Football Fanatic

I noticed that. Any thought or reasoning behind that? I personally don't mind it. Should be a huge crowd and that gives everybody more time to get off work, eat, and get there.

Exactly. They showed what it looks like when their offense is healthy and clicking. Seems like people have a lot of thoughts about the only undefeated team in our area. It really doesn't matter how much they score if they keep on winning. Most teams would still love to be putting up as much points as they do, especially when you have one of the top defenses in the state. But it definitely has become evident they need Davies healthy and throwing well to really open up the field and score points. They will need more than just a great defensive effort if they are able to beat Memorial and face East Central.

Just for funzies. Here's my SIAC Super Team offense. Can you build a SIAC Super Team defense to stop this offense!? QB: Elijah Wagner (Bosse) RB: Antonio Harris (Castle) WR: Hayden Summers (Reitz), Tizhaun Tomlinson (Bosse), Luke Ellspermann (Mem.) Hybrid: Roland Vera Jr. (Reitz) OL: Quentin Boeke (Reitz), Ethan Goodin (MD), Timmy Dixon (North), Daniel Nash (VL), Aiden Waller (Mem.) K: Keifer Sanderson (Reitz)

Sectional 24: BNL @ Harrison - The Stars have a very strong QB/RB duo that would cause any SIAC team problems. I think despite their trip to Evansville, they come out of this one with a big debut win. Boonville @ Reitz - Tough to evaluate. The Pioneers surely have additional confidence knowing last year's result. But the Panthers should be extra motivated to not take it lightly because of that. This could be a close one but I don't think the Pioneers can go to Reitz Bowl and win. Memorial @ Central - Perfect game for the Tigers to get back on track. This will be a game where they can get their QB moving forward more comfortable. Tigers win in a blowout. Jasper @ Bosse - I think there is a very real chance Bosse can pull off this upset, especially at home. However, I think Jasper has improved more than Bosse since their last matchup. If Jasper can put together long drives and finish them, they win this comfortably. Keeping the ball out of Wagner's hands is key. Sectional 30: Vincennes @ Owen Valley - OV has fallen quite a bit after last year's run. VL has shown how good their defense is and that they do not need to score a bunch to win. I doubt Hunt is back for this game, but could be soon. Alices win this one and probably shut them out too. Sectional 40: Mater Dei @ Tell City - Despite their record, the Wildcats have improved and are playing good football. Right on cue for a playoff run, as usual. I think they win this game easily, increasing the anticipation for their matchup with NP.

They're good. They have a very dangerous QB/RB combo. Only losses were close games against good teams. Don't see any way Harrison stays in the game. Reitz (assuming they win) will absolutely have their hands full, especially having to make the long trip there.

Disregard the record. They lost a lot of seniors and had an adjustment period. They lost to some tough 4A-5A schools in a competitive conference. They're a top 10 team in 2A, maybe even top 5. And they're always playing their best football come playoff time. This may be the year North Posey finally gets them but would not be shocked if MD makes another run.

Exactly. Wagner may have the eye-popping stats but Vera is the best player around. And there’s really no doubt about it for anyone who has seen his versatility and what he has done this season - whether it’s passing, rushing, receiving, defending, punting, returning. I think they should give Wagner 1st team QB and Vera POTY since he makes impacts at multiple positions. I don’t know if Mater Dei figured some things out or if they just had some magical juice for that one game, but if they can play like that, they will be a tough out in 2A. They have definitely improved since early season. If they get on a roll and happen to beat North Posey, I could see them making a run. I know Linton and Triton are tough, but they haven’t been battle tested like this MD group. Good luck to both west side schools in the playoffs!

How are you and the BNL faithful feeling about their new sectional and the draw they got?

Putting in briefly… Castle has a good offense capable of putting up a lot of points. Their most dangerous threat is a WR/RB hybrid #17…good size and speed. Capable of turning any play into a TD. Their defense is prone to giving up points. North probably has the biggest and strongest OL/DL in the south. But they don’t play as well when they get worn out. They want to run the ball on offense and they have a solid run defense. This is their best team since ‘07 I would say. They look the part but they don’t always play it. If you’re comparing North and Castle, their week 1 game was 21-14 North won, but Castle had opportunities to win it. If you want to compare recent common opponent, North lost to Jasper 35-21 but Castle beat Jasper 39-33. At this point, I think both teams got better and they have the same record, so it’s hard to say who is better. Both teams will provide a tough challenge but are beatable.

My thoughts: 1. Pick - Central scores twice on Castle. Castle defense hasn't been great. I think Central scores in the 1st half and then adds one more late. Harrison will be lucky to score twice on MD. 2. Pick - Reitz shuts out Bosse. The starting Reitz defense has yet to give up more than 1 TD in any game this season and is capable of shutting out anybody. However, this Bosse offense is unlike any other, and it's Fall Fest week so you never know how it will effect the West Siders. But, I already think Reitz has one of the best defenses in the state, and if they can shut out Bosse and maybe the most dangerous dual threat QB in the state, I think it's solidified. 3. Pick - Ben Davies throws for 200+ yards and 2 TDs. I think Bosse will have trouble defending the Reitz offense. Wagner will put up some stats of course, but considering how well Reitz handled Hunt earlier in the year, I think they will slow him down more than usual. 4. Pick - Jasper beats North. Tough one. Honestly I don't think Vincennes or Jasper wins, but I think Jasper at least has a decent shot. Vincennes just doesn't have enough firepower to score much on Memorial and the Tigers will be motivated to have a strong bounce back game and remain in reach of sharing the conference title. 5. Pick - Luke Lindsey throws for 100+ yards and 2 TDs. Maybe an upset pick here, as he has yet to really get close to these numbers since he took over as the QB. However, Rode may not play or may be on a snap count. Even if he plays, I think he will struggle to get going against a decent VL defense, especially first game back. If Vincennes is going to win, they will need to have a good run/pass balance which means Lindsey will probably have to achieve that stat line.

Some fun gameday discussion...take your pick, what is more likely to happen? 1. Central scores twice on Castle or Harrison scores three times on Mater Dei? 2. Reitz shuts out Bosse or Bosse scores 28+ and makes it a close game? 3. Ben Davies throws for 200+ yards and 2 TDs or Elijah Wagner runs for 200+ yards and 2 TDs? 4. Vincennes beats Memorial or Jasper beats North? 5. Luke Lindsey throws for 100+ yards and 2 TDs or Porter Rode plays and rushes for 100+ yards and 2 TDs?

I think he will be. Statistically on pace for a better season than Hunt had last year when he won it. However, I could understand other arguments last year (Wunderlich) and this year (Vera Jr.) due to their (Hunt/Wagner) team records and just the sheer volume they get. Personally, I'd have no problem with Wagner winning it this year. Very impressive athlete and stats.

Gibson Southern @ Mt. Vernon - The Wildcats of Posey have no shot in this game unless The Monstars invade Earth and steal the Titans talent. Pike Central @ Forest Park - The Rangers defend their forest and get the win with ease. Princeton @ Heritage Hills - The Tigers will ironically be welcomed to the jungle but not in a nice way. Patriots win with a running clock. South Spencer @ North Central - Tough game to call here. I will take NC just because they're at home and Thunderbirds is cooler than Rebels. Southridge @ North Posey - GAME OF THE WEEK! Could go either way but I like the Vikings and their strong defense to win at home. Tell City @ Tecumseh - The Braves are allergic to getting stops on defense. The Marksmen put up 40+ and get the win. Washington @ Boonville - The Hatchets are dull this week as they head into BoonCity and get shattered by the Pioneers.

Update SIAC Stat Leaders - Through 7 Weeks (teams who have entered stats) Passing Yards 1. Elijah Wagner 1367 yards (on 178 attempts) - Bosse 2. Ben Davies 1354 yards (on 133 attempts) - Reitz 3. Sam McKinney 926 yards (on 130 attempts) – North 4. Caden Gordon 890 yards (on 98 attempts) - Castle 5. Matthew Fisher 763 yards (on 102 attempts) - Memorial Passing Completion % 1. Ben Davies 70% (93/133) - Reitz 2. Matthew Fisher 60% (61/102) - Memorial 3. Elijah Wagner 59% (105/178) - Bosse 4. Xander Hunt 59% (41/69) - Vincennes 5. Caden Gordon 57% (56/98) - Castle Passing TDs 1. Elijah Wagner 13 - Bosse 2. Ben Davies 12 - Reitz 3. Sam McKinney 10 - North 4. Caden Gordon 9 - Castle 5. Xander Hunt 9 - Vincennes Rushing Yards 1. Elijah Wagner 1217 yards (on 144 attempts) - Bosse 2. Max McCool 724 yards (on 96 attempts) - Castle 3. BB McCrary 699 yards (on 104 attempts) - Vincennes 4. Antonio Harris 651 yards (on 79 attempts) - Castle 5. Cainen Northington 647 yards (on 88 attempts) - North Rushing TDs 1. Elijah Wagner 15 - Bosse 2. Antonio Harris 10 - Castle 3. Max McCool 9 - Castle 4. Xander Hunt 8 - Vincennes 5. Sam McKinney 7 - North Receptions 1. Roland Vera Jr. 46 – Reitz 2. Tizhaun Tomlinson 45 – Bosse 3. Luke Ellspermann 41 – Memorial 4. Hayden Summers 30 - Reitz 5. Jaiden Clark 27 – Central Receiving Yards 1. Roland Vera Jr. 625 yards – Reitz 2. Luke Ellspermann 567 yards – Memorial 3. Tizhaun Tomlinson 529 yards – Bosse 4. Hayden Summers 466 yards - Reitz 5. Jaiden Clark 461 yards - Central Receiving TDs 1. Luke Ellspermann 7 – Memorial 2. Roland Vera Jr. 5 – Reitz 3. Tizhaun Tomlinson 5 - Bosse 4. Darius Hill 5 – Vincennes 5. Hayden Summers 4 - Reitz 6. Antonio Harris 4 – Castle 7. Jersey Wells 4 - Castle 8. Royal Elliot 4 – Bosse Total TDs 1. Elijah Wagner 16 – Bosse 2. Antonio Harris 14 – Castle 3. Max McCool 10 – Castle 4. Roland Vera Jr. 9 – Reitz 5. Luke Ellspermann 8 – Memorial 6. Xander Hunt 8 - Vincennes Total Yards 1. Elijah Wagner 2652 yards – Bosse 2. Ben Davies 1445 yards – Reitz 3. Sam McKinney 1267 yards – North 4. Antonio Harris 1067 yards – Castle 5. Xander Hunt 1063 yards – Vincennes Total Tackles 1. Alex Broshears 83 – Memorial 2. Gavin Leach 78 – Castle 3. Blake Green 75 – Vincennes 4. Ayden Wells 68 – Reitz 5. Will Hambrick 67 - Vincennes Tackles For Loss 1. Kaleb Harris 19 - North 2. Jayden Hazelwood 16 – North 3. Calab Utley 13 – Reitz 4. Donavan Baker 12 – Memorial 5. Alex Sitzman 10 – Reitz Sacks 1. Kaleb Harris 12.5 – North 2. Levi Oxley 5 – Reitz 3. Darion Fellow Jr. 5 – Bosse 4. Calab Utley 4 – Reitz 5. Jayden Hazelwood 4 - North Interceptions 1. Raden Benson 4 – Vincennes 2. Max Thorne 3 – Vincennes 3. JJ Lowery 3 – Memorial 4. Jeremiah McGuire 3 – Memorial 5. Tied with 2: Roland Vera Jr. – Reitz, Xavier Burris – Reitz, Nehemiah Madison – Reitz, Dylan Mayse – Central, Xavier Brooks – Harrison, Zach Sebree – Harrison, Alex Heck – North Field Goals 1. Pate Barrett 6/7 (long of 28) – Memorial 2. Keifer Sanderson 6/8 (long of 51) – Reitz 3. Alex Hess 2/4 (long of 42) – North 4. Aleyna Quinn 1/1 (long of 42) – Castle 5. Ryker Kotmel 1/1 (long of 38) - Castle PATs 1. Keifer Sanderson 28/28 – Reitz 2. Luke Lindsey 27/29 – Vincennes 3. Pate Barrett 17/18 – Memorial 4. Ryker Kotmel 17/18 – Castle 5. Alex Hess 11/15 – North Kickoff Touchbacks 1. Keifer Sanderson 19 (out of 45 kicks) – Reitz 2. Luke Lindsey 9 (out of 35 kicks) – Vincennes 3. Aleyna Quinn 6 (out of 25 kicks) – Castle 4. Pate Barrett 2 (out of 32 kicks) - Memorial

Sure. When I say scores I’m meaning TDs. So for example when I say 4 scores, as a baseline I’m meaning anywhere from 24-28 (missed PATs/successful PATs). Not accounting for field goals, safeties, 2pt conversions (I think Bosse is the only team that consistently goes for 2). So admittedly, predictions using a “scores” term is fairly broad, but simply evaluating a little more closely rather than just predicting who will win.

Bosse at Reitz - I think Bosse could probably score at least once on any 4A team in the state. With a QB like Wagner and fast receivers, they're bound to break one at some point with his ability to scramble, reverse field, and create plays no defense can prepare for. However, Reitz may have the best defense in the state, so I'm intrigued by this Bosse O vs. Reitz D matchup. And can the Bulldogs score enough to stay in the game? I don't think Reitz will have trouble scoring points. I will take the Panthers by 4 scores. Mater Dei at Harrison - intriguing matchup here as MD has been struggling and the Warriors are fresh off their first win of the season. I think this one can be close into the 2nd half but ultimately this will be a good opportunity for the young QB Mallory to have a great game. Harrison will have a few of the best athletes on the field, but MD has more talent overall. I will take the Wildcats by 3 scores. North at Jasper - GAME OF THE WEEK! Very interesting matchup that could go either way. Both teams playing solid football lately. Jasper seems to always roll into the playoffs firing on all cylinders but is coming off a heart-breaking loss to Castle. North has seemed to figure some things out as the season progressed. Jasper will struggle to move the ball against North's run defense, but the key will be if they can wear those big bubbas out. I will take the Huskies by 1 score. Castle at Central - Worst matchup of the week. The Bears lost their chance to win a game last week so they have basically guaranteed a winless season. Castle could really pick their score in this one, but will the Bears score at all against a suspect Castle defense? I will take the Knights in a running clock. Vincennes at Memorial - Would love to see this matchup with both QBs healthy but I lean towards Memorial as the favorite either way. I have a feeling the Tigers will use #4 at QB more and open up the field for their offense. VL really struggled last week against North. Even though Memorial has been giving up points the last two weeks, VL may get shut out for the second week in a row. I will take the Tigers by 3 scores.

Exactly what I was thinking. I would be surprised if they don't give him a chance. I know they want to establish their ground game, but it's just not working. Lefty Liam gives them their best shot to move the ball and score points. He may miss some throws, throw some picks, or take some sacks, but he opens up the field with his arm which may make way for their ground game more.

Happy game day everybody! Personally looking forward to an incredible atmosphere at the ol' Reitz Bowl tonight!

Best week of the SIAC season, all the matchups are good and include teams that are right next to each other in the standings/power rankings. Games that could easily go either way and are tough to call. In these tight matchups, I lean more towards the home teams. Harrison at Central - this is a matchup where I'm just taking the home team. Both teams have really struggled and shown little glimpses here and there. I feel like it could be high scoring. I will take the Bears by 1 score. MD at Bosse - it's amazing that we're even at a point where we're considering Bosse beating a Mater Dei team. But here we are, this is the best team Bosse has had in 10 years and obviously not a MD team like we're used to. MD could very well win this but Bosse probably has some more confidence after almost beating Memorial, and they know this is one of their best chances to get a win. I will take the Bulldogs by 2 scores. Castle at Jasper - another matchup where it was decided by who is at home. Jasper is starting to roll but Castle may be motivated to bounce back after falling to 3-3. I'm not sure if Castle can stop the Jasper rushing attack enough to win this. I will take the Wildcats by 2 scores. Vincennes at North - I think if Vincennes had Hunt they could win this game and possibly finish 8-1. They showed they can still put up points without him but will struggle against a stout North defense. I think North takes care of business at home and moves closer to their best regular season since 2007. I will take the Huskies by 2 scores. Memorial at Reitz - GAME OF THE WEEK! Well, at least by records and ranking. Unfortunately, the Tigers are missing some key players and the Panthers have gotten healthy. Ironically, this game may be the least close game out of all. But who knows. The Tigers will hang tough and this game is probably for the conference title, so they won't go down easily. Their defense is good enough to give their offense chances. But will they be able to score? I think the Reitz DL and LBs will cause them some trouble. Should be a Bowl full of people and a great atmosphere, gotta love it. I will take the Panthers by 3 scores.

Reactions after week 6: - Mater Dei continues to struggle. I think Bosse beats them. Honestly don't think they'll beat North Posey this time in sectionals. - North is looking good. I expect them to win 2 of their last 3, maybe even at Jasper. Unfortunately, VL does not have their QB or else I think VL would win that. North will end up 7-2 or 6-3 which amazingly would be their best regular season record since the '07-'08 season. - Memorial struggled with Bosse. I was not surprised by that because Bosse might be the best 1 win team around, but I was surprised by how close Bosse was to actually winning the game. Obviously the Memorial offense is not the same without their key guys, that's obvious, but it seemed like their defense struggled with the Bosse speed. I think Bosse can beat MD and Harrison to end up 3-6. - Most impressive feat from week 6? Has to be Reitz only allowing 12 yards to the high-scoring Castle offense in the 2nd half after being down at half. Great teams persevere and they did it in a big way. Castle is better than their 3-3 record but they need to get healthy and figure some things out. - Continue to be in awe about how bad Central and Harrison are struggling. The matchup between them is very interesting because it is so difficult to analyze who will win. - Jasper is playing good football. They will be dangerous in the sectional.

They get a lot of forgiveness being the smallest school in a tough conference. Before the season, I knew they would struggle, but thought they would probably still go to Regionals and eventually lose to Linton or Triton Central. But now, I'm not so sure they would beat North Posey in Sectionals.

Agreed. I've thought for a few weeks now that they should be ranked higher, especially after they beat 5A Castle. With a healthy QB (Hunt) they will be dangerous in sectionals.

I saw the Courier put out their midseason player of the year list. For the SIAC, at this point it has to be Elijah Wagner or Roland Vera Jr right? Wagner has a great case due to the total yards and ability to break one at anytime, but the team record isn’t good. Vera has a great case due to how dynamic he is for them and they’re undefeated. I think Harris from Castle and Hunt from Vincennes will be right in the running too. Maybe even Broshears as the anchor of a very strong Memorial defense. I think it will be a tough call by end of season.

North and Castle ranks are probably accurate, or close. Vincennes should be higher. Definitely a top 10 3A team. Reitz wins by 62 points and drops a spot? And they got a first place vote while the new #2 didn’t? Interesting.

Central at Jasper - The Bears are in rough shape and Jasper continues to get better. I will take the Wildcats in a running clock game. Memorial at Bosse - Sure, this could be a close one or an upset but I doubt it. Bosse will have trouble scoring on Memorial and I don't think they can get enough stops to stay in it. I think it remains close until late 3rd quarter or even into the 4th quarter. I will take the Tigers by 3 scores. North at Mater Dei - I think the Wildcats can hang around in this game for a while but will eventually just be overpowered and outmatched by North. I will take the Huskies by 3 scores. Reitz at Castle - Definitely my game of the week here. Castle would love to bounce back after a tough loss to Vincennes last week. Reitz would love to stay undefeated and continue their win streak. Winning at Castle on their grass is a challenge, but Reitz is really good. I think the game will be closer than it should be, but I will take the Panthers by 3 scores. Vincennes at Harrison - The Warriors have been competitive at times this season and might hang around for a half in this one. Vincennes is tough and coming off a big time program win so they will be riding a lot of momentum. I will take the Alices by 4 scores.