adams Central and nothing's going to stand in their way! Judson has too many studs on their roster to allow this game to be close. Their starters should get some rest during the second half running clock as they get ready for a drive to Indy next week to face the Park Tudor Panthers. North Judson Blue Jays 49-8

Actually according to Sagarin, Knox has played the more difficult schedule this year. In fact, the HNAC as a whole was a better conference than the NIC small schools. The HNAC has 4 teams with a higher Sagarin rating than the NIC champ, Jimtown.

It's too bad Triton and LaVille could not have played at full strength. Schuh at full strength could have changed that game. Same for Plummer. If he plays against Andrean it might have been a different outcome. Nothing against Czarnecki, but Plummer would have added another weapon to the Lancer offense. Same for Triton with a healthy Schuh.

Schuh got hurt near the end of the first half. He did not return to the game.

Well, Triton held them to four TDs. I think that was a pretty good effort defensively! But the offense shot themselves in the foot too many times. And of course the absence of Schuh really hurt. Shively did what he could, but he needed help and he didn't have much. Several dropped passes along the way. No real running threat. Plus poor field position in the second half. Proud of the Trojans for closing the gap against the Jays. Judson should cruise to their meeting with Adams Central. And that one will be a dog fight!

North Judson wins it 25-6. Triton played the entire second half without Schuh. Shively had no help offensively and couldn’t do it alone. Congrats to Judson!

North Judson 25 Triton 6 Final

North Judson 6 Triton 6 Half

Halftime Triton 6 North Judson 6 Also Halftime LaVille 0 Andrean 0

For us to actually win, I'd say 28. And they've only scored less than that 2 times: against Knox and LaVille. I think we can punch in 4 TDs. Maybe a 2 point conversion or a field goal to win it. But holding them to 28 would be an incredible feat for this defense!

Had to look this up... Triton defensive average in their 7 wins: 4.86 Triton defensive average in their 3 losses: 52

Yes of course. The defense was most definitely the issue in all of our losses! And you'll notice that despite projecting Triton to score 28 points, I projected that they would lose the game. Yes, @Bobref I was referring to the fact that LaVille scored their 4th TD of the game in the overtime session. Sorry, I just assumed everyone following this thread would have known their game went to overtime. Should have been a little more clear in my post. My bad.

Well, LaVille actually needed to be given extra plays and a 1st and goal from the Judson 10 yard line to score more than Triton in the regular season game. So there's that. 😆 And, Triton scored three TD's in the first game and also turned it over 4 times. I would say it's not unreasonable to think they might have scored on one of those possessions had they not turned it over. Now of course I understand adjustments will be made - by both sides. So NJSP COULD pitch a shutout. On the other hand, Triton COULD win the game. We'll just have to wait and see.

West Noble at Knox – The Chargers head to Knox to take on the Redskins. West Noble boasts an 8-2 record with a couple of nice wins including an overtime win over 8-2 Eastside. But their schedule hasn’t been as difficult as the Redskins. The Chargers barely squeaked out a 7-6 win over Lakeland, who Knox destroyed last Friday night. I don’t see the Redskins having any trouble with West Noble this week. Knox Redskins 35-14 Andrean at LaVille – This one will determine if the Lancers are for real, or just another country school trying to play with the big city boys. I think the HNAC was for real this year and LaVille should feel good about winning the conference title! It was an accomplishment for sure. But it means little outside of north central Indiana if they can’t beat the 59ers. It’s unfortunate they’ll be playing with a backup QB, but that’s just the way the ball bounces sometimes. I believe LaVille has the tools to compete with Andrean. They are physical and disciplined, and typically don’t beat themselves with turnovers and penalties. But Andrean’s propensity for big plays will be a problem for the Lancers. Ultimately I think this will be a very good game. But the loss of Plummer’s foot may just be the difference. Andrean 59ers 28-26 South Central at Culver – Culver is looking to make it to the sectional championship for the third time in 4 seasons. And they shouldn’t have any trouble getting there. The ping-pong balls were kind to the Cavs again this year and they’ll win easily at home this week. Shuman will probably have another 200 yard night enroute to a running clock. Culver Cavaliers 42-0 Triton at North Judson – Another game that would have been fun to see next week in the Sectional 41 championship. But I’m a proponent of the all-in, random draw tournament, so this is what you get sometimes! Not a problem for this guy. Judson is a machine on the offensive end! They ran roughshod over the Trojans to the tune of 348 yards on the ground in their meeting a month ago. Triton didn’t help themselves by turning it over 4 times, and when it started to go downhill for the Trojans, it went fast. But Triton had close to 400 yards of offense in the first meeting, and they’ll be a little more disciplined Friday night. This will be a much closer game. I expect Triton to put up more points than any of Judson’s opponents have so far, but I doubt it will be enough to get the win. The Jays are destined for a rematch with the Flying Jets. North Judson Blue Jays 42-28

Some good observations there. Schuh is nursing a muscle issue since the Knox game. That's why he didn't get many carries against Winamac or Pioneer. And it is obvious he isn't running as hard. Shively will have to do more. His passing has improved in the last couple games, so that's good. And we all know he's very mobile and can hurt you when he scrambles. And with Schuh gimpy, he'll likely get more designed runs. Triton had 350 rushing yards against Judson in the first game. They moved the ball pretty well, but turned it over 4 times. Of course the Jays will adjust on D, as will the Trojans in an attempt to slow down the option attack. Whatever the defensive game plan was last time, you throw that out! It was awful. Triton's capable of playing decent defense. They held the Panthers to under 100 total yards last week according to MaxPreps. I see it a little closer than the 40 point blowout in the first meeting, and close into the second half. Maybe a three score game in the end.

Not much talk happening this week. I don't suppose you're going to see any Triton guys predicting an upset. But then I wouldn't be too surprised if Triton makes a game of it. LaVille guys seem to be confident they can play with Andrean. They won't get any respect from anyone outside the HNAC unless they actually beat the 59ers. You have to beat 'em to get the respect you want/deserve. Hopefully Knox can take care of business. Culver should roll.

Yes. Triton got a score after an INT. Pioneer got their score after a Triton fumble.

HNAC teams took care of business last night in dominating fashion! It sounds like there were some pretty impressive individual performances as well. Triton surprisingly dominated Pioneer. If not for 2 first quarter turnovers by the Trojans it would have been worse. All the HNAC survivors should be favored next week. It would be nice to see 4 teams advance to championship games. LaVille's game with Andrean tops the docket. That should be a really good game! The Lancers can prove they belong if they can send the 59ers packing. A lot of hype around that one. We'll see if Triton can push Judson. I'm hoping it's a good game, but geez... the Jays dropped 74 last night! The Cavs should roll. Knox will have a battle with West Noble, but hopefully they can win at home. Hopefully everyone came out of the first round healthy and ready to go!

Lakeland at Knox - The Redskins should feel good as they head into sectional play. They are Sagarin's highest rated team in Sectional 26 and have played one the most difficult schedules of the group. Nothing's a given when the tournament rolls around, but Knox has a chance to walk away with some hardware this year. They'll be ready for the Lakers at home this week. Knox Redskins 35-14 Whiting at LaVille - I can't imagine the Oilers having anything in their arsenal that will push LaVille. They only average 12 ppg and LaVille's defense is probably one of the better ones they'll see all year. Hopefully the Lancers can use this game to get their replacement quarterback feeling a little more comfortable. LaVille Lancers 42-7 Winamac at Central Catholic - The Knights are a very balanced offensive attack and I don't see any way the Warriors keep this one close. LCC will impose their will and they win this one going away. Lafayette Central Catholic 45-7 North Newton at Culver - The winless Spartans come to Culver where they will receive a shellacking by the Cavs. Lots of yards on the ground for Shuman and his running mates. Culver wins this one easily on their road to the Sectional 41 championship game. Culver Cavaliers 40-0 Triton at Pioneer - This is the most interesting matchup of the night. I've been saying all year this Pioneer team is not as bad as their record makes them appear. There are a lot of good teams in the HNAC this year! I know they finished 6th, but look at the teams they lost to: LaVille, North Judson, Triton and Culver all have the best teams they've had in years. Knox is solid again. And the Panthers' non-conference opponents were a combined 13-5. So I see this game being close. Triton is - and should be - the favorite. But a letdown by the Trojans will end their season prematurely. If I'm a Triton senior lineman, there's no way I'm letting a group of freshmen push me around. Ultimately I think the experience of the Trojans will prevail, but it won't be decided until the 4th. Triton Trojans 31-22. North Judson at South Newton - South Newton has had a good year! Winning 6 games is an accomplishment for sure. But these two teams have lived in different worlds this season. The Rebels were average in the very bad Midwest Conference. The Judson option will run roughshod over the Rebels and it won't be close after halftime. It should be a running clock for much of the second half. North Judson Blue Jays 49-14 West Central at Caston - I would love to see the upset of the week happen in this one! Caston played a difficult schedule and West Central's SOS was ranked 308th in the state! That's in the bottom 3% statewide. But they've won the games they've played, including a week one beating of the Comets. I haven't seen anything from Caston to indicate they've improved enough during the season to give the Trojans a run for their money this week. West Central Trojans 34-13

Okay. Thank you. So in theory, you are okay with a team finishing 0-9 making your playoff. That's all I wanted you to clarify.

So you are okay with a team that won 2 games against two of the worst teams in the state making the playoff where a team that finished 7-1 (Indiana Deaf) does not. How does that support your premise that the regular season should mean something? You didn't answer my question. Do you believe teams should have to WIN regular season games in order to qualify? If so, now many games? Would you be okay with a team that finishes 0-9 qualifying for the playoff? Above you said it's a travesty, but it sounds like if it were Luers you'd be okay with it.