Football Fanatic

Exactly. Obviously, they need to worry about winning their sectional first. But let's say best case scenario...Reitz is healthy by then, the defense is still lights out, and the offense is firing on all cylinders. Then by luck of the draw they get EC at The Bowl with 10,000 in the stands. EC would still be the favorite but definitely not counting out Reitz in that case. They have been winning comfortably and their offense still has yet to play consistently how they're capable. I believe they got the WR Summers and a couple of their linemen back healthy, which obviously could be a difference maker.

If this game was @ HH I would say they have a decent chance. But I think GS wins this one by 2 scores.

Updated Power Rankings going into week 6: 1. Reitz (5-0) 2. Memorial (5-0) 3. Vincennes (4-1) 4. North (3-2) 5. Castle (3-2) 6. Jasper (3-2) 7. Mater Dei (1-4) 8. Bosse (1-4) 9. Harrison (0-5) 10. Central (0-5)

Some thoughts after week 5/going into week 6: - Memorial defense continues to get the job done. Not sure when Rode is expected back, but I think they are fine with or without him. Obviously, their offense takes a huge hit without Fisher. Will he be back? None of the reports I've heard have been necessarily good. Harrison had some opportunities to score but continue in their struggles. Expect them to beat Central. - Reitz had a great opportunity to get their offense rolling and they took full advantage of it. Putting up 69 in a half is unbelievable. And most of their starters were out by mid-2nd quarter. This was the perfect momentum booster as they head into big matchups against Castle and Memorial. Central is obviously in very rough shape and well on their way to another winless season. - I thought Mater Dei would be able to keep their game closer or even win. After their close game against Memorial, I thought they were starting to round the corner. However, it does appear Jasper has figured some things out and much like last year, will be playing their best football come playoff time. - I mentioned before the game that I think Vincennes could beat Castle so I was not surprised by the result. People underestimate how much more of a complete team they are. Hunt is still an impact player on offense and their defense really gets after it. They could definitely make some noise in the 3A playoffs. Castle has shown some inconsistencies this season but are still one of the top teams in the conference. But do they have a shot at home against Reitz? You would think so but I think Reitz is head and shoulders better. - The North Bosse final score was the most surprising result of the week to me. I thought Bosse would be able to hang in closer than that. It seems like their defense is really struggling. North hasn't been very efficient on offense this season but was able to get a nice momentum booster in this one. North defense has been pretty solid. I expected North to win more like 35-24.

If the QB is still banged up, who would you guess suits up behind center for the Tigers? One of their listed backups? Or maybe one of their skills guys like Schulz/Ellspermann?

Castle at Vincennes - GAME OF THE WEEK! Expecting a close game here. If the Alices want to be taken serious as a conference contender, this is the kind of game they need to win, especially at home. Ultimately I think the trio of Harris, Wells, and McCool will be too much. Knights win by 2 scores. Bosse at North - close candidate for game of the week, I think the Bulldogs could make this a game. North has a solid defense so I don't think Bosse will score as much as usual. Huskies will be hungry to get back to a winning record at their home field. Huskies win by 2 scores. Harrison at Memorial - I hear the Tigers may be without their QB, but it won't matter much at all. Tigers should be able to do whatever they want and get some other guys in there. Only question in this game, do the Warriors score? Tigers win with running clock. Reitz at Central - I hear the Panthers are returning some starters that have been out a while. Defense has been awesome but a great week for them to get the offense going more. Only question in this game, do the Bears score? Panthers win with a running clock. Jasper at Mater Dei - It's the Wildcat War! Another close candidate for game of the week, expecting a close game here. MD probably has some confidence after almost beating Memorial so I expect them to be right in it or even win. Either way, I think the Wildcats win this one. Jasper by 1 score.

Miners shatter the Pioneers Wildcats trounce the Rangers Hornets sting the Marksmen Patriots conquer the Vikings Commodores outsmart the Braves Chargers shock the Rebels Titans prevail over the Raiders Hatchets chop the Tigers

SIAC Individual Stat Leaders (through week 4) Passing Yards 1. Matthew Fisher 763 yards (on 102 attempts) - Memorial 2. Ben Davies 758 yards (on 78 attempts) - Reitz 3. Elijah Wagner 681 yards (on 78 attempts) - Bosse 4. Caden Gordon 608 yards (on 47 attempts) - Castle 5. Tate Mallory 388 yards (on 63 attempts) – Mater Dei Passing Completion % 1. Ben Davies 67.9% (53/78) - Reitz 2. Elijah Wagner 64.1% (50/78) - Bosse 3. Matthew Fisher 59.8% (61/102) - Memorial 4. Caden Gordon 59.6% (28/47) - Castle 5. Tate Mallory 55.6% (35/63) – Mater Dei Passing TDs 1. Matthew Fisher 8 - Memorial 2. Caden Gordon 8 - Castle 3. Ben Davies 6 - Reitz 4. Elijah Wagner 6 - Bosse 5. Tate Mallory 3 – Mater Dei 6. Sam McKinney 3 - North Rushing Yards 1. Elijah Wagner 532 yards (on 68 attempts) - Bosse 2. Max McCool 376 yards (on 42 attempts) - Castle 3. Cainen Northington 290 yards (on 36 attempts) - North 4. Jasseim Ussery 266 yards (on 57 attempts) - Reitz 5. Antonio Harris 254 yards (on 31 attempts) - Castle Rushing TDs 1. Max McCool 7 - Castle 2. Elijah Wagner 6 - Bosse 3. Antonio Harris 5 - Castle 4. Antonio Floyd Jr. 4 - Bosse 5. Xander Hunt 3 - Vincennes Receptions 1. Roland Vera Jr. 34 – Reitz 2. Luke Ellspermann 26 – Memorial 3. Tizhaun Tomlinson 17 – Bosse 4. Brooks Thomas 13 – Harrison 5. Kasey Hospelhorn 12 – North 6. Amari Hope 12 – Bosse Receiving Yards 1. Roland Vera Jr. 467 yards – Reitz 2. Luke Ellspermann 417 yards – Memorial 3. Antonio Harris 300 yards – Castle 4. Tizhaun Tomlinson 238 yards – Bosse 5. Jersey Wells 196 yards – Castle Receiving TDs 1. Luke Ellspermann 5 – Memorial 2. Roland Vera Jr. 4 – Reitz 3. Antonio Harris 4 – Castle 4. Jersey Wells 4 – Castle 5. Darius Hill 3 – Vincennes 6. Royal Elliot 3 – Bosse Total TDs 1. Antonio Harris 9 – Castle 2. Max McCool 8 – Castle 3. Roland Vera Jr. 7 – Reitz 4. Elijah Wagner 7 – Bosse 5. Luke Ellspermann 5 – Memorial Total Yards 1. Elijah Wagner 1281 yards – Bosse 2. Matthew Fisher 792 yards – Memorial 3. Ben Davies 753 yards – Reitz 4. Caden Gordon 602 yards – Castle 5. Xander Hunt 576 yards – Vincennes Total Tackles 1. Alex Broshears 43 – Memorial 2. Ayden Wells 42 – Reitz 3. Gavin Leach 35 – Castle 4. AJ Coates 31 – Reitz 5. Blake Green 29 – Vincennes 6. Trey Ward 29 – Castle Tackles For Loss 1. Jayden Hazelwood 7 – North 2. Alex Broshears 6 – Memorial 3. Donavan Baker 6 – Memorial 4. Calab Utley 5 – Reitz 5. Ayden Wells 4 – Reitz 6. AJ Coates 4 – Reitz 7. Alex Sitzman 4 – Reitz Sacks 1. Kaleb Harris 4 – North 2. Jayden Hazelwood 3 – North 3. Calab Utley 3 – Reitz 4. AJ Coates 3 – Reitz 5. Darrion Fellows Jr. 2 – Bosse 6. Benny Patterson 2 – Castle Interceptions 1. Xavier Burris 2 – Reitz 2. Dylan Mayse 2 – Central 3. Jason Lowery 2 – Memorial 4. Max Thorne 2 – Vincennes 5. Tied with 1 - Gavin Leach, Alex Heck, Alex Sitzman, Nolan Schickel, Avier Mitchell, Troy Davis Jr., Mitchell Bryant, Landon Lloyd, Matthew Pegram, Keonta Barton, Andrew Broshears, Prius Kince, Quinten Butler, Carson Anslinger, Raden Benson, Xavier Brooks, Zach Sebree, Sam Nichols, Jeremiah McGuire, Alex Broshears Field Goals 1. Keifer Sanderson 5 for 6 long of 51 – Reitz 2. Pate Barrett 3 for 4 long of 28 – Memorial 3. Aleyna Quinn 1 for 1 long of 42 – Castle PATs 1. Keifer Sanderson 13 for 13 – Reitz 2. Luke Lindsey 12 for 12 – Vincennes 3. Pate Barrett 12 for 13 – Memorial 4. Ryker Kotmel 10 for 10 – Castle 5. Aleyna Quinn 9 for 10 – Castle

I agree. I was going to say something about that. Broshears is awesome, and a few other defensive players (like Oxley) could be considered because of the impact they have, but it will most likely always be an offensive-focus player. For Memorial, Fisher and Ellspermann have the sexy stats that pop out at you, but Broshears has been an absolute game-changer for them.

I'd say the top 5 candidates for SIAC POTY right now would be: Roland Vera Jr. Elijah Wagner Antonio Harris Luke Ellspermann Matthew Fisher

Well it looks like Vera had quite the game Friday, saw he put himself in the record books. That kid is impressive. Has to be vaulting himself into contention for SIAC POTY and All-State. There are a handful of elite performers in the conference this season. I'm talking dudes who are a guaranteed highlight every week. Love it.

Good point. MD will still improve throughout the season and could be playing good enough to win another sectional by then. I just don't think they're quite there yet. Memorial is clicking on all cylinders (that I know of) and I think MD will have some real trouble scoring on them.

Usually true. But I would be shocked if this game is within 14-17 points or even within 4 scores. This is the worst MD team in the past 30 years. I predict Memorial wins 31-7.

Thanks for doing the team stats! Will you be bringing back the individual stats as well? Reitz and Memorial both have lights-out defenses. Looking forward to that week 7 matchup! Also looking forward to see if the Triple-B offense (Bosse Bulldog Bombardment) can put up much points on either of them.

- I could see the home teams potentially sweeping this week and don't expect many (if any) close games. Bosse at Jasper - I'll take the underBulldogs in this one even though it's at Jasper. I think the Wildcats will struggle with the team speed of Bosse. If Jasper can control the clock and take care of the ball, their chance of winning obviously greatly improves. The Bulldogs will have trouble getting stops so this one could be high-scoring. Central at Vincennes - The Bears might be even worse than they were the past two seasons. They have no chance in this one. This one is a win for them if they can score once or twice. Alices win with a running clock. Harrison at Castle - This is the 7th straight season that the Warriors have been really bad, which is wild to think about. I'm just looking forward to week 7 so we can find out who is better between Harrison and Central. The Knights win this one with a running clock. Mater Dei at Memorial - This is the worst Mater Dei team I can remember in a long time. I'm just wondering if they can keep this one somewhat close. I expect Memorial to win big, maybe by a running clock. North at Reitz - no doubt game of the week. I think the Huskies will really struggle to score, so Reitz just needs to score a little bit to win. I expect the Bowl to be packed for this game. The Panthers shift up to another gear with their offense and win by 4 scores.

I thought they could score enough to keep up but questioned whether they could get enough stops. Result still surprises me a bit though. I also wonder if Castle’s defense isn’t too good? I believe Bosse visits Jasper next week and think they could potentially win that one.

Agreed. Seemed like they’d roll early on. I do believe Reitz played without a few guys including Hayden Summers. Offense definitely struggled, and they had some redzone visits without points. Their defense is really, really good though, which bodes well for them. But their offense will have to get going if they want to make a playoff run.

Biggest questions/storylines for week 3 games: 1. Can MD bounce back and win at home, or does Vincennes beat MD for 2nd year in a row? 2. Can Bosse score enough points to keep up with Castle? Can Bosse force a turnover or punt on Castle? 3. Can Jasper sustain drives, control the clock, and stay in the game against Reitz? Can Jasper get any stops on Reitz? 4. Can Central put 1 score on Memorial? Does Memorial have running clock by halftime? 5. Can Harrison put 1 score on North? Does North have running clock by halftime?

Power Rankings going into week 3 games (with tier gaps): 1. Reitz 2. Memorial 3. Castle 4. Vincennes 5. Jasper 6. North 7. Bosse 8. Mater Dei 9. Central 10. Harrison

Well said. I'd say that's a fair assessment. If Reitz is more disciplined this year AND their defense is even better (think they only gave up about 12-13 points per game last year), then they should be very tough to beat. The Alices will be competitive in almost every game but they may need to rethink what they do on offense. Like you said, they need to get their run game going to help create some space for the pass game. Sure, keep doing the option reads, zones, powers, etc. but then spread teams out and give Hunt more space. They will have to get creative to score enough on the good teams.

I agree. I think the best assessment I've heard of the Alices so far (compared to last season) is...their offense took a step back but their defense took a step forward. They seem to be very limited on offense (Hunt is dangerous though) but they have a whole group of defenders that can make plays. Reitz won't have many, if any, more games that are that close. But I've also heard people say that game felt like a blowout, so it's hard telling.

Castle at Bosse - The Bulldogs may be able to move the ball a bit and make some big plays. I just don't think they match up well overall with the Knights. I will take Knights by 4 scores. Harrison at North - The Warriors are going to have a very tough season and will be lucky to beat Central. The Huskies win in a running clock game and could even pass a bit if they want to. Memorial at Central - The Bears are completely outmatched in this one. Would be shocked if they score. The Tigers roll in running clock fashion. Reitz at Jasper - I think the Panthers are much better than the Wildcats. However, if the Wildcats can take care of the ball and not fall behind early, they have a chance in any game. Both teams are down a few starters I believe so don't think that will be a factor. I will take Panthers by 3 scores. Vincennes at Mater Dei - The Wildcats most likely felt the rage of MG after last week and picked up their urgency in practice, so expect them to bounce back from a competitive perspective. I still don't think they are quite good enough to beat the Alices though. It does help that the Alices have to come to The Bowl again, but I will still take Alices by 2 scores.

Rangers outgun the Marksmen Patriots conquer the Pioneers Chargers shock the Wildcats Titans smash the Tigers Vikings thrash the Rebels Raiders pummel the Braves Hatchets defeat the Warriors

I agree. The only two games that could be competitive. I think VL beats MD again but can MD keep it close? VL has a physical, sound defense so I think MD will struggle to score. But if they can contain Hunt a little bit they may be able to stay in the game. I think Reitz is much better than Jasper but it's never easy making the trip to Jasper and beating them. Plus with Jasper's offense and how they can control the clock if they sustain drives, you never know. But the Reitz D is very good and I think they'll be fine.

I mean, they could probably play better, but they most likely lose all of those games. The rest of the way, they will beat Harrison but that may be it, as I don't even think beating Bosse is a guarantee.