BEN DAVIS (4-1) AT LAWRENCE NORTH (4-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Bell Field.
COACHES: Russ Mann, 4-1 in first season at Ben Davis. Patrick Mallory, 39-69 in 11th season at Lawrence North, 53-77 in 13th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Ben Davis beat Warren Central, 31-28. Lawrence North lost to Carmel, 17-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Ben Davis, 34-28, on September 23, 2022.
UP NEXT: Ben Davis entertains Carmel. Lawrence North hosts Warren Central.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mark Zackery had 10 catches for 132 yards for the No. 3 (Class 6A) Giants against Warren Central. Izzy Moore scampered 15 times for 100 yards for the Wildcats against No. 10 (Class 6A) Carmel.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “This is not going to be an easy task. Coach Mallory has built Lawrence North into a team that is very solid. When he got there, the program had not won a game the previous season. A situation like that takes time and Coach Mallory has built depth in the Wildcat program. Defensively, we need to be very careful with their perimeter, No. 8 (Davion Chandler), No. 24 (Izzy Moore), No. 10 (Israel Jackson), and No. 12 (Damario Moore). At any moment, they can take it to the house. We need to keep them out of their rhythm. It is important that they are never comfortable. If not, then this is going to turn into a dogfight. Offensively, we need to get comfortable. The past few years, Lawrence North has created some havoc on opposing offenses. It’s important that we stay patient with any drives that stall early. When we do have some momentum, then we need to capitalize on it and not shoot ourselves in the foot like we did vs. Warren Central.” – Ben Davis’s Russ Mann.
“We must finish. Last week against Carmel, we were in the red zone three times with zero points. This cannot happen. Our focus this week has been on finishing. In order to win, we must finish and score.” – Lawrence North’s Pat Mallory.
BROWNSBURG (5-0) AT WESTFIELD (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Riverview Health Stadium.
COACHES: John Hart, 65-17 in eighth season at Brownsburg, 332-98 in 39th season overall. Jake Gilbert, 97-52 in 13th season at Westfield, 127-88 in 19th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Brownsburg beat Fishers, 42-28. Westfield beat Hamilton Southeastern, 30-28.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Brownsburg, 31-14, on September 23, 2022.
UP NEXT: Brownsburg welcomes Zionsville. Westfield goes to Avon.
TOP PERFORMERS: Corey Smith caught six receptions for 162 yards with three scores for the top-ranked (Class 6A) Bulldogs against No. 7 (Class 6A) Fishers. Jackson Gilbert went 17-of-27 for 233 yards with two touchdowns and ran for another score for the No. 4 (Class 6A) Shamrocks against No. 6 (Class 6A) Hamilton Southeastern.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “Our pass defense has been challenged often this year. We are young but talented, so we will need to grow up this week. Westfield does a great job of closing games, so we have to finish if we get the opportunity. We both play great football teams every week and injuries start to add up. Depth will definitely be a factor Friday.” – Brownsburg’s John Hart.
“We have to eliminate mistakes. We’ve been held back by penalties and turnovers. We must play more disciplined. We have to play fast. They have explosive players. We have to keep the ball inside and in front on defense and we have to stretch them on offense. We are going to need to be physical to win because they are strong and physical. We have to match and exceed that physicality. I would love to get off to a fast start. These are two programs that have gone at each other for years now. They are great and so well-coached. We need to play with confidence.” – Westfield’s Jake Gilbert.
COLUMBIA CITY (5-0) AT NEW HAVEN (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Young Stadium.
COACHES: Brett Fox, 52-49 in 10th season at Columbia City. Kyle Booher, 15-11 in third season at New Haven, 21-35 in sixth season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Columbia City beat DeKalb, 49-17. New Haven beat Norwell, 41-15.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Columbia City, 49-7, on September 23, 2022.
UP NEXT: Columbia City hosts East Noble. New Haven plays at Bellmont.
TOP PERFORMERS: Cayden Sroufe rambled 12 times for 137 yards with three touchdowns and caught a 60-yard pass for another tally for the No. 6 (Class 4A) Eagles against DeKalb. Donovan Williams went 14-of-19 for 213 yards with three touchdowns and ran for another score for the No 9 (Class 3A) Bulldogs against Norwell.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “To have a chance at a victory this week, we have to play through our responsibilities. We have to have all 11 guys moving as one and trusting their teammates to carry out their assignments. New Haven has several players who can take the ball to the house on any given play. On defense, New Haven flies around and causes a ton of turnovers as well. We have to be us. We can’t try to do too much. We have to simply be us and trust our teammates to do their job.” – Columbia City’s Brett Fox.
“Last week, we stuck with it and kept playing even though we started a little slower than Leo week. We have been doing a good job of not letting outside circumstances control our execution. We need to be able to continue to do that this week with homecoming going on. Controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides will be the key. We must not give them large running lanes by leaving our assigned gaps and chasing all of their motions. If we stay disciplined and gap sound, our chances of success go up. Offensively, we need to be able to make the proper decisions and get the ball where it needs to go then let our guys get to work. We need to increase the physicality up front. Columbia City is very disciplined on both sides of the ball. Their offense sometimes takes a quarter to make big plays, but they keep executing and chipping away until the defense makes a mistake and CC makes defenses pay dearly for the smallest of mistakes. Their defense is similar. They do not give up big plays in the run game and have some talented secondary players. The consistent scoreboards reflect their ability to consistently perform on all aspects of the game.” – New Haven’s Kyle Booher.
HERITAGE HILLS (5-0) AT GIBSON SOUTHERN (3-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. CDT, Jewell Field.
COACHES: Todd Wilkerson, 88-41 in 12th season at Heritage Hills. Nick Hart, 118-23 in 12th season at Gibson Southern.
LAST CONTEST: Heritage Hills beat North Posey, 10-0. Gibson Southern beat Southridge, 38-10.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Gibson Southern, 32-14, on September 23, 2022.
UP NEXT: Heritage Hills plays at Mount Vernon (Posey), Gibson Southern travels to Washington.
TOP PERFORMERS: Parker Hart recorded 15 tackles for the No. 2 (Class 3A) Patriots against North Posey. Tanner Boyd completed 12-of-18 for 122 yards with a touchdown and ran 12 times for 104 yards and another score for the No. 10 (Class 3A) Titans against Southridge.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “It’s hard to believe we are in week six of the season. Coach Hart has the Titans playing outstanding football again this year. For us to be successful Friday night, we will need to continue to run the ball well and also take a step forward in the passing game. Defensively, we need to quickly adjust to the Titans up-tempo offense and do an outstanding job communicating. In addition, we hope to create some momentum through great special teams play. We are looking forward to this test as we gear up for the last half of the regular season.” – Heritage Hills’ Todd Wilkerson.
“Heritage Hills is a very good football team. I think they have a great defense and we are going to have to execute at a high level offensively to score some points. Their offensive line does a great job and they have some weapons offensively. We are going to have to do a great job at the line of scrimmage to get some stops. We have committed too many turnovers this year and their defense thrives off of turning you over. We have to take care of the football.” – Gibson Southern’s Nick Hart.
INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (5-0) AT GUERIN CATHOLIC (4-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, GCHS Field.
COACHES: Rob Doyle, 68-20 in seventh season at Bishop Chatard. Tom Dilley, 60-43 in 10th season at Guerin Catholic, 140-120 in 24th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Bishop Chatard beat Columbus North, 28-3. Guerin Catholic lost to Indianapolis Roncalli, 35-21.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Bishop Chatard, 49-13, on November 4, 2022, in Class 3A sectional final.
UP NEXT: Bishop Chatard hosts Andrean. Guerin Catholic plays at Northview.
TOP PERFORMERS: Aidan Artega went 14-of-18 for 184 yards with three touchdowns for the top-ranked and defending Class 3A state champion Trojans against Columbus North. Alex Gibbs came up with nine catches for 109 yards with two scores for the No. 4 (Class 3A) Golden Eagles against No. 8 (Class 4A) Roncalli.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “Guerin Catholic is a very well-balanced and fundamental football team. We are going to have to be precise in defending the run, and the pass and control the ball with our run game to keep their explosive offense off the field.” – Bishop Chatard’s Rob Doyle.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to play the number one team in Class 3A and defending state champion, the Bishop Chatard Trojans. Additionally, both teams have the opportunity to claim a share of the Circle City Conference championship this week. To be successful this week, we will need to play our best game of the season to date. We must limit and try to contain a very balanced and proficient offense, while finding a way to create explosive plays as well as efficiency against an extremely stingy defense. Our coaches and players need to have a great week of preparation and be prepared for a four-quarter + battle. As with most weeks, the game will be decided with ownership of the line of scrimmage, ball security, and making plays in the kicking game.” – Guerin Catholic’s Tom Dilley.
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (4-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Meyer Field.
COACHES: Ott Hurrle, 228-147 in 32nd season at Scecina, 229-156 in 34th season overall. Dave Pasch, 143-53 in 16th season at Lutheran, 208-110 in 27th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Scecina lost to Heritage Christian, 35-21. Lutheran beat Cascade, 49-13.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Lutheran, 28-19, on September. 23, 2022.
UP NEXT: Scecina travels to Triton Central. Lutheran goes to Monrovia.
TOP PERFORMERS: David Mendez was 17-of-29 for 177 yards with a touchdown and ran seven times for 60 yards with another score for the No. 7 (Class 2A) Crusaders against No. 6 (Class 2A) Heritage Christian. Javarrea Cooper registered five receptions for 128 yards with four scores for the top-ranked and two-time defending Class 1A state champion Saints against Cascade.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “Lutheran is as big and as good of a team I have seen in a long time. They remind me of Bishop Chatard when they had the Martin boys playing for them. We will have to play much harder and tougher than we have been or they will beat up on us.” – Indianapolis Scecina’s Ott Hurrle.
“The key for us this week is to continue to have great focus on us, and to improve in practice. I believe the keys will be our execution, our ability to play without mistakes, avoid penalties, and to be fundamental football players.” Indianapolis Lutheran’s Dave Pasch.
KNOX (5-0) AT LAVILLE (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Lancer Field.
COACHES: Russ Radtke, 25-16 in fourth season at Knox, 393-156 in 47th season overall. Jeff Kaiser, 5-0 in first season at LaVille.
LAST CONTEST: Knox beat John Glenn, 37-8. LaVille beat Caston, 36-6.
PREVIOUS MEETING: LaVille, 21-20, on September 23, 2022.
UP NEXT: Knox goes to Pioneer. LaVille plays at Glenn.
TOP PERFORMERS: Myles McLaughlin and Jake Conroy are a one-two punch out of the backfield for the Redskins. Lucas Plummer was 12-of-17 for 196 yards with four touchdowns and carried the ball five times for 19 yards for the No. 3 (Class 2A) Lancers against Caston.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “This week, we are going to need to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. We must slow down their running game by tackling well and getting stops when we need to on crucial downs. Offensively, we must value each possession and end drives with points. We need a balanced attack to get them guessing on what is coming at them. Knox will control the clock on you with their ground and pound and limit your possessions. Our special teams need to win the kicking game to allow great field position. Our playmakers will need to make plays and be consistent. Throw the records away and play the game!” – LaVille’s Jeff Kaiser.
LAFAYETTE JEFF (3-2) AT HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (4-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Rickard Field.
COACHES: Pat Shanley, 63-18 in eighth season at Lafayette Jeff. Terry Peebles, 64-36 in 10th season at Harrison.
LAST CONTEST: Lafayette Jeff beat Muncie Central, 41-0. Harrison beat Anderson, 51-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Harrison, 34-27, on September 23, 2022.
UP NEXT: Lafayette Jeff hosts McCutcheon. Harrison travels to Indianapolis Tech.
TOP PERFORMERS: Lance Crowder went 7-of-11 for 109 yards with two touchdowns and carried the ball nine times for 91 yards with three scores for the Bronchos against Muncie Central. Jackson Mills racked up 12 tackles for the No. 8 (Class 5A) Raiders against Anderson.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “We must be sound in our special teams because their return game is very good. We must take care of the football on offense and work to create some take-a-ways with our defense. We must work to take away their best players on offense (No. 25 – Carter Knoy and No. 33 – Christen Ferguson) in an attempt to minimize their damage. We must work to get first downs, move the chains, and get the ball in the end zone if and when we get into the red zone because their defense is No. 1 in all of Class 5A.” – Lafayette Jeff’s Pat Shanley.
“We will need to take care of the ball and win the turnover battle. If our defense forces a couple of turnovers and our offense commits one or fewer, we will be in great shape Friday night. Jeff has talent all over the field. This was obvious with their post-season success last year and they’re returning a lot of their skill players. They will be tough to stop, but our defense is up for the challenge. On defense, they return their best player, Micah Lillard. He moved from corner to safety and is now the team’s leading tackler. He is a (NCAA) D-1 kid we have to know where he is on the field at all times because he can single-handedly disrupt and offensive gameplan. They have another great pass rusher with Riley Perkins. He has a motor that does not stop, and we will need to make sure to get him covered up. As always, for us, we have to run the option well and take shots when we can downfield.” – Harrison assistant head coach Kyle Holderfield.
MISSISSINEWA (5-0) AT ALEXANDRIA (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Alexandria.
COACHES: Kyle Buresh, 27-12 in fourth season at Mississinewa. Pete Gast, 66-86 in 15th season at Alexandria, 81-121 in 20th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Mississinewa beat Frankton, 35-6. Alexandria beat Eastbrook, 42-20.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Mississinewa, 28-0, on September. 23, 2022.
UP NEXT: Mississinewa goes to Blackford. Alexandria welcomes Oak Hill.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nolan Quaderer was 10-of-14 for 302 yards with four touchdowns and ran for a fifth tally for the Indians against Frankton. Carson Cuneo recorded 28 carries for 140 yards with a score for the No. 10 (Class 2A) Tigers against Eastbrook.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “Alexandria has an experienced, talented, physical, and well-coached football team. Coach Gast has done a great job and his team is playing at a very high level in all three phases of the game. This game will come down to a lot of key factors, including the line of scrimmage battle, turnover margin, explosive plays, and special teams.” – Mississinewa’s Kyle Buresh.
“We must be able to defend the pass and keep the ball in front of us. We need to limit the big play because they have speed and talent at the wide receiver spot, so we need to limit them. We need to possess the ball on offense. Our run game and pass game have both been solid thus far. We will need to continue to take care of the ball and control time of possession. We have handled adversity pretty well for high school kids. There will be a lot of adversity for both sides in a game like this. How we handle those situations will determine our success.” – Alexandria’s Pete Gast.
NEW PALESTINE (3-2) AT GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Myers Field.
COACHES: Kyle Ralph, 119-13 in 11th season at New Palestine. Travis Nolting, 24-22 in fifth season at Greenfield, 84-50 in 13th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: New Palestine beat Pendleton Heights, 34-14. Greenfield beat Shelbyville, 47-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: New Palestine, 33-9, on October 28, 2022 in Class 4A sectional semifinal.
UP NEXT: New Palestine entertains Shelbyville. Greenfield-Central goes to Yorktown.
TOP PERFORMERS: Grayson Thomas registered 31 carries for 192 yards with a touchdown for the No. 10 (Class 4A) Dragons against Pendelton Heights. Kirk Knecht managed three receptions for 66 yards with a score for the Cougars against Shelbyville.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “A win this week would mean a ton for a really young team against a very good, senior heavy, experienced and undefeated Greenfield team. They have taken care of business this season without question and it is going to be a massive challenge for us. We need to be able to handle the energy of being on the road in a game like this. We have to play sound football and play as a team.” – New Palestine’s Kyle Ralph.
“New Palestine will be the biggest challenge we have faced this season. They are well-coached, disciplined, and play very hard. We will have to be sharp on all three phases of the game this week. We cannot make mistakes or turn the ball over. We will have to compete upfront on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.” – Greenfield-Central’s Travis Nolting.
NORTHEASTERN (5-0) AT CENTERVILLE (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Craig Field.
COACHES: Wes Oler, 28-17 in fifth season at Northeastern. Ryan Cole, 12-3 in second season at Centerville, 12-11 in third season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Northeastern beat Union City, 67-14. Centerville beat Tri, 42-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Northeastern, 39-12, on September 23, 2022.
UP NEXT: Northeastern hosts Shenandoah. Centerville travels to Union County.
TOP PERFORMERS: Blake Walters completed 15=of-21 for 279 yards with seven touchdowns for the No. 9 (Class 2A) Knights against Union City. Ethan Vecera tallied 15 tackles for the Bulldogs against Tri.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “Centerville is a really good football team. They have a lot of team speed on both sides of the ball. Most of their offense is returning from last year and we know we have to execute in all three phases of the game on Friday to have a chance at victory. We have to be able to run the football and control the line of scrimmage on offense and contain their passing game on the defensive side of the ball. They have been waiting for another chance at us for almost a year now after we were able to jump on them early at our place last year. I think it will be a really good football game Friday night!” – Northeastern’s Wes Oler.
“This Friday, we are going to have to play a very sound football game to beat Northeastern. They are 5-0, they are well-coached. and they are our biggest rival. Every year, at the beginning of the season, this game is circled on the schedule for both teams. We know that the winner of this game will likely win the conference championship, so there is a lot on the line Friday night. Offensively, we need to take care of the football and eliminate mental mistakes. Defensively, we will need to make sure we do not give up the big play and we need to pressure the quarterback. If we can do those things, we will give ourselves a chance to be successful on Friday night.” – Centerville’s Ryan Cole.
VALPARAISO (4-1) AT CROWN POINT (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. CDT, Dog Pound.
COACHES: Bill Marshall, 56-12 in sixth season at Valparaiso. Craig Buzea, 20-6 in third season at Crown Point, 233-93 in 31st season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Valparaiso beat Chesterton, 28-14. Crown Point beat Portage, 49-6.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Crown Point, 34-13, on September. 23, 2022.
UP NEXT: Valparaiso entertains Merrillville. Crown Point hosts LaPorte.
TOP PERFORMERS: Julian Stokes raced 34 yards for a score for the No. 3 and defending Class 5A state champion Vikings against Chesterton. Jacob Jones ran four times for 102 yards with a touchdown and caught a 66-yard pass for another score for the No. 5 (Class 6A) Bulldogs against Portage.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “For us to have success this week, we will need to clean up our performance ability from last Friday against Chesterton. There were times we did not execute on both sides of the ball and we displayed a lack of discipline in regards to some of the penalties we received. For us this week it is getting back to the basics of discipline in all three phases of the game. We will also need to be able to stretch the field in the pass game against a highly aggressive run defense. On defense, we will need to keep our game plan simple and not get caught up in the motions and shifts that Crown Point will utilize to throw teams off or commit unnecessary encroachment penalties.” – Valparaiso’s Bill Marshall.
“It goes without saying that we will have to play flawless in all three phases to have a shot to defeat the defending Class 5A state champs. They are as good as a team that I’ve seen in person or on film this season. They are solid at each position and have no apparent weaknesses. Anything less than a perfectly played game by us, will spell defeat. Our guys are up to the challenge and know win or lose, our weaknesses will be exposed and will help us as we move into the latter part of our schedule.” – Crown Point’s Craig Buzea.
WARSAW (5-0) AT MISHAWAKA (4-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Steele Stadium.
COACHES: Bart Curtis, 44-15 in sixth season at Warsaw, 245-117 in 33rd season overall. Keith Kinder, 49-16 in sixth season at Mishawaka.
LAST CONTEST: Warsaw beat NorthWood, 45-21. Mishawaka beat Plymouth, 42-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Mishawaka, 43-19, on September 23, 2022.
UP NEXT: Warsaw hosts Wawasee. Mishawaka travels to NorthWood.
TOP PERFORMERS: Reed Zollinger registered 45 carries for 313 yards with four touchdowns for the No. 9 (Class 6A) Tigers against NorthWood. Brady Fisher finished 5-of-5 for 124 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 7 (Class 5A) Cavemen against Plymouth.
COACHES’ COMMENTS: “We can’t have no early knockouts like the 2022 game when Mishawaka opened with an 18-play, 80-yard drive and never let up from there. We can’t give them any extra possessions because they are good enough without any addition help from the Tigers. We have to have a ‘phone booth boxing’ mentality and play with physicality. We must be able to handle their constant ‘body blows’ and get back up off the canvas before the ‘eight count’. Both teams will have the opportunity for big plays (25 yards or more or touchdowns), so whichever team executes and defends against them will have a better chance coming out with the win. We have to display ‘PPEE’, which is pride (to play the next step 100 percent), poise (to play the next snap regardless of the last one), enthusiasm (match Mishawaka’s enthusiasm to play in a championship game), and effort (express who you are and what you are made of). We will do our best, prepare our hardest, and see what happens.” – Warsaw’s Bart Curtis.
“Warsaw has gotten off to an incredible start this year. Great wins against two quality Duneland opponents (Michigan City and Chesterton) and a great win last week against NorthWood. Warsaw is extremely well-coached and are very talented up front offensively and in their front seven on defense. For us to have a chance to win the game, we will have to match the physicality that Warsaw plays with for 48 minutes. That will be a big challenge for us this week. I believe this is the best offensive and defensive fronts in our conference and it will take great discipline and effort to compete with them.” – Mishawaka’s Keith Kinder.
