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Red Devils, Wildcats meet in battle of unbeatens Andrew Smith GridironDigest.com It’s the most difficult championship in all of the IHSAA to win. No title requires teams to win three games, over three different weeks, in multiple locations and in different, changing weather conditions, often against local rivals and some teams they’ve faced twice in a season. At the end of the week, 48 teams will have claimed that title, hoisted a trophy, clinched a spot in the regional and - for Classes A through 4A - made it halfway through the IHSAA tournament journey. In Northwest Indiana, the trophy will go to one of two unbeaten teams matching up on the turf at Hanover Central, as the fourth-ranked Wildcats host No. 1 West Lafayette in a contest featuring 11-0 teams in Class 3A’s Sectional 25. West Lafayette kicked off the season playing in the opening game at Lucas Oil Stadium, beating Harrison 27-14. The Red Devils, who won their most recent state title in 2018, are looking to finish there. This will be their most difficult tourney test after rolling through Twin Lakes 50-7 and Calumet 52-12. They forced five first-half turnovers in last week’s victory, while quarterback Max Mullis threw for 202 yards and running back Dawson Martin tallied 114. Mullis has been a strong dual-threat QB for the Red Devils this year, throwing for 2,080 yards and running for 761, accounting for 44 touchdowns, but West Lafayette has spread the ball around. Five different receivers have 200-plus yards, led by Liam Burton, who has 776 on 77 catches. “We like to be multiple on offense and take what the defense is giving us,” Red Devils coach Shane Fry said. “We never want to force the ball to a particular player. We have had the most success when we have multiple players getting touches on offense.” They’ll face a Hanover Central defense that has been one of the state’s stingiest, allowing 5.8 points per game. Junior Collin Foy has 76 tackles, 15 TFL and four sacks, while two-way standout Garrett Howes has picked off seven passes. Hanover Central has advanced with a 38-10 victory over Rensselaer and a 42-21 win over Griffith last week, a game the Wildcats led 42-0 at halftime before allowing three TDs in running clock time. QB Matt Koontz was 10-10 for 226 yards and four TDs, while Howes had 136 receiving yards and three TDs. Howes has 841 receiving yards this season, complementing a running game led by senior Kyle Hassley, who has 1,243 yards and 28 TDs. “I was proud of both our players and coaches on how they handled their mentalities and approaches,” Wildcats coach Brian Parker said. “Playing a team like Rensselaer, it was more getting them prepared to play a 4-quarter game against a very tough, well-coached team that wasn't going to back down one inch. This past week, we played a team in Griffith that we handled pretty well earlier in the year, so our approach had to shift and find a way to keep them focused on the task-at-hand instead of looking forward to this upcoming game. For the most part, I believe we did a good job handling both their minds and bodies.” There is much respect between the two squads as they play with a title on the line in Cedar Lake. “The West Lafayette football brand speaks for itself. You immediately have the utmost respect for the program for the success they've had. Obviously, Coach Fry and his staff are second-to-none in regards to preparing their players on a week-to-week basis, as well as, a year-to-year basis. When you watch the film, their size, athleticism and how well-coached they are in all three aspects of the game immediately jumps out at you,” Parker said. “The recipe for success is no different this week than any other week. Win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, take care of the football and find a way to create some takeaways. Limiting their explosive plays and managing their tempo are always at the forefront when you play West Lafayette as well.” The Red Devils also have a lot of respect for the Wildcats. “They are really good,” Fry said. “They have outstanding athletes at the skill positions and are huge and strong up front on both sides of the ball. It is obvious that they are a well coached football team. Keys to victory for us: Win the turnover battle. Find ways to drive the ball and get in the endzone. Their first string defense has only given up one touchdown the entire season so we are going to have our hands full.” Scecina, Triton Central face rematch Two of the top teams in Class 2A will have a rematch as No. 4 Indianapolis Scecina (10-1) visits No. 5 Triton Central (9-2) in Sectional 39. The two Indiana Crossroads Conference rivals played to a 21-20 game - won by Scecina - in Week 7. Both teams are no stranger to tournament success - Triton Central has won three straight sectional championships and has appeared in nine consecutive sectional championship games. Scecina was a regional champion last year. Both teams fell to eventual runner-up Evansville Mater Dei in the later rounds of the tourney. Mater Dei, which is tied with TC for No. 5 in the IFCA poll, faces North Posey in the Sectional 40 final and will face the winner of the Scecina-TC contest. TC has one of the state’s most dangerous passing games, featuring the state’s leading receiver in Brad Schultz. A senior, Schultz has 69 catches for 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns, building strong chemistry with senior quarterback Jace Stuckey, who has thrown for 2,308 yards and ranks 11th in the state. “Brad Schultz has an elite burst and finishing speed that I have not coached before in 39 years. He is an outstanding sprinter in track,” TC coach Tim Able said. “Brad and Jace Stuckey played together this past winter and in the summer in numerous 7 on 7 tournaments, which has definitely helped their unique connection. Both of them would tell you that if we didn’t have Ray Crawford and Brayden Wilkins in our running game they would not have the stats that they have. A good run game helps a passing game and vice versa.” Crawford has run for 1,060 yards and 14 scores, helping the Tigers roll up 38 points per game. He ran for 149 yards in a 24-19 semifinal victory over Brownstown Central last week. Scecina defeated Clarksville 48-18 last week, facing the state’s leading rusher, Robert Lamar, who had 196 yards in the contest, but the Crusaders were able to limit the Generals’ offense and score 48 points. Scecina’s offense features QB David Mendez, who has thrown for over 1,000 yards this season, and RB Brandon Fitts-Ramsey, who is knocking on the door of a 1,000-yard season. The Crusaders’ defense has allowed 9.6 ppg, and forced four turnovers in the regular-season meeting. Senior Mason Beriault, who is also the Crusaders’ top receiver, had 18 tackles in that contest. He is the Crusaders’ leading tackler, alongside Tamir Woods, who has 22.5 TFL and 10.5 sacks, and Adam Young, who has 28.5 TFL. “To compete with Triton Central, we will need to block better and control the ball in order to keep it away from their multi-dimensional offense,” Scecina coach Ott Hurrle said. Their matchups have frequently been close. Scecina has won the last two meetings, while TC won in 2020. “Ott Hurrle is a great coach and has a great program with a storied tradition,” Able said. “They always bringing a high level of intensity and always are sound in their fundamentals. In our first match up we had 4 fumbles that Scecina created, which is more than we’ve had the rest of the season.” 5A No. 1 facing tough rematch The Fort Wayne Snider Panthers enter championship week ranked No. 1 in Class 5A, but they face a rematch this week with a resurgent Fort Wayne North team in Sectional 12. The Panthers are 9-1 and have won eight straight. North Side is 8-2 and enters with seven straight victories. Both won handily in last week’s sectional openers, with Snider defeating Fort Wayne Dwenger 41-6, while North beat Anderson 49-9. Snider amassed 342 yards of offense last week, led by QB Luke Haupert completing 10-of-14 for 114 yards and a TD and RB Langston Leavell rushing for 159 yards and two scores on 12 carries. Snider’s defense forced three turnovers, including an 80-yard pick-6 by Brandon Logan. “Anytime we can beat a good Bishop Dwenger team two times in one season says a lot about our team,” Snider coach Kurt Tippmann said. “We were productive in both the run game and pass game, staying balanced in our offensive attack. Defensively, we caused three turnovers and played sound assignment football in defending a very elusive quarterback and a multifaceted offense of BD.” Snider’s defense has been one of the state’s best this season, allowing 8.7 ppg. The Panthers have posted four shutouts and have allowed three total scores in the last five games. Senior Lukas Rohrbacher leads the team in tackles, while fellow linebacker Zyon Greene had 15 tackles last week against Dwenger. “They are very athletic and elusive in getting to the ball,” Tippmann said of Rohrbacher and Greene. “We have a group that is willing to do the extra effort details that allow defenses to be good – run to the ball, be physical at the point of attack and be sound in fundamental gap assignments.” North has had a resurgence with the program’s first winning season in nine years. The Legends have scored at least 42 points in each game in its seven-game winning streak. Junior wideout Brauntae Johnson is one of the state’s top receivers with 1,051 yards, 16 TDs and is a top-100 recruit in his class. Quarterback Bohde Dickerson has thrown for 2,023 yards and 27 TDs and running back Jonte Lambert has run for 2,062 yards and 16 scores. North Side is seeking its first sectional title since 1990. Snider won the Week 1 meeting 20-18, with Lambert running for 133 yards and Leavell 112. “We learned in the first game, that North Side is really good,” Tippmann said. “They have talented players at all positions. “They pose a huge challenge for us defensively. Not sure we can take anyone away, but have to defend them all. We will have to be very sound in assignments and gap responsibilities to be successful.” Potpourri Four of last year’s six state champions are still alive - Class 4A’s Mt. Vernon lost to New Palestine in the opening round. Last week, defending 3A champ Gibson Southern was eliminated 28-21 at Owen Valley, which is now 11-0 on the season and seeking its second straight sectional title this week against Pike Central. … Another unbeaten went down last week as Boonville defeated Evansville Reitz 28-27 in 4A Sectional 24. The Pioneers meet Evansville Memorial this week… Danville has been a giant-slayer so far in Sectional 29, knocking off ranked Tri-West and Western Boone. The Warriors (5-6) visit Monrovia this week. … Eleven unbeaten teams remain in the state tournament - Carroll (Fort Wayne), Crown Point and Hamilton Southeastern in 6A, New Palestine and NorthWood in 4A, Owen Valley, West Lafayette and Hanover Central in 3A, Linton in 2A and Adams Central, Indianapolis Lutheran, North Decatur and Tecumseh in 1A. … Carroll (Fort Wayne)’s 35-7 victory over Penn last week gave coach Doug Dinan his 100th career victory. … The last two Class A champions meet up in Sectional 47, as 2021 champ Indianapolis Lutheran meets 2020 champ Covenant Christian. … Five schools are seeking their first-ever sectional title - Chesterton (Sectional 10 vs. Valparaiso), Connersville (Sectional 22 vs. New Palestine), Pike Central (Sectional 30 vs. Owen Valley), Traders Point Christian (Sectional 42 vs. Park Tudor) and second-year program Hammond Central (Sectional 9 vs. Merrillville). A few others are seeking to break long droughts - Franklin seeking its first since 1984 against rival Whiteland in Sectional 14. Perry Meridian is seeking its first sectional title since 1986 in Sectional 7 against Warren Central. Bluffton is seeking its first since 1988 in Sectional 36 against Eastbrook. Columbia City is looking for its first since 1993 in Sectional 19 against Leo. Other long droughts are Martinsville (26 years), Noblesville, Plainfield, Evansville North and Rochester (all 22 years) and Lafayette Jeff (20 years). Key games this week Class 6A 1: Lafayette Jeff (8-2) at No. 8 Crown Point (10-0) 2: Warsaw (8-2) at No. 5 Carroll (Allen) (10-0) 3: No. 1 Hamilton SE (10-0) at Fishers (7-3) 6: No. 2 Cathedral (8-1) at Lawrence Central (5-5) 8: No. 3 Center Grove (8-2) at Columbus North (5-5) Class 5A 9: No. 5 Merrillville (8-2) at Hammond Central (8-2) 10: No. 9 Valparaiso (7-3) at Chesterton (5-5) 11: No. 3 Mishawaka (9-1) at Concord (5-5) 12: No. 7 FW North (8-2) at No. 1 FW Snider (9-1) 14: No. 2 Whiteland (9-1) at No. 8 Franklin (8-2) Class 4A 17: No. 7 New Prairie (10-1) at Hobart (8-3) 18: Northridge (7-4) at No. 3 NorthWood (11-0) 19: Leo (8-3) at No. 9 Columbia City (10-1) 20: Mississinewa (8-3) at No. 6 Kokomo (10-1) 21: No. 10 Brebeuf (10-1) at No. 2 Roncalli (10-1) 22: Connersville (7-4) at No. 1 New Palestine (11-0) 23: Martinsville (8-3) at No. 4 East Central (9-2) 24: Evansville Memorial (8-3) at Boonville (8-3) Class 3A 25: No. 1 West Lafayette (11-0) at No. 4 Hanover Central (11-0) 27: Yorktown (8-3) at No. 7 Norwell (10-1) 28: No. 3 Indianapolis Chatard (7-4) at No. 9 Guerin Catholic (7-4) 32: No. 9 Southridge (10-1) at Heritage Hills (7-4) Class 2A 33: No. 3 Andrean (7-3) at Bremen (7-4) 34: No. 9 Lafayette Catholic (8-3) at No. 10 Rochester (10-1) 35: No. 8 FW Luers (6-5) at No. 7 Eastside (9-2) 37: No. 1 Linton (11-0) at Sullivan (7-4) 39: No. 4 Scecina (10-1) at No. 5 Triton Central (9-2) 40: North Posey (9-2) at No. 5 Ev. Mater Dei (8-3) Class A 41: Culver (7-4) at No. 4 North Judson (10-1) 43: West Central (10-1) at No. 6 Carroll (Flora) (10-1) 44: No. 2 Adams Central (11-0) at Northfield (6-5) 45: No. 5 Sheridan (10-1) at Hagerstown (7-4) 47: No. 1 Lutheran (11-0) at Covenant Christian (8-3) 48: No. 8 Tecumseh (10-0) at Providence (8-2)

The MIC seems to have become the old CSAC - a Marion County township league. At this point, Cathedral would be the best fit. Tech would get destroyed in football, but be somewhat competitive in basketball. Eugene White *really* wanted Tech in the MIC a decade and change ago and they're leaving the NCC (a conference they fit very well in everywhere except geography), so they'll need a landing spot.

The Indianapolis Star strikes again. Their lack of editing is absurd. The reporter on site was given a roster and 10 pages of game notes that list him as a junior in several places, so there's really no excuse for this. Thomas is a junior. And he was up and moving after the play. Tried to put a brace on but ultimately was shut down for the night.

Crispus Attucks plays its home games at Northwest (since there's no high school there and Northwest has a decent place to play). Having driven by Attucks' campus frequently, the condition of their on-campus stadium is really bad. The concrete appears to be falling apart and weeds are growing through the bleachers. Cathedral usually uses Tech's field for home games in the playoffs since it has turf and a larger capacity than Arlington.

Four teams still alive, including three in the HHC Tournament (aka Sectional 22) 4A 22: Connersville (6-4) at New Castle (3-7), WLTI-1550, WLPK-106.9. The Trojans' regular season schedule was a benefit as they beat Beech Grove last week. New Castle's defense is strong. The question will be can the Trojans get the Air Raid fired up and get the Thrine brothers in space. If they can, they can advance to next week. The two teams have one common opponent - both beat Franklin County by a touchdown. NC's defense forced five turnovers last week and QB Quentin Boatright had 100+ yards both passing and rushing. 4A 22: Greenfield-Central (7-3) at New Palestine (10-0). WRGF-89.7, NewPalRadio.com, IHSAAtv.org. The Dragons won the regular season matchup 42-7, but G-C was very banged-up and was missing its QB and several other key players. The Cougars aren't quite to full health but Dallas Freeman's return gives them a passing option and they've been scoring points of late. The key is, can their defensive line bookended by Allen & Foley slow down the Dragons' Grayson Thomas & Danny Tippit, and can the Cougars bleed the clock and shorten the game with the wishbone? NP had a season-high 509 yards last week against Mt. Vernon, while G-C ran for 275 against Pendleton Heights. The winner of this game will host the sectional final next week. 3A 27: Garrett (3-7) at Yorktown (7-3). WMUN-1340, IHSAAtv.org. Yorktown should be a heavy favorite to play in November for the first time since 2014 - when the Tigers won a sectional title. The Tigers struggled with consistency against a stout Delta defense last week, but Kolton Nanko had a huge game with 111 receiving yards and a TD and Yorktown rallied to win 10-7. Winner plays Norwell or FW Concordia next week.

There were *so* many great games this week, it was hard to condense into three to spotlight and the ones to highlight. Danville opened *a lot* of eyes with its win over TW last week.

Giants, Bulldogs open tourney as they opened the season Andrew Smith GridironDigest.com Ten weeks have passed since the opening week of the regular season, but the Class 6A tournament begins on the west side of Indianapolis the exact same way the season began - with the Ben Davis Giants hosting the Brownsburg Bulldogs in one of the state’s marquee matchups. The Sectional 5 matchup is one of three 6A games featuring ranked teams - Ben Davis (6-3) enters No. 7 in the IFCA poll, Brownsburg (8-1) No. 3. The winner faces Avon or Pike next week in the sectional final game. Brownsburg won the regular season matchup 21-16 back in Week 1. Both teams can draw a bit on that contest, but both have evolved quite a bit since August. “This matchup is a great opportunity to see how much we have grown and gotten better as a program,” Ben Davis coach Jason Simmons said. “There are a lot of things we can draw on from our Week 1 matchup on August 19th. We can draw on how they want to attack us on offense and defense because they do some things differently against us than they do compared to other teams in their conference.” Both teams were missing key players in the opener - Ben Davis was missing quarterback Thomas Gotkowski, Brownsburg without All-State center Santana Alo. Both will be in action Friday night. Gotkowski took over in Week 2 and has completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,092 yards and 21 TDs. BD’s offense has featured sophomore running back Alijah Price, who has 928 yards on the season, and a deep receiving corps led by Marques Reese, who has 885 yards on 55 catches. Lincoln Murff has 41 catches for 480 yards. “Thomas Gotkowski is a humble, driven player with a high football IQ and a drive to get better every day,” Simmons said. “Thomas is a magnet for other players on our team and that has driven his ability to forge and build relationships with everyone on our team. Our offense, led by Alijah, Marques, Destin Beauchamp, and Lincoln Murff, is a complimentary offense that lends itself to different players having a hot hand based on how teams are defending us. We have had four different receivers go for over 70 yards in a game.” Brownsburg is led by senior quarterback Jayden Whitaker, who is completing 71 percent of his passes for 2,007 yards. Corey Smith (32-677, 6 TDs) leads a deep receiving corps in which seven players have at least 13 catches. It’s led an offense that’s scoring 40 points a game. The Bulldogs finished second in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference, falling 31-28 to current No. 1 Hamilton Southeastern in Week 9, with a late rally falling just short. “I couldn’t ask for a more cohesive group of kids who have grit and toughness,” Brownsburg coach John Hart said. “I think most people would say we have the toughest schedule in the state and we played very well all year. We got rattled a little bit against HSE when our QB went down at halftime. it took us a little bit of time to get going, yet we had a FG blocked with no time to go (that would have sent) the game into overtime.” The Giants ran the table in the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference, clinching the conference title with a 42-6 win over North Central in Week 9, but the key win came the week before, when BD rallied from 28 points down in the second half to beat Lawrence Central 29-28. Gotkowski threw for 277 yards and four scores, including a one-yard TD pass in the closing minutes, followed by a game-winning two-point conversion. “What got us going was the ability of our defense to continue to stack stops and our offense getting into a rhythm,” Simmons said. “Our defense gave up 90 yards on two plays in the 1st half. Other than that we kept an explosive offense in check. When we got rolling offensively, we were tough to stop. The belief our players showed in each other helped propel us to win that game. That game gave our players the confidence they needed to finish off a tough opponent after missing on opportunities in the three games we came up short.” Tussle in loaded Sectional 21 Class 4A will likely feature dynamite matchups each round of the tournament. One of the deepest sectional fields is Sectional 21, where three of the four remaining teams are ranked in the top 10. Six of the eight teams in the sectional field - including the four semifinalists - won at least six games in the regular season. Two of the ranked teams meet this week, as No. 8 Mooresville (8-2) travels to No. 10 Brebeuf Jesuit (6-3). The winner faces either No. 2 Roncalli (9-1) or Indianapolis Attucks (6-3) in next week’s sectional final. Both programs have seen recent tournament success. Brebeuf was the Class 3A state runner-up last season. Mooresville was a regional champion in 2020. Both had solid wins last week, as Mooresville rallied to defeat Lebanon 34-24, while Brebeuf downed Northview 35-7. Brebeuf gained 173 rushing yards and sophomore quarterback Maverick Geske threw for 202 in the Braves’ win last week. “We were able to establish the line of scrimmage from the first drive and that led to a lot of offensive success,” Brebeuf coach Matt Geske said of last week’s win. “Our defense played fast and didn’t allow Northview’s potent run game to get going.” Mooresville took a 28-12 lead at halftime and extended it in the second half against Lebanon, behind 198 passing yards and 85 rushing yards from senior quarterback Nicholas Patterson. Junior Landon Clements added 107 rushing yards and two scores. Hogan Denny had 99 yards and a touchdown in the receiving game. “We self destructed early in the game with a pick six and a fumble in the first quarter. We also had 12 penalties which we must fix. We righted the ship and took a 16 point lead at the half by mixing run and pass,” Mooresville coach Mike Gillin said, also noting the Pioneers’ defense forced four turnovers. “Lebanon is a very good football team and we had to play solid football to get the win.” Brebeuf returns seven starters from last year’s 3A state runner-up on defense. Nolan Buckman started last season at quarterback, but volunteered to move to receiver midway through the season to make way for Geske, returning to where he played as a sophomore, where he was a two-way starter at running back and safety. Buckman has become the Braves’ top pass-catcher with 409 yards and five touchdowns, while also starting at safety. The Braves are allowing 14.7 ppg and have held five opponents to eight points or fewer. Cole Williams (78 tackles) and Finn Walters (46 tackles, 14.5 TFL, 10 sacks) lead the Braves up front. Devin McIlwain, Javawn Brooks and Ryan Joyce each have three interceptions. “Nolan is a tremendous athlete that can do it all for us and his versatility makes him one of the state’s best players,” coach Geske said. “He really helped bring Maverick along this spring and summer and the move has allowed us to be more dynamic on offense in the back half of the regular season.” Mooresville features one of the state’s top two-way quarterbacks in Patterson, who has 1,965 passing and 1,110 rushing yards and has accounted for 36 touchdowns. Clements has posted back-to-back 100-yard games. Denny and junior Levi Dorn provide a strong 1-2 punch in the receiving game. Dorn has 719 yards on 53 catches, while Denny has 342 yards on 24 catches, playing five games after returning from injury. Gillin said the Pioneers are as healthy as they have been since Week 3. “Nick Patterson is one of the best leaders I have ever coached in my 44 years as a head coach,” Gillin said. “He is a dual threat Run/Pass and commands the offense. He has carried us most of the year after losing our RB Brandon Wilson and Hogan Denny for most of the year.” Both teams play tough schedules - Mooresville finished second to Whiteland in the Mid-State Conference, while Brebeuf’s three losses have come to teams ranked in the top three of their respective classes - Indianapolis Chatard, Cathedral and Roncalli. All have prepared them for this matchup. “We play in one of the toughest conferences in the state so we have played outstanding competition. The same can be said of Brebeuf,” Gillin said. “I expect a physical back and forth game.” Lamar, Generals to face Crusaders In southeastern Indiana, the Clarksville Generals have had a resurgence behind the state’s leading rusher, Robert Lamar. Clarksville is 5-5 after a 70-42 victory at Eastern (Pekin) in last week’s Sectional 39 opener. The Generals take on No. 4 Indianapolis Scecina (9-1) in the semifinal this week, with the winner to face either No. 5 Triton Central (8-2) or Brownstown Central (6-4) next week. The Generals’ five wins this year are a big step for a program that hadn’t won more than three games in a season since 2012. Coach Justin Boser said this year has been the culmination of commitment from the administration on down, dramatically upgrading facilities and equipment at the admin level. At the coaching level, it was about getting to know each player on a personal level, and seeing increased commitment in the weight room and offseason. “This current team has been the most committed team we have had in the last five years,” Boser said. “On this team we have leaders who are three and four year starters who have set the standard for how to lift and practice every day.” Lamar, a senior, has rushed for 2,839 yards and 34 touchdowns this season, averaging 9.6 yards per carry. His explosive running complements the passing game, where Caleb Cummings has thrown for 1,350 yards and 15 touchdowns. The offensive line is young and often giving up 20-25 pounds to its opponents, but has used technique and leg drive to open up holes. “For two years teams have attempted to slow Robert down and only a few have,” Boser said, adding Lamar deserves to be considered as one of the state’s top players. “Robert is a special running back who can beat you in different ways. He can beat you with a jump cut in the hole, run through you in the hole, or he can out run you to the edge. I have been saying all year ‘don't just watch Robert's highlight runs that go for 60, 70, or 80 yards, watch his 4 yard runs where he doesn't have much of a hole and he runs through two tackles to pick up the four yards. Watch him turn a negative play into a two yard gain.’ He is able to do these things because of his commitment to the weight room. We knew he good be good running back for us but he became a great running back and a durable running back when he committed to lifting after his sophomore season.” This week’s matchup with Scecina will be a challenge, as Lamar and the Generals will see a defense that has shut out five opponents this season. Scecina is led by seniors Mason Beriault (99 tackles), Tamir Woods (74 tackles, 22.5 TFL, 10.5 sacks) and Adam Young (66 tackles, 28.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks). “Scecina is clearly a top team in 2A and for us to be successful Friday we will need to continue to run the ball to our full capability and connect on play action passes,” Boser said. “Their defense plays fast and all 11 players are capable of coming up and making a tackle. We need all of our players blocking and maintaining their blocks on every play. Their offense is multiple and can beat you in different ways. They can play with four wide receivers or they will line up in I formation and run the ball right at you. We will need to play our most complete defensive game to give us a chance to be successful.” Also of note There are 16 unbeaten teams remaining in the state. Two - Owen Valley and defending 3A champion Gibson Southern - meet this week in Sectional 30. Both teams feature explosive offenses - OV is averaging 51.3 ppg, leading the state in scoring, led by quarterback Brody Lester (1,907 passing yards). GS is averaging 41.3 ppg. … Class 3A’s two other unbeatens - West Lafayette and Hanover Central - are in opposite semifinals in Sectional 25. … In Sectional 33, Andrean went 6-3 against a schedule entirely made up of 4A-6A teams. The defending state champions visit 10-0 LaVille. … Lamar is the state’s rushing leader. Indianapolis Lutheran’s Jackson Willis (2,850 yards) leads the state in passing. The defending 1A champion Saints host 1-8 Cloverdale in Sectional 47 this week. … Triton Central’s Brad Schultz (1,326 yards) leads the state in receiving. The Tigers meet Brownstown Central in Sectional 40. Other games to watch this week Class 6A 2: No. 5 Carroll (9-0) at No. 9 Penn (7-2) 2: Elkhart (7-2) at Warsaw (7-2) 3: Homestead (5-4) at No. 1 Hamilton Southeastern (9-0) 4: No. 9 Westfield (6-3) at No. 6 Carmel (6-3) 6: Lawrence North (4-5) at No. 2 Cathedral (7-1) 8: No. 3 Center Grove (7-2) at Franklin Central (3-6) Class 5A 12: No. 1 Ft. Wayne Snider (8-1) at No. 10 Ft. Wayne Dwenger (6-3) 14: No. 8 Franklin (7-2) at Terre Haute South (6-3) Class 4A 17: No. 7 New Prairie (9-1) at Lowell (7-3) 22: Greenfield-Central (7-3) at No. 1 New Palestine (10-0) 24: No. 5 Evansville Reitz (10-0) at Boonville (7-3) Class 3A 25: No. 1 West Lafayette (10-0) at Calumet (9-1) 28: No. 3 Chatard (6-4) at Hamilton Heights (8-2) 28: Guerin Catholilc (6-4) at Tippecanoe Valley (9-1) 30: No. 2 GIbson Southern (10-0) at No. 6 Owen Valley (10-0) Class 2A 33: No. 3 Andrean (6-3) at No. 2 LaVille (10-0) 34: Cass (6-3) at No. 9 Lafayette Central Catholic (7-3) 35: No. 8 FW Luers (5-5) at Churubusco (8-2) 37: Southmont (7-3) at No. 1 Linton (10-0) 39: No. 5 Triton Central (8-2) at Brownstown Central (6-4) Class A 41: Triton (7-3) at No. 4 North Judson (9-1) 44: No. 10 South Adams (8-2) at No. 2 Adams Central (10-0) 45: Monroe Central (5-3) at No. 5 Sheridan (9-1) 46: Milan (5-5) at No. 3 North Decatur (10-0)

I believe Columbus East was a Success Factored 4A school when it won in 2017, too. If it wasn't, it was right on the borderline of 4A/5A.

I believe the "fourth timeout" language is NFL verbiage. Now, let's say a team is down 4 and is stopped in the field of play (short of the sticks, so no clock stoppage anyway) in the last 10 seconds and a player "goes down" (e.g., fakes an injury) in an attempt to stop the clock since it's obvious they'll never get off another play without it. What do you do in that situation? Do you just let the clock roll and then attend to the "injury" after the clock hits zeroes?

Your list is similar to mine. The line between the top teams in 4A and 5A is very small (and there are quite a few years where the top 4A team could win 5A - heck, between New Pal, Cathedral and Columbus East, the majority of 5A championships have been won by success factored 4A schools). There's also seemingly not a ton of difference between 1A and 2A at the top. The top teams in 1A usually can compete very favorably in 2A.

In the Class of 2024, New Pal's Ian Moore has verballed to Ohio State.

With so many head-to-head matchups, might as well post a thread New Palestine at Mt. Vernon (4A 22): NewPalRadio.com, WHMB-40 (delayed), WNDY-23 (live): Probably the game of the night in 4A. The Dragons won 42-6 in Week 4 but MV freshman QB Luke Ertel has had five more games of varsity reps and the Marauders have two outstanding two-way players in George Burhenn & Eli Bridenthal, who will undoubtedly touch the ball a lot more than they did in the first meeting. NP used its advantage up front and rolled up 200+ yards in the passing game last time. Should be a great one. Winner gets PH/G-C next week. Pendleton Heights at Greenfield-Central (4A 22): WEEM-91.7, WRGF-89.7. G-C is a dangerous team because they have one of the best DEs in the area in Brad Allen and their wishbone offense forces opponents to create completely different gameplans. PH has finished the season well, with three straight victories - including a 28-20 win over previously-ranked Yorktown, and is always well-coached under Jed Richman. Winner gets MV/NP next week. Beech Grove at New Castle (4A 22): WLTI-1550. The Trojans have taken some lumps in the HHC schedule, but they've been competitive outside the conference and have been very solid defensively. Being at home and with a unique offense that's difficult to defend will help New Castle, as well as having played a strong schedule. The teams have two common opponents - New Castle beat Franklin County 18-12 in OT and lost to Triton Central 21-14 in Weeks 1 & 2, while BG lost to TC 27-7 and to Franklin County 20-15 last week. Winner gets Connersville/Richmond next week. BNL at Shelbyville (4A 23): WSVX-96.5/1520. A long drive for the Stars, who went 5-4 but tied for the Hoosier Hills Conference title. Shelbyville is improving and its win over New Castle in Week 4 was its first HHC win in years, but the Golden Bears will be an underdog. Winner faces Martinsville or Greenwood next week. Yorktown at Delta (3A 27): WMUN-1340. Going to be a great rematch between two rivals. Yorktown won the Week 4 meeting 35-21 - and Delta has dropped six straight since as it as been ravaged by injuries. Yorktown is on a two-game skid, but scored 45 points last week in a loss to Mt. Vernon. The matchup of Yorktown's triumvirate of Moulton, Nanko and Thomas against Delta's aggressive defense led by Manor will be a really interesting one to watch. Winner plays Bellmont or Garrett next week.

This happened in a sectional game a few years ago, but was one of the wildest things I've seen (and the officials talked for a few minutes to make sure they had it right. Team A throws an interception at the 50. Team B returns it to the +25, but a post-possession flag for holding is thrown on Team B at about the +35. At the end of the play, Team A is called for a personal foul (I believe it was a facemask, but might have been a late hit - and I understand one is a live-ball and one a dead-ball foul). IIRC, the ball was taken back to the spot of the interception and the penalties enforced there and Team B retained the ball. == Alternatively, let's take a similar play but change the timing of the fouls. *-Team A throws an interception, but a flag is thrown for holding before the pass is thrown. Team B intercepts and is called for a post-possession holding penalty. Does A get the option to decline the penalty and keep the ball or is it an offsetting penalty and replay the down?

So if the ruling is illegal participation by R1, what is the enforcement? 15 yards from previous spot and rekick? (which would presumably be from the +45?) or does the kicking team have the option to allow R1 to take the ball 15 yards from the spot of where the ball was touched?

*-Rule does not apply at Michigan Stadium (and Bill Lynch will launch a wad of gum 40 yards in protest).

At one time, they had less than 1K, but that was about 25 years ago. Westfield has absolutely exploded in size.

The thing is, IU had an *identity* under WIlson. It was chaos ball and they'd drive you nuts at times, but they had a real identity. The thing holding them back was the lack of a defense until the last couple of years, especially when Allen came aboard as DC in 2016. I believe in Tom Allen and have been in his corner since he was coaching at Ben Davis, but I'm not sure what the team's on-field identity is. I love the relational approach to program-building, but there's nothing on the field that says "this is who Indiana football is." Wisconsin and Iowa have identities - it's ground-and-pound (and Illinois is developing the same under Bielema). Purdue has one with Brohm - air it out and run a lot of trick plays (and, like IU under Wilson, a bit of chaos ball). Penn State is Linebacker U. I'm not sure what IU's identity is right now on the field.

He's a helluva defensive coach. I wish we could go back into an alternative universe where IU had never fired Kevin Wilson (and while I've heard the circumstances, it seems very fishy) and had KW at HC and CTA as DC. They were tremendous in their one year together.

Another thing to note - they and Yorktown are, by a pretty significant amount, the two smallest schools in the Hoosier Heritage Conference. The only time Delta plays a team smaller than them in enrollment (during the regular season) is when it plays Yorktown ... and Yorktown *never* sees a school with a smaller enrollment during the regular season. What Yorktown has done this year has been impressive - they went 6-3 playing almost exclusively a 4A/5A schedule despite most of those schools being 1.5-2x their size. They had New Pal in a dogfight for a half (they were down 14-10 before NP drilled a 47-yard field goal at the halftime gun), beat Greenfield-Central and led Mt. Vernon at halftime before running out of gas. Delta looks like a team that's a year away but has a lot of talent and a very aggressive, sound, physical defense with some playmakers. Manor is a real stud at MLB/WR and I really like their WR Edwards. Their matchup this Friday should be very good - Yorktown won 35-21 in the regular season but rivalry games are always wild cards.

It was McCulley's decision - he approached CTA and asked him to move to WR. Otherwise, he might have been the starter entering this season. Talent-wise, IU has recruited as well as it ever has the last few classes. But those guys are froshies and sophomores right now. They're also really thin (and losing Matthews, Bedford and Cam Jones has *really* hurt them in these winnable games like Nebraska and Maryland). CTA has a huge buyout, so he's around for at least two more years. He's also only two years removed from back-to-back January bowls and being named National Coach of the Year. That's earned him a bit of a honeymoon even though last year was a disaster and this year has gone about as expected given the graduation losses from last season and the youth (although I'd like to have Nebraska & Maryland back - those games should have been Ws).

Their lineup last week was almost all sophomores and juniors. They are really young.

Rivalry rematches highlight sectional openers Andrew Smith GridironDigest.com The opening of sectional play means every one of Indiana’s football teams starts clean, with an equal shot at making the trip to Lucas Oil Stadium on Thanksgiving weekend. Seventeen teams finished the campaign undefeated, but their records all reset as tournament play begins for Classes A-4A this week. Classes 5A and 6A will kick off their sectional tournaments next week. For many teams, it’s an opportunity to face new squads who don’t appear on the regular season schedule. But, given the geographical nature of the sectional fields, it also means rematches are aplenty. One of those will take place in Class 4A, where defending state champion Mt. Vernon will host No. 1 New Palestine in Sectional 22. New Palestine won a 5A sectional last season and is returning to 4A after spending seven seasons in 5A due to the Tournament Success Factor. The host Marauders are 6-3, the visiting Dragons 9-0 on the season. New Palestine won a 42-6 decision in Week 4, snapping a two-year losing streak to Mt. Vernon, allowing the Dragons to reclaim the Hoosier Heritage Conference title - one of the two schools has won the HHC title each year since 2010. The two arch-rivals have played every year since their programs began in 1968, but this is their seventh postseason meeting and first since 2013. “The one thing that helps in football that’s different from a lot of other sports is teams evolve as the year goes on,” New Palestine coach Kyle Ralph said. “We’ve evolved quite a bit offensively, and defensively, we’ve had to play some bizarre gameplans, but we’ve evolved. We’re learning more what our kids can do. I’m sure they’ve done the same thing. It’s going to be ‘what type of team are they in Week 10 compared to Week 4, and what type of team are we in Week 10 compared to Week 4.’ You come up with a new plan and you give it your best shot. It’s really interesting.” NP’s Grayson Thomas ran for 166 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 4 meeting, while senior quarterback Danny Tippit threw for 220 yards and three scores - 86 each to junior Kyler Kropp and senior Ball State commit Isaiah Thacker. Defensively, the Dragons held Mt. Vernon to 197 total yards, and they’ve been holding opponents to 194 yards and 9.7 points per game this season, led by sophomore Michael Thacker, who has 25 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Linebacker Eli Hook and defensive back Blaine Nunnally lead New Palestine in tackles. NP has shut out its opponents in the first quarter of every game this season. “Our guys on defense have done a great job. Coach (Scott McMurray) has great gameplans and our boys execute them,” Ralph said. “Our guys come out, play fast and physical and they play sound. We pride ourselves on being very physical and very aggressive. Those guys, when they get the juices going, they’re hard to deal with. It’s got to stay that way. Great defenses are usually the teams that end up getting themselves deep in the tournament, that and teams that run the football together.” The Marauders have run the table since that September meeting, and have done so with offensive fireworks, averaging 50 ppg in that span, including a 63-45 victory over Yorktown last week that saw MV score 34 points in the second half. Freshman quarterback Luke Ertel continues to gain experience, having now thrown for 1,159 yards. He has two solid targets in Purdue commit George Burhenn at tight end (666 yards) and Xavier baseball commit Eli Bridenthal at wideout (534 yards). Both were starters on last year’s title team. “Luke Ertel is improving each week due to the fact that he is investing hundreds of quality reps and those experiences are compounding in his growth and development,” Mt. Vernon coach Vince Lidy said. “At this point he has seen almost every possible defensive front and coverage a player can see in high school, so when the game plan is presented he is able to process and understand where the football needs to go sooner than what he was doing in August. Another thing that has benefited Luke is that he has a great selection of skill players around him and the threat of our running game that past 4 weeks has helped take some pressure off the passing game. It's a game of numbers and match-ups and if we can gain some ground running the football we feel it opens up some passing lanes for Luke and the wide receivers.” Second verse in Dearborn County Another rivalry rematch takes place in Dearborn County, where South Dearborn hosts 3A No. 5 Lawrenceburg for the second consecutive week. This time, it’s with the season on the line in the first round of Class 3A’s Sectional 31. Lawrenceburg won last week’s first meeting 31-0, but both teams come in with solid marks. Lawrenceburg is 8-1, South Dearborn 7-2. Both have a loss to East Central on their records, in addition to their head-to-head matchup. For South Dearborn, which is receiving votes in the IFCA poll, their victory gave them the championship in the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference’s small-school division. “Winning a conference championship was a goal we set at the beginning of the season and it means a great deal to our program and community to achieve this goal,” Knights coach Rand Ballart said. “We have not won a conference championship here at South Dearborn since 1996 so it has been a long time coming for us. I am proud of the coaches and players for working hard this season to accomplish this goal and bringing the conference championship to South Dearborn this year. “ Lawrenceburg enters the sectional having won three straight sectional titles and six of the last seven under coach Ryan Knigga. Last year, the Tigers dropped a 31-29 decision to eventual state champion Gibson Southern in the regional, and are trying to return to Lucas Oil Stadium for the first time since a state runner-up season in 2016. South Dearborn's program development has accelerated under Ballart. The program had won two games total in the three seasons prior to his taking over in 2015. He implemented a two-platoon system to promise opportunities to players. Things turned around in 2018 with an 8-3 season, when his first freshman class was seniors, coming within seconds of winning the sectional. The Knights have won seven games each in back-to-back years and have had significant facility upgrades to take the program to another level. “It has taken a lot of work and a lot of commitment from our community, administration and students,” Ballart said. “When I took over in 2015 there were 29 players in the program and 20 of them were seniors, so needless to say we had to get folks to buy in and get out in the hallways and start recruiting kids to come out and play. “It worked out as planned with the thought of this group being the ones to get us over the hump. We increased our numbers to around 75+ every season and have a solid coaching staff of around 16-18 coaches who are committed to this program. We have been blessed with incredible support from our administration to get the things we needed and our community has been very supportive.” Junior Adam Kunkel has thrown for 2,121 yards and 18 touchdowns through nine games. Austin Ballart (49-783, 6 TDs) and Olli Babcock (37-448, 2 TDs) have been his top two targets. “Adam has done an incredible job leading our offense this year, Coach Jason Babcock does a great job with him to see the field and take what the defense is giving him. He does have a solid connection with his receivers and that is a testament to their work ethic and staying after practice everyday and throwing routes,” coach Ballart said. “I also credit a lot to our offensive coaching staff for buying into the system and being able to get the kids to respond. The uptempo offense that offensive coordinator Jon LeMasters has introduced has really taken off and we have been able to produce so far.” Lawrenceburg enters the sectional with six straight shutouts and a defense that has allowed a total of 20 points since Week 2. The Tigers’ defense is led by senior Jake Pierce (69 tackles, 8 TFL), senior Niko Ferreira (43 tackles), junior Zavyn Slayback (41 tackles) and sophomore Noah Knigga (40 tackles, 10 TFL). The Tigers have forced 25 turnovers. Playing a second game in a week provides a unique challenge to both teams. “The game this week is the one that matters as it’s, win and move on or lose and season over,” Ballart said. “Our kids are fully aware of what is at stake this week and are determined to come out and prepare and get ready to go for this Friday. Playing a county rival two weeks in a row can be interesting and it hasn’t disappointed.” Wildcats find perfection On the other end of the state, 3A No. 4 Hanover Central has also used a stout defense to become one of the state’s 17 unbeaten teams entering the sectional. The Wildcats open Sectional 25 play at Rensselaer. Hanover Central has posted back-to-back shutouts, including a 42-0 defeat of Calumet last week in a game of unbeatens that gave the Wildcats the Greater South Shore Conference title. They’re now seeking their second straight sectional title in just the ninth season as a varsity program. “Thus far, our recipe for success has been our ability to play a fast and physical brand of football,” coach Brian Parker said. “I think we’ve done a good job of playing complimentary football where all three phases of the game feed off of one another. We’ve done a good job of establishing the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Regarding our game against Calumet, our defensive staff did an excellent job of scheming to take away what they do best offensively. On the offensive side of the ball, the gameplan was to pound them up front with our big guys and choose opportune times to take our shots downfield.” Defensively, Hanover Central has shut out four teams and hasn’t allowed more than a touchdown in any game this season - giving up 33 total points on the year, a season that began with three wins over 4A and 5A squads. After defeating East Chicago, Hammond Morton and Culver Academy, the Wildcats rolled through the GSSC schedule with a 47-7 victory over Griffith the closest contest. Junior Collin Foy (57 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 3 sacks), senior Ryan Hildeman (44 tackles, 16.5 TFL), freshman Dylan Boewn (41 tackles) and senior Luka Zakman (38 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 3 fumble recoveries) lead the defense, as well as senior Gannan Howes, who has six interceptions. “In our 3-4 hybrid defense, we have tremendous size and explosiveness along the defensive line,” Parker said. “Within our scheme, we have linebackers that are strong and can run from sideline-to-sideline and defensive backs that are sure-tacklers with exceptional ball skills.” Offensively, Kyle Haessly has run for 1,078 yards and Howes has 662 receiving yards and 10 TDs. Junior QB Matt Koontz is completing 63 percent of his passes for 721 yards and 13 scores. They run behind a strong offensive line of Leo Vukmirovich, Maddux O’Brien, Mitchell Oostman, Davin Hunt and Hildeman, that has the team averaging 330 yards per game. “Matt is a dual threat QB that can has a strong arm and is very fast when he tucks it and runs,” Parker said. “Gannan is a 2-time IFCA JUnior All-State player for us, who is rare blend of speed, toughness and is the ultra competitor. The hammer for us is Kyle. With the speed and athleticism we have on the outside, Kyle allows us to play a hard-nosed style of offense by running the football.” This weekend’s sectional opener features a matchup with one of the top 3A programs in the area in Rensselaer, as the Wildcats seek to win a second straight sectional. The Bombers are 5-4 and are coming off a 28-14 defeat at Cass, but are always a dangerous team. Rensselaer is seeking its seventh consecutive winning season under 24th-year head coach Chris Meeks, who led the Bombers to a state title in 2014. “First and foremost, we have the utmost respect for for Coach Meeks and his staff. Bomber football is predicated on toughness and our team toughness will be tested this upcoming Friday night,” Parker said. “We are going to have to play a clean game with no turnovers, stay ahead of the chains on offense and play assignment-sound defense. If we can do that, I believe we will put ourselves in a good position to be successful.” Top matchup in southern Indiana Out of many good matchups in southern Indiana this week, one of the best comes in Class 3A’s Sectional 32, where 8-1 Southridge - the Pocket Athletic Conference Small School Division champion - hosts 7-2 North Harrison. Southridge is ranked No. 10 both polls. North Harrison enters the sectional having won four straight games, including a 21-14 victory over Providence last week. Coach Mark Williamson’s team features a powerful running game that averages 340 yards a game, led by senior Sawyer Wetzel (1,675 yards, 16 TDs) and quarterback David Langdon, who has accounted for 821 yards of total offense and 16 touchdowns passing and running. “North Harrison will provide us with our biggest test of the season in regards to a team that wants to play power football and just come downhill right at a defense,” Southridge coach Scott Buening said. “They are much bigger than we are up front and use a lot of variations in formations to get their tailback the football who is very talented and a load to bring down.” Southridge enters with an 8-1 mark and has seen much success under Buening, who has led the Raiders to four sectional titles, three regional championships and a state title in 2017. Their upperclassmen were part of a semistate team in 2020. The Raiders also have won four straight, finishing the season with a 35-7 victory over Heritage Hills and a 42-14 win over Forest Park. “We think the strength of our team has been our ‘connectedness’ as a team,” Buening said. “We have a lot of guys who have been great teammates and have worked hard over the course of their time through our youth, middle school and high school program and just want to win football games. We play one offensive lineman over 200lbs, most are between 165-180, and all three starters on our DL are in that 165-180 pound range. We think over the course of the season we have been able to evolve into an identity on both sides of the ball that will give us an opportunity to compete for a sectional championship. I think overall, finishing the season on a high note is good, and we are looking forward to the challenge we have this week with a very good North Harrison team.” Southridge’s defense is allowing eight PPG, led by Reid Schroeder and Caleb Kramer, the two inside linebackers. The Raiders have been very multiple on offense, led by junior quarterback Hudson Allen (1,178 yards passing, 13 TDs) and Schroeder (685 yards). Six backs have at least 200 rushing yards. “Balance has definitely been key for us offensively. We don't have the size up front to just impose any kind of ‘will’ on defenses,” Buening said. “We don't have the ability to force a round peg into a square hole in the run game. The development of our passing game has helped us tremendously be more balanced offensively, so we can use it when we need to use it and as the season has gone on, it has become more of a weapon for us, not just something we can use when we need to. We have balance in both the run game and the pass game. We really have 6-7 guys we are comfortable using at any point in the run game and about the same in the passing game.” Other games to watch this week 4A 21: Lebanon (6-3) at No. 8 Mooresville (7-2) 4A 21: No. 10 Brebeuf Jesuit (5-3) at Northview (6-3) 3A 25: Twin Lakes (1-8) at No. 1 West Lafayette (9-0) 3A 27: No. 7 Norwell (8-1) at Heritage (6-3) 3A 28: No. 9 Guerin Catholic (5-4) at Oak Hill (9-0) 3A 30: Vincennes (4-5) at No. 2 Gibson Southern (9-0) 3A 30: No. 6 Owen Valley (9-0) at Mt. Vernon (Posey) (5-4) 2A 33: Whiting (4-4) at No. 2 LaVille (9-0) 2A 34: No. 10 Rochester (8-1) at Seeger (7-2) 2A 37: No. 1 Linton (9-0) at South Vermillion (7-2) 2A 40: Perry Central (8-1) at No. 5 Evansville Mater Dei (6-3) 1A 4A: No. 4 North Judson (8-1) at South Newton (6-3) 1A 44: No. 2 Adams Central (9-0) at Southwood (7-2) 1A 46: No. 3 North Decatur (9-0) at No. 7 Tri (8-1) 1A 47: No. 9 South Putnam (7-2) at No. 1 Indianapolis Lutheran (9-0)

Having seen Delta in person last week - their defense is legit good. It's easy to see how they beat a very good Columbia City team in Week 2. They're very aggressive and force you to do things you don't want to do. They slowed New Pal for a quarter and a half before the Dragons made some adjustments and got their running game going last week. Offensively, they're still a work in progress, but they have playmakers. Youth and injuries have slowed them a bit, but they will be a very tough out this week against a *very* good Yorktown team.