Football Fanatic

RECAP after Week 5: - Memorial handled Harrison a little better than I thought. They seem to really be clicking on all cylinders right now. Unfortunately for Harrison, it's possible their juice/momentum has ran out. In their past, their kids would really struggle to give four quarters of effort after things start to not go well. Let's see if Coach Sutton can keep them going and maintain some sort of momentum heading into the postseason. - North handled Bosse with no issues as predicted. Even with their backup RB they were able to have a field day running the ball. I assume North gets their starter back soon but they should definitely continue to give the backup reps to help keep the starter fresh and healthy. Especially if their plan the rest of the season is to keep pounding the rock. - Reitz took care of Central as predicted. I think it was a surprise to most that the QB Davies did not play. Word is, his shoulder was a bit banged up but he should be back soon or at some point. I know Central has struggled, but it's pretty impressive for Reitz to be able to sub an undersized Vera in at QB and still win 44-0, looks like he had quite a game. Unfortunately for the Bears, it does not look like they will win a game this season, unless they draw Bosse in sectionals and get revenge. Reitz is set up for a crucial matchup with Castle this week. - I thought the Jasper vs. Mater Dei game would be closer than it was. I think we kind of know who Jasper is at this point. Sneaky team if they get all their guys healthy, but just don't think they have as many big time players like recent history. However, Mater Dei is a more difficult read. They beat Castle but then lost to VL and Memorial. Maybe MD is starting to figure some things out and will be rolling heading into the postseason. - Castle handled VL a little better than I thought they would. It seems like they were able to do what they wanted on offense, it just came down to them figuring out how to stop the QB Hunt and how to make things more difficult on him. That was a big time momentum win for Castle heading into the huge matchup with Reitz, especially knowing that Reitz struggled with VL, that has to give them confidence going into it.

This is what Reitz has shown for OL this year: LT #60 (JR) - 6'4" 260 LG #67 (JR) - 6'1" 270 C #66 (JR) - 6'5" 240 RG #63 (JR) - 6'3" 240 RT #55 (SR) - 6'3" 250

Agreed. I remember people talking about their class of ‘24 being loaded. I think this year was the perfect storm for them as the seniors that do play are really talented and then mixed with that junior class plus a very good sophomore QB. I believe they’re pretty solid at all or most levels right now so they may be good for a while. Now that you mention it, could they be even better next year? I know they lose some talented seniors but man they have a lot coming back too.

Exactly who I had in mind when I added that! I’m sure there’s some other coaches who would struggle with that one too.

My take on that: First downs 0.5 pts Touchdowns 6 pts Running clock bonus 5 pts Delay of game/sideline penalty -2 pts Step out of coaching box -1 pt (ouch)

Sokeland did it too and I think he said they didn't set restrictions on the flex spot. So basically whichever position they doubled up on is the flex player. Probably a good choice to go with QB there.

I was trying to decide who has the best team. Real life and fantasy are a bit different and all the teams are stacked lol. Assuming it is default scoring settings...I would rank them: 1. Kristensen, 2. Magley, 3. Sokeland, 4. Washington

Did any of you see the high school fantasy football draft the C&P did this week? Thoughts on the teams they picked?

That's what I was thinking. I don't think any team is getting past that Roncalli/New Pal semi-state. East Central will be a huge challenge in the regional too.

You’re right, I was just commenting on the top two in the rankings. They had some good clashes in the past and I figured whoever gets out of the “Evansville sectional” will most likely run into EC. Haven’t checked in a while so I can’t remember if it would be regionals or semi-state. But yes, Reitz and Memorial will have their hands full with each other if they collide and by sectional time Memorial will be playing much better football. Could make for an outstanding matchup.

Also, considering the closeness of Reitz and GS, it would be cool if they played each other, especially this season. Considering the hype both teams are building and the history of the coaches; Can you imagine that game, played at either stadium? Would be absolute madness. Just for fun, had to put it in the calprep predictor. neutral field [2022] Reitz [F. J.] (Evansville, IN) 28, [2022] Gibson Southern (Fort Branch, IN) 21

I think there is a decent chance we see Reitz and East Central meet up this year. Not sure if it would be regionals or semi-state but it would be a highly touted throwback matchup of traditional powerhouses.

Central @ Reitz - Panthers win big with a running clock and stay unbeaten. I think Central can take a positive away if they can score once or twice. Mater Dei @ Jasper - would not be surprised by a close game or even a Jasper upset, but I think MD gets back on track with a big road win here. Memorial @ Harrison - Memorial is back according to Mr. Collins. I think they struggle a bit with Harrison but eventually pull away. North @ Bosse - North will be looking to bounce back in a big way after getting pummeled by Reitz. I think they win with a running clock. Vincennes @ Castle - Game of the week for sure. Vincennes is capable of winning this game but I think they fall a bit short. They rely a lot on their QB to make plays with his legs but the Castle defense will make that difficult. However, the VL defense is very good itself. Can Castle score enough on the Vincennes defense to win? I think so, barely. Should be a close game.

Week 4 Review: Not surprised Memorial beat MD but I thought MD would score more points. Memorial is getting healthier and should be rolling by playoff time. MD can still make a title run in 2A but they will have to figure out their identity a little more and put more drives together. Vincennes keeps on rolling. That's a team nobody really wants to play and a team that might be able to give Gibson Southern a game in that sectional. They have some impressive wins, and that close loss to Reitz seems more impressive considering how good Reitz has been. They still have a few tough opponents and I am looking forward to see how they stack up to the grind that is the SIAC schedule. Reitz is mighty impressive. They dominated a good North team in every facet at their place. I just don't think there are many, if any, teams in southern Indiana that can match up with their skills positions. The defense has proven people wrong as well and seems to be much improved. Jasper has to be feeling a bit better after starting a freshman and getting a blowout win. Having the future bright at the QB position is always a positive. They still have a few more opportunities coming up to get statement wins, but not sure if they have the right pieces to the puzzle this year. Castle has established their identify and will be tough for any team to beat with the defense they have. I think they could still lose 1 or 2 more games in the SIAC, but I think they will have a good shot in their sectional. I believe they play Reitz in a few weeks which should be a great matchup.

Yeah the forecast improved, clear night definitely favors Reitz as they can run the ball and still sling it around to their receivers. However, like you said, North will bring their best effort considering the scenario. If Reitz gets an early lead, it will be tough for North if they have to go to their passing game. It seems that they struggle to pass and Reitz has an elite pass defense (think they've only given up around 100 yards total in 3 games). The big questions are: How will the Reitz defense do against St. Louis, who everybody else has struggled to stop so far? Can the North defense stop the dynamic Reitz offense at all? Are both teams healthy? I could see a high scoring, close game in this one but also would not be surprised to see Reitz win by 3 or more scores.

Memorial at Mater Dei - The Wildcats will be ticked off and planning for a statement bounce-back. Memorial is getting their guys back and will start playing better once they figure out who their QB is. This is shaping up to be a great game at The Bowl and would not be shocked to see Memorial hanging around or even winning. However, I think the Wildcats win this game by a few scores. Castle at Harrison - Much like their game against North, I think the Warriors will hang around in this game into the 3rd quarter but then Castle pulls away and wins by three scores. The Knights will be a team to be reckoned with the rest of the season and will have a huge matchup with Reitz in a few weeks. Vincennes at Central - Central just is not very good and Vincennes seems to be one of the top teams in the conference. You could call it a potential trap/hangover game but I think the Alices keep riding their momentum and win with a running clock. Central may score once on a TD run. Bosse at Jasper - Jasper is still trying to recover from some injuries and just does not have as many dudes as they typically have. I wonder about the status of the starting QB because they really need him to run that offense. This is a good opportunity for them to bounce-back from their losing streak. Bosse will have some success in this game but I think Jasper wins by a few scores. GAME OF THE WEEK: Reitz at North - I think Reitz is much better than North overall. But I would not be surprised if this is a close game since it is at North and Reitz has a target right now being at the top of the conference and having a lot of hype. Also if it rains Friday night, that largely favors North as they prefer to run away, while it would limit what Reitz likes to do with all their skill players. However, I think the rain stays away and I think the Panthers get another big win to stay unbeaten. Their defense has improved and they just have too many ways to beat you on offense.

I think my "right now" rankings would be a bit different than my "end of season" rankings. I think teams like Jasper and Memorial will be playing much better by the time sectionals hit, but obviously right now they'd have to be on the lower half. Right now 1. Reitz 2. VL 3. MD 4. Castle 5. North 6. Memorial 7. Harrison 8. Jasper 9. Bosse 10. Central

Jasper @ Reitz recap The Panthers dominated every aspect of that game. I don’t remember hearing about or seeing a Jasper team manhandled like that. The Reitz offense is impressive. Hayden Summers might be the best player in the whole area, just a junior too. And I don’t think teams can really do anything about him with the other threats they have. Also, that sophomore QB is playing at a level way above his age. And then to the surprise of some, the defense has been lights out, especially when healthy. The Reitz faithful have to be feeling pretty good after that game and the VL-MD result. I think we can now say Reitz is the team to beat in the SIAC, although it won’t be easy for them as they still have North, Castle, Memorial, and MD to play. Excited to see how the rest of the season plays out!

Yeah the DB being out could make it difficult to defend the pass with the threats they have at WR. To answer your question, I think the Reitz offense is what you would call balanced spread. They mix up run and pass quite a bit out of shotgun. They start a sophomore QB but have experienced talent at WR and RB. If they have a weakness I would guess it is their run defense, which is why I would predict a high-scoring game.

I agree. I think we see a heavy dose of the fullback and maybe even more passing. However, I will disagree on the scoring, I think it will be on the high-scoring side. Reitz will definitely score points with the talent they have on offense, but it's a matter of how much can Jasper score. You are right, it comes down to turnovers in that sense.

I think Reitz was missing some starters on defense against Vincennes, so another question will be whether those guys are back too. If they play Jasper tonight at/near full strength they have a good shot. I would guess the Jasper starting QB will try to suit up tonight but how effective will he be? We shall see. Either way I think it will be a great game and I expect the bowl to be packed.

Any chance you could do individual stat leaders as well? Interested to see who some of the top players are right now. Although I know not all teams post stats. I might scrounge around the internet and see what stats I can find if I get time.

Bosse @ Castle - The Knights win this one with a running clock. Central @ Memorial - The Tigers finally get into the win column and win by a lot here. Mater Dei @ Vincennes - Much like Reitz did, I think Mater Dei has a hard time with Vincennes most of the game, but unfortunately for the Alices, they fall in another close game. North @ Harrison - The Warriors will be riding on some momentum after their big win but I think the Huskies go in and take care of business. Jasper @ Reitz - Easily game of the week and could go either way. I know both teams are dealing with some injuries so it's a toss up. The Panthers are talented enough to finally get over that hump and beat Jasper.

Not sure they’ve necessarily been exposed yet, except for being undisciplined with the penalties I guess. I was told they had some linebackers out to start the game and then lost 3 more starters during the game. Think it was their big nose, middle linebacker, and corner. Now if their run defense is truly their weakness, then you could say they got exposed but it appeared on the broadcast and from reports that VL just took advantage of an ailing defense and ran the ball with their talented QB. I believe Reitz has Jasper and then North coming up so those games could be very telling. Although I wonder if they will have their injured players back. But personally I’d still have Reitz ranked maybe 4th or 5th until after they play Jasper though.

I see Jasper as the favorite. But if they do not have their two guys back then you could definitely argue that Reitz is the favorite at home. Regardless, I would not be surprised by either team winning. Big time game, definitely will be watching that one.