CLASS 2A
ADAMS CENTRAL (13-1) VS. LINTON-STOCKTON (12-2)
KICKOFF: 11 a.m. EST, Friday, Lucas Oil Stadum.
COACHES: Michael Mosser, 154-50 in 16th season at Adams Central. Brian Oliver, 126-27 in 12th season at Linton-Stockton.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First matchup on the gridiron.
LAST CONTEST: Adams Central beat Andrean, 20-13. Linton-Stockton beat Indianapolis Lutheran, 40-28.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jamison Roach accounted for nine rushes for 58 yards with a score for the No. 4 Flying Jets against Andrean. Hayden Feltner hauled in five receptions for 109 yards and registered f
COACHES’ CORNER: “If we are going to win, we are going to have to slow their offensive machine down. They are very good on offense and have a lot of weapons. We also need to control the ball on offense. We need to be able to move the ball down the field and score points. If we are able to do that, we have a shot to win.” – Adams Central’s Micheal Mosser.
“Playing for a state championship is a great opportunity for our school, community, and team. Adams Central is great program with a lot of tradition. We have a lot of respect for them and what they have accomplished over the years. In order for us to win, we need to take care of the football, win the line of scrimmage, and not give up the big play.” – Linton-Stockton’s Brian Oliver.
CLASS 4A
EAST NOBLE (13-1) VS. NEW PALESTINE (13-0)
KICKOFF: 3 p.m. EST, Friday, Lucas Oil Stadium.
COACHES: Alex Stewart, 13-1 in first season at East Noble, 67-40 in 10th season overall. Kyle Ralph, 140-14 in 12th season at New Palestine.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Have never met before in football.
LAST CONTEST: East Noble beat Mishawaka, 18-13. New Palestine beat Martinsville, 43-7.
TOP PERFORMERS: Rylee Biddle tallied nine rushes for 44 yards with two touchdowns and completed 2-of-4 passes for 15 yards for the No. 2 Knights against No. 6 Mishawaka. Desmond Palmer registered four tackles and an interception for the top-ranked Dragons against No. 3 Martinsville.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We are thrilled to represent the East Noble community at the state finals! New Palestine is a tremendous program and we have a lot of respect for their team and coaching staff. For us to come away with a victory and bring a state championship back to Kendallville, we will need to continue to do the things that have gotten us to Lucas Oil Stadium. We will need to run the ball effectively, complete timely passes, and not turn the ball over on offense. On defense, we need to stop the run and create turnovers and execute at a high level on special teams.” – East Noble’s Alex Stewart.
“It is an honor to be in the Class 4A state championship. Our boys have worked hard since December to have a chance to compete this season and to be one of the last 12 teams in the whole state still standing is incredible. East Noble is a tremendous program and are well-coached with a great tradition of winning. It will take our best effort to be successful this week.” – New Palestine’s Kyle Ralph.
CLASS 6A
WESTFIELD (12-1) VS. BROWNSBURG (12-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Friday, Lucas Oil Stadium.
COACHES: Josh Miracle, 12-1 in first season at Westfield. John Hart, 81-19 in ninth season at Brownsburg, 348-100 in 40th season overall.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Brownsburg, 17-13, on September 28, 2024.
LAST CONTEST: Westfield beat Crown Point, 30-7. Brownsburg beat Center Grove, 31-27.
TOP PERFORMERS: Cato June came up with three tackles and two interceptions for the No. 3 Shamrocks against No. 2 Crown Point. Brady Lewis raced 12 times for 69 yards for the No. 4 Bulldogs against Center Grove.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Our staff and players are looking forward to representing the Westfield Community in this week’s state championship game. We are extremely blessed to make our fifth state finals appearance in the past 12 years. We have the utmost respect for Coach Hart, his staff, and the entire Brownsburg program. Brownsburg beat us early in the season, so we will need to be at our very best in order to have an opportunity to come away victorious this time around. This week, it is pivotal that we remain fundamentally sound as we focus on winning the takeaway and explosive play battle. We look forward to Friday’s all HCC (Hoosier Crossroads Conference) matchup!” – Westfield’s Josh Miracle.
“Westfield has five or six (NCAA) Division-1 players. They are really well-coached, so it will take our best 48 minutes to beat them. The last time we played, both of us had several turnovers, so whomever wins the turnover battle will win this game.” – Brownsburg’s John Hart.
CLASS 1A
NORTH JUDSON (14-0) VS. PROVIDENCE (13-0)
KICKOFF: 11 a.m. EST, Saturday, Lucas Oil Stadium
COACHES: Brett Lambert, 60-19 in sixth season at North Judson. Daniel McDonald, 43-16 in fifth season at Providence.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Playing football for the first time.
LAST CONTEST: North Judson beat South Adams, 46-0. Providence beat South Putnam, 35-30.
TOP PERFORMERS: CJ Sanchez totaled four tackles, two quarterback sacks, and caused a pair of fumbles for the No. 1 Bluejays against South Adams. Lincoln Kruzer finished with 12 tackles and returned an interception 21 yards for a touchdown for the No. 3 Pioneers against No. 6 South Putnam.
COACHES’ CORNER: “In order to be victorious against Providence, we are going to have to be great tacklers, physical up front, and we’re going to have to start the game with great intensity from the opening kickoff. Providence has a very solid defense and talented playmakers. We’re going to have to play our best game of the season to come away with a state championship!” – North Judson’s Brett Lambert.
“North Judson is big, fast, aggressive, and well-coached. We will have to take care of the football on offense, and play sound, disciplined football on defense. We will also have to be efficient in the kicking game, as field position will play a major role in determining the outcome of this game.” – Providence’s Daniel McDonald.
CLASS 3A
FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (10-4) VS. HERITAGE HILLS (13-1)
KICKOFF: 3 p.m. EST, Saturday, Lucas Oil Stadium
COACHES: Kyle Lindsay, 95-64 in 12th season at Bishop Luers. Todd Wilkerson, 109-44 in 13th season at Heritage Hills.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Have never played on the gridiron.
LAST CONTEST: Bishop Luers beat Garrett, 28-14. Heritage Hills beat Batesville, 42-0.
TOP PERFORMERS: Dee Hogue carried the ball four times for 14 yards, racked up seven tackles, and intercepted a pass for the Knights against No. 4 Garrett. Alex Smith finished with two carries for 28 yards and a touchdown for the No. 3 Patriots against Batesville.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We’ll need to build on what we did in the second half last week at semistate. We ran the ball very well. We took care of the ball. We stopped the run. We had very few penalties (three for 20 yards total). These are things championship teams do and we will need to replicate that this week against a physical Heritage Hills defense and an explosive offense.” – Bishop Luers’ Kyle Lindsay.
“For us to be successful on Saturday, we will need to play great defense. Bishop Luers has several running backs who can be explosive in the run game. Our defensive line (Trey Willard, Trenton Collins, Hayden Smith, Jacob Hockenberry, Peyton Martin, Gabe Jackson, Jobe Quinn, Austin Braun, Tyler Raven) and linebackers (Parker Hart, Hunter Meredith, Kaden Frakes) will need to be physical up front. Our defensive backs (Tyler Ruxer, Jett Goldsberry, Andersen Smith, Dalton Pledger, Alex Smith, Tyce Winchell) will need to be disciplined in run support and pass defense. On the offensive side of the ball, our offensive line (Parker Hart, Austin Braun, Hayden Smith, Gabe Jackson, Jobe Quinn, Peyton Martin, Trenton Collins) 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 as well.” – Heritage Hills’ Todd Wilkerson.
CLASS 5A
WARSAW (10-3) VS. DECATUR CENTRAL (10-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Saturday, Lucas Oil Stadium
COACHES: Bart Curtis, 58-29 in seventh season at Warsaw, 259-122 in 34th season overall. Kyle Enright, 80-27 in ninth season at Decatur Central.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First contest in football.
LAST CONTEST: Warsaw beat Merrillville, 31-14. Decatur Central beat Bloomington South, 27-13.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brody Duncan rambled 11 yards for a score for the No. 9 Tigers against No. 3 Merrillville. Kasmir Hicks caught seven passes for 79 yards with a touchdown for the No. 4 Hawks against Bloomington South.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We need to take care of the football because ball security is job security. We have to play low, play fast, play physical, and have fun. We need to eliminate stupid drive stopping penalties in all areas and make sure we don’t get the ball thrown over our heads. We need to tackle better in the open field and adjust to Decatur Central’s unique kick game philosophy by being ready for anything. We must play each snap as if it is our absolute ‘final snap,’ but don’t get up in ‘the moment’ because it’s just a game.” – Warsaw’s Bart Curtis.
“We’re looking to win the turnover battle because the team that takes care of the ball usually wins. This is especially true in big games. We must not turn the ball over and we must get some turnovers to be successful. We need to play fast and physical. We take pride in our style of play. Our strength and conditioning coach, Adam Lane, is an amazing developer of athletes and our kids have worked very hard to gain speed and power through his program. We want to overwhelm teams with our speed and physicality, especially in the third and fourth quarters when it’s crunch time and other teams aren’t trained the same or in the same condition that our young men are in. We want 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, 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. Warsaw has a very good rushing attack and it is imperative that we fit our gaps, block destruct and tackle well. We have to weather the storm and play the next play. The emotions of a big game against a great team on the biggest stage will be at a high level. We must play with extreme focus, play disciplined and smart football, and never allow our demeanor to be too high or too low. Our standard is being mentally and physically tough and playing for the person next to you. I have confidence that our young men will play smart, disciplined football on Saturday night. We are thankful to be competing this Saturday in Lucas Oil Stadium for a state championship! Warsaw is a very well-coached team that plays disciplined and hard. We know it will be a battle and our young men will leave it all out on the field!” – Decatur Central’s Kyle Enright.
