CLASS 6A SECTIONAL 1
CROWN POINT (10-0) AT PENN (8-2)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EST, Everwise Freed Field.
COACHES: Craig Buzea, 38-7 in fourth season at Crown Point, 254-96 in 32nd season overall. Pete Riordan, 8-2 in first season at Penn.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Crown Point, 34-33, on November 10, 2023 in Class 6A regional.
LAST CONTEST: Crown Point beat Portage, 35-0. Penn beat Lake Central, 35-7.
UP NEXT: Crown Point hosts Fort Wayne Snider (8-2) or No. 10 Carroll (Fort Wayne) (8-2). Penn travels to Fort Wayne Snider or entertains Carroll (Fort Wayne).
TOP PERFORMERS: Larry Ellison scampered 21 times for 114 yards with two scores for the No. 2 Bulldogs against Portage. Tayshon Bardo caught five passes for 111 yards with a touchdown against Lake Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Penn is by far the most complete team we will have played up to this point. It all starts with containing their big three, quarterback Kellen Watson, wide receiver Tayshon Bardo, and running back Jaedon Parker. All three are much faster than anybody we have on our team. Their defense is ridiculously fast and relentless. Again, nothing like we have seen this year. If we are to compete against of this caliber, it will come down to turnovers, penalties and third and fourth down conversions.” – Crown Point’s Craig Buzea.
“To beat Crown Point, we need to be diverse on offense. To move the ball consistently, we are going to need to keep them off-balance. As always offensively, we need to take care of the football and avoid getting behind the chains. Defensively, we need to be able to adjust to their multiple formations. We will need to be physical upfront and limit the number of big plays we give them.” – Penn’s Pete Riordan.
CLASS 6A SECTIONAL 6
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (6-3) AT LAWRENCE NORTH (10-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Bell Field.
COACHES: Bill Peebles, 66-20 in seventh season at Cathedral, 140-85 in 20th season overall. Patrick Mallory, 52-72 in 12th season at Lawrence North, 66-80 in 14th season overall.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Indianapolis Cathedral, 20-3, on November 3, 2023 in Class 6A sectional final.
LAST CONTEST: Cathedral beat North Central (Indianapolis), 36-0. Lawrence North beat Lawrence Central, 40-9.
UP NEXT: Cathedral entertains Indianapolis Ben Davis (5-5) or goes to No. 4 Brownsburg (9-1). Lawrence North travels to Ben Davis or Brownsburg.
TOP PERFORMERS: Cameron Koers completed 14-of-17 for 135 yards with a touchdown in the No. 9 Irish against North Central (Indianapolis). Tanner Aspeslet went 7-of-15 for 139 yards with a score for the top-ranked Wildcats against Lawrence Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We have the opportunity to play our third No. 1 ranked team this season. Lawrence North is having a special year. We will need to limit the big play and slow down their high-powered offense. Offensively, we will need to control the ball and finish in the red zone.” – Cathedral’s Bill Peebles.
“We need to come out and be us on Friday, which means playing fast and physical. We have to minimize mistakes and play the next play. Our special teams must be ‘special’ once again.” – Lawrence North’s Pat Mallory.
CLASS 5A SECTIONAL 11
WARSAW (7-3) AT CONCORD (10-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Jake Field.
COACHES: Bart Curtis, 55-20 in seventh season at Warsaw, 256-122 in 34th season overall. Craig Koehler, 72-34 in 10th year at Concord.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Concord, 28-24, on September 20, 2024.
LAST CONTESI: Warsaw beat Goshen, 52-7. Concord beat Fort Wayne North, 38-21.
UP NEXT: Warsaw goes to Kokomo (5-4) or hosts No. 2 Lafayette Jeff (10-0). Concord plays at Kokomo or Lafayette Jeff.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brody Duncan ran seven times for 51 yards with a touchdown for the No. 9 Tigers against Goshen. Rafa Sabas converted three field goals and three extra-points for the No. 1 Minutemen against Fort Wayne North.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We have to give our kids a fighting chance by coaching better. More high school games are won than lost by taking care of the football. Turnovers lose games. We need to try to control (or hopefully eliminate if possible) big plays by the Minutemen offense. The main thing us we have to play with tremendous pride, poise, enthusiasm, and effort on every snap.” – Warsaw’s Bart Curtis.
“The turnover margin will be the biggest factor of this game. It is almost impossible to beat Warsaw if you are minus-two or more in turnover margin. Minus-one is a tall task but probably still doable. It was even the first time that we played them and we were able to win the game. Defensively, we have to have some success on first down. Their offensive success is predicated on staying on schedule because they will go for it on fourth down more than most. Offensively, we will need to have balance. Their defense is very good against the run. We will not be able to beat them if we cannot establish some semblance of a run game. They are the best team on our schedule with regards to special teams. We work hard on ours as well. A big play on special teams could tip the scale.” – Concord’s Craig Koehler.
CLASS 5A SECTIONAL 13
DECATUR CENTRAL (7-2) AT PLAINFIELD (9-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Red Pride Field.
COACHES: Kyle Enright, 77-27 in ninth season at Decatur Central. Tyler Bless, 15-5 in second season at Plainfield.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Decatur Central, 42-21, on September 28, 2024.
LAST CONTEST: Decatur Central beat Whiteland, 28-14. Plainfield beat Anderson, 63-8.
UP NEXT: Decatur Central hosts No. 9 East Central (7-3) or plays at Franklin (4-6). Plainfield travels to East Central or Franklin.
TOP PERFORMERS: N’Po Dodo carried the ball 12 times for 95 yards with a touchdown and caught three passes for 19 yards with two scores for the No, 4 Hawks against Whiteland. Bryce Sebanc went 3-of-4 for 74 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 5 Quakers against Anderson.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Ball security is crucial, so in order to be successful, we must protect the ball and force the ball out. Turnovers can change the game in a hurry and the team that wins the turnover battle usually wins the game. We have to establish the run game and stop the run game by winning the line of scrimmage. In order to be successful, our offensive and defensive lines must win the battle up front. In high school football in Indiana in November, you have to be able to run the ball even when the other team knows you are running the ball and you have to be able to stop the run. This will be paramount to our success. The law of the jungle is that the strength of the pack is the wolf, so our guys need to be an all-star in their roles and dominate their sandbox. We look forward to competing this Friday against a very well-coached team led by Coach Bless. We know it will be a battle and our young men will leave it all out on the field!” – Decatur Central’s Kyle Enright.
“We will need to be able to have a good start vs. Decatur Central in all three phases of the game. Our defense will need to pressure their quarterback (Bo Polston). Our defensive backs will need to disrupt their wide receivers in the passing game. Our linebackers will need to have great read keys, especially vs. Decatur’s multiple formations and personnels. Offensively, we will need to handle Decatur’s multiple pressures and coverages while maintaining the line of scrimmage and sustaining our blocks in the run game. Special teams will be a huge factor for both teams. We will need to achieve our game breakers goals and make a positive impact in this phase of the game.” – Plainfield’s Tyler Bless.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 17
HANOVER CENTRAL (9-2) AT NEW PRAIRIE (8-3)
KICKOFF: 8 p.m. EST, Amzie Miller Field.
COACHES: Brian Parker, 62-19 in seventh season at Hanover Central. Casey McKim, 47-16 in fifth season at New Prairie.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First time playing on the gridiron.
LAST CONTEST: Hanover Central beat Kankakee Valley, 42-14. New Prairie beat Hobart, 15-14.
UP NEXT: Hanover Central entertains No. 6 Mishawaka (9-2) or NorthWood (6-5). New Prairie goes to Mishawaka or hosts NorthWood.
TOP PERFORMERS: Caiden Verrett raced 10 times for 91 yards with four scores for the Wildcats against Kankakee Valley. Hayden Scott came up with seven carries for 18 yards with a touchdown and racked up nine tackles for the Cougars against Hobart.
COACHES’ CORNER: “There are a lot of variables that go into winning a championship football game. Points of emphasis that we drive into our guys is the value of the ball. We can ill-afford to give them extra possessions by turning the ball over. They have a very good defense that’s good against the run, so ending each possession with some sort of a kick (extra-point, field goal, or punt) is not always a bad thing. Defensively, we have to stop the run. I don’t think that’s a secret. They’re committed to it. They’re very good at it, and they have some dudes that can block and run with it. All-in-all, I know our guys are going to get on a bus, go and compete. They’re going to compete and we’ll see how it all shakes out. It should be a great night of football!” – Hanover Central’s Brian Parker.
In order to come away with the victory this week, we need to win at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The team that is more physical and sustains blocks will be the most successful team. We must execute and limit mistakes and penalties. We must know our responsibilities and play fast. We must win the turnover battle by taking care of the ball and being opportunistic on defense.” – New Prairie’s Casey McKim.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 19
EAST NOBLE (10-1) AT FORT WAYNE BISHOP DWENGER (6-5)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Shields Field.
COACHES: Alex Stewart, 10-1 in first season at East Noble, 64-40 in 10th season overall. Jason Garrett, 60-25 in seventh season at Bishop Dwenger.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, 33-13, on November 8, 2013 in Class 4A sectional final.
LAST CONTEST: East Noble beat Leo, 21-0. Bishop Dwenger beat Fort Wayne Wayne, 25-6.
UP NEXT: East Noble hosts Lebanon (9-2) or Huntington North (8-3). Bishop Dwenger entertains Lebanon or goes to Huntington North.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mason Treesh managed five catches for 57 yards with a score for the No. 2 Knights against No. 10 Leo. Augustus Tippmann amassed 23 runs for 123 yards with a touchdown for the Saints against Fort Wayne Wayne.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Bishop Dwenger is a program with a rich football tradition. This season, they have played an incredibly challenging schedule, and they are playing really well right now. They are a well-coached team that is strong in all three phases of the game. We are excited for the opportunity to compete for a sectional championship against one of the premier programs in the state. It should be an incredible environment for high school football.” – East Noble’s Alex Stewart.
“East Noble is an outstanding opponent. In order to be successful, we must execute at a very high level in all three facets. Offensively, East Noble possesses both a sound running and passing game. Defensively, they are fast, physical, and gap sound. In regards to special teams, they are very well-coached and execute extremely well. Points of emphasis for us continue to be tackling, winning the turnover battle, and limiting penalties.” – Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger’s Jason Garrett.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 22
INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (8-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (6-4)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Tully Field.
COACHES: Rob Doyle, 86-22 in eighth season at Bishop Chatard. Sam Otley, 6-4 in first season at Roncalli.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, 9-3, on September 6, 2024.
LAST CONTEST: Bishop Chatard beat Mooresville, 42-15. Roncalli beat Brebeuf Jesuit, 55-27.
UP NEXT: Bishop Chatard entertains No. 1 New Palestine (10-0) or plays at Pendleton Heights (6-5). Roncalli travels to New Palestine or Pendleton Heights.
TOP PERFORMERS: Daniel Adams accumulated 100 yards rushing and three scores for the No. 5 Trojans against Mooresville. Collin Ash mustered 19 carries for 159 yards with three touchdowns for the Royals against No. 7 Brebeuf Jesuit.
COACHES’ CORNER: “When you talk about Chatard vs. Roncalli, the only word that comes to mind is physical. This is going to be a physical battle from start to finish. It’s going to be a typical North side vs. South side fight, so bring the hammer and be ready to go.” – Bishop Chatard’s Rob Doyle.
“Offensively, we need to take care of the football, control the line of scrimmage, and take advantage of explosive play opportunities. Defensively, we must play sound, physical football, rally to the ball and tackle. On special teams, we have to execute our responsibilities and control field position.” – Roncalli’s Sam Otley.
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL 26
GARRETT (11-0) AT WEST NOBLE (10-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Charger Field.
COACHES: Chris DePew, 78-63 in 13th season at Garrett, 155-105 in 24th season overall. Monte Mawhorter, 127-137 in 26th season at West Noble.
PREVIOUST MEETING: Garrett, 17-6, on September 27, 2024.
LAST CONTEST: Garrett beat Tippecanoe Valley, 42-13. West Noble beat Fairfield, 56-22.
UP NEXT: Garrett hosts Knox (8-3) or Mishawaka Marian (6-5). West Noble enters Knox or travels to Mishawaka Marian.
TOP PERFORMERS: Camren Ruble ended with 17 rushes for 100 yards with three touchdowns for the No.4 Railroaders against Tippecanoe Valley. Trey Shisler completed all four of his passes for 129 yards with a score for the No. 10 Chargers against Fairfield.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Our first game vs. West Noble was a tough one, and I would expect the same again. They are athletic and have had a lot of success this year so far. Like in any big game, we need to protect the ball, avoid costly penalties, tackle well, and take advantage of opportunities. Their running back (Seth Pruitt) is very explosive, so containing him is important.” – Garrett’s Chris DePew.
“We will have to match their physicality and limit big plays. We want to make them drive the ball the length of the field and hope they make a mistake. We also must take care of the ball, limit turnovers and do a better job in the red zone. We need to minimize penalties and win the special teams play.” – West Noble’s Monte Mawhorter.
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL 28
MISSISSINEWA (11-0) AT FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (7-4)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Luers Field.
COACHES: Kyle Buresh, 45-13 in fifth season at Mississinewa. Kyle Lindsay, 92-64 in 12th season at Bishop Luers.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First get together in football.
LAST CONTEST: Mississinewa beat Delta, 21-7. Bishop Luers beat Jay County, 41-8.
UP NEXT: Mississinewa entertains No. 8 Maconaquah (11-0) or West Lafayette (8-3). Bishop Luers plays at Maconaquah or hosts West Lafayette.
TOP PERFORMERS: Ah’lijah Monday registered 30 carries for 112 yards with a touchdown for the No. 2 Indians against Delta. Dee Hogue managed eight rushes for 99 yards with two scores for the Knights against Jay County.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Bishop Luers is an outstanding football program with great tradition and Coach Lindsay has them playing their best football right now. Defensively, they play fast and relentlessly pursue the football. On offense, they run the ball well and are able to make explosive plays on the ground and in the air. We must be able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Winning the turnover battle, explosive play battle, and special teams battle will also be major keys to winning this game. We must be able to stay on schedule with our drives and capitalize on their mistakes.” – Mississinewa’s Kyle Buresh.
“Mississinewa is a big, physical football team playing with a lot of confidence and energy right now. They have speed, size, and are very well-coached. We’ll have to bring our ‘A’ game to pull out a victory Friday night. This requires that we limit self-inflicted wounds (such as penalties and turnovers). We play our own physical brand of football in all three phases of the game. We pick each other up through adversity. They have a tough, physical running back (Ah’lijah Monday) that grinds out yards running downhill. Their offensive line and tight ends fit their physical style of play, and they have a tough senior quarterback (Kellen Rock) running the show. Our defense needs to continue to communicate across the board so they can play free and fast Friday night. Their defense is loaded in the box with size and athleticism. It starts up front with their sophomore defensive tackle Kadin Fouce. He’s a big-time player with his size, speed, and strength. He anchors a tough defensive line. Behind them are two hulking linebackers in Jaxon Ott and Andrew Monday. They finish with authority, can run sideline to sideline, and present problems in coverage with their long frames. They also have strong special teams with a kicker who puts half his kicks in the end zone and a punter who averages nearly 42 yards per punt. They’re a complete team, no doubt. Our kids are looking forward to the challenge of playing in a sectional championship against an undefeated team in front of our home crowd. It should be a dog fight!” – Fort Wayne Bishop Luers’ Kyle Lindsay.
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL 32
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (11-0) AT HERITAGE HILLS (10-1)
KICKOFF: 8 p.m. EST, The Jungle.
COACHES: John Hurley, 148-70 in 17th season at Evansville Memorial. Todd Wilkerson, 106-44 in 13th season at Heritage Hills.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Evansville Memorial, 41-21, on Oct. 20, 2017 in Class 3A sectional quarterfinal.
LAST CONTEST: Evansville Memorial beat Southridge, 24-7. Heritage Hills beat Vincennes Lincoln, 34-14.
UP NEXT: Evansville Memorial hosts Madison (6-4) or North Harrison (8-3). Heritage Hills travels to Madison or entertains North Harrison.
TOP PERFORMERS: Dylan Kendrick tallied 13 carries for 86 yards for the top-ranked Tigers against Southridge. Jett Goldsberry was 4-of-9 for 93 yards with a score and ran 14 times for 84 yards with a touchdown for the No. 3 Patriots against Vincennes Lincoln.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Heritage Hills is a well-coached football team that plays with great intensity and confidence. Coach Wilkerson and his staff excel at preparing their players for big games. The atmosphere will be electric on Friday night in the Jungle at Heritage Hills. For us to succeed, we need to stop the run, protect the football, minimize penalties, and make big plays on both sides of the ball.” – Evansville Memorial’s John Hurley.
“For us to be successful Friday night, we will need to play great defense. The Tigers are loaded with talented skill players and they all do a great job of making plays when called upon. Their quarterback, Matthew Fisher, has thrown for almost 2400 yards, completes almost 70 percent of his passes, and has thrown 32 touchdowns and zero interceptions. We will need to have a great week of preparation to try and slow down Memorial’s passing game, while also containing their running back, Dylen Kendrick. On the offensive side of the ball, our offensive line will need to be locked in. Our goal is to establish the run in order to get our offensive firing on all cylinders. Our passing game must be efficient as well as connect on some big play opportunities. The importance of ball security is magnified this time of year. We must take care of the football. We look to our special teams to create positive momentum in the game.” – Heritage Hills’ Todd Wilkerson.
CLASS 2A SECTIONAL 37
MONROVIA (9-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (10-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Meyer Field.
COACHES: Andy Olson, 33-25 in fifth season at Monrovia. Dave Pasch, 161-54 in 17th season at Lutheran, 226-111 in 28th season overall.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Indianapolis Lutheran, 49-14, on October 4, 2024.
LAST CONTEST: Monrovia beat Covenant Christian, 42-0. Lutheran beat Indianapolis Ritter, 49-7.
UP NEXT: Monrovia entertains No. 9 Triton Central (9-2) or Lapel (8-3). Lutheran hosts Triton Central or plays at Lapel.
TOP PERFORMERS: Ryder Pool totaled six rushes for 134 yards with two scores for the No. 10 Bulldogs against Covenant Christian. LJ Ward hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass for the No. 3 Saints against Cardinal Ritter.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Our focus will be to limit the big plays. We want to keep things in front of us defensively, and follow our rules offensively. We made a lot of adjustments from last time we played them and hope to continue on some of the successes from the first half of last game. We want to keep our time of possession around 30 minutes in this game. If we can execute, we are excited and motivated to win this game.” – Monrovia’s Andy Olson.
“Monrovia is well-coached and very disciplined with a load of talented players. We have to match them with an ability to avoid mistakes and have great mental preparedness. Monrovia has tremendous team speed. They are physical and very fundamental. They have a defense that attacks and an offense that can wear you down while scoring a bunch of points. We will have to execute the game plan to have success in all three phases of the football game.” – Indianapolis Lutheran’s Dave Pasch.
SECTIONAL 43
TRITON (8-3) AT NORTH MIAMI (9-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, DuBois Field.
COACHES: Rodney Younis, 59-108 in 16th season at Triton. Joe Grant, 30-54 in eighth season at North Miami, 30-64 in ninth season overall.
PREVIOUS MEETING: North Miami, 21-13, on October 18, 2024.
LAST CONTEST: Triton beat Southern Wells, 61-6. North Miami beat Fremont, 35-7.
UP NEXT: Triton travels to South Adams (6-5) or hosts No. 5 Madison-Grant (10-1). North Miami goes to South Adams or Madison-Grant.
TOP PERFORMERS: Ryder Gayheart found the end zone twice for the Trojans against Southern Wells. Harley Hoover scampered five times for 68 yards with a touchdown and threw a five-yard pass for another tally for the No. 10 Warriors against Fremont.
COACHES’ CORNER: “North Miami has a very balanced offensive attack with their option offense. We will need to consistently stay disciplined with our assignments. Our secondary must have good eye discipline to avoid getting caught up in the option attack and not read our keys for their play action pass. We must avoid giving up the big play. Offensively, we need to win the line of scrimmage. We need to be balanced with our attack and take care of the football. This game will come down to who can consistently play for four quarters.” – Triton’s Rodney Younis.
“We will need to be able to stop their ground attack. They have some talented backs so we need to limit their production. For us offensively, we need to control the football. Last time we played them, we moved the ball well all game until late in the fourth quarter when we had a chance to put the game away. We need to put together a consistent four quarters of football and we believe that will be the difference in the game.” – North Miami’s Joe Grant.
