THE 2024 INDIANA FOOTBALL DIGEST’S TOP GAMES – WEEK THREE

by | Sep 6, 2024 | Columns, Football Blogs, Headlines, Matt's Matchups, RRSN News | 0 comments

BROWNSBURG (2-0) AT FRANKLIN CENTRAL (1-0)

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Flashes Stadium.

COACHES: John Hart, 71-18 in ninth season at Brownsburg, 338-99 in 40th season overall. Jayson West, 12-19 in fourth season at Franklin Central, 135-57 in 17th season overall.

PREVIOUS MEETING: Brownsburg, 35-21, on September 1, 2023.

LAST CONTEST: Brownsburg beat Indianapolis Cathedral, 30-14. Franklin Central beat Perry Meridian, 45-14.

UP NEXT: Brownsburg entertains Avon (1-1). Franklin Central travels to Zionsville (1-1).

TOP PERFORMERS: Avery Allen amassed 15 rushes for 83 yards with a touchdown for the Flashes against Perry Meridian. Oscar Frye completed 9-of-14 for 148 yards with two scores for the No. 3 (Class 6A) Bulldogs against No. 7 (Class 6A) Cathedral.

COACHES’ CORNER: “Our offense, defense, and special teams played at a high level against Cathedral, but we had uncharacteristically way too many penalties. Our youth showed up and now it’s up to our staff to address this to them. It’s my hope it’s our next big step in developing as a team.” – Brownsburg’s John Hart.

“They are a very good football team. We will have to win two phases of the game to have a chance to win this game. They have a very good defense and their defensive line is very good and will be a challenge.  We have to be patient and try to control the ball and keep it away from a very good offense. We have to stop the run to set up more predictable downs. If they get predictable downs, they are nearly impossible to stop.” – Franklin Central’s Jayson West.

CENTERVILLE (2-0) AT EASTERN HANCOCK (2-0)

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Knarr Field.

COACHES: Ryan Cole, 18-4 in third season at Centerville, 18-12 in fourth season overall. Pat Echeverria, 38-25 in sixth season at Eastern Hancock, 70-81 in 14th season overall.

PREVIOUS MEETING: Centerville, 22-21, on September 1, 2023.

LAST CONTEST: Centerville beat Hagerstown, 53-7. Eastern Hancock beat North Decatur, 34-8.

UP NEXT: Centerville hosts Winchester (0-2). Eastern Hancock goes to Heritage Christian (2-0).

TOP PERFORMERS: Jace Hollendonner was 7-of-8 for 100 yards with three scores for the Bulldogs against Hagerstown. Elijah Edon went 16-of-25 for 193 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 4 (Class 2A) Royals against No. 6 (Class 1A) North Decatur.

COACHES’ CORNER: “We are looking forward to this big matchup with Eastern Hancock who is now a sectional opponent in 2024. Last year, we came away with a 22-21 victory that came down to the final second, so we know we are in store for a great ball game. We are going to have to be extremely physical at the line of scrimmage and disciplined in executing our game plan. They have an explosive offense that we will have to contain by tackling at a high level and playing extremely well in the secondary. We need our playmakers to create explosive plays and we need to take care of the football on offense. If we can do these things, we expect good results on Friday.” – Centerville’s Ryan Cole.

“Centerville is the best team we have seen so far this season. They are athletic, physical, and very well-coached. On offense, we must establish a great mix of run and pass to keep them off-balance. We have struggled at times in the red zone this season and that is a huge point of emphasis this week. On defense, we have to take away their vertical passing game and rally to tackle well on short passes. They do a great job on outside and quarterback runs, so reading keys, pursuing to the football, and gang tackling is vital. With two evenly matched teams, the team with the fewer mistakes typically comes out on top.” – Eastern Hancock’s Pat Echeverria.

CROWN POINT (2-0) AT MERRILLVILLE (2-0)

KICKOFF: 8 p.m. EDT, Demaree Stadium.

COACHES: Craig Buzea, 30-7 in fourth season at Crown Point, 246-96 in 32nd season overall. Brad Seiss, 74-35 in 10th season at Merrillville, 87-52 in 13th season overall.

PREVIOUS MEETING: Crown Point, 39-6, on September 1, 2023.

LAST CONTEST: Crown Point beat Arizona College Prep, 42-7. Merrillville beat Hobart, 36-0.

UP NEXT: Crown Point entertains Lake Central (1-1). Merrillville travels to Portage (2-0).

TOP PERFORMERS: Josh Miller racked up 3.5 quarterback sacks for the No. 2 (Class 6A) Bulldogs against Arizona. Cameron Jordan came up with a pair of scores for the top-ranked (Class 5A) Pirates against Hobart.

COACHES’ CORNER: “Merrillville is the No. 1 team in Class 5A for a reason. They return most of their semistate team from a year ago. Along with the experience, they are tremendously talented on both sides of the ball and explosive on special teams. For us to be successful, we must win the turnover battle, eliminate penalties, and be successful on both sides of the ball on third and fourth down conversions. Finding a way to combat their tremendous speed advantage will also be a huge key to our success.” – Crown Point’s Craig Buzea.

“There’s no better way to kick off the (Duneland Athletic) conference season than Merrillville vs. Crown Point at Demaree Stadium. We won the DAC in 2020 and 2021 and they won it in 2022 and 2023. We know we’re in for a great challenge as they are well-coached and extremely physical on both offense and defense. Playing in a big game like this will be exciting and it prepares us for other big games to come.  We’re very much looking forward to playing them as I’m sure they are as well.  We know we’ll have to play a very good 48 minutes of football to come out on the good side of this game.” – Merrillville’s Brad Seiss.

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (2-0) AT GUERIN CATHOLIC (2-0)

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, GCHS Field.

COACHES: Kyle Ray, 59-28 in ninth season at Heritage Christian. Tom Dilley, 66-45 in 11th season at Guerin Catholic, 146-122 in 25th season overall.

PREVIOUS MEETING: Guerin Catholic, 31-7, on September 1, 2023.

LAST CONTEST: Heritage Christian beat Indianapolis Scecina, 42-21, Guerin Catholic beat Lebanon, 35-31.

UP NEXT: Heritage Christian hosts Eastern Hancock (2-0). Guerin Catholic entertains Brebeuf Jesuit (1-1).

TOP PERFORMERS: Eli Nix went 8-of-12 for 126 yards with two touchdowns and ran six times for 63 yards and another tally for the No. 8 (Class 2A) Eagles against Indianapolis Scecina. Malcolm Houze was 19-of-34 for 259 yards with three touchdowns and tallied seven carries for 64 yards with another score for the No. 4 (Class 3A) Golden Eagles against Lebanon.

COACHES’ CORNER: “Guerin Catholic, year in and year out, is a great football team. They are tough and very well-coached. We need to execute and compete at a high level for four quarters if we want to come away with a win Friday night.” – Heritage Christian’s Kyle Ray.

“Heritage Christian is a very good football team. Coach Ray and his staff have the Eagles playing at a high level. Their offense is extremely explosive, and their defense is athletic, disruptive, and opportunistic. In order to be successful, we will need to play great team defense and limit their big plays. Our offensive line will need to sort out all of their stemming and movement and work together as a unit. As always, taking care of the football and taking the ball away from their offense when we get the chance will be of the highest priority. We will need to tackle well in space and win the battle in the trenches.” – Guerin Catholic’s Tom Dilley.

INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (2-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (1-0)

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Tully Field.

COACHES: Rob Doyle, 80-20 in eighth season at Bishop Chatard. Sam Otley, 1-0 in first season at Roncalli.

PREVIOUS MEETING: Bishop Chatard, 14-7, on September 1, 2023.

LAST CONTEST: Bishop Chatard beat Hanover Central, 28-7. Roncalli beat Southport, 37-13.

UP NEXT: Bishop Chatard hosts Indianapolis Cathedral (1-1). Roncalli goes to Columbus North (2-0)>

TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Harrington was 12-of-15 for 155 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 2 (Class 4A) Trojans against Hanover Central. Drew Nelson caught five passes for 101 yards with a score for the Royals against Southport.

COACHES’ CORNER: “Roncalli has another great football team. They are solid on both sides of the ball. They have a huge offensive line and a dynamic quarterback (Jayden Buchanan) that thrives in big plays. On defense, they are consistent and solid at all positions. This game is always a hard-hitting battle with a huge crowd and a great high school football atmosphere.” – Bishop Chatard’s Rob Doyle.

“We need to play a complete game on offense, defense, and special teams. Our offense needs to play mistake and penalty free football. We have to convert on third downs and score touchdowns in the red zone. The defense needs to play fast and physical, rally to the ball, and limit explosive plays.” – Roncalli’s Sam Otley.

LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (1-0) AT LOGANSPORT (2-0)

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Memorial Hospital Stadium.

COACHES: Brian Nay, 50-27 in seventh season at Central Catholic. Mike Johnson, 38-46 in ninth season at Logansport, 252-124 in 34th season overall.

PREVIOUS MEETING: First matchup on gridiron.

LAST CONTEST: Central Catholic beat Seeger, 55-6. Logansport beat South Bend Adams, 35-6.

UP NEXT: Central Catholic hosts Twin Lakes (1-1). Logansport travels to Benton Central (0-2).

TOP PERFORMERS: Bobby Metzger completed 21-of-27 for 361 yards with four touchdowns for the No. 2 (Class 2A) Knights against Seeger. Chris Del Valle romped for 78 yards and two scores for the Berries against Adams.

COACHES’ CORNER: “We will have to be able to match Logansport physically. Coach Johnson is a (Indiana) Hall of Fame Coach and will have his team ready to go. Elite attention to detail and execution will be paramount if we are going to put ourselves in position to win in the fourth quarter.” – Lafayette Central Catholic’s Brian Nay.

“Lafayette Central Catholic is a great team. Offensively, they are outstanding. They have a very polished attack that all starts with a very good quarterback (Bobby Metzger) who can distribute the ball to some gifted skill players. This offense is a nightmare for opposing defenses. We will have to find a way to slow them down and get some stops. They are well-schooled on defense and will make it difficult for us, but we must be able to get first downs, keep the ball out of their hands, keep the clock moving, and take our shots when we can.” – Logansport’s Mike Johnson.

MISHAWAKA (2-0) AT CONCORD (2-0)

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Jake Field.

COACHES: Keith Kinder, 56-18 in seventh season at Mishawaka. Craig Koehler, 64-34 in 10th season at Concord.

PREVIOUS MEETING: Mishawaka, 20-14, on November 3, 2023 in Class 5A sectional final.

LAST CONTEST: Mishawaka beat Penn, 27-7. Concord beat Jimtown, 49-28.

UP NEXT: Mishawaka entertains NorthWood (1-1). Concord travels to Northridge (0-2).

TOP PERFORMERS: Landon Snyder raced 16 times for 207 yards with a touchdown and went 2-of-4 for 62 yards and two scores for the No. 3 (Class 4A) Cavemen against Penn. Bo Brunner was 18-of-20 for 322 yards with four touchdowns and raced 10 yards for another tally for the No. 8 (Class 5A) Minutemen against Jimtown.

COACHES’ CORNER: “We are excited about the opportunity to open conference play with a great opponent in Concord. They are extremely talented and very well-coached. We have many things that we have to show improvement at to have success this Friday night. We must cut out the silly penalties that we’ve struggled with the first two weeks. Additionally, we have to keep the ball off the ground. Turnovers will get us beat. Defensively, we have to get 11 guys to the football to have a chance to stop a very talented offense. Concord has several weapons that can hurt you if you do not play disciplined. We will need to play with great discipline and effort Friday night to have a chance to win.” – Mishawaka’s Keith Kinder.

“It’s the same story with Mishawaka. They lose their quarterback and fullback and replace them with two sophomores that do not look like sophomores. They have not skipped a beat offensively. We must win some early downs or we cannot beat them. They love being second down and five or six yards to go. They are the best pursuing defense that we see all year. Our perimeter blocking will be key for us to be able to move the ball. As always, winning special teams and the turnover margin would give us the best opportunity to win the game. Their offense is too good to give them a bunch of extra possessions.” – Concord’s Craig Koehler.

NORTH DECATUR (1-1) AT MONROE CENTRAL (2-0)

KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Monroe Central.

COACHES: Steve Stirn, 75-35 in 10th season at North Decatur, 162-84 in 22nd season overall. John Hochstetler, 93-44 in 13th season at Monroe Central, 180-127 in 28th season overall.

PREVIOUS MEETING: North Decatur, 41-6, on September 1, 2023.

LAST CONTEST: North Decatur lost to Eastern Hancock, 34-8. Monroe Central beat Union City, 57-25.

UP NEXT: North Decatur hosts Shenandoah (2-0). Monroe Central entertains Tri (1-1).

TOP PERFORMERS: Mason Morris tossed for 104 yards with a touchdown for the Chargers against Eastern Hancock. Jeremiah Ullom rambled 12 times for 222 yards with four touchdowns and hauled in two receptions for 46 yards and another score for the No. 8 (Class 1A) Golden Bears against Union City.

COACHES’ CORNER: “We need to contain their three-headed run game. They have three very competent ball carriers. It is critical that we get off the field defensively. Last week, we allowed four drives of 10-plus plays. That is not who we are and must do better Friday night at Monroe Central. We need to prepare for changes that they throw at us. I have tremendous respect for John and the job that he does. He will have his guys ready to play and likely have a few wrinkles for us. Offensively, we must need to establish a run to pass balance to force them to defend the field and not allow them to get extra defenders in the box versus our running game. Our quarterback, Mason Morris, needs to play well and distribute the ball for our offense to be effective.” – North Decatur’s Steve Stirn.

“We have a long relationship with North Decatur and know the challenge at hand. You cannot make mistakes and stay in a ball game with them. We will need to compete in all three phases to get where we want to go. North Decatur is very well-coached and they play hard.” – Monroe Central’s John Hochstetler.

OAK HILL (2-0) AT MISSISSINEWA (2-0)

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Fisher Field.

COACHES: Bud Ozmun, 161-107 in 26th season at Oak Hill. Kyle Buresh, 36-13 in fifth season at Mississinewa.

PREVIOUS MEETING: Mississinewa, 16-9, on September 8, 2023.

LAST CONTEST: Oak Hill beat Southwood, 35-0, Mississinewa beat Marion, 35-0.

UP NEXT: Oak Hill plays at Madison-Grant (2-0). Mississinewa travels to Frankton (0-2).

TOP PERFORMERS: Dylan Archer recorded 24 carries for 140 yards with three touchdowns for the Golden Eagles against Southwood. Kellen Rock went 6-of-10 for 114 yards with three scores for the Indians against Marion.

COACHES’ CORNER: “Over the last few years, Mississinewa has become one of the elite programs not only in our area, but in the state, winning two sectional championships and putting together an undefeated (regular) season a year ago. They are continuing that success here in 2024 with two convincing wins over quality programs. For us to be successful, we are going to need to play sound, disciplined defense, execute on offense with minimal mistakes, and win the field position battle on special teams. Looking forward to competing against a high-quality opponent.” – Oak Hill’s Bud Ozmun.

“Coach Ozmun has done a phenomenal job at Oak Hill and always has his team prepared to compete. Defensively, we’ll have to be very disciplined with our eyes to read our keys, win the battle at the line of scrimmage, create takeaways, and not allow yards after contact. Offensively, we need to win the battle at the line of scrimmage, make explosive plays, stay on schedule with our drives, and most importantly, take care of the football. The special teams battle in this game will be very critical.” – Mississinewa’s Kyle Buresh.

PAOLI (2-0) AT SPRINGS VALLEY (2-0)

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Death Valley.

COACHES: Neil Dittmer, 33-13 in fifth season at Paoli. Jason Lowe, 26-9 in fourth season at Springs Valley.

PREVIOUS MEETING: Paoli, 42-18, on September 1, 2023.

LAST CONTEST: Paoli beat Corydon Central, 49-24. Springs Valley beat Mitchell, 75-12.

UP NEXT: Paoli hosts Perry Central (0-2). Springs Valley entertains West Washington (1-1).

TOP PERFORMERS: Fletcher Cole tallied 17 carries for 230 yards with three scores for the Rams against Corydon Central. Christian Hamilton accounted for the No. 5 (Class 1A) Blackhawks’ first two scores against Mitchell.

COACHES’ CORNER: “Springs Valley is a very tough opponent and it will be a tough environment going to Springs Valley as well. In order for us to win, we need to be excellent in all three phases of the game. Our defense will need to limit their run game by tackling well, and rallying to the football. Offensively, we need to stay on schedule, take care of the football, and execute for four quarters.” – Paoli’s Neil Dittmer.

“Paoli is a very good football program. Their players will play as hard as any we play against all year. Their flexbone-option attack is a very hard offense to defend. Their defense plays downhill and will be very physical. We will need to be very disciplined on both sides of the ball. We have rules and assignments on offense and defense and we will need to follow those for four full quarters.” – Springs Valley’s Jason Lowe.

TELL CITY (2-0) AT FOREST PARK (2-0)

KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Forest Park.

COACHES: Malin Webb, 11-12 in third season at Tell City. Terry Riggs, 9-14 in third season at Forest Park, 10-22 in fourth season overall.

PREVIOUS MEETING: Tell City, 42-21, on September 1, 2023.

LAST CONTEST: Tell City beat Eastern (Pekin), 49-0. Forest Park beat Perry Central, 42-0.

UP NEXT: Tell City entertains North Posey (2-0). Forest Park hosts Tecumseh (0-2).

TOP PERFORMERS: Braxton Biever came up with four carries for 48 yards with two scores and an interception for the Marksmen against Eastern (Pekin). Jaxon Lueken tallied eight rushes for 105 yards with three scores for the Rangers against Perry Central.

COACHES’ CORNER: “Forest Park is a much-improved team and program.  I think Coach Riggs has them on the upswing. They’re very similar to us in terms of wanting to establish the run game. I think our team has to come out early, grab the momentum and not look back.  To do that offensively, we have to stick to our rules and not go rogue. Defensively, our secondary is going to have to step up in a big way this week.  I think if our defensive line can get pressure on the quarterback and our linebackers play disciplined, then our players will be in a great spot to have success. Across the board, we have to dictate the tempo and be the more physical team on Friday. Both are staples that we live by every week. Aside from that, our players have to accept the challenge that this week presents and not get complacent in being 2-0 to start the season.” – Tell City’s Malin Webb.

“Friday is going to be physical. We must play with pad level, an unruly pursuit of the football, and take care of the ball. It is going to be a fun atmosphere with it being our first home game, and I know the boys will feed off of that and look to our seniors to lead the way.” – Forest Park’s Terry Riggs.

WHITELAND (1-0) AT DECATUR CENTRAL (0-1)

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Devere Stadium.

COACHES: Darrin Fisher, 138-78 in 20th season at Whiteland, 199-150 in 34th season overall. Kyle Enright, 70-26 in ninth season at Decatur Central.

PREVIOUS MEETING: Decatur Central, 41-7, on November 10, 2023 in Class 5A regional final.

LAST CONTEST: Whiteland beat Jeffersonville, 27-13. Decatur Central lost to Columbus North, 41-15.

UP NEXT: Whiteland hosts Franklin (2-0). Decatur Central plays at Martinsville (2-0).

TOP PERFORMERS: Slate Valentine scampered 31 times for 256 yards for the No. 2 (Class 5A) Warriors against Jeffersonville. N’Po Dodo was limited to four carries for 29 yards for the No. 6 (Class 5A) Hawks against No. 10 (Class 6A) Columbus North.

COACHES’ CORNER: “It’s always an emotional game each season in week three to open Mid-State Conference play versus Decatur Central. The team that starts fast always has the advantage. Defensively, keeping them inside of us and in front of us is the key to limiting big plays. We must continue to improve on special teams this week as we have had some negative plays in our first two games. The key for us offensively is the same each week. We need to control the pace of the game by running the football effectively and being good enough to take advantage of what their aggressive defensive style presents to us.” – Whiteland’s Darrin Fisher.

“Whiteland is a very good football team. Coach Fisher is a legend and he and his staff do a great job in the off-season building strong young men in the weight room and that is what stood out on film watching them play Kokomo and Jeffersonville. They have big, strong kids at every position, and they have a unique offense that requires discipline and elite tackling. (Slate) Valentine is a stud running back that we must get on the ground in order to have success. It will be a challenge for our football team to play in a rivalry game against a well-coached and dynamic football team, but we are looking forward to it. In order to compete we must weather the storm. The emotions of a big game and playing your rival will be at a high level and we must stay calm and play our game early in the contest. We must win the turnover battle. The team that takes care of the ball usually wins. This is especially important in big games. We have to play fast and physical. We need to be able to use our team speed in all three phases of the game to minimize the impact of their size advantage on both lines of scrimmage.” – Decatur Central’s Kyle Enright.

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