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Northview, Owen Valley meet for WIC supremacy In West Central Indiana, two programs on the rise will meet on the gridiron this Friday night as Northview and Owen Valley meet in a matchup of 4-0 programs. Owen Valley is ranked No. 10 in Class 3A, while Northview sits just outside the IFCA Class 4A poll. OV has rolled up its record with an offense that is averaging 58 points per game and has scored at least 40 points in each of its four outings, including a 57-7 victory over rival Edgewood last week. Meanwhile, Northview’s defense has allowed three touchdowns in the last three weeks, downing West Vigo 41-6 last week after a 28-7 victory over a solid Sullivan squad the week before. Northview has been the team to beat in the WIC since coach Mark Raetz took over in 2013, posting nine consecutive winning seasons heading into this year, including a 9-2, sectional runner-up season last year, but hit the ground running with a 27-21 victory over 5A Terre Haute North to open the year. “We have a smaller senior class this year, but where we had our returning senior experience is on our offensive and defensive lines,” Raetz said. “We've relied heavily on our line group to provide leadership and promote our culture as we've gotten our younger skill players up to speed. The win against Terre Haute North was big for our program. It gave our team confidence and showed them they could play with a bigger, senior-dominated team.” Defensively, the Knights’ success begins up front, where all four defensive linemen - Gabe Stockrahm, Dalton Simmons, Devon Barnhart and Dakota Mackey - are returning varsity starters. Several are also part of that strong offensive line. Offensively, the Knights have relied on a powerful running game that averages 332 yards per contest. It’s led by junior quarterback Kyle Cottee - who has 581 yards and averages 7.7 yards per carry in addition to 233 passing yards - and junior running back Imer Holman, who has 478 yards and averages 8.2 yards per carry. “It's no secret that our offense is based off having a strong run game, and Imer and Kyle are our two main ballcarriers,” Raetz said. “Our offensive line has done a great job opening holes and running lanes so far this season. The level of competition is going to crank up a notch, so hopefully we will continue to run the ball well.” Owen Valley had a resurgence in 2021, going 10-2 and winning the program’s first sectional title since 1992. The Patriots have built on that in head coach Rob Gibson’s second season. They posted a 57-34 victory over South Putnam - Gibson’s alma mater - in Week 2 before a 41-39 OT win over Indian Creek the following week. “Our coaches and players have all bought into a big challenge of changing the way we do everything. The seniors last year really took the lead over our team and never looked back, so the example that they set for the younger classes really benefited us going into this season,” Gibson said. “Our group this year picked up in November right where we left off in terms of the level of dedication and relentless effort that it takes to win games in this league. Games are won from December through July and our guys have bought into that. “We can say a ton of positive things about all four of the teams that we have played. The Week 2 game against South Putnam was a good test for us to find out how we would play for four whole quarters. Indian Creek Week 3 has to be a WIC classic. Two teams showed up ready to play and whoever had the ball and the marker last was going to win.” The strong 2021 rolled into the start to 2022. Senior quarterback Brody Lester is completing 69 percent of his passes for 751 yards and 12 TDs so far, leading an explosive offense. Running back Christian McDonald has run for 471 yards and nine TDs and also has caught nine passes for 208 yards and two scores. Gibson said Lester is the first two-year quarterback he has had, and seeing how he grew in the scheme in a second year has been a significant benefit. “Knowing we were losing a lot of really talented players last year even further sparked our staff to find ways to maximize what we believe we are good at and improve what we believe we weren't. That starts with Brody and Christian. Both of them would tell you to look to the offensive line, who is playing well right now,” Gibson said. “But Brody is in command of everything we do right now on offense.” Owen Valley, which will host this year’s contest, won last year’s meeting 24-14, but the standard for success has been set by the Knights for years. “Northview is the team in the WIC that everyone has been chasing and striving to be like for a long time,” Gibson said. “They are still the team to beat every year. They are incredibly well coached, make very few mistakes, and they play for 48 minutes - regardless of who is in and who they're playing. Mark does a really good job understanding his guys and putting them in positions to be successful based on their strengths. We all try to do that, but he does it very well. So in order for us to be successful against them, we have to understand that good teams make plays. We have to manage the highs and lows of a game of this magnitude.” The Knights see a strong opponent on the opposite side of the ball. “Owen Valley will be the toughest opponent we've seen so far this season,” Raetz said. “They really have no weaknesses. They are explosive on offense in both the run game and pass game. They play sound, fundamental defense. They are solid in the kicking game. And they are very well-coached. We will definitely have our work cut out for us. We'll have to play well in all phases of the game to be able to win at their place.” Lancers finding new-found success In Edinburgh, the Lancers are in a position they’ve not been since the JFK administration - undefeated after Week 4. The last time Edinburgh won its first four games was 1961. “It is great around the school and community,” coach Tyler DeSpain said. “Everywhere you go you hear someone say ‘How about them Lancers’ or ‘Great job out there Coach.’ We have always had support with the community, but they are going above and beyond now.” The Lancers posted a 19-0 shutout at Switzerland County last week, and host 3-1 North Daviess this week. Defensively, Edinburgh has allowed four touchdowns total in four games. It’s been based on a mindset of flying to the football. “Our defense has been playing great. We preach to fly to the ball and have fun with it,” DeSpain said. “I became friends with John Preston, the DC at Whiteland, and learned a lot from him the last two years. We run pretty much the same defense as them. The kids have fun with this defense and how we have a lot of moving parts and it allows them to be free at times. This year has been different though. The last few years we have had one or two guys that really liked to play defense. Now we have all 11 on the field that want to be a part of every tackle.” The success has been part of a turnaround under DeSpain’s leadership. Edinburgh is one win away from clinching its first winning season since 1993. It begins with an offense led by sophomore quarterback Caleb Murphy, who is completing 57 percent of his passes for 691 yards. Senior Jarrett Turner has 590 yards from scrimmage in the running and receiving game and senior Caleb Dewey has 268 receiving yards and four touchdowns. “Caleb (Murphy) has done a fine job,” DeSpain said. “We have really tried to be a more balanced team this year and I believe that has helped Caleb not feel the pressure of everything being on his back. He is only a sophomore and still has a lot to improve on, but if we keep playing defense and running the ball we have I believe he and the team will continue to have a successful year.” Edinburgh was once known for futility - the program lost 68 consecutive games from 2002-09 and had won one game in the two seasons before DeSpain took over. The Lancers went 1-9 in his first year in 2019, then improved to three wins the following year and five wins in 2021 - their first .500 season in decades. Continuity has been key - DeSpain is the sixth coach in Edinburgh history to spend four years at the program’s helm. “It has really just been continuity with the coaching staff and buy-in from our kids,” DeSpain said. “Once kids realize that you are not here just for a year or two then kids really start to buy-in. The kids never really have had some they could get to know and be close to when it came to football.” Tri lighting up scoreboards In East Central Indiana, another Class A program has seen a meteoric rise into a contender. The Tri Titans were not long removed from a 33-game losing streak and were two years removed from a fourth winless season in five years when Andrew Totheroh took over the program in 2016. The Titans went 8-3 in 2020, then posted an 11-3 record with the program’s first sectional title since 2007 and first-ever regional championship last year. Tri has picked up where it has left off, scoring 60 points per game through four wins to start the season, while allowing just 19 points through three games. The Titans blanked Wes-Del 55-0 last week for their second straight shutout. The success from last season has bolstered the program - they had 27 players dressed for the semistate game against eventual state champion Indianapolis Lutheran last year. They have 48 on the roster this season, a large number for a Class A school. “Our youth programs have done an excellent job of keeping our kids together, and as they come up through the feeder programs playing together really helps as they mature and get older,” Totheroh said. “Our current senior group has played together since they were in third grade. Those bonds and chemistry developed pay dividends.” They have a meeting with a strong Centerville squad this week at home - the Bulldogs are 3-1 and handed Tri its only regular-season loss last year en route to the Tri-Eastern Conference championship. Centerville is now in Class 3A and is the largest opponent on Tri’s schedule. “Centerville is a very good football team,” Totheroh said. “To us, we are looking at this as a great opportunity and a test to see where we are at the midpoint of the season. They do a lot of good things on both sides of the ball, and I’m excited to see if we can hold up vs them, execute and play with a passion for the game of football Friday night.” Tri’s Wing-T offense features a powerful running game that is averaging 424 yards per contest. It is led by senior Parker Burk, who totals 587 yards and 14.3 yards per carry. Junior Tyler Brooks (336 yards), senior Gary Paull (308 yards) and senior quarterback Mason Wilson (245 yards rushing) are all averaging more than 10 yards per carry. Wilson has attempted 11 passes all season, but four of his seven completions have gone for touchdowns. “Our offensive scheme is unique and forces defenses to play disciplined football,” Totheroh said. “Our offensive line made up of Ryan Craft, Vance Dishman, Sam Mondrush, Larry Reamer and Garrett Moffett have done an excellent job of identifying fronts, communicating with one another, and adjusting if need be to what we’re getting from our opponents Friday Nights. Mason Wilson, Parker Burk, Tyler Brooks, Gary Paull, Kyler Engle and Grant Cash, our skill positions, have done a great job complementing one another. We’re a team offense and it shows on Friday nights.” Notable Cooper Simmons-Little of Traders Point Christian is the state’s leading passer with 1,357 total yards. He threw for 400 yards and three TDs last week in a 47-42 loss to Park Tudor that was a quarterback shootout - Park Tudor’s Darrell Gordon threw for 297 yards and five TDs. … Another QB putting up big numbers is Indianapolis Lutheran’s Jackson Willis. He threw for 301 yards and three TDs last week in a 52-14 win over Lapel, a week after he and Triton Central’s Jace Stuckey both threw for 400 yards in a 54-41 Saints win. … Roncalli’s Luke Hansen is the first running back in the state to cross the 1,000-yard mark. He has 1,057 this season, tallying his second 300-yard game of the year last week with 307 yards and four TDs in a 38-17 win over Columbus North. He also had 66 yards receiving and a TD … Triton’s Anthony Schuch is averaging 15 yards per carry. He had 219 yards in a 51-10 win over Bremen last week, his second straight 200-yard game. … One game to watch in Grant County is the matchup between 4-0 Oak Hill and Madison-Grant. Oak Hill’s Kyle Turanchick is one of the state’s top rushers with 745 yards. Oak Hill’s next win will be the 150th for coach Bud Ozmun … After a 36-0 win over Shenandoah last week, North Decatur still has not allowed a point this season. … In Class 6A, Ben Davis and Warren Central meet for the 98th time this week. … Kankakee Valley is 3-1 for the first time since 1995. The Kougars have shut out three straight foes. Other key games this week 6A No. 1 Brownsburg at 6A No. 9 Fishers 6A No. 4 Hamilton Southeastern at 6A No. 8 Westfield 6A No. 5 Ben Davis at 6A No. 10 Warren Central 5A No. 6 Fort Wayne Dwenger at 6A No. 7 Carroll (Fort Wayne) Penn at Elkhart Martinsville at 5A No. 7 Franklin Vincennes at 5A No. 8 Castle 4A No. 3 Mooresville at 5A No. 9 Decatur Central Perry Meridian at 5A No. 1 Whiteland Homestead at 5A No. 4 Fort Wayne Snider 4A No. 1 New Palestine at Pendleton Heights 3A No. 5 Guerin Catholic at 4A No. 2 Roncalli Warsaw at 4A No. 6 NorthWood 3A No. 1 West Lafayette at Rensselaer 3A No. 3 Gibson Southern at Southridge 2A No. 1 Linton at Boonville 2A No. 8 Heritage Christian at 2A No. 3 Indianapolis Scecina Indian Creek at 2A No. 9 Triton Central Oak Hill at Madison-Grant Rochester at Tippecanoe Valley 1A No. 1 Indianapolis Lutheran at Cascade 1A No. 2 Adams Central at Heritage 1A No. 10 Monroe Central at 1A No. 6 South Adams Eastern (Howard) at 1A No. 7 Carroll (Flora)

Normal team box is 25-to-25. Home team can opt for the team boxes to extend from 10-to-10 (as was legal during the COVID year). Last week, our opponent opted for the 10-to-10 team box but it appeared neither team really used it.

The signal for offside on a kickoff is the offside signal. I believe the signal for an illegal kick (e.g., a popup kick) is illegal procedure, which *is not* offside (but I'm assuming the announcers are used to seeing that signal as a false start and don't realize it is used for several other fouls, including illegal formation and an illegal free kick, such as a kickoff out of bounds). Something tells me the announcers confused the two signals and announced it wrong.

I'll blame that one on my misreading of the info Coach Curtis gave me. Thanks for the correction.

Martinsville is far enough away from Indy that it likely won't be affected much by suburbanization. Much of the growth along I-69 will likely happen in the Center Grove district (which I-69 runs through for a while before it bends into Morgan County and Martinsville).

Greenwood was a pre-consolidation "school city" and only includes the city limits. The unincorporated land to the west (White River Township) has always been Center Grove. The unincorporated land to the east of Greenwood is Clark Township - it had its own (very small) high school until the 1960s when it was consolidated into Whiteland (same with Union Township - it was consolidated into Franklin at about the same time). Geographically, it would've made sense for Clark Township to consolidate with Greenwood, but the 1959 Consolidation Act required districts to have at least 1,000 students and a certain amount of assessed valuation. Greenwood likely already met that threshold, so it was unlikely to desire to consolidate with any neighbors and give up its identity as a school/community or take on excess costs sending buses to what were then "the boonies." The whole consolidation era is a fascinating one and we see the results of it today - lots of schools built exactly halfway between the consolidating towns, school colors that were chosen as a mix of the pre-consolidation schools (in some cases). I've lived in Hancock County for 25 years and the hyphen in Greenfield-Central's name is a point of contention more than 50 years post-consolidation (basically, the Greenfield people have been trying to quietly eliminate it, while the Hancock Central people have tried to ensure it remains). Whitestown (in Lebanon's district) is the fastest-growing community in Indiana. While the community is likely more economically tied to Zionsville, the students living there go to Lebanon schools. The "outer fringe" schools in the donut counties - WeBo, Sheridan, Hamilton Heights, Tri-West, Danville, Cascade, Edinburgh, Indian Creek, Eastern Hancock, Hamilton Heights (and to a lesser degree, Shelbyville, Martinsville & Greenfield-Central) are likely far enough away that the suburban pull of Indy isn't *quite* as much of a factor for them, but they do have some suburban influence. Tri-West and Cascade, definitely, are starting to feel it because their districts are close enough to I-70 and I-74 that Brownsburg and Plainfield have largely begun to grow into their districts. Same with Greenfield-Central - it's not quite the booming bedroom community Mt. Vernon and New Pal are, but its proximity to I-70 will bring about some degree of suburbanization. It'll be interesting to see what effect I-69's completion has on Martinsville.

Whiteland's school district wraps around Greenwood's and includes all of the unincorporated land east of Greenwood in Johnson County. It actually borders Marion County for more miles than Center Grove does. "Indianapolis" schools are those in Marion County. "Indianapolis-area" schools are those in Marion County and the eight donut counties (and I'd add Pendleton Heights into that, too), as the donut counties - *especially* the ones that border Marion County that are largely bedroom communities (Plainfield, Avon, Brownsburg, Zionsville, Carmel, HSE/Fishers, Mt. Vernon, New Pal, Whiteland, Greenwood, Center Grove ... and to a lesser degree, Triton Central, although Shelby County has basically forbade residential development outside of Shelbyville, thus keeping TC a small, largely rural school).

Whiteland's school district borders Marion County. It's not an "Indy school," but it is definitely suburban Indianapolis, as much as Brownsburg, Center Grove and Hamilton Southeastern.

Richmond has really fallen on hard times as a community. Enrollment is declining, population is declining, socioeconomics are tough. They've been semi-competitive in basketball but things have really fallen off in football the last 5-6 years. Like a lot of East Central Indiana communities, they've lost a lot of families/students/athletes to the smaller county schools (Centerville, especially, has benefited from flight from Richmond) and from people simply moving away. I know there has been a great football culture there and there are a few people left who helped build that, but it's a challenge right now.

Whiteland moves up to top spot By Andrew Smith GridironDigest.com For several years, the Whiteland Warriors have quietly been one of the top teams in the Mid-State Conference and in South Central Indiana. But now, the Warriors have a new designation - No. 1. After beating then-No. 5 Decatur Central 28-7 last week to improve to 3-0 on the season, the Warriors were elevated to the top spot in both Class 5A polls. This week, the Warriors face another fifth-ranked team in 3-0 Franklin in the Golden Work Boot rivalry game. “We look at it as a sign of respect for our entire program and football family members past and present,” Whiteland coach Darrin Fisher said of the No. 1 ranking. “It is a source of pride knowing that others believe as we do that the Whiteland Warriors are capable of beating anyone, anytime, anywhere. This recognition, however, was given to us by someone else. Now we must go out to work each day and earn the right to call ourselves No. 1 down the road.” Whiteland went 6-4 last season and was the sectional runner-up to New Palestine, but has a 31-member senior class that has led the way. “We refer to them as the ‘Dirty Thirty,’” Fisher said. “One advantage to an experienced team is that they know the level of physicality to expect to win tough games. They have risen to the challenge thus far in 2022.” The Warriors’ run-heavy “fly” offense has averaged 315 yards per game so far this season, led by senior Peyton Emberton, who has 426 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Fellow senior Jonathan Crowley is averaging eight yards per carry. Defensively, senior Brady Stanifer leads the Warriors’ defense with 25 total tackles. The Warriors are allowing 10 points per game. But the Warriors are hosting a Franklin squad that is on the rise. The Grizzly Cubs are 3-0 for the first time since 2019 - when they won eight games and posted the program’s first winning season in 23 years. Under coach Chris Coll - who was a state championship coach at Tri-West before heading to Franklin in 2017 - the Grizzly Cubs risen as a program to the top five in Class 5A. “Any success we are having this season is the product of multiple components,” Coll said, citing the example of former players, the coaching staff, booster club and administration, as well as this year’s players. “It takes a great deal of effort and resources to develop a successful high school football program. It's never just one person or one group, and I think that is what we are starting to see here in Franklin.” The Grizzly Cubs are getting a lot of production from a multifaceted ground game led by junior quarterback Clay Pinnick, who has run for 143 yards and thrown for 345 so far. Senior Max Clark has 111 receiving yards and two touchdowns. In addition to being a standout on the gridiron, he also is the nation’s top baseball prospect in the senior class. “Max is an elite athlete. His physical abilities allow him to do some things on the football field that are not typical. Max has also been extremely dedicated to taking care of himself when it comes to the weight room, nutrition and overall care for his body. We know he is going to spend the majority of his time with baseball, but when he does get to us, he is going to be in great physical shape and ready to contribute. I think the most important example Max sets for all of our athletes, and not just football athletes, is the dedication and hard work he commits to being an elite athlete,” Coll said. “And Max loves football. Obviously he knows baseball is going to take him to the highest levels, but he is passionate about football and he loves playing with the teammates he grew up with here in Franklin.” This week’s matchup is an important one for positioning in the always-tough Mid-State Conference - Whiteland opened league play with a win over Decatur Central last week, while Franklin beat Perry Meridian 42-0. “I think it is an important match-up for us primarily because they are the best overall team we have faced to this point in the season,” Coll said. “We are still a program trying to prove we can compete in the Mid-State Conference and in the 5A playoffs. That's the biggest aspect for us as a team/program this week. The rivalry is special and the implications for the conference race are important. But this is only week 4. We have five more conference games after this one, and they are all important and big games for us.” “The challenge of coaching is to have your team improve Mentally, Emotionally and Physically throughout the season,” Fisher added. “Fight for three more feet of ground than you had the week before. Good opponents magnify the need for this to happen. We see the Franklin Game as an opportunity to take another step toward Earning what we want and needing to play our very best to do it.” Mudsock rivalry features neighbors, friends In southeastern Hamilton County, a unique rivalry has developed as Fishers and Hamilton Southeastern meet in the Mudsock rivalry game - Mudsock being one of the city of Fishers’ early names. The rivalry began when Fishers was created in 2006, dividing the rapidly-growing southeastern Hamilton County community into one with two high schools. Not only do the two schools share a community and school district, they also share a youth league and feeder program - the district’s three junior high schools feed into the two high schools - so players grow up knowing and playing alongside each other. The programs have a lot of mutual respect for each other. “It's a game like none other,” HSE coach Michael Kelly said. “The environment, enthusiasm and excitement make the game fun. Most of our players and the Fishers players played youth league and junior high football together.They know each other well. The parents have been on the sidelines supporting one another over the course of that time. It's neat to see how players and our community support one another all year long with the exception of this one game. “What makes the game unique is how well they know their opponent. Most of the time the unknown creates question marks. They know our players well and our players know them well, so there are no questions. It's more about which team will execute their game plan the best.” HSE, currently ranked No. 6 in Class 6A, has won the Mudsock game 12 times in 17 meetings, including a 42-13 victory in last season’s meeting. Offensively, Donavan Hamilton has 220 receiving yards and four touchdowns receiving and junior Jalen Alexander has 297 rushing yards. But the defense has also shone, allowing 11.3 ppg in three games. “We have leaned heavily on our defense to start the season,” Kelly said, noting his team has eight returning starters on that side of the ball, with the line of Evan Sherrill, Dominic Burgett and Jack Seyferth leading the way by getting pressure up front. Led by coach Curt Funk, Fishers is 3-0 for the second consecutive year. It’s the second straight season the two teams have met with unblemished records. The Tigers have been led by their two-pronged rushing attack of junior Khobie Martin - who has 300 yards and three TDs - and senior Carson Dunn, who has scored five TDs and has 224 yards. The contest is not just a backyard rivalry, but also an important one in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference race - a league that features four teams in the top 11 of the IFCA Class 6A poll. Crown Point rallies for a signature victory Last week was a tough one for teams ranked No. 1 in the state, as four teams atop their respective classes’ polls were defeated. One of those was 5A No. 1 Merrillville, as Crown Point rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to beat the Pirates 48-40 in a wild game. The Bulldogs relied on their power running game to outscore Merrillville 27-6 after halftime. Quarterback J.J. Johnson ran for 182 yards, while running back Elijah Taiwhan ran for 137 for the Bulldogs. Taiwhan’s two third-quarter touchdowns erased the 34-21 halftime deficit and put the Bulldogs on top. Crown Point added two more scores before allowing a late touchdown. “There were two big keys to our success on Friday,” Crown Point coach Craig Buzea said. “After giving up 34 points in the first half, making some schematic adjustments defensively, but even more importantly, understanding the speed of the game in which they played. Once our guys figured that out, we were able to shut them out in the second half other than a Hail Mary pass with a minute to go. “Probably more importantly, we stuck to our gameplan on offense. It would have been very easy to abort the plan, falling behind by two touchdowns early in the first quarter, but we felt our only chance to negate their tremendous speed was to play power football and run straight at them with three and four tight end sets while mixing in some play action shots along the way.” The Bulldogs rushed for almost 400 yards in the game, which Buzea said “is nearly unheard of against a Merrillville defense.” It’s Buzea’s second season in Crown Point after winning more than 200 games at Portage and in Illinois - and a full offseason allowed the coaching staff to put their plan to work after taking over in spring 2021. Crown Point is 3-0 and receiving votes in the Class 6A poll, its best start since 2014. After beating Lowell and Andrean the first two weeks, the Bulldogs host neighbor Lake Central this week in a Duneland Athletic Conference contest. “It’s going to be a challenge each and every week in the DAC and we must be able to answer the bell every Friday,” Buzea said. “It’s very important that we take care of ourselves. The plan is in place. We need to keep the main thing the main thing and block out the noise.” North Decatur putting up zeroes In Class A, No. 6 North Decatur has been dominant through three games, with a defense that is unscored upon. Last week, the Chargers beat then-No. 4 Monroe Central 43-0, and they have outscored opponents 140-0 through three games. They can clinch at least a share of the Mid-Eastern Conference title this week at home against Shenandoah. The Chargers have had success in recent seasons, but they are 3-0 for the first time since 2015, which was their first under coach Steve Stirn. After going 6-5 last season, they’ve been impressive on both sides of the ball this season. “From day one we have been trying to build a program that could be successful,” Stirn said. “The last few years we have begun to reap the rewards of those early efforts. The sectional championship is 2019, was the first in 21 years, it sorta raised the bar for expectations. Success has allowed to push our kids and to be even more demanding. They have answered the call. This year is the culmination of a lot of hard work by many people.” Defensively, the Chargers’ depth has led to their success, as they rotate 20 players on that side of the ball, led by seniors Carson Parmer and Jake Kinker up front, as well as the brother tandem of James and Josh Evans at linebacker, Reid Messer at safety and Evan Howell at cornerback leading the way. Howell is the leading tackler with 17 stops. “The sum is only as good as its parts,” Stirn said. “This collection of young men love to play defense and take a tremendous pride in it.” Offensively, Parmer is completing 71 percent of his passes for 558 yards. Messer has 272 rush yards, 173 receiving yards and seven total TDs. James Evans is averaging 9.6 yards per carry and has four scores. Warsaw led by its D Another program putting up impressive numbers early in the season is Warsaw. Coach Bart Curtis’ squad is 3-0 for the first time in 21 years. They’re led by a defense that has allowed 14 points in three games - beating Michigan City 35-7 and Chesterton 24-7 in the opening two weeks before a 70-0 shutout of Plymouth in Week 3. The defense has led the Tigers so far, with nine returning starters. DL Russ Winchester, LBs Nick Katris and Jonn Burritt and DBs Trey Koontz and Theo Katris are all three-year starters. DL Isaac Beam, LB Jette Woodward and CB Colt VanHouten are all two-year starters. Beam and Katris both had defensive scores last week against Plymouth, and the Warsaw defense has scored more touchdowns than it has allowed this season. “Several two and three-year starters have returned on defense and have played inspired defensive football for most of their snaps,” Curtis said. “We lost our starting quarterback early in our opener, so our defense will continue to play hard and well as we bring along our new quarterback. We have also improved each week on the offensive line while trying to find an offensive identity.” For decades, Curtis’ teams identity has been the option offense. Grady Nolin has taken the helm and rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown and threw for 58 yards last week against Plymouth. Running backs German Flores and Bryson Brown are two of the three returning starters. The Tigers travel to Concord this week in a Northern Lakes Conference matchup. Warsaw hasn’t won at Concord since 2009. “Concord’s is extremely well-coached,” Curtis said. “Craig Koehler and his staff have had us dialed in for years. Their current record is extremely deceiving, with losses to undefeated Elkhart and NorthWood.” Rough week for No. 1s In addition to Merrillville, three other No. 1s fell last week. 6A Center Grove dropped a 29-28 2OT game at Louisville Trinity - a Kentucky powerhouse that defeated Carmel in Week 1. Brownsburg took over the top spot in the 6A poll. In Class 3A, Indianapolis Chatard lost on a last-second field goal to 4A No. 2 Roncalli by a 20-17 score. While the Trojans remained No. 1 in the IFCA poll heading into this week’s game at 6A No. 3 Cathedral, West Lafayette moved up to No. 1 in the AP poll. In 2A, Evansville Mater Dei fell 31-28 to Vincennes Lincoln, allowing Linton to move to the top spot. New Palestine (Class 4A) and Indianapolis Lutheran (Class A) remain in the top spot of their respective classes. Brownsburg plays its first game at No. 1 at home against rival Avon. New Palestine travels to its arch-rival, Mt. Vernon, ranked No. 9 in Class 4A. West Lafayette hosts 2A No. 6 Lafayette Central Catholic. Linton hosts Sullivan, while Lutheran meets Lapel. Other key games this week 6A No. 2 Center Grove at 6A No. 4 Ben Davis 6A No. 3 Indianapolis Cathedral at 3A No. 1 Indianapolis Chatard 5A No. 7 Fort Wayne Dwenger at Homestead 5A No. 8 Decatur Central at 4A No. 10 Martinsville 4A No. 2 Roncalli at Columbus North 4A No. 7 Brebeuf at 3A No. 5 Guerin Catholic 3A No. 2 West Lafayette at 2A No. 6 Lafayette Central Catnolic 4A No. 7 New Prairie at 3A No. 10 Mishawaka Marian South Warren (Ky.) at 3A No. 3 Gibson Southern Western Boone at 3A No. 6 Tri-West River Forest at 3A No. 8 Hanover Central Sullivan at 2A No. 1 Linton 2A No. 10 Triton Central at Monrovia Lapel at 1A No. 1 Lutheran Jay County at 1A No. 2 Adams Central 1A No. 3 South Adams at Heritage

New Palestine at Mt. Vernon: NewPalRadio.com. The Helmet and the Boundary Rail traveling trophies are on the line this week as the Dragons and Marauders meet. These two schools have won every HHC championship since 2010. MV has won back-to-back years but had to rally in the second half to beat Greenfield-Central last week. NP scored 26 third-quarter points to put away Yorktown. It's a game with a lot of playmakers - the Thackers and Grayson Thomas for New Palestine, Eli Bridenthal and George Burhenn for Mt. Vernon. An old rivalry - the schools are meeting for the 55th consecutive year - always brings out the best in both teams. Delta at Yorktown. WMUN-92.5/1340, WXFN.com. Another outstanding rivalry. Delta is 3-0 and routed Shelbyville last week after two close non-conference wins. Yorktown is 2-1 after outscoring its nonconference foes 47-7. The Tigers played New Palestine to a one-possession game in the first half before the Dragons' depth won out. Mason Moulton is back for Yorktown. Pendleton Heights at Greenfield-Central: WEEM-91.7, WRGF-89.7. The Arabians are 1-0 after an impressive 35-0 win over New Castle last week. The Cougars are 2-1, but took Mt. Vernon to the wire last week before falling 35-28. Both teams have strong ball-control offenses, although they attack different ways - PH's power spread, G-C's wishbone. New Castle at Shelbyville: WLTI-1550, WSVX-1520, Giant.FM. The Golden Bears are home looking for their first win of the year. New Castle is looking to snap a two-game losing streak.

A scenario from Friday's IU-Illinois game (which I was able to see despite an hour's drive from my game thanks to college games lasting 4+ hours). Final drive. IU is in hurry-up offense. Apparently it subbed, so Illinois - the defense - uses the opportunity to replace about eight players. IU snaps the ball while the ILL players are running off the field. Ball is snapped, incomplete pass results, flag thrown for illegal substitution. After a long discussion, flag is picked up, clock is reset to the time of the previous snap and essentially, the previous play was voided. Because IU had subbed a player, I believe that's the proper application of the rule (although the announcers were baffled - I caught the first part of the play on radio and then saw the aftermath on TV). It got me to thinking what the high school rule is in such a situation. If the offense makes a pre-snap substitution, does it have to give the defense the opportunity to change its personnel before the snap? If the ball is snapped (I know one official - the R or U - will often hold the play until the defense's chance to sub happens in the college level) before that happens, would it be adjudicated in the same way (no play, reset time and ball to previous spot)?

New Pal 50, Yorktown 13: This was a one-score game at halftime, and Yorktown had first-and-goal down 14-7 in the final minute of the half (but had to settle for a FG, then NP's Brendan Tanksley nailed a career-long 47-yarder at the break). NP scored 33 points in about seven minutes, with three picks and a blocked punt to flip the score. Mason Moulton is really impressive - was 24-of-47 in this one. NP's QBs were 16-of-23 for 186 yards, with Danny Tippit throwing for 165. Mt. Vernon 35, Greenfield-Central 28: Marauders had to rally in the fourth quarter but pulled out the win for their first victory of the year. Sets up a big one for the Boundary Rail against New Pal next week. Delta 42, Shelbyville 7: Eagles roll at home. Pendleton Heights 35, New Castle 0: Arabians jumped out to an early lead and it was never in doubt.

Let's try this here. It's 4th-and-10. LOS is the -30. Team A punter runs, takes off and illegally punts from the -35. Team B fields the punt at its own 20 yard line and its returner runs it for 15 yards, fumbling at his own 35. Team A recovers. Team B accepts the 10-yard penalty, enforced from Team A's 35 (the spot of the kick). It's Team A's ball, fourth-and-15 from its own 25.

Mt. Vernon is one of the fastest-growing school districts in the state. I believe this will be their last cycle in 4A. Greenfield-Central's enrollment has largely been flatlining/declining over the last few years. There is growth there, but it doesn't seem to be translating into the size of the school. First of all, Greenfield isn't that close to Indy - it's 15 miles from the Post Road exit on I-70 to the Greenfield one - and a significant number of people who live in the G-C district send their kids to other schools (Eastern Hancock seems to be the primary beneficiary). G-C will eventually be 5A - maybe in the next two or three reclassifications - but it will eventually be passed up population-wise by both Mt. Vernon (which has already passed it up in terms of district enrollment) and New Pal.

So if it's treated as a fumble, there's essentially no penalty for the receiving team to pick it up. In this scenario ... It's 4th-and-10. LOS is the -30. Team A punter runs, takes off and illegally punts from the -35. Team B fields the punt at its own 20 yard line and a) scores a TD (it declines the penalty and the TD stands) b) runs the ball back to Team A's 20 yard line (again, it declines the penalty and takes possession at the +20) c) Brown runs for 15 yards, but then fumbles and Adams recovers. Team B accepts the penalty, enforced from the spot of the kick and it's Team B ball 4th-and-15 from the -25. Is this a correct interpretation?

Didn't realize a drop-kick was a legal kickoff. Out of curiosity, is the drop-kick still legal for a field-goal/PAT attempt? It is in the NFL, but has only been used in some novelty situations in recent years.

Saw something come up in the Appalachian State-South Carolina State game last night - the SCS punter took off on 4th-and-19 as if it were a fake. He got about 15 yards beyond the LOS and *then* punted the ball, rugby-style, while on the run when he realized he wasn't going to make the first down. I found the NFL rule (any kick beyond the LOS is penalized 10 yards from spot of foul), but wasn't sure of the NFHS rule. I assume it's illegal in high school, too ... it was just something I'd never seen before (at least in American football ... you see all kinds of crazy stuff in Canada where teams will punt the ball back and forth to each other on the same play at the end of the game). == As an aside, a kick that does not reach the LOS remains a live ball and thus can be kicked again, correct? Again, something I've not really seen in years (other than seeing a punter - who was also the fastest guy on the team - pick up his own blocked punt that went sideways, landed behind the LOS, scoop it up and run it in for a score, but never a double-punt).

It's interesting because, about 20ish years ago, you'd see multiple teams running a version of the Wing-T. In Central Indiana, Center Grove, Eastern Hancock, Mt. Vernon, Warren Central and a few others (Lawrence Central, maybe) were running it as their base offense. CG is about the only one left who still runs it. It's rare anymore to see a QB line up under center.

New Pal's enrollment tipped 1200 for the first time this year and the freshman class is 325ish, so at that rate, it'll be 1300+ in a few years. Several new neighborhoods are under construction. I wouldn't be shocked if New Pal is a 5A by enrollment by the end of the decade.

Bumping. *Really* interested to see how the battle of green turns out between PH & NC. PH looks improved after a down year by their standards, but New Castle returns just about everyone after a building year. MV vs. G-C looks like it might be a matchup of two of the league's top three teams. It's been a long time since that's been said of G-C this early in the season.

And here is the audio version. Enjoy the fastest five minutes in high school football (and again, any radio stations who wish to use this content, please feel free to do so. DM me your email address and I'll send it directly to you).

Class of 2023 Luke Burgess (New Palestine): OL. Verbal: Louisville (has more than 20 offers) Isaiah Thacker (New Palestine): WR/DB. Verbal: Ball State Class of 2024 Ian Moore (New Palestine): OL. Offers: Boston College, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Duke, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Louisville, Miami, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee, Toledo, West Virginia, Western Michigan, Wisconsin I'll add a Class of 2025 one Michael Thacker (New Palestine) DT. Offers: Ball State, Tennessee

The "tampering" is easier on hardwood because travel teams can be used as intermediaries. The coach doesn't have to contact kids ... he can simply have an "in" with a travel program and have the travel program (or parents in that program) do it for them. High school football doesn't quite have that "travel" component and so the third-party access isn't quite as great (although with Team Indiana in Indy and specialized private speed/skill coaches - who just happen to be affiliated with high school programs - there are some avenues for "recruiting," but it's not as widespread).