FridayNightLights

14 hours ago, Komets2727 said:

Ok, maybe Decatur Central is the best in the South next year, but I have to be honest and say I was not impressed with them when they played Snider, especially offensively. Defensively, they were good, but 3 plays into the Snider game, I knew they weren’t scoring an offensive touchdown. Valpo, Mishawaka, Warsaw, and Merrillville will be all good out of the North

They were starting a sophomore QB and basically an entire sophomore front line. They'll be a force for the next two years. 

Not arguing either way. Was kind of surprised when looking at the Indiana Salary Database Would be willing to say those are two of the higher (if not highest) paying coaching jobs in the state....along with some of the best facilities and student-athletes to choose from in the state. 

1 hour ago, BTF said:

What separates Westfield from Carroll, Homestead, Fishers, Carmel, HSE, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Center Grove, Avon, Penn, Ben Davis, etc? Legitimate question. I'm counting 10-15 schools that are right up there. What makes them Top 5?

1 minute ago, temptation said:

1.  Money, great SES, two parent households, etc.

2.  One of, if not THE fastest growing area of population in the state.

3.  Facilities are top notch.

4.  Best conference in Indiana FORCES them to stay competitive (a rising tide raises all boats).

5.  Recent state championship appearance/success that can be sold as a cultural piece to the current crop of student athletes.

 

Just my opinion.

I would agree. Going into the original comment I also would say CG and Brownsburg are top 5 coaching jobs as well. 

Have zero idea, but geographically makes sense for him to be the next coach at Bloomington North? Has he announced where he is going? 

BD 42-17

3 hours ago, MuleDriver said:

Bloomington South @ Decatur Central- based on sagarin ratings and common opponents im going to have to stick with the Panthers. Sagarin has like a 70% success rate I believe I've read in the past. However as I said DC fans say they are a totally different team now..... And south did lose an all state db in the sectional title game. That shakes things up a bit . So all I can say is DC will have to prove it and they may do just that ..... 

This will be a great one. I believe DC starts 8 Sophomores on offense (which would explain their early season struggles) and their sophomore QB, Bo Polson, just received an offer from Michigan last weekend. They have continued to get better as the season has progressed. I think the seniority of BS may come into play late in the game if it is a close one at the end. This one is a true pickem game, but I'll go BS 28-24. I would not be shocked to see DC pull it out though. 

Probably the most well-rounded sectional in all of 5A. Who do you got?

DC-Seems to have turned it on and found an answer to reel off some wins. A lot of Sophomores starting for this team, and will be a team to be reckoned with for the next few years. 

Plainfield- If you asked me 3 weeks ago they would've been my pick to win this sectional and have a serious shot to go to state. They cannot seem to find offense. Maybe the bye week got them back on track?

Harrison- Dominating inferior opponents and looking to get revenge on Plainfield for their only loss of the season

McCutcheon- The underdog in this sectional. Lost 30-13 to Harrison for their matchup

DC @ McCutcheon: Gotta take DC in this one. As long as they don't shoot themselves in the foot tonight they roll. DC 31-17

Plainfield @ Harrison: Expect a low scoring dog fight. Going to come down to turnovers and possibly a 2 point conversion like the first meeting. Harrison 18-17

2 hours ago, Frozen Tundra said:

I believe it’ll be Snider vs whoever wins sectional 13.

DC has started to turn it on. Plainfield has sputtered to the finish line. Harrison has been dominating inferior opponents. A LOT of Sophomores playing for DC so I still have trouble trusting them in crunch time. I do think Bloomington South ends up representing the south. They will have a tough matchup between Harrison/Plainfield/DC though. 

Results from last week sets up 2 conference championship matchups for the final week. Winners of DC vs Franklin and then Plainfield vs Martinsville this week will take a split of the conference title. 

Plainfield at Whiteland

Plainfield looks to clinch at least a share of the conference title tonight with a win. First conference title since 2010. 

Plainfield 24-14

Greenwood at Franklin

Greenwood is a defense away from competing with any 4A school in the state. 

Franklin 35-31

Mooresville at Martinsville

Mooresville 28-24

Perry Meridian at Decatur Central

I believe Perry is without their starting qb tonight  

DC 31-21

3 minutes ago, temptation said:

Bloomington North unanimous in 5A shocks me.

Not even the best team in their own city (yes, I know they won the H2H)

6A: HSE vs Brownsburg

5A: Snider vs Bloomington South

4A: Kokomo vs EC

3A: Chatard vs Tri-West

2A: Luers vs TC

1A: AC vs Lutheran 

Just now, temptation said:

Would they be playing a potential regional game in a parking lot, on grass, or on field turf?  I need to know more prior to making my pick...

Also, how close does one team have to be close to a major metropolitan city for them to be considered in the "city speed > country speed" discussion?

Asking for a friend...

Gun to my head right now...

Valpo/Snider

Bloomington South/Plainfield

I agree. 

1 minute ago, scarab527 said:

Week 6 Pick ‘Em Games:

1. Brownsburg @ Westfield

2. Crown Point @ Valparaiso

3. Warsaw @ Mishawaka

4. Columbia City @ New Haven 

5. New Palestine @ Greenfield-Central

6. Heritage Hills @ Gibson Southern 

7. Batesville @ Lawrenceburg

8. Knox @ LaVille

9. Northeastern @ Centerville

10. Seeger @ Fountain Central 

11. Eastern Hancock @ Milan 

 

Just now, temptation said:

24-4 on the season...

Avon @ Fishers:  Avon needs to remain patient as they nearly pulled one off at home last week against FC.  Not easy in this conference as there are no Friday nights off.  Fishers should be able to rest easy Thursday night and lick their wounds after losing to Brownsburg previously.  I'll roll with the Tigers 34-14.

Brownsburg @ Westfield:  Game of the week in Indiana and my opinion as this one could decide the conference race.  Brownsburg remains undefeated behind a beastly running game and Westfield earned the best win in the state last week with a road win at HSE.  This once should be classic and Westfield just has a knack for winning these close ones.  I'll take them in the mild upset.  27-24.

Hamilton Southeastern @ Zionsville:  What an unforgiving sport football is.  HSE has been on both ends of last second outcomes these last two weeks which should benefit them come tournament time.  No time to feel sorry for themselves however as Zionsville is capable of springing an upset.  See this one as a one possession game in the second half before HSE grabs a late one to win 30-20.

Noblesville @ Franklin Central:  The two most unpredictable teams in the HCC in my opinion.  Do I really have the stones to pick Noblesville?  These teams have been so close to breaking through against the big boys but have yet to finish the job.  I will go with the Millers but am not confident about it.  Noblesville 23-17.

What say you?

Fishers 35-13

Burg 38-28

HSE 31-24

FC 24-21

1 hour ago, foxbat said:

What's the take on Decatur Central?

They're starting A LOT of sophomores on both sides of the ball. 2024 and 2025 seasons will be theirs for the taking, but this year is a lot of growing pains. 

Just now, roaringthunderdlr said:

POWER RANKINGS

1. Plainfield (5-0) (1)

Without a doubt the best team in the Mid-State right now. Defense looked a little iffy against Greenwood in the 1st half but really stepped up in the 2nd. Legitimate contender in 5A South.

2. Perry Meridian (2-3) (4)

Perry is the 2nd best team in the conference right now. I wouldn't say that they'd be competitive with Warren throughout 4 quarters of football but they should be able to win out in conference play.

3. Martinsville (3-2) (8)

Arties jump all the way to 3rd after a dominant win against Franklin. I thought that the Decatur win was fluky, but the Franklin win proved that it was not. Arties sophomore WR Jace Lafary is one to watch in the future, finishing with a statline of 6 catches, 140 yards, and 3 TDs. The Greenwood loss still stings though.

4. Decatur Central (3-2) (5)

Decatur won a rivalry game against Mooresville. Rivalry wins are always impressive, especially on the road. They are a good team but where they stand in Sectional 13 will be determined with their homecoming game against Plainfield on Friday.

5. Whiteland (2-3) (3)

Whiteland was expected to decline a bit due to their loss of production, but 2-3 was not expected and there is still some possible losses on that schedule. Either way, not a bad team, just in a conference with a lot of teams that are on the same skill level as them.

6. Franklin (3-2) (2)

After what appeared to be a solid win over Whiteland, Franklin collectively soiled their pants against Martinsville on Friday. I feel that 2-7 are all very close with one another so I have no problem with dropping Franklin so much after a lackluster performance against the Arties.

7. Mooresville (2-3) (6)

Mooresville is not a bad team, but I have 6 teams over them right now. Pioneers lost close to Decatur Central and they should have a good shot against Franklin next week.

8. Greenwood (3-2) (7)

Greenwood is back to their last place standing in the Mid-State, with their defense playing exactly how I thought it would against the Quakers. Bright future ahead for the Woodmen as long as they keep their new coach around, but this is not their year.

WEEK 6 PREDICTIONS

Plainfield 20, Decatur Central 14

Martinsville 21, Whiteland 20

Perry Meridian 35, Greenwood 28

Franklin 27, Mooresville 26

 

Should be an exciting week in the Mid-State, as always.

Plainfield 31-21

Whiteland 24-17

Perry 42-38

Franklin 28-24

1 minute ago, Footballking16 said:

I'd say Josh Ringer RB East Central is probably the early front runner. On pace for a 2500+ yard season and 50+ TDs. Plays on arguably the best team regardless of class that should go 15-0 en route to a 4A state championship.

Fair. He definitely will have the opportunity to fill up the stat sheet against some of the competition they will play throughout conference play now, as well. I don't think I am taking EC over BD, Burg, or CG though. 

Who are some players in the running for Mr. Football currently? I know Garrett Sherrell for Brownsburg seems to be filling up the stat sheet against some of the best competition in the state. Through 5 games he has 129 carries for 1049 yards and 13 TDs. Averaging 8.1 yards a carry. To go along with 3 catches for 144 yards and 2 additional TDs.  Thoughts?

36 minutes ago, roaringthunderdlr said:

Hey Snider people,

If Snider makes it to LOS, who do you think they'll face from 5A South, and who do y'all want them to face? Being in Plainfield, I'm hearing a lot of biased Plainfield talk and I'd like to get a semi-neutral perspective.

Plainfield has to get by Harrison (again) and most likely 1 of the 2 Bloomington schools. They're in a good position as of now, but would be underdogs against Bloomington South (according to Sagarin). Hope they can keep up the great season and keep winning 1 game at a time.  

1 minute ago, temptation said:

Parity/mediocrity in my opinion.

Not one state title contender and the argument could be made that Plainfield and Perry are the only improved teams over last year…maybe Greenwood.

Sorry to be the wet blanket of the group.

I agree it's not the best conference, but someone has got to come out of 5A south this year Temp. I think the top 3-4 mid-state teams have more than a punchers chance vs the Bloomington schools. 

8 minutes ago, RetiredCoach91 said:

This conference appears more wide open than in many years past. At least five different teams with a legitimate shot to win the league title. The coaching in this conference is at a pretty high level right now. I wont be surprised to see one of these teams making a deep run in 5A south again. 

I would love to see some representation at LOS on Thanksgiving weekend from the Mid-State again. My assumption is one of Bloomington South, Bloomington North, Harrison, Plainfield, Whiteland, DC, Franklin, or Castle will be representing the 5A south. Any of those schools can beat the other on a given night. 

On 9/11/2023 at 8:57 AM, roaringthunderdlr said:

POWER RANKINGS

1. Plainfield (4-0)

The Quakers have undoubtedly looked like the best team in the Mid-State so far. They thrive in the clutch and have a strong running game which could carry them through 5A. If the Quakers play to their potential, they could be in Lucas Oil come November.

2. Franklin Community (3-1)

Despite the loss to Mt. Vernon, Franklin has looked like a good team. They have strong wins over Whiteland and Perry Meridian. Franklin has performed better than I expected them to this year.

3. Whiteland (2-2)

Whiteland is not the contender that they were last year, but they should still compete for their sectional championship and finish the rest of the season pretty strong. Their rematch with Franklin should be a good one.

4. Perry Meridian (1-3)

They may have the worst record in the conference, but don't be mistaken: this Perry Meridian team is different from the Perry teams of years past. They only trailed Franklin Central by 9 points entering the 4th quarter, lost to Plainfield by one point, and took Franklin Community to overtime. The Falcons were only a few plays away from 3-1 or possibly even 4-0.

5. Decatur Central (2-2)

The Polston-less Hawks had an embarrassing loss to Martinsville on Friday night, but when Polston comes back, this Decatur team should take a step forward. We have seen what this team can do if they play to their potential, and this is evidenced by their 43-42 win over New Palestine in Week 2.

6. Mooresville (2-2)

The Pioneers took a step back this year, and I think that 6th is an appropriate ranking for them. Their QB Denny is a very strong running QB, but Mooresville's offense outside of Denny's legs is questionable against better competition. They hung 59 points on Greenwood's bad defense, but managed 15 (8 coming from a garbage time TD) against Plainfield.

7. Greenwood (3-1)

Don't let their 3-1 record fool you: Greenwood is still very much Greenwood, and this was evidenced by their loss against Mooresville. The defense averages 41 points per game, so their offense would need great performances to make up for their defensive ineptitude. This didn't happen against Mooresvillem so I don't expect it to happen against Plainfield, Franklin, Perry Meridian, or Whiteland either.

8. Martinsville (2-2)

Despite their victory over Decatur Central on Friday, I still have Martinsville in dead last. They still lost to Greenwood by 2 touchdowns. Martinsville isn't a terrible football team by any stretch of the imagination: the Mid-State is a good conference from top to bottom. However, someone had to be last, and it's the Artesians.

WEEK 5 PREDICTIONS

Plainfield 42, Greenwood 21

Franklin 27, Martinsville 13

Perry Meridian 20, Whiteland 17

Mooresville 27, Decatur Central 20

Plainfield 42-28

Franklin 31-10

Whiteland 28-24

DC 24-21

On 9/11/2023 at 1:48 PM, scarab527 said:

Week 5 Pick ‘Em Games:

1. FW Carroll @ FW Snider

2. NorthWood @ Warsaw

3. Southport @ Beech Grove

4. Merrillville @ Michigan City

5. Castle @ Vincennes Lincoln

6. Hammond Central @ Pioneer

7. Leo @ East Noble

8. New Prairie @ South Bend St. Joseph

9. Southridge @ Gibson Southern

10. North Harrison @ Brownstown Central

11. Carroll (Flora) @ Eastern (Greentown) 

 

34 minutes ago, roaringthunderdlr said:

Plainfield plays Greenwood next week, not Whiteland.

Anyways,

Mooresville 42 - Greenwood 35

Denny will get his share on the ground and Greenwood will get their share in the air. This game is a toss up but based on recent history I can't pick the Woodmen over the Pioneers right now. This is the MSC's Game of the Week in my opinion.

Plainfield 29 - Perry Meridian 14

This Perry team seems different from years prior. Unfortunately for Perry, this Plainfield team also seems different from years prior.

Decatur Central 20 - Martinsville 10

I expect Decatur Central's offense to struggle without Polston. However, Martinsville is the worst team in the conference this year, and Decatur should still win.

Whiteland 24 - Franklin 13

I think Whiteland beats Franklin on Friday. It won't be the most climactic game but that is how Whiteland does things.

You are right. I am really struggling reading Maxpreps schedules when I'm in a rush lol