WestfieldRocks

The HCC brings in plenty of revenue as it is. Even the smallest school, Zionsville, with about 2,200 enrollment, packs them in for home football games. I have driven by the Carmel stadium which is right off of Keystone and seen plenty of empty seats for their home football games. The HCC is big enough now that they don't really need other schools to boost their attendance.

One thing that I have not seen discussed here is possible scheduling of this new 10 team HCC. In the beginning, it was nine teams, with the current teams minus Franklin Central plus Lafayette Harrison and McCutcheon. Then Lafayette Jeff was added, making it a 10 team league. The football coaches and ADs never liked the fact that playing the other 9 teams meant no non conference games. That, plus the travel involved, eventually ended in the three Lafayette schools out. If that same thinking holds true today, the HCC, if it goes back to 10 schools, would have to either go back to playing no non conference games, or perhaps forming two divisions, five teams each, playing the other four division teams plus a couple from the other division, with the two division winners playing in week 9. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

UIndy just last week offered Westfield's Mr. Do Everything Micha Hauser.

CG coach Moore said right after the game that Westfield played CG tougher than any other school had during their current 28 game win streak. I'd think he knows what he's talking about.

Did you read what the Brownsburg coach said after that BD game? Basically he said it was hard to beat a team that had three weeks to prepare. Obviously this was a knock on BD having no competition in their sectional and didn't have to prepare like Brownsburg did in their sectional. Now that was no excuse for Brownsburg to lay an egg in that game, but remember, the "Burg handled BD in their regular season game. Yes, the gap has closed between the two conferences. I know this is a football board, but you'd be hard pressed to find a conference that is better overall in total boys and girls sports than the HCC. Throw out Carmel, and it's not even close. It would be very interesting if HSE had not split off into two high schools 15 years ago. Now you'd be talking about a school larger than Carmel with the combined talent of HSE and Fishers.

So for those in the know, what kind of drop off, if any, is expected from Center Grove next season?

I doubt if they will be preseason HCC favorites. Losing players like Webster, Hauser, Williams will be difficult to replace. In 2020, their JV, Freshman, and 8th Grade teams all went undefeated, the former two playing the same schedule as the varsity. So I'd expect them to still be solid. QB will be the big question. Cole Ballard was the backup to Webster at the start of the year, but after he was injured in the Cathedral game, I don't believe he saw the field again this season.

Not shabby for a team that was not supposed to be able to hang with one of the greatest Indiana football teams of all time, at least according to some of the "experts" on this forum....LOL I feel for the kid who dropped what would probably have been the go ahead TD and PAT with not much time left in the game. Then two plays later, Webster throws the interception. Who knows why he threw it where he did. Westfield did show the state that they belonged in that game. Back to back 12-2 seasons and 6A runners up in just their 4th and 5th year of playing in the "big boy football class".

Greg Rakestraw mentioned several times during the broadcast that it was not set that both Z'ville and the Irish would move up to 6A next season. I thought that, regardless of what they do about enrollment again next year, that the success factor still comes into play. Thus, Cathedral moves up to 6A, most surely in the south region, possibly in Sectional 8, which only had three teams this year, meaning the Irish and CG in the same sectional.

One question. I know that Cathedral has an on campus practice field. Why not build that into a stadium? Is it a zoning issue? Chatard used to have that problem, but eventually got their stadium built. It can't be funding, not with all of the deep pockets that some of the alums have and the cost of sending a kid to attend.

Duh, Westfield has two kids committed to play D1 football next year. Doesn't mean that Westfield wins, but means that you don't have your facts straight.

I'll say Westfield will give CG a decent game. I'm not silly enough to come out and declare that they will win. Last year, none of Westfield's kids had ever played in LOS, whereas CG had played there against Carmel the prior year. The stage was probably too large for them early on. They did shut out CG the second half, and no, CG did not pull their starters until well into the 4th qtr. This year, Westfield has most of the key players from last year back. If they can get off to a good start, the game may well be closer than people think.

I'm afraid those days are over.

You are misreading what I said. This game would never be a game, regardless of who traveled. New Albany making the long trip only makes it worse.

It would be bad enough if Cathedral had to travel on a Friday, but this game will likely be over at halftime.

I remember watching Cathedral warm up before that 5A state title game against Westfield. Terry McLaurin, Cathedral's all everything player, looked more like a college player than a high school kid while warming up without pads. Westfield had no one that could defend him whether he was playing receiver or tailback. I think he even returned kickoffs and punts. Seeing how well he's done with Washington, he's proven he may be one of the best ever to play there.

I remember watching that Semistate game at Westfield on TV. It was awful weather conditions, not just the rain, but a strong wind. Will Harrison was a heck of a kicker. He had not one but to monster punts into that wind that kept Snider pinned back and unable to do much of anything in that 4th quarter. I remember the Snider coach saying he'd never been in a game before where the kicker had such an impact. Harrison kicked three FGs in that 5A title game. including a 52 yard FG that still is the longest FG ever in any state championship game, regardless of class.

Hard to believe this is the same Mt. Vernon that lost at home to Nobleville 57-36. Noblesville is 6A, but they were the worst team in the HCC this season with their only other win a non conference home game against TH South.

Almost. I did say that Carroll was able to move the ball, but those three turnovers really hurt them early on. Now if that was due to Westfield's defense or Carroll not holding onto the ball in the cold conditions, not sure.

Westfield 37-Ft. Wayne Carroll 14. Westfield did not play their best ball tonight. Too many penalties, dropped passes, poor decisions. At one time Webster was only 7-14 with two of those incomplete passes that should have been interceptions. Carroll was able to move the ball but turnovers (3) and some decent Westfield defense inside of the 30 kept Carroll off of the board all but one time. Their last TD was scored late against Westfield's reserves. Next week, Merrillville will be making the looong road trip to central Indiana, just the opposite of that happened last year. Westfield will need to be sharper than they were tonight to make their second straight trip to Lucas Oil Stadium.

I just looked at Carroll's schedule. Lots of blowout wins. Long drive up there. 9-1 in that league is pretty good. Are the Fort teams mostly down this season?

What a game! Westfield just could not contain HSE"s running game all night. The Royals only threw a handful of passes, the biggest on a 4th down inside the Red Zone that went to the Westfield one yard line. After the TD run on the following play, the QB avoids a sack and throws a pass to a wide open received for the apparent game winning two point conversion. However, you never count out Maximus Webster and Michah Hauser. Webster completed every pass on that final drive with about 35 seconds to go after the HSE kickoff. Starting at their own 34, one timeout left, they were able to get to the HSE 8 with 11 seconds to go. Webster kept the snap and gave himself up at the 10 yard line, called their final TO, and King kicked the winning FG. Westfield heads up north to Ft. Wayne to play Carroll next Friday for the regional title.

Tough year, probably better than the one win record shows. I know you gave Westfield a run for just over a half when those two teams played at Avon. You guys made it interesting scoring to make it 28-21 Carmel, then recovering the onside kick. I'll assume you didn't do anything with it, Carmel got the ball back, and scored a late TD for the final.

After Noblesville uses up almost all of the 1st qtr, ending in a TD, they missed the conversion. That was it for them. Westfield had 7 possessions and scored 7 TDs and & PATS. 49-6 with reserves playing the 4th qtr. Micah Hauser with 4 rushing TDs. for the Rocks. Westfield hosts HSE next. HSE beat Fishers 34-0. That game was only 7-0 at halftime.

So Cathedral bumps back to 4A, their enrollment class? That would be a joke.