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Cheers to the beginning of the playoffs - let’s hope each team stays healthy and avoids any cancellations. I believe Sectional 19 is one of the best in the state. Leo, Northridge, and East Noble are heavy favorites, but don’t sleep on NorthWood, Columbia City or Angola. Would not be surprised to see any of these six teams take home the Sectional 19 crown. 
 

Match ups I’m excited for week 1: Leo at Northridge and Columbia City at East Noble

 

Leo at Northridge: Leo has proven to be a tough team for several years. This is one of their best teams they’ve had. Junior class is extremely talented (although what happened to #33 Mason Sheron??). They are strong defensively and offense is solid. Northridge is going to give them everything they have. They are a little banged up and coming off a tough loss vs a very good Mishawaka team. As an NLC fan, I’m hoping they learn from their mistakes and take Leo down the wire. My prediction — Leo scores at the end to make score look worse than it is: Leo 24, Northridge 14. 
 

Columbia City at East Noble: It’s never going to be an easy task to travel to the defending State Runner-Ups home turf. However, Columbia City has shown a ton of poise and is a sleeper in this Sectional. They will ride or die with their QB who has a great frame and big arm. Unfortunately the Eagles have a couple injuries which could let East Noble run loose. EN may have the biggest size in this sectional. From lineman to secondary they look and play tough. Their 24-0 loss to Leo is overshadowed by several costly turnovers and a couple key injuries (though Leo still would have won, IMO). Nonetheless, East Noble will pull away in this matchup: 28-14. 

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Leo’s D allows them to run that grind it out O.  Everyone knows they’re going to run the ball.  Can northridge get them behind the chains on 2nd and 3rd down?  Leo 14-7

Upset special DeKalb 15-14 OT

CC needs to hit the deep ball to hang with EN.  Too much size and too many athletes in EN.  EN 24-14

NorthWood 28-7

NE8 final Leo v EN.  Leo pulls it out 21-14

 

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2 hours ago, CTP said:

Leo at Northridge: Leo has proven to be a tough team for several years. This is one of their best teams they’ve had. Junior class is extremely talented (although what happened to #33 Mason Sheron??). They are strong defensively and offense is solid. Northridge is going to give them everything they have. They are a little banged up and coming off a tough loss vs a very good Mishawaka team. As an NLC fan, I’m hoping they learn from their mistakes and take Leo down the wire. My prediction — Leo scores at the end to make score look worse than it is: Leo 24, Northridge 14. 
 

Columbia City at East Noble: It’s never going to be an easy task to travel to the defending State Runner-Ups home turf. However, Columbia City has shown a ton of poise and is a sleeper in this Sectional. They will ride or die with their QB who has a great frame and big arm. Unfortunately the Eagles have a couple injuries which could let East Noble run loose. EN may have the biggest size in this sectional. From lineman to secondary they look and play tough. Their 24-0 loss to Leo is overshadowed by several costly turnovers and a couple key injuries (though Leo still would have won, IMO). Nonetheless, East Noble will pull away in this matchup: 28-14. 

Leo and Northridge is going to be a great game. Northridge has played some great teams this year in the NLC and Leo played one of the best teams that 4A south has this year in Mooresville. I think the Raiders have what it takes to beat Leo.

Northridge 21 Leo 20

CC was overhyped at the beginning of the season (they need to schedule some tougher opponents to open up the season IMO.) With Zolman returning to the EN secondary Bolt will need to be precise and make good decisions. CC cannot afford to drop catchable balls like the first match up with EN. These are two teams that do not like each other so look for a physical and hopefully clean game.

EN 28 CC 7

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12 hours ago, CTP said:

Match ups I’m excited for week 1: Leo at Northridge and Columbia City at East Noble

Leo at Northridge: Leo has proven to be a tough team for several years. This is one of their best teams they’ve had. Junior class is extremely talented (although what happened to #33 Mason Sheron??). They are strong defensively and offense is solid. Northridge is going to give them everything they have. They are a little banged up and coming off a tough loss vs a very good Mishawaka team. As an NLC fan, I’m hoping they learn from their mistakes and take Leo down the wire. My prediction — Leo scores at the end to make score look worse than it is: Leo 24, Northridge 14. 

 

 

Mason has been out after an off season surgery.  He was just recently cleared to return but must get in his 10 practices before he can compete.  Won't be available until sectional championship if Leo should get that far.

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24 minutes ago, NE8_Fan said:

Mason has been out after an off season surgery.  He was just recently cleared to return but must get in his 10 practices before he can compete.  Won't be available until sectional championship if Leo should get that far.

Thanks. That’s unfortunate for him. Glad he’s only a Junior and didn’t miss his Senior season (if that’s any consolation). He’s a good ball player. 

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2 hours ago, NRRaider2001 said:

Always a tough sectional, even with some shuffling this year. Should be a fun one in Middlebury this Friday night!

@NRRaider2001 how you feeling about your Raiders this week? There has to be some benefit in seeing the triple-option twice already. Hoping they can fix their mistakes from those two times and pull this one out. 

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1 hour ago, CTP said:

@NRRaider2001 how you feeling about your Raiders this week? There has to be some benefit in seeing the triple-option twice already. Hoping they can fix their mistakes from those two times and pull this one out. 

They won’t be seeing a triple option.  It’s a strange offense but effective if u have a good D and the big boys up front.

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51 minutes ago, Purdue Pete said:

They won’t be seeing a triple option.  It’s a strange offense but effective if u have a good D and the big boys up front.

Fair, it’s wishbone. Not much option or reads by QB. More so, dive/power/sweep. QB does a great job carrying out his fakes though. 

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4 hours ago, CTP said:

@NRRaider2001 how you feeling about your Raiders this week? There has to be some benefit in seeing the triple-option twice already. Hoping they can fix their mistakes from those two times and pull this one out. 

Gonna be tough that's for sure. It sure doesn't help having some key defensive injuries going on, but then again most teams are probably banged up this time of year.  I haven't seen Leo in person since our semi state run a few years back, but by all accounts it won't be an easy task Friday night.  Reading the indiana high school football Facebook page, I think the picks are 28 to 2 picking Leo.  Maybe that will provide some extra motivation for our boys.  Even though it's a home game, there won't be a big home field advantage with only family allowed to attend.  I think it'll be a 1 possession game, with us hopefully coming out on top.  If our offense is in sync like the Concord game and defense plays like the Northwood game, we will be a tough team to beat. 

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Two great teams battled last night in Middlebury, but it's really unfortunate when the officiating is so lopsided that even the Leo media was questioning the game altering calls in the 4th quarter.  Good luck Leo the rest of the way, felt like last night could've been the regional or semi state game rather than the sectional opener of an already shortened season. Thankful our kids got the opportunity to play this season. 

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1 hour ago, NRRaider2001 said:

Two great teams battled last night in Middlebury, but it's really unfortunate when the officiating is so lopsided that even the Leo media was questioning the game altering calls in the 4th quarter.  Good luck Leo the rest of the way, felt like last night could've been the regional or semi state game rather than the sectional opener of an already shortened season. Thankful our kids got the opportunity to play this season. 

There were some bad calls (mostly the unnecessary roughness) that gave Leo life and the lead late in the game, but Northridge shot themselves in the foot with holding penalties on big plays. Northridge's defense looked really good last night and had Leo not been given a first down on the aforementioned call I think they make the stand and this one goes into OT.

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7 minutes ago, Prospect said:

There were some bad calls (mostly the unnecessary roughness) that gave Leo life and the lead late in the game, but Northridge shot themselves in the foot with holding penalties on big plays. Northridge's defense looked really good last night and had Leo not been given a first down on the aforementioned call I think they make the stand and this one goes into OT.

Absolutely made some penalties that we shouldn't have, but I don't know how they call that 4th down call at the end.  Nothing but respect for Leo, very familiar with Leo fans from travel baseball and have nothing but respect for their kids and parents. 

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4 minutes ago, NLCTigerFan07 said:

Just out of curiousity if anyone here knows - since supposedly the Mishawaka vs. Goshen game this week in the sectionals is going to count as an NLC contest due to their regular season contest being cancelled, is the East Noble vs. DeKalb game this week counting as a NE8 contest? 

I doubt it, the game doesn't matter for conference standings.

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Another exciting one this Friday... NorthWood at Leo. Thankfully I’ll be able to watch this one play out live since it’s not played in Elkhart County. Northridge gave Leo a run for their money and by the sounds of it, had every opportunity to win that game. Like Leo, NorthWood has a stingy defense. First team to put up 14 points wins this one. 
 

Unless Covid hits East Noble, they win big vs Dekalb - 42-7...

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