It is hard to believe, but another high school football season is upon us. As I embark on my 14th season, I will be trying to improve on last year’s record of 206-45, which was good for 82 percent. This fall, I will be choosing Northern Indiana, Northern Lakes, Duneland Athletic, and the new Indiana Northern State Conference games. Final 2023 records are indicated.
NORTHERN INDIANA CONFERENCE
Adams (1-9) at Culver Academy (5-7): The Eagles slipped past Adams, 21-14, last season. David Hayo registered 54 tackles for the Eagles in 2024. Michael McColgan completed 134-of-262 for 1,923 yards with 13 touchdowns for Culver Academy. Matt’s pick: Culver Academy 20, Adams 12.
Elkhart (3-7) at Concord (6-5): The Minutemen earned a 16-6 win at Elkhart a season ago. Travon Curry replaces Romison Saint-Louis as the top man for the Lions. Chase Bussard had 14 tackles for Elkhart. Bo Brunner completed 45-of-87 for 494 yards with three touchdowns for Concord. Matt’s pick: Concord 31, Elkhart 19.
Hammond Bishop Noll (2-8) at Riley (8-2) (Jackson Field): Julian Ramirez rolled up 114 tackles with 12 for loss for the Warriors. Marvin Schindler came up with 22 receptions for 448 yards with six scores for the Wildcats. Matt’s pick: Riley 23, Bishop Noll 13.
Hammond Central (5-5) at Washington (3-8) (Everwise School Field): The Wolves cruised to a 34-12 win against Washington a season ago. Anthony Hinton finished with 45 tackles with nine for loss and six sacks for Hammond Central. Jaydon Lineberry totaled 19 catches for 353 yards with five touchdowns for the Panthers. Matt’s pick: Washington 35, Hammond Central 32.
LaPorte (2-8) at New Prairie (10-3): The Slicers edged New Prairie, 20-18, last year. Kam Neal managed 22 tackles for LaPorte. Hayden Scott registered 113 tackles for the Cougars. Matt’s pick: New Prairie 38, LaPorte 14.
Mishawaka (9-3) at Marian (5-5): The Cavemen rolled to a 44-12 win over Marian a year ago. Xavier Juarez managed 93 tackles with four for loss for Mishawaka. Joe Boone racked up 105 tackles with 14.5 for loss for the Knights. Matt’s pick: Mishawaka 28, Marian 18.
Saint Joseph (4-6) at Lakeland (6-4): The Lakers were a 33-28 winner over Saint Joseph a season ago. Diamond Curry registered 33 tackles with six for loss and five sacks for the Huskies. Bo Kerns accumulated 69 tackles for Lakeland. Matt’s pick: Saint Joseph 30, Lakeland 27,
Valparaiso (9-3) at Penn (10-2): The Kingsmen crowned Valparaiso, 38-21, during the 2023 season. Julian Stokes amassed 16 receptions for 341 yards with four scores for the Vikings. Kellen Watson tallied 26 catches for 569 yards with three touchdowns for Penn. Matt’s pick: Penn 24, Valparaiso 21.
NORTHERN LAKES CONFERENCE
Fairfield (6-5) at Goshen (1-9): The Falcons soared to a 29-6 win over Goshen a year ago. Former Jimtown boss takes over for Matt Thacker on the Fairfield sidelines. Brooks Custer tossed for 449 yards with seven scores and ran for 455 yards with three touchdowns for the Falcons. Logan Mishler mustered 10 stops for the RedHawks. Matt’s pick: Fairfield 22, Goshen 10.
Fort Wayne North (3-7) at Northridge (9-3): The Raiders managed a 26-13 win over Fort Wayne North last season. Maalik Moore caught 14 passes for 430 yards with two scores for the Legends. Judah Hochstetler racked up 29 receptions for 292 yards with a touchdown for Northridge. Matt’s pick: Northridge 29, Fort Wayne North 23.
Michigan City (6-5) at Warsaw (9-2): The Wolves suffered a 17-13 loss to Warsaw last year. Adrian Holley finished with 41 tackles with 15.5 for loss, seven sacks, and two fumble recoveries for Michigan City. Cohen Heady came up 76 tackles and 4.5 sacks for the Tigers. Matt’s pick: Warsaw 27, Michigan City 17.
NorthWood (12-3) at Jimtown (4-6): The defending Class 4A state runner-up Panthers rolled to a 42-22 win over Jimtown in their last meeting. Former Jimmie Cody Vincent takes over for Cory Stoner on the sidelines at his alma mater. Landon Perry ran 162 times for 927 yards with nine touchdowns and caught 35 passes for 486 yards with four scores for NorthWood. Ty Zartman recorded 153 carries for 923 yards with 14 touchdowns for Jimtown. Matt’s pick: NorthWood 30, Jimtown 28.
Twin Lakes (5-5) at Plymouth (2-8): Keaton Miller hauled in 33 passes for 367 yards with two scores for the Indians. Hayden Graham accounted for 21 tackles for the Rockies. Matt’s pick: Plymouth 32, Twin Lakes 29.
Wawasee (2-9) at Tippecanoe Valley (9-1): The Vikings registered a 23-12 victory over Wawasee in their previous meeting. Matt Thacker replaces Jon Reutebuch as the Warriors’ leader. Bradyn Pike came yp with 15 catches for 204 yards with two scores for Wawasee. Grady Moriarty recorded 53 tackles with four for loss and three sacks for Tippecanoe Valley. Matt’s pick: Tippecanoe Valley 34, Wawasee 13.
INDIANA NORTHERN STATE CONFERENCE
Bremen (6-6) at East Noble (8-3): Alex Stewart replaces Luke Amstutz as the Knights’ leader. Austin Young raced 144 times for 712 yards with eight touchdowns for the Lions. Dylan Krehl rambled 99 times for 635 yards with 12 touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 252 yards with four scores for East Noble. Matt’s pick: East Noble 32, Bremen 24.
Glenn (7-5) at Boone Grove (8-3): The Falcons flew past Boone Grove, 43-26, last year. Eli Beeney racked up 128 tackles with 13 for loss for Glenn. Ron Brown replaces John Barron on the Falcons’ sidelines. Chris Gonzalez raced for 544 yards with four scores for the Wolves. Matt’s pick: Boone Grove 35, Glenn 19.
Knox (13-1) at North Judson (9-5): The Redskins slipped by North Judson, 22-18, a season ago. Jake Conroy rolled up 233 carries for 1,431 yards with 20 touchdowns and hauled in 15 receptions for 319 yards with eight scores for Knox. Kole Wilcox mustered 99 tackles and an interception for the Bluejays. Matt’s pick: Knox 26, North Judson 20.
LaVille (11-2) at Triton (8-4): The Lancers got past Triton, 22-16, a year ago. Cody Allen finished with 236 carries for 1,515 yards with 21 scores for LaVille. Dante Workman had 32 receptions for 807 yards with eight touchdowns for the Trojans. Matt’s pick: LaVille 25, Triton 16.
DUNELAND CONFERENCE
Andrean (3-7) at Merrillville (10-3): The Pirates cruised to a 40-13 win over Andrean a year ago. Jayden Holmes managed 85 tackles and a pair of interceptions for the 59ers. Xamere Martin caught 20 passes for 278 yards with two scores for Merrillville. Matt’s pick: Merrillville 41, Andrean 18.
Hammond Morton (5-5) at Portage (0-10): The Governors claimed a 32-23 win over Portage last year. Holland Harris went 88-of-184 for 1,588 yards with 17 touchdowns for Hammond Morton. Kodie Young accounted for 1,325 yards through the air with six touchdowns for the Indians. Matt’s pick: Portage 33, Hammond Morton 31.
Hobart (7-3) at Chesterton (2-8): The Brickies slipped by Chesterton, 16-13, last season. Logan Peters ended with 20 tackles for Hobart. Owen Edlen came up with 53 tackles, four sacks, and an interception for the Trojans. Matt’s pick: Hobart 34, Chesterton 17.
Lowell (4-6) at Crown Point (13-1): The defending Class 6A state runner-up Bulldogs cruised to a 42-7 win over Lowell a season ago. Caden Thompson rambled 75 times for 372 yards with four touchdowns for the Red Devils. Niko Pavlou ended with 49 tackles with nine for loss for Crown Point. Matt’s pick: Crown Point 44, Lowell 16.
Munster (3-7) at Lake Central (5-6): The Indians downed Munster, 46-14, a year ago. Romison Saint-Louis replaces Jason Grunewald as the Mustangs’ leader. Henry Adams ended with 38 tackles with three for loss for Munster. Ryder Fernandez tallied 68 tackles for Lake Central. Matt’s pick: Lake Central, 19, Munster 14.
