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9 minutes ago, TigerFan20 said:

Very intriguing sectional to look, would assume Heritage Hills will be the favorite due to returning a good majority of their starters.

Early to say but here is how I would power rank that sectional at this point:

1. Heritage Hills

2. Memorial

3. Gibson Southern

4. Southridge

5. Mater Dei

6. Vincennes Lincoln

7. Mt. Vernon

8. Princeton

6 minutes ago, SouthernFan said:

That 3a sectional could be a tough one. I think it might be the hardest one in 3a. Makes for some interesting games but man that could be some tough games. 

Has to be the most competitive sectional in the state regardless of class.

13 minutes ago, Titan32 said:

It really falls short in comparison to the atmosphere at other 3A playoff locations over the past few years.  I've been to some poorly attended playoff games at Enlow.  That said, during the Lindauer Combs era things really picked up.

You may be on to something there. The Gibson Southern @ Heritage Hills semistate game was the best 3A atmosphere I've seen. Although the Memorial @ Gibson Southern game in 2017 was very good too. Speaking on recent history anyways.

2 hours ago, oldtimeqb said:

Big news for the Bulldogs.  Congrats, Bosse!

https://www.courierpress.com/story/sports/high-school/2024/04/19/bosses-enlow-field-will-be-upgraded-with-new-turf-field-stadium-roof/73278322007/

 

This is great news. Looking forward to checking out some games there. Especially can imagine the classic Enlow playoff atmosphere with Memorial vs. Gibson Southern, Memorial vs. Heritage Hills, or even Memorial vs. Mater Dei. 

14 minutes ago, TigerFan20 said:

Is replacing the lights at Reitz next?

Modernized lights at the Bowl would be awesome. They replaced the lights (or at least the bulbs, not sure) before last season. People said it was a slight improvement but barely noticeable.

2 hours ago, TigerFan20 said:

And just like that, the first unofficial practices began next month

Wild. Spring workouts and camps will begin ramping up and summer ball will be here before we know it!

Were you going to put out a '24 preview or returning player report? 

DE Levi Oxley (Reitz) and DT Delshan Davis (North) were chosen to play in the North South All-Star game!

Out of the PAC...I could definitely see Heritage Hills going 9-0. State appearance and returning good amount of talent. Southridge, North Posey, and Gibson Southern would be tough roadblocks. 

Out of the SIAC...Reitz has went 9-0 two straight seasons but not sure they can make it three with how much they're losing. Can't rule them out though as I hear they could be reload candidates. If not them, I could see Memorial doing it as they return good talent from a sectional champ team.

Out of the SWIAC...Linton was solid last year and they return some of their top players on both sides, I could see them going 9-0 especially with their schedule.

I also saw for Reitz - Hayden Summers committed to Ball State and Roland Vera Jr. committed to Kentucky Wesleyan.

Two of the top receivers in their school history should shine at the next level regardless what position they play.

6 minutes ago, TigerFan20 said:

Congratulations to Castle’s Patterson who just committed to NIU! 

Big time commit. Thought he would wait a little longer but can't go wrong with NIU!

3 minutes ago, TigerFan20 said:

Castle’s DL Patterson and LB Leach both received scholarship offers from NIU today

Nice! Those two are pretty darn good anchors to return on a defense. Hadn't heard much recruiting news (offers/commits) lately so that's good to hear.

12 hours ago, Stickfish said:

Returning talent has rarely been an adequate barometer for the good folks in Paradise and how they will finish in the  SIAC IMHO.

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I was going to say something along the lines of this. I don't expect much more than usual unless certain changes are made. And replacing a weapon like Harris will be a much bigger challenge than some may think. I think their running game will be fine with McCool back as long as he stays healthy and their front 7 on defense should be really solid. The QB spot could be a wildcard as a new guy will step into the spotlight, so we will just have to see how he adjusts.

22 hours ago, Rodney said:

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

I've been thinking about football while watching basketball games. Sometimes I imagine them playing basketball in full football pads and wonder what it would be like and how entertaining it would be.

Just helping to bridge the gap, as we eagerly await the next football season. Here is an early look at some of the top players each team has returning. 

5 Key Returning Players For Each Team (ordered by final standings)

Reitz

QB Ben Davies (c/o '25)

LB/FB AJ Coates (c/o '26)

DT Will Friday (c/o '26)

DB/WR Xavier Burris (c/o '25)

DB/WR Nehemiah Madison (c/o '25)

Memorial

QB/P Matthew Fisher (c/o '25)

WR/RB/QB Luke Ellspermann (c/o '25)

LB Alex Broshears (c/o '25)

RB Dylen Kendrick (c/o '26)

WR Simon Schulz (c/o '25)

North

RB/KR Jason Rucker (c/o '25)

RB Avier Mitchell (c/o '25)

OL Ben Brasher (c/o '25)

OL Brady Reeves (c/o '25)

WR James Mercer (c/o '25)

Vincennes

WR/QB/K Luke Lindsey (c/o '25)

LB Will Hambrick (c/o '25)

RB BB McCrary (c/o '25)

LB Blake Green (c/o '25)

DE/RB Mac McCormick (c/o '26)

Jasper

QB Max Bueltel (c/o '26)

DB/WR Caden Erny (c/o '25)

FB/LB Eliot Smith (c/o '26)

TE/WR Luke Heichelbech (c/o '25)

RB Ross Dawkins (c/o '26)

Castle

RB Max McCool (c/o '25)

LB Gavin Leach (c/o  '25)

DE Benny Patterson (c/o '25)

DT Ethan Herman (c/o '26)

WR Jersey Wells (c/o '25)

Bosse

WR Tizhaun Tomlinson (c/o '25)

RB Antonio Floyd Jr. (c/o '25)

DE Darion Fellows Jr. (c/o '25)

TE/DB Landon Lloyd (c/o '25)

OL/DL Jadrion Griffin (c/o '25)

Mater Dei

QB Tate Mallory (c/o '26)

RB Ethan Stofleth (c/o '25)

WR/DB Nolan Schickel (c/o '26)

OL/LB Nate McDurmon (c/o '25)

LB Noah Simmons (c/o '25)

Harrison

QB/FS Deshawndre Brown (c/o '25)

WR/DB Kordavion Reed (c/o '25)

LB/FB Jalen Sutton (c/o '25)

TE Brooks Thomas (c/o '25)

WR/DB Xavier Brooks (c/o '25)

Central

QB Hunter Broshears (c/o '26)

WR/DB Elijah Pendleton (c/o '26)

RB Devon DeJarnette (c/o '26)

WR/DB Nate Cano (c/o '25)

WR Kenyon Peoples (c/o '25)

On 12/24/2023 at 2:06 PM, TigerFan20 said:

Besides Mater Dei (Close to the 3A/2A cut), looks correct to me. Do you know when the sectional realignments come out?

Not sure. But after the success and enrollment factors, my early guess for the sectionals involving SIAC teams would be:

The 3A "gauntlet" sectional - Heritage Hills, Memorial, Gibson Southern, Mater Dei, Southridge, Vincennes, Mt. Vernon, Princeton

---Absolutely loaded sectional. AT LEAST three of them could make a deep playoff run but only one would move on, unfortunate but fun matchups.

The 4A "Reitz or Jasper" sectional - Reitz, Jasper, Bedford, Boonville, Bosse, Central, Harrison, Washington

---This sectional seems weak at this point. Hate to assume anything, but Reitz or Jasper would probably win it and then be favored in the Regional. 

Just to be clear…based on the new reclassification rules and the new enrollment updates, this is what class each team will be in next season? 

3A - Vincennes, Memorial, Mater Dei

4A - Jasper, Central, Reitz, Bosse, Harrison

5A - Castle, North

5 hours ago, TransplantedPanther said:

Sectional 30 will be an easy fix with most likely West Vigo sliding up to sectional 29 to replace the team that slides to 28. 
 

The question is how much of a cluster will sectional 23 and 24 look like with EC moving up and Memorial moving down. Yes, Chatard will push someone to sectional 23 (most likely), but not a lot of options for 24

I wonder if there is any chance Washington could bump to 4A which would put them in sectional 24 to replace Memorial. Beyond that, I would say Chatard goes to sectional 21, which will push a team to sectional 22, which will push a team to sectional 23. Just not sure which teams.

16 hours ago, TigerFan20 said:

4A postseason in 5 years:

17-4

4 Sectional Championships

2 Regional Championships

1 Semi-State Championship 

1 State Championship 

Not too shabby and was just a couple of plays away from playing in a second 4A State Game in 2021 in the SS

Awesome run for the Tigers in 4A. I fully expect them to have similar or better success being back in 3A. Yes I do think GS will be a tough challenge as they are expected to still be good in the foreseeable future. Looking forward to those matchups. And there are some other great programs in the 3A south. However, I would not be surprised if we see Memorial back in 4A sooner rather than later. 

10 minutes ago, TigerFan20 said:

I agree, Sectional 24 will be quite interesting now with Memorial currently back down in 3A. I’m guessing Reitz/Jasper will be the ones that are favored in that, since idk who BNL loses or returns. Whoever wins it could have a legit shot making it to Semi-State, since EC moved up to 5A. 
 

Exactly. Reitz or Jasper will probably win the sectional and then be the favorite in the regional. Semi-State would probably be quite the roadblock with the winner of New Pal/Roncalli/Chatard. 

11 minutes ago, TigerFan20 said:

Reitz does take a hit losing a lot offensively, but returns a few on defense. 

Had a convo about this with somebody recently. They return 4 starters on offense (QB Davies, WR Leach, OL Thomas, OL Lopez) so obviously their offense will be a huge question mark. On defense they return 5 starters (DT Friday, LB Coates, LB Cartwright, DB Burris, DB Madison) which is a good core to return but can't really expect them to be one of the top defenses in the state again. It's never easy to replace that many starters (7 on offense, 6 on defense) and expect the same or more success. They will be asking guys to step up big time and it will take some great coaching to get them ready. This may also be the type of team that loses a few games in the regular season but then gets on a roll in the playoffs once they figure some things out. Hard to tell. Looking forward to next season being more of a mystery!

18 minutes ago, TigerFan20 said:

Never to early discussing next season! 

Will Reitz go for the 3-peat or will there be another team(s) to claim the crown?

I think they will be capable of it. They do lose a lot of key players who started for 3 years, which is not easy to replace. But I think they return just enough and have talent coming up that they will still be good. I think there is a good chance Memorial takes the crown, especially if they have Fisher. However, Reitz has won 18 straight conference games and is top dog until proven otherwise.

WAY too early 2024 power rankings 😆

1. Reitz

2. Memorial

3. North

4. Jasper

5. Mater Dei

6. Castle

7. Vincennes

8. Bosse

9. Harrison

10. Central

13 hours ago, TigerFan20 said:

THROUGH ENTIRE SEASON

Team PPG 

1. Castle 36.9 PPG (11 games)

2. Reitz 33.8 PPG (12 games)

3. North 32.6 PPG (12 games)

4. Bosse 32.4 PPG (10 games)

5. Jasper 29.7 PPG (11 games)

6. VL 29.0 PPG (12 games)

7. Memorial 20.9 PPG (13 games)

8. Mater Dei 20.6 PPG (11 games)

9. Harrison 8.9 PPG (10 games)

10. Central 7.3 PPG (10 games)

Defensive Team PPG 

1. Reitz 8.5 PPG (12 games)

2. VL 14.3 PPG (12 games)

3. Memorial 14.9 PPG (13 games)

4. North 19.2 PPG (12 games)

5. Jasper 20.3 PPG (11 games)

6. Castle 24.7 PPG(11 games)

7. Mater Dei 26.8 PPG (11 games)

8. Bosse 36.5 PPG (10 games)

9. Harrison 40.0 PPG (10 games)

10. Central 49.9 PPG (10 games) 

Team Offensive YPG 

1. Bosse 451.7 YPG

2. North 369.8 YPG

3. Reitz 359.8 YPG

4. Castle 351.0 YPG 

5. VL 321.0 YPG

6. Jasper 300.1 YPG

7. Memorial 258.7 YPG

8. Mater Dei 253.8YPG (No Week 7 or Sectional Stats)

9. Harrison 180.6 YPG (No Sectional Stats)

10. Central 150.2 YPG 

Team Offensive Passing YPG 

1. Bosse 225.9 YPG

2. Reitz 177.7 YPG

3. North 144.9 YPG

4. Memorial 142.6 YPG 

5. Castle 142.6 YPG 

6. Mater Dei 108.4 YPG (No Week 7 or Sectional Stats)

7. Central 106.8 YPG

8. VL 97.9 YPG

9. Harrison 91.7 YPG  (No Sectional Stats)

10. Jasper 27.8 YPG (Did not pass in Week 2) 

Team Offensive Rushing YPG

1. Jasper 274.8 YPG

2. Bosse 225.8 YPG

3. North 224.8 YPG

4. VL 223.1YPG

5. Castle 208.4 YPG

6. Reitz 182.1 YPG

7. Mater Dei 145.4 YPG (No Week 7 or Sectional Stats)

8. Memorial 116.1 YPG

9. Harrison 88.9 YPG (No Sectional Stats)

10. Central 43.4 YPG 

Defensive Passing (allowed) 

1. Bosse 91.3 YPG (822 yards) (59/101, 0.584)*

2. Memorial 91.5 (1190 yards) (89/185, 0.481)

3. Reitz 105.6 YPG (1267 yards) (97/222, 0.437)

4. VL 10.5 YPG (1446 yards) (147/255, 0.576)

5. Castle 126.1 YPG (1387 yards) (113/187, 0.604) 

6. North 139.2 YPG (1531 yards) (143/268, 0.534)*

7. Mater Dei 140.2 YPG (1542 yards) (96/158, 0.608)

8. Harrison 141.8 YPG (1206 yards) (92/146, 0.631)***

9. Jasper 151.3 YPG (1664 yards) (131/230, 0.57) 

10. Central 154.5 YPG (1545 yards) (97/141, 0.688) 

Defensive Rushing (Allowed) 

1. Reitz 102.6 YPG (1232 yards) (387C, 3.18 YPC)

2. North 110.8 YPG (1219 yards) (324C, 3.76YPC)*

3. Jasper 142.1 YPG (1563 yards) (325C, 4.81 YPC) 

4. Memorial 145.0 YPG (1885 yards) (413C, 4.56 YPC)

5. VL 156.7 YPG (1880 Yards) (402C, 4.67 YPC)

6. Mater Dei 196.5 YPG (2161 yards) (374C, 5.78 YPC)

7. Central 202.8 YPG (2028 yards) (271C, 7.48 YPC)

8. Bosse 236.3 YPG (2129 yards) (308C, 6.91 YPC)* 

9. Harrison 242.5 YPG (2425 yards) (331C, 7.33 YPC)

10. Castle 249.2 YPG (2741 yards) (405C, 6.77 YPC) 

Defensive Total YPG (Allowed) 

1. Reitz 208.3 YPG

2. Memorial 236.5 YPG

3. North 250.0 YPG*

4. VL 277.2 YPG

5. Jasper 293.4 YPG

6. Bosse 327.9 YPG*

7. Mater Dei 336.6 YPG

8. Central 357.3 YPG

9. Harrison 370.1 YPG

10. Castle 375.3 YPG

 

Thanks for doing these! Great info. How about Castle? Led the conference in scoring offense but gave up the most yards. Well, we know what their focus will be for next season. Fortunately for them, I believe they return a good amount of defensive players, so I think they will be improved in that regard. Another thing I noticed looking at it...Reitz had another impressive statistical season, no doubt. The one outlier for them? Rushing offense. Now, I do think they will be pretty good again next season. But they definitely need to establish some sort of rushing attack if they want to break through and get to that next level. If they want to run their perimeter screens and spread the ball downfield, they need a rushing threat to open up the field more or to fall back on at the least. Good run game seems to be a common denominator among all the teams that made deep playoff runs. Just my two pennies worth.

So with the new reclassing...any thoughts on what the sectional changes would be?

In 3A, Memorial would surely go to sectional 30 with Gibson Southern. Which team gets moved out of that sectional and where? I'm guessing it would be West Vigo or Owen Valley.

In 4A, who takes Memorial's spot in sectional 24? By distance, Silver Creek would be the closest but Northview has been in it before and could return? Who takes East Central's spot in sectional 23? Which sectional does Chatard go to and are they in the north or south? 

Just some things to think about for next season. In both 3A and 4A, they finally got all the sectionals to an even 8 teams, so I assume they will try to stick with that and avoid byes. But presumably they will have to move some teams around to make the distances make sense.

I will always choose to attend games in person over watching streams. Even if the teams I root for are out, I will typically travel to the best game in the area. Being in the Evansville area...The Jungle is the place to be tonight.

36 minutes ago, tango said:

Not sure how I feel about the coach of a 3-7 team getting COY. In contrast, I fully agree Wagner deserved POY because he did more for his team than any other player.  You take him away and Bosse probably doesn't win a game.

I agree. Major props to Coach Mullen for getting that program in the right direction. Deserves praise. But they won 3 games. And they won those 3 games because of the POY. I think it makes the most sense to give COY to Coach Brunson (repeat undefeated conference champ) or Coach Hurley (successful season despite losing QB1).