I turned in a decent performance by going 19-5 (79 percent) last week. My overall record is now 193-40, which leaves me at 83 percent for the season.
CLASS 6A
Westfield (11-1) at Crown Point (12-0): Mikeah Webster recorded 16 tackles and ran twice for 21 yards in the No. 5 Shamrocks’ 24-21 win over No. 6 Hamilton Southeastern. Jacob Jones caught three passes for 112 yards with a touchdown in the No. 4 Bulldogs’ 34-33 win over No. 8 Penn. Matt’s pick: Westfield 35, Crown Point 33.
Center Grove (11-1) at Indianapolis Ben Davis (11-1): The No. 2 and three-time defending state champion Trojans slipped by No. 3 Ben Davis, 35-34, a season ago. Noah Coy registered seven catches for 89 yards with two scores in Center Grove’s 14-0 win over Warren Central. Mark Zackery came up seven receptions for 82 yards and two tackles in the Giants’ 24-21 win over No. 7 Indianapolis Cathedral. Matt’s pick: Center Grove 22, Ben Davis 20.
CLASS 5A
Merrillville (10-2) at Fort Wayne Snider (11-1): The No. 2 Panthers clawed past No. 6 Merrillville in the 2012 semistate finale. JQ Johnson racked up eight carries for 33 yards in the Pirates’ 24-20 win over No. 4 and defending state champion Valparaiso. Ke’Ron Billingsley scampered 24 times for 143 yards and completed 8-of-17 for 71 yards in Fort Wayne Snider’s 19-18 win over No. 9 Mishawaka. Matt’s pick: Fort Wayne Snider 31, Merrillville 23.
Bloomington South (11-1) at Decatur Central (10-2): The No. 7 Hawks posted a 28-0 win over No. 3 Bloomington South in the 2018 regional final. Jarrin Alley completed 15-of-26 for 249 yards with two touchdowns and ran seven times for 22 yards and another tally in the Panthers’ 42-21 win against Evansville North. N’Po Dodo scampered 17 times for 159 yards with a touchdown in the Hawks’ 41-7 win over defending state runner-up Whiteland. Matt’s pick: Bloomington South 32, Decatur Central 28.
CLASS 4A
NorthWood (11-2) at Leo (11-2): The No. 10 Lions edged NorthWood, 14-12, in the 2020 sectional semifinals. Owen Roeder of NorthWood was 25-of-32 for 365 yards with three touchdowns and rushed seven times for 12 yards and two more scores in the Panthers’ 38-14 win over defending state runner-up New Prairie. Kylar Decker went 9-of-10 for 104 yards and a score in Leo’s 41-7 win over No. 5 Mississinewa. Matt’s pick: NorthWood 39, Leo 29.
New Palestine (11-2) at East Central (13-0): Malachi Haines managed three carries for 60 yards with a touchdown in the No. 3 Dragons’ 39-6 win over Mooresville. Josh Ringer accumulated 24 carries for 214 yards with five scores and caught a 14-yard pass in the top-ranked and defending state champion Trojans’ 47-7 win over Evansville Memorial. Matt’s pick: East Central 40, New Palestine 21.
CLASS 3A
Knox (13-0) at Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (13-0): Myles McLaughlin rambled 50 times for 357 yards with five touchdowns and also intercepted a pass in the No. 9 Redskins’ 41-23 win over West Lafayette. Daniel Shaw tallied 15 carries for 180 yards with two touchdowns and caught three passes for 45 yards in the No. 1 and defending state champion Trojans’ 35-6 win over Delta. Matt’s pick: Bishop Chatard 43, Knox 25..
Gibson Southern (11-2) at Heritage Hills (12-1): The No. 6 Titans squeezed by No. 7 Heritage Hills, 31-28, on September 22. Sean DeLong accounted for 110 yards on the ground and caught a four-yard touchdown pass in the Gibson Southern’s 38-21 win over No. 8 Tri-West. Jeff Goldsberry ran 19 times for 157 yards with two touchdowns and was 4-of-10 for 84 yards and another score in the Patriots’ 24-21 win against Batesville. Matt’s pick: Heritage Hills 34, Gibson Southern 30.
CLASS 2A
Lafayette Central Catholic (10-3) at Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (10-3): Bobby Metzger completed 13-of-21 for 180 yards with two touchdowns and ran five times for 18 yards in the No. 10 Knights’ 22-0 win over No. 5 LaVille. Kohen McKenzie went 10-of-16 for 92 yards with a score in the No. 7 Knights’ 15-7 win over No. 8 Bluffton. Matt’s pick: Lafayette Central Catholic 33, Bishop Luers 27.
Southmont (8-5) at North Posey (12-1) (Saturday): Wyatt Woodall carried the ball 35 times for 244 yards with four scores in the Mounties’ 41-34 win over Eastern Hancock. Liam Stone accumulated 21 carries for 122 yards with three scores and completed 1-of-5 for 25 yards in the No. 4 Vikings’ 28-13 win against No. 1 Triton Central. Matt’s pick: North Posey 41, Southmont 24.
CLASS 1A
North Judson (9-4) at Adams Central (13-0): The No. 2 and two-time defending state runner-up Flying Jets blanked North Judson, 35-0, in last year’s semistate. Kole Wilcox grinded out 152 yards and two scores on 13 carries in the Bluejays’ 44-26 win over No. 5 Park Tudor. Keegan Bluhm racked up 200 yards on the ground with three touchdowns in Adams Central’s 29-0 win over No. 3 Carroll (Flora). Matt’s pick: Adams Central 44, North Judson 16.
Indianapolis Lutheran (11-0) at Sheridan (10-3): The top-ranked and two-time defending state champion Saints downed Sheridan, 55-12, in the 2020 sectional semifinals. DeVaun Jones managed three catches for 50 yards with a score in Indianapolis Lutheran’s 14-7 win over No. 4 Providence. Zach Bales ran 18 times for 54 yards with two touchdowns, completed a 39-yard pass, and recorded 17 tackles in the Blackhawks’ 24-20 win against North Decatur. Matt’s pick: Indianapolis Lutheran 42, Sheridan 18.
