Football Fanatic

MtV has some outstanding playmakers. Their team speed and strength is impressive. Slunaker, Labelle, and Gentry are quite the trio of playmakers who are very tough to equalize. I thought 4A was going to Roncalli or Memorial this year but the Marauders had something to say about that and I believe they will have the last laugh after Saturday. Heck of a run by Northridge though and they will not go down without a fight.

Yes, top to bottom, BJ does have the SOS advantage. However, there is a reason GS added Columbus North, New Albany, and South Warren (KY) to their schedule. CN and NA are no slouches for their class, and GS easily won those games. South Warren is a juggernaut of a team currently making a deep playoff run in KY and it was probably a good thing that GS got a taste of getting their butts beat in that one. They are battle ready. This game will come down to the trenches and who turns it over less.

In all seriousness, I think this one will be close and could go either way. I could see it being the best game of the weekend. I do think BJ will have to score quite a bit to win, probably over 30. I don't think they get away with scoring 17 points and winning in this one considering how good the GS offense has been. However, the GS defense has been lights out in the playoffs, except for a short stretch against Lburg when they fought back. BJ will absolutely have to get pressure on Allen. I thought Lburg and TW made adjustments and had a solid gameplan to get pressure on Allen but it just was not enough. Allen has the ability to escape pressure and pick up a few yards or throw it downfield. But if BJ can force Allen into quick and poor decisions, their chance of victory improves greatly. I just don't see it happening much. Lburg was huge up front and got plenty of pressure on Allen but it still wasn't enough. I think this is the year we will remember the Titans.

Gibson Southern wins State with a running clock. Just kidding. I'm not naïve, I know it won't be that bad. I'll take Gibson Southern by 34.

All well deserved. Looks like Dixon from North and Vera from Reitz were the only two sophomores to make the team. Two very talented players that should make a lot of noise for the next few years. Speaking of Jay Smith, surprised he didn’t make this team. Any other surprises?

Last I heard he has intentions to play in college and has some other lower level offers. I think Rose-Hulman is one of them, which I think he would be a perfect fit for. If he were a bit faster and maybe if Reitz was better, I think he would have a lot more offers. Very tough runner for his size and obviously answers the bell with all he has. Also pretty cool for him to leave his mark on such a storied program with the single game rushing record. Any other potential college updates for SIAC players?

How in the world does a team score 256 in a high school game?? Literally would have to score on one play every time, get defensive TDs, special teams TDs, and turnovers/3 and outs instantly. Mind-blowing.

Takeaways as we head into sectional finals: Hated to see North and Castle get bounced in close games. North is on the rise even still. Castle loses a lot but probably will reload and having their QB+RB back has to help. Bosse let one slip away with some costly mistakes but surely have some positivity to carry into next year. Good for them. How much does HH lose to GS by? I think VL has their hands full with a solid OV team but they’ve had a nice late season run. NP is playing well but I don’t think MD will have much problem with them, coming off of a huge uplifting win at Linton. MD vs Triton Central again possibly? Reitz put up a heck of a battle against a really good NV team. I think they only lose a couple starters on defense. The offense will be a question but they do return their speedy RB Burnett and a couple WRs. Have to think they’ll be even better next year. I think Memorial takes care of business if they can slow the rushing attack of the big RB Cherry and the QB. NV is really solid and carry their momentum into another home game, never know I guess. I think MD and Memorial are moving on to Regionals. Looking forward to it!

Unofficial stats for Jay Smith in the Reitz comeback win over Boonville: 56 carries for 326 yards and 5 TDs 😱

Interesting thoughts. I think it would be close but GS still wins that. Another interesting thought for the sake of meaningless conversation...how does GS stack up to the best of the SIAC this year? Would love to see them match up with Jasper, Memorial, or Castle. (FWIW I think GS beats all of them, although Jasper would have the best chance due to their playstyle)

Memorial(-21) at Harrison - Tigers with the running clock and get to rest their starters in the 2nd half. Reitz at Boonville (-10) - I do think the Pioneers can keep this one close but Reitz carries some momentum after their well played week 9 game and wins by a few scores at least. Northview at Jasper (-4) - Northview seems to always have a good record but they have not seen a team even close to Jasper this season. Jasper wins this one fairly easily. VL at Princeton (-4) - Not sure how Princeton is the favorite but I do think this one stays close for a bit until VL pulls away in the 2nd half. Corydon Central at Bosse (-11) - Bosse has been struggling as of late but they get the win at home in this one. Forest Park at Mater Dei (-14) - MD wins this one by a lot.

I agree. How on earth is Boonville the favorite? Worse record in a worse conference, even being at home, it makes no sense to me. Realistically, anybody that saw Reitz against Jasper, North, and MD knows what the Panthers are capable of. Try not to look ahead but can't help but look to the potential Jasper @ Reitz second round game. Reitz was within a score of them until late in the 4th quarter in the game at Jasper so that rematch seems interesting. Now I don't think Reitz will be blowing Boonville out, but I think they're a better team and should be carrying some momentum after being seconds away from beating MD.

Castle at Jasper - Should be a close one all the way through. The Knights are clicking on all cylinders, especially with their RB Guerzini back. But I think they will have trouble stopping the Jasper ground attack. Jasper wins by 1-2 scores as long as they don't turn the ball over much. Harrison at Central - This should also be a close one but I think the Bears come out on top and add another to their win column. Mater Dei at Bosse - This one could definitely be close into the 2nd half as Bosse has the speed and athleticism to cause some problems, but MD pulls away in the 4th. Memorial at Reitz - In all of the Panthers' losses they have been very much in the game at least 1/2 or 3/4 of the way through. Can they finally put together 4 quarters and get an upset? Between the turnovers and struggles to stop the run, probably not. Tigers win by at least a couple scores. VL at North - I think the Alices can put up a fight for a quarter or two, but not much past that. Huskies run away with this one.

Central at Jasper - Central probably has some confidence back and may keep it close for a half, but I think Jasper wins this one by a lot. Memorial at Bosse - Bosse keeps it close for a quarter or two but Memorial runs away with it in the 2nd half. North at Mater Dei - This one is a toss up for me and I would not be surprised at all if North wins. However I think MD holds on to win by a few scores to get back on track. Reitz at Castle - Reitz has a shot in this one if they do not turn the ball over. However, turnovers have been their downfall lately and losing by a combined 4 points to North and Central has to be deflating. Reitz battles tough but the Knights hold on in the end. VL at Harrison - Another toss up for me but the Alices win in a close one.

Castle at VL - The Alices will come in the game with a lot of confidence and may keep it tight for a quarter or two, but they will simply be outmatched in this one. Castle gets to rest their starters in the 2nd half again. Bosse at North - The losing streak continues for the Bulldogs after a strong start. North will be carrying a lot of momentum after getting Brawdy back and winning at Reitz. He brings a different dynamic and level of confidence to their team than you cannot ignore. Look out for the Huskies down the stretch. Harrison at Memorial - Tigers win this one by a lot and get to rest their starters in the 2nd half. The goal for Memorial in this one is to stay healthy and spread the ball around. Reitz at Central - The morale has to be quite low for the Bears right now. They always play Reitz well at home but don't think they have enough healthy playmakers to beat an improved Reitz team. The Panthers will be hungry to get another win before they have to face Castle and Memorial. Jasper at Mater Dei - Wildcat Warfare at The Bowl and it should be a good one. I think MD stays in it all game but Jasper holds on late. It's very difficult to defend that offense well for four quarters unless Jasper makes self-imposed mistakes, which seems to be rare.

Central @ VL - Central should win this game but I just don't think they get it done. VL will be hungry for their first win and Central making the long trip to VL after a tough start to the season does not favor them. Harrison @ Castle - The Knights win big in this one and the starters get a second half rest. Memorial vs MD - This one really could go either way and will be a great one to watch. I will take MD winning by one score. Jasper @ Bosse - The Wildcats win big in this one. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, I don't think they will have an answer for the Jasper offense. North @ Reitz - Should be a good matchup. I believe both North and Reitz are missing some key players due to injury. I think Reitz will be hungry to win this next stretch of games after last season. I will take the home team winning by at least a couple scores.

MD-Memorial will be a great game. Would be surprised if it’s decided by more than a one score. I would guess a score like 21-14 give or take a little.

Correct. It was 14-7 at half and 28-21 with 4 minutes left in the game. Seems like it was much closer than the score indicates. At the end of the first half, Reitz recovered a fumble in the end zone that was miscalled as down and didn’t come away with points to end the half. Then obviously the two pick-sixes proved costly for the Panthers. They seem to be much improved this season though. Hard to say who the best SIAC team is this early, but would not be shocked at all if it’s Jasper. Will be very interested in the Jasper-Castle and Jasper-MD game.

Just messing with you. You may be right. But honestly, reason I picked Reitz is I think their big turnaround moment/season is due to happen soon. For that to really start happening, they are going to need to beat Jasper or any of the other top dogs. With their mixture of contributing sophomores thru seniors and how well their defense has played, I think the conditions are right for them to contend again. However, not sure how their depth is so if they too are missing some key players due to injury or close contact, they may struggle to beat the good teams. We shall see.

Just don't be surprised. What will you do if it does happen? 😁

Same, I believe they lost a returning starter at corner for the season. Tough break. Among a few other injuries but I think the others will be returning soon. However, I get the sense that a lot of teams in the area are missing key guys due to injuries or close contact.

Castle at Bosse - Can’t deny I’m tempted to jump on the Bulldog train, but I think Castle will be too much for them. But you won’t find me shocked anymore if Bosse pulls off more upsets. Sometimes momentum and hype around a program prevails with high school athletes. North at Harrison - This is assuming North is getting back to full strength. Harrison will keep it close 2-3 quarters but North pulls away at the end. If North is still missing some key players, I could see Harrison sneaking out their first win. Memorial at Central - Central’s tough start to the season continues as Memorial wins big. This could be the game where Memorial really starts to piece it all together. Look out. Reitz at Jasper - much like Bosse, this is a chance for the Panthers to prove they’re legit. Momentum is building for them after getting more time with the new coaching staff and the loaded sophomore class contributing. Their defense may be good enough to keep them in it, but can their offense score enough with the way Jasper limits possessions? Give me another away team winning. And yes, I may be biased towards Evansville teams. VL at Mater Dei - unfortunately for the Alices, this looks to be two straight trips to The Bowl with losses. At least it’s a great place to play. Mater Dei wins big and quickly for a change this week.

Just some early notes and thoughts... @SEAL_63 How did Reitz look against VL, if you attended? From what I’ve heard and seen so far, their offense is slow to start but the defense has been solid. Only giving up 7 points and very few first downs in 2 games is a good start to the season. It seems their sophomore class is contributing in a big way so far. Harrison seems to be improved this year. Their speed and athleticism gives them opportunities at anytime. If they start putting 4 quarters together, could be a sneaky team. Bosse over Central shocked me and many others I’m sure. So one may wonder, is Central really down this year or is Bosse legit? We will see in the next few weeks. Happy for Coach Mullen and the Dawgs on their impressive start to the season. Mater Dei may have some close games this year but they seem to be the best overall team so far.

Week 1 picks based on players returning, updates from scrimmages, general chatter, etc. Bosse 21 vs Vincennes 27 Central 14 vs Mater Dei 42 Castle 35 vs North 14 Reitz 55 vs Harrison 7 Jasper 17 vs Memorial 31

Also in 2015, when both Reitz and MD were undefeated and ranked #1 in their respective classes, it was completely packed as well. The environment and buzz from that type of crowd at the high school level is unmatched.