COLUMBUS NORTH (3-1) AT CARMEL (3-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Greyhound Stadium.
COACHES: Logan Haston, 21-15 in fourth season at Columbus North. Kevin Wright, 57-11 in sixth season at Carmel, 162-29 in 17th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Columbus North lost to Indianapolis Roncalli, 41-20. Carmel lost to Louisville Trinity (Kentucky), 41-28.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Carmel, 27-7, on August 17, 2012.
UP NEXT: Columbus North travels to Terre Haute North (0-4). Carmel entertains North Central (Indianapolis) (1-3).
TOP PERFORMERS: Ezekiel Scruggs ran 15 times for 47 yards with a touchdown for the Bull Dogs against No. 8 (Class 4A) Roncalli. Dominic Shockley caught four passes for 91 yards with two scores for the No. 3 (Class 6A) Greyhounds against Louisville Trinity.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We did not play very good football against a quality Roncalli team, so hopefully our guys have received a much-needed wakeup call and are ready to turn the page because this week presents another great challenge. Carmel is a high-caliber team that’s off to a solid start this season, and we know Coach Wright will have them ready to play come Friday night. For us to succeed, we must control what we can control and execute our game plan to our highest potential. We need to clean up some errors in special teams and play much better complementary football on offense and defense. Friday’s atmosphere is going to be incredible, and we’re excited for the opportunity.” – Columbus North’s Logan Haston.
“We will need to rebound from a tough road loss against Trinity where we were plagued by explosive plays and turnovers. We need to do a good job defending the pass and getting pressure on their quarterback (Asher Ratliff) while also playing assignment football versus their perimeter screen game. Their tight end (Parker Elmore) is an elite athlete who they get the ball to in a variety of ways, so we must be aware of where he is at all times and contain him. We must do a better job of running the football early in the game to take some pressure off our passing attack. We have to start fast in all three phases and be physical throughout. We have played some good football teams and our play on Friday night should reflect that growth of progressively getting better each week.” – Carmel’s Kevin Wright.
CONCORD (3-1) AT WARSAW (3-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Fisher Field.
COACHES: Craig Koehler, 75-36 in 11th season at Concord. Bart Curtis, 61-22 in eighth season at Warsaw, 262-124 in 35th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Concord beat Northridge, 21-14. Warsaw beat Wawasee, 41-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Warsaw, 31-28, on November 8, 2024 for Class 5A sectional championship.
UP NEXT: Concord welcomes NorthWood (2-2) to Mishawaka’s Steele Stadium. Warsaw goes to Plymouth (2-2).
TOP PERFORMERS: Derek Gomez scampered eight times for 61 yards and hauled in seven passes for 90 yards for the No. 9 (Class 5A) Minutemen against Northridge. Daylon Fitzpatrick accounted for a pair of touchdowns for the No. 7 (Class 5A) Tigers against Wawasee.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We are built a little different this year. We are not as big and long on defense as we were last year. In turn, we have to play with great technique and be opportunistic against Warsaw. Offensively, we have to finish drives in the end zone. Possessions are always at a premium against them, so settling for field goals will make it very difficult to win.” – Concord’s Craig Koehler.
“Concord is too good to give them extra possessions in any fashion. Turnovers, dumb penalties, and poor performances in any phase of the kicking game will lead to defeat. Concord scores on almost every possession they have the football, so it is vital we understand who and where their ‘home run hitters’ are on the field at all times, (running back No. 1) Reese Breveard, tight end No. 10) Derek Gomez, (quarterback No 5) Bo Brunner, (wide receiver No. 3) Mark Herman, and (wide receiver No. 13) Chase Thompson. Defensively, Concord is rock solid. They know exactly what we’re trying to do and what they must do to stop us. We must be us and we must not stray. I believe Craig (Koehler) knows the flexbone offense better than Bart (Curtis) does. Their kicker (Nathan Potter) can bang it deep and place the ball where he wants it. Finally, if we kick the ball to No. 1 (Breveard), I will leave the stadium.” – Warsaw’s Bart Curtis.
FISHERS (3-1) AT BROWNSBURG (4-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Roark Stadium.
COACHES: Curt Funk, 33-26 in sixth season at Fishers, 110-62 in 16th season overall. John Hart, 86-19 in 10th season at Brownsburg, 353-100 in 41st season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Fishers beat Hamilton Southeastern, 28-16. Brownsburg beat Avon, 55-47.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Brownsburg, 31-30, on September 20, 2024.
UP NEXT: Fishers hosts Avon (2-2). Brownsburg plays at Westfield (3-1).
TOP PERFORMERS: Vincent Rozzi managed five catches for 99 yards with a score for the No. 7 (Class 6A) Tigers against No. 8 (Class 6A) Hamilton Southeastern. Brady Lewis tallied 17 carries for 118 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 1 and defending Class 6A state champion Bulldogs against No. 10 (Class 6A) Avon.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Brownsburg is an elite football team, and we will have our hands full on Friday night. They are well-coached and solid in all three phases of the game. We will need to play flawless football and be ready for a physical football game. They will have a huge crowd at the game, and we can’t let that become a distraction. We are excited for the opportunity and understand this will be a tremendous challenge.” – Fishers’ Curt Funk.
“Defensively, Fishers has the most complete offense we have seen this year. They have an outstanding quarterback (Gage Sturgill), wide receiver (Vincent Rozzi), and running back (Ryan Thembulembu), and containing Sturgill will be our biggest challenge. Offensively, No. 44 (Tyler Maynard) is outstanding defensive end, so blocking him is our number one goal. They also stunt a lot, so we need to pick up stunts and take advantage of their movement. Overall, we made numerous mistakes in all three phases of the game last week, so we have hopefully addressed those and show improvement this week.” – Brownsburg’s John Hart.
HOBART (4-0) AT ANDREAN (3-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. CDT, Father Eckert Field.
COACHES: Eric Schreiber Jr., 10-5 in second season at Hobart, 18-14 in fourth season overall. Chris Skinner, 81-38 in 10th season at Andrean.
LAST CONTEST: Hobart beat Kankakee Valley, 40-7. Andrean beat Munster, 30-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Hobart, 27-24 (OT), on September 20, 2024.
UP NEXT: Hobart entertains Lowell (3-1). Andrean goes to Highland (2-2).
TOP PERFORMERS: Aiden Kasch managed 11 carries for 107 yards for the Brickies against Kankakee Valley. Brady Elish went 10-of-13 for 126 yards with a touchdown and ran five times for 14 yards for the No. 5 (Class 2A) 59ers against Munster.
COACHES’ CORNER: “This game like many others on Friday night is what our team has prepared for all off-season. As a coach and student-athlete, you dream for Friday nights like the one we will experience this Friday night. The rivalry, the atmosphere, and communities that come together for competition. It is what high school football is all about. With that being said, for the Brickies to come away on top, we must play with a high level of competitive composure for four quarters. It is also a game that we must be excellent in all three phases. We must clean up our inadequacies on special teams which will be a critical part in a big game such as this. If we can accomplish each of those things it will give us the best opportunity to win Friday night. I’m proud of the way we have competed thus far, but we have more work to do.” – Hobart’s Eric Schreiber Jr.
“Hobart is a complete team. They don’t have a position group that is exploitable. I think they are as talented as the 2020 Hobart team (that played for the Class 4A state championship). Philosophically, I think we’re both similar in that we want to find numbers in the run game. So, the alignment and execution of players in those positions will go a long way in the effectiveness of both teams. Explosive plays have been turning points in many of our matchups over the years. So, for us, we want to limit turnover and mistakes. We want to prevent explosive plays on defense, but hopefully find some formational advantages on offense.” – Andrean’s Chris Skinner.
HOMESTEAD (3-1) AT FORT WAYNE BISHOP DWENGER (3-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Shields Field.
COACHES: Chad Zolman, 170-64 in 22nd season at Homestead. Jason Garrett, 63-27 in eighth season at Bishop Dwenger.
LAST CONTEST: Homestead beat Fort Wayne Northrop, 42-36, OT. Bishop Dwenger beat Carroll (Fort Wayne), 9-6.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Homestead, 17-14, on September 20, 2024.
UP NEXT: Homestead hosts Fort Wayne Snider (2-2). Bishop Dwenger plays at Fort Wayne Northrop (3-1).
TOP PERFORMERS: Shane Bardwell rambled 15 times for 65 yards with three scores and caught a 13-yard pass for the Spartans against Fort Wayne Northrop. KC Pieper racked up 12 tackles with 2.5 for loss, one sack, and a fumble recovery for the No. 9 (Class 4A) Saints against Carroll (Fort Wayne).
COACHES’ CORNER: “Bishop Dwenger is playing really good football right now. They are led by their defense, which plays physical and assignment sound. We will need to be efficient on offense and capitalize on scoring opportunities. Defensively, we will need to play smart and physical to match what they want to do on offense.” – Homestead’s Chad Zolman.
“They can be explosive on offense and always execute well on defense and in special teams. We will need to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, continue to play fast, gap sound defense, and execute well in special teams.” – Bishop Dwenger’s Jason Garrett.
INDIAN CREEK (4-0) AT LAPEL (4-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, The Boneyard.
COACHES: Max Goodin, 9-6 in second season at Indian Creek. Tim Miller, 88-67 in 14th season at Lapel.
LAST CONTEST: Indian Creek beat Beech Grove, 42-0. Lapel beat Muncie Central, 42-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Lapel, 42-12, on September 13, 2024.
UP NEXT: Indian Creek travels to Tri-West (3-1). Lapel goes to Rushville (0-4).
TOP PERFORMERS: Vincent Carfiro came up with four rushes for 58 yards with a touchdown for the No. 9 (Class 3A) Braves against Beech Grove. Liam Ko recorded 10 catches for 102 yards with a score for the No. 3 (Class 2A) Bulldogs against Eastern Hancock.
COACHES’ CORNER: “For us to come away with a victory on Friday, we will need to continue to play outstanding defense. Our opponent has a veteran offense that operates at a high level and we must learn from our mistakes against them last year. Offensively, we must continue to take care of the ball, take what the defense gives us, and capitalize on every opportunity to score. On special teams, we must be consistent and not shoot ourselves in the foot. Field position is critical in games like these.” – Indian Creek’s Max Goodin
“Indian Creek is a very good all-around team . Defensively, they haven’t given up very many points this season, so we have to be able to complete passes, run the football, and move the chains. We also have to understand that this is a four-quarter game. Offensively, they do a good job of running the football and throwing. We have to be fundamentally sound, do individual jobs on each play, and continue to use our speed in pursuit of the football.” – Lapel’s Tim Miller.
LEO (4-0) AT EAST NOBLE (4-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, East Noble Field.
COACHES: Jason Doerffler, 31-10 in fourth season at Leo, 54-68 in 12th season overall. Alex Stewart, 17-2 in second season at East Noble, 71-41 in 11th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Leo beat New Haven, 49-14. East Noble beat DeKalb, 21-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: East Noble, 21-0, on November 1, 2024 in Class 4A sectional semifinals.
UP NEXT: Leo welcomes Bellmont (0-4). East Noble plays at Norwell (1-3).
TOP PERFORMERS: Ttius Stoller was 5-of-12 for 107 yards and ran seven times for 70 yards for the No. 5 (Class 4A) Lions against New Haven. Alex Phillips ended with five receptions for 48 yards and three rushes for 25 yards for the No. 3 (Class 4A) Knights against DeKalb.
COACHES’ CORNER: “East Noble is once again a very talented team and the presumptive favorite in our conference (Northeast 8) and sectional. We’ve had some issues with penalties the past few weeks and we’re going to have to clean that up this week against a great team. We are also going to have to stop the run and contain their quarterback Rylee Biddle. He is a great runner in addition to his passing ability. As always, we will also have to establish the run on offense and play clean football in order to win this game. We are excited and ready to go. This matchup has developed into a great rivalry in Northeast Indiana.” – Leo’s Jason Doerffler.
“It should be an incredible atmosphere for high school football. East Noble and Leo have forged a great rivalry and had some great games over the year. This Friday’s matchup features two undefeated teams ranked in the top five (in Class 4A) in the state of Indiana. I’m really excited for the environment in Kendallville. Our fans always show us great support, especially for big games, so it should be a fun night of high school football.” – East Noble’s Alex Stewart.
LOGANSPORT (4-0) AT TWIN LAKES (4-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Twin Lakes Field.
COACHES: Troy Hudson, 4-0 in first season at Logansport. Kevin O’Shea, 14-11 in third season at Twin Lakes, 253-121 in 33rd season overall.
LAST OUTING: Logansport beat Benton Central, 61-6. Twin Lakes beat Lafayette Central Catholic, 52-3.
LAST MEETING: Logansport, 40-13, on September 20, 2024.
UP NEXT: Logansport travels to Hamilton Heights (1-3). Twin Lakes goes to Benton Central (0-4).
TOP PERFORMERS: Karsen Jackson accounted for a pair of touchdowns for the Berries against Benton Central. Keaton Miller mustered two catches for 29 yards with a score for the Indians against Lafayette Central Catholic.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Twin Lakes will be a tough test for us. Coach O’Shea is one of the best coaches in the state and his boys are playing really good football right now. They have been able to beat teams in all three phases. Defensively for us to be successful Friday, we have to worry about us first and take care of our jobs. Twin Lakes has multiple weapons on offense and it will be critical for our boys to play assignment football. On offense, we will need to have a good week of practice and be able to execute on Friday night. They have been a tough unit to score on. They play discipline football and understand what their reads are. On special teams, they have multiple weapons that can go score. Their kicker (Ethan Need) is very good. Our special teams’ unit has been a great weapon for us, so we need keep operating at a high level. These games can come down to who wins the special teams’ battle.” – Logansport’s Troy Hudson.
“Logansport is a very good team. They have tremendous speed on both sides of the ball. They are definitely the best team we have seen so far. On defense, we will have to contain their Wing-T offense and not give up big plays. On offense, we will need to consistently run the football and protect our quarterback (Cooper Dold) in the passing game.” – Twin Lakes’ Kevin O’Shea.
NORTH DECATUR (4-0) AT SWITZERLAND COUNTY (4-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Switzerland County Field.
COACHES: Steve Stirn, 88-36 in 11th season at North Decatur, 175-85 in 23rd season overall. Ryan Jesop, 41-60 in 11th season at Switzerland County.
LAST CONTEST: North Decatur beat Brown County, 66-0. Switzerland County beat Milan, 21-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: North Decatur, 33-0, on October 18, 2024.
UP NEXT: North Decatur plays at Linton-Stockton (2-2). Switzerland County travels to Edinburgh (1-3).
TOP PERFORMERS: Matthew Fields completed 6-of-8 for 89 yards with three touchdowns for the top-ranked (Class 1A) Chargers against Brown County. Matthew Young registered 16 rushes for 106 yards with a score for the Pacers against Milan.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We must handle going on the road and competing in a tough environment. Controlling their potent running game is of the utmost importance. Offensively, we must score enough points while considering a low possession game. Having a run-pass balance is important for us.” – North Decatur’s Steve Stirn.
“As a run-heavy team built behind a strong offensive line and an explosive backfield full of seniors, we know our path to success depends on controlling the trenches, limiting mistakes, and capitalizing on opportunities for big plays. Facing a storied program like North Decatur, we’ll need to be at our very best in every phase of the game. Coach Stirn’s teams at North Decatur have always been the standard that we like to measure ourselves against. With their fundamentally sound play in all three phases of the game and outstanding coaching, we will definitely have our hands full. Our boys are confident that after our big win over Milan, we can compete with anybody and are looking forward to the challenge.” – Switzerland County’s Ryan Jesop.
PENDLETON HEIGHTS (4-0) AT NEW PALESTINE (4-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Kelso Stadium.
COACHES: Jed Richman, 58-43 in 10th season at Pendleton Heights, 93-73 in 16th season overall. Kyle Ralph, 145-14 in 13th season at New Palestine.
LAST CONTEST: Pendleton Heights beat Greenfield-Central, 43-14. New Palestine beat Mount Vernon (Fortville), 71-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: New Palestine, 41-7, on November 8, 2024 in Class 4A sectional final.
UP NEXT: Pendleton Heights goes to Mount Vernon (Fortville) (0-4). New Palestine plays Greenfield-Central (2-2).
TOP PERFORMERS: Joel Weaver registered seven carries for 62 yards with a touchdown for the No. 6 (Class 4A) Arabians against Greenfield-Central. Mason Oglesby had four catches for 41 yards with two scores for the No. 1 (Class 5A) and defending Class 4A state champion Dragons against Mount Vernon (Fortville).
COACHES’ CORNER: “First of all, New Palestine is an impressive group of players. They are so fundamental, well-coached, and they don’t have any weaknesses. For us this week, we hope to compete by being who we are. Offensively, we need to take what they give us defensively and match their physicality. We can’t beat ourselves by turning the ball over or committing penalties. Defensively, we have to be disciplined with our keys and be great tacklers in space. If we can do that for four quarters, we should be able to compete.” – Pendleton Heights’ Jed Richman.
“Pendelton Heights is again having a great season. They are well-coached, their kids play hard, and they have been winning in dominant fashion. It will take our best effort this week to try and win a huge (Hoosier Heritage) conference game among two highly-ranked teams.” – New Palestine’s Kyle Ralph.
