ADAMS CENTRAL (3-1) AT HERITAGE (4-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Patriot Field.
COACHES: Michael Mosser, 144-50 in 16th season at Adams Central. Jeremy Hullinger, 4-0 in first season at Heritage.
LAST CONTEST: Adams Central beat Jay County, 39-8. Heritage beat South Adams, 38-22.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Adams Central, 38-0, on September 15, 2023.
UP NEXT: Adams Central travels to South Adams (1-3). Heritage plays at Tipton (3-1).
TOP PERFORMERS: Matt Heiser scampered 13 times for 126 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 8 (Class 2A) Flying Jets against Jay County. Nasir Martin ran 20 times for 230 yards with two scores for the Patriots against South Adams.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Heritage is a very worthy opponent. They are big, fast, and skilled. They have an outstanding lineman in No. 73 Charlie Riddle that will have to be neutralized as well as several key receivers. Running Back No. 5 Nasir Martin is very good and we must not let him beat us to the edge. Once he gets out of the pocket, he is hard to stop. Defensively, they are big and strong up front. We must control the line of scrimmage to run the ball which will be a daunting task. Their linebackers are very good too and fly to the ball. If we are going to win, we must move the ball, throw efficiently, and prevent them from scoring on big plays.” – Adams Central’s Michael Mosser.
“Adams Central is a great program with a history of consistent success. They’ve been the gold standard for the ACAC (Allen County Athletic Conference) for many years. They block and tackle well and don’t beat themselves. We will need to play our game, which is play with focus and intensity, and minimize mistakes. There will be an emphasis in practice this week on doing your job and ball security. I’m very proud of my team this year and how they’ve responded to challenges. Not everything has always gone our way and we haven’t hung our heads. Instead, we’ve dug deep and found an answer. That’s a good lesson for football and life. Adams Central is another one of those challenges. They aren’t going to give us anything, so we have to earn it. We need to come out ready to respond to the game’s ebbs and flows.” – Heritage’s Jeremy Hullinger.
ALEXANDRIA (3-1) AT MISSISSINEWA (4-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Fisher Field.
COACHES: Pete Gast, 72-89 in 16th season at Alexandria, 87-124 in 21st season overall. Kyle Buresh, 38-13 in fifth season at Mississinewa.
LAST CONTEST: Alexandria lost to Eastbrook, 28-27. Mississinewa beat Frankton, 47-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Mississinewa, 33-21, on September 22, 2023.
UP NEXT: Alexandria goes to Oak Hill (2-2). Mississinewa hosts Blackford (2-2).
TOP PERFORMERS: Brady Gast went 12-of-22 for 246 yards with four touchdowns and ran seven times for 72 yards for the Tigers against Eastbrook. Kellen Rock was 8-of-9 for 124 yards with three scores for the No. 6 (Class 3A) Indians against Frankton.
COACHES’ CORNER: “To come away from the Mississinewa game with a win, we need to do a handful of things. First of all, we need to be attacking and physical. If we match and exceed their physicality and toughness, we will be in good shape. We also need to clean up turnovers and take care of the ball. Mississinewa has a solid offense. They’re going to have drives and score on some possessions. We can’t give up big plays. We must make them earn 10-plus play drives. I’m eager to see us Friday. We have a team that’s going to work to improve every week from now through the tournament. I’m excited to see how we perform and respond Friday.” – Alexandria’s Pete Gast.
“Alexandria is a very talented football team who is playing very well this season. They pose a tough challenge in many different ways for us. Our keys to winning this game include winning the line of scrimmage battle, the turnover battle, the explosive play battle, and win our one-on-one matchups. Offensively, we need to stay on schedule on our drives, finish every play, and execute at a high level. Defensively, we have to continue to be stout against the run game, contain their quarterback (Brady Gast), do a great job in coverage against their pass game, and continue to tackle well and pursue the football with all 11 players. Special teams will also play a crucial role in this game.” – Mississinewa’s Kyle Buresh.
BROWNSBURG (4-0) AT FISHERS (3-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Clarian Field.
COACHES: John Hart, 73-18 in ninth season at Brownsburg, 340-99 in 40th season overall. Curt Funk, 26-21 in fifth season at Fishers, 103-57 in 15th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Brownsburg beat Avon, 45-15. Fishers beat Hamilton Southeastern, 37-35.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Brownsburg, 42-28, September 15, 2023.
UP NEXT: Brownsburg entertains Westfield (4-0). Fishers goes to Avon (1-3).
TOP PERFORMERS: Iosua Stephens tallied six carries for 57 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 2 (Class 6A) Bulldogs against Avon. JonAnthony Hall caught five passes for 105 yards for the Tigers against No. 9 (Class 6A) Hamilton Southeastern.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We are still a very young team and we make a lot of mistakes. The skill of Fishers is a unique challenge that can really stress a team, so we need to execute in all three phases to be successful.” – Brownsburg’s John Hart.
“We will need to play four complete quarters against Brownsburg Friday night. We have struggled to play four complete quarters of football this season. Brownsburg might be the best team in the state, and we need to play fundamentally sound on Friday night. Brownsburg is big and physical, so we will need to play each play with exceptional effort.” – Fishers’ Curt Funk.
COLUMBUS NORTH (4-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (3-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Bishop Chatard Stadium.
COACHES: Logan Haston, 14-12 in third season at Columbus North. Rob Doyle, 81-21 in eighth season at Bishop Chatard.
LAST CONTEST: Columbus North beat Indianapolis Roncalli, 14-0. Bishop Chatard lost to Indianapolis Cathedral, 31-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Bishop Chatard, 28-3, on September 15, 2023.
UP NEXT: Columbus North entertains Terre Haute North (1-3). Bishop Chatard hosts Guerin Catholic (3-1).
TOP PERFORMERS: Asher Ratliff completed 20-of-33 for 185 yards with a touchdown and ran for another score for the No. 8 (Class 6A) Bulldogs against Roncalli. Julio Graves came up with four catches for 60 yards with a touchdown for the No. 5 (Class 4A) Trojans against No. 7 (Class 6A) Cathedral.
COACHES’ CORNER: “In order to come away with a victory this Friday, we must continue to play complementary football the way we have through the first four games. We need to take care of the football, win the field position battle, and take the fight to them with our physical style of play. Should be a great night.” – Columbus North’s Logan Haston.
“Columbus North is a very good team. They do a lot offensively to keep you honest and their defense is very aggressive. We will have to play physical football on both sides of the ball. This is as physical a team as we have seen so far.” – Bishop Chatard’s Rob Doyle.
EAST NOBLE (3-1) AT LEO (4-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Lions Field.
COACHES: Alex Stewart, 3-1 in first season at East Noble, 57-40 in 10th season overall. Jason Doerffler, 23-7 in third season at Leo, 46-65 in 11th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: East Noble beat DeKalb, 35-0. Leo beat New Haven, 42-13.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Leo, 45-42, on October 27, 2023 in Class 4A sectional semifinal.
UP NEXT: East Noble entertains Norwell (1-3). Leo goes to Bellmont (0-4).
TOP PERFORMERS: Rylee Biddle was 6-of-12 for 100 yards with a score and ran for another touchdown for the Knights against DeKalb. Landin Hoeppner ran twice for 88 yards with a touchdown, caught a 41-yard pass for another score, and threw an eight-yard pass for the No. 6 (Class 4A) Lions against New Haven.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Leo is fresh off a semistate run last season. They are 4-0 and currently ranked in the top 10 in Class 4A. They are well-coached and they do a great job of utilizing their playmakers. We are excited for the opportunity to compete with a great program and it should be a great environment for high school football on Friday night.” – East Noble’s Alex Stewart.
“East Noble is a very strong football program that prides itself in playing a very physical style of football on both sides. They are always a well-coached and disciplined football team. We will have to really ramp up our toughness along our offensive and defensive lines this week. Stopping their run game is also imperative to victory. On offense, we must take better care of the football. We’ve battled some turnovers, penalties, and careless plays the last few weeks. There is a much smaller margin for error when playing a team like East Noble. As always in games like this, big plays in the special teams will be critical to creating good field position. We expect a great battle on Friday and were excited about getting the opportunity to play in front of a good home crowd.” – Leo’s Jason Doerffler.
FORT WAYNE SNIDER (3-1) AT CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (2-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Gorsuch Complex.
COACHES: Kurt Tippmann, 153-38 in 16th season at Fort Wayne Snider. Doug Dinan, 112-51 in 15th season at Carroll.
LAST CONTEST: Fort Wayne Snider defeated Fort Wayne South, 35-14. Carroll defeated Fort Wayne Dwenger, 31-3.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Fort Wayne Snider, 27-24, on September 15, 2023.
UP NEXT: Fort Wayne Snider hosts Homestead (2-2). Carroll plays at Fort Wayne Wayne (1-2).
TOP PERFORMERS: Jordan Davis found the end zone three times for the No. 10 (Class 6A) Panthers against Fort Wayne South. Nate Starks rambled 17 times for 134 yards for the Chargers against Bishop Dwenger.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Carroll is a very good football team and our games the last four years have all been close one-score games that come down to the final series. Carroll has one of the best quarterbacks (Jimmy Sullivan) in the state (if not the best) and is very productive on offense. They will be a challenge to stop defensively. We need to keep Sullivan from taking the game over in the run game and the pass game. This starts by controlling the line of scrimmage. Offensively, we need to run the ball effectively, then be balanced throwing the ball to be effective. Special teams always plays a big role in these games and this year will be no different. Field position and explosive special teams play will be a big factor in the outcome.” – Fort Wayne Snider’s Kurt Tippmann.
“In the Fort Wayne area traditionally, there is one consistent team that you must beat if you are going to be successful in conference and tournament play and that team is Snider High School. Snider is always extremely well-coached and plays error-free physical football. Snider is the defending (Summit Athletic) conference and (Class 5A) state champions, so we must continue to elevate our play if we are going to be successful.” – Carroll’s Doug Dinan.
GIBSON SOUTHERN (3-1) AT SOUTHRIDGE (3-1)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Raider Field.
COACHES: Nick Hart, 129-25 in 13th season at Gibson Southern. Scott Buening, 106-35 in 12th season at Southridge, 118-63 in 16th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Gibson Southern lost to South Warren (Kentucky), 34-31. Southridge beat Pike Central, 53-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Gibson Southern, 38-10, on September 15, 2023.
UP NEXT: Gibson Southern travels to Heritage Hills (3-1). Southridge plays at Tell City (3-1).
TOP PERFORMERS: Zach Foster went 25-of-40 for 302 yards with four touchdowns and ran 13 times for 40 yards for the No. 3 (Class 3A) Titans against South Warren. Justin Leathers managed six carries for 76 yards with four touchdowns and completed 7-of-10 for 68 yards for the Raiders against Pike Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Southridge is always a difficult opponent. They have a tremendous program and their staff does a great job and are very difficult to prepare for. They are a very disciplined and physical football team. We must execute at a really high level and continue to do a good job of taking care of the football.” – Gibson Southern’s Nick Hart.
“Gibson Southern is always tremendously well-prepared physically and their coaching staff does a great job of getting the ball in the hands of their best players on offense and are always very disciplined and physical defensively. The Titans’ offense plays at a very fast pace and they play all their guys on one side of the ball which is a testament to the depth their staff has built within their program. Our ability to remain composed within their high paces offense and get them off the field is key. They can wear opponents down. Defensively, they are as good as anyone in this area. They have experience along with just a lot of very good football players. We will have to find some success on offense and do our best to get their offense off the field and at worst, make them snap it as many times as we can. We are excited about the challenge and finding out where we currently stand as a football team.” = Southridge’s Scott Buening.
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (3-1) AT WESTFIELD (4-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Riverview Health Stadium.
COACHES: Michael Kelly, 38-11 in fifth season at Hamilton Southeastern, 52-27 in eighth season overall. Josh Miracle, 4-0 in first season at Westfield.
LAST CONTEST: Hamilton Southeastern lost to Fishers, 37-35. Westfield beat Noblesville, 38-18.
LAST MEETING: Westfield, 24-21, on November 10, 2023 in Class 6A regional final.
UP NEXT: Hamilton Southeastern entertains Zionsville (2-2). Westfield goes to Brownsburg (4-0).
TOP PERFORMERS: Carter Reed accounted for 11 carries for 127 yards with two scores for the Royals against Fishers. Carsen Melvin went 11-of-16 for 123 yards with two touchdowns and ran for a third tally for the top-ranked (Class 6A) Shamrocks against Noblesville.
COACHES’ CORNER: “It’s important that we win the line of scrimmage, play physical, and be relentless on offense and defense. Westfield is a very well-coached team that has tremendous size and depth. We have to play as a unit on offense, defense, and special teams.” – Hamilton Southeastern’s Michael Kelly.
“Our players and staff have the utmost respect for what Hamilton Southeastern’s program has been able to accomplish under Coach Kelly. They are extremely well-coached and as in previous years remain fundamentally sound on both sides of the ball. The keys to the game will still revert back to winning with fundamentals in regards to taking care of the football, blocking, and tackling at a high level. The team that wins the turnover and explosive play battle will be critical for success on Friday night. We are looking forward to this highly anticipated matchup.” – Westfield’s Josh Miracle.
HERITAGE HILLS (3-1) AT NORTH POSEY (4-0)
KICKOFF: 8 p.m. EDT, Viking Field.
COACHES: Todd Wilkerson, 99-44 in 13th season at Heritage Hills. Waylon Schenk, 57-26 in eighth season at North Posey, 85-50 in 13th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Heritage Hills beat South Spencer, 48-0. North Posey beat Tell City, 34-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Heritage Hills, 10-0, on September 15, 2023.
UP NEXT: Heritage Hills hosts Gibson Southern (3-1). North Posey entertains Tecumseh (0-4).
TOP PERFORMERS: Tyler Ruxer hauled in four passes for 81 yards with two scores for the No. 2 (Class 3A) Patriots against South Spencer. Jed Galvin carried the ball 19 times for 187 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 3 (Class 2A) Vikings against Tell City.
COACHES’ CORNER: “This will be a great test for us to travel to North Posey to take on the defending Class 2A south semistate champions. For us to be successful Friday night, we need to continue to get better on the defensive side of the ball. We need to adjust to North Posey’s array of offensive formations and stay locked in on reading our keys and doing our job. On the offensive side of the ball, we need to continue to improve in the run game. We’ve found some depth at running back in the last few weeks due to injury, and we are in the process of creating depth on the offensive line. We need our offensive line to take a step forward and become more consistent in the run game. We look to our special teams to create positive momentum in the game. We have not made a huge impact with our special teams this year, so it’s time for our special teams to start impacting the game in a positive way.” – Heritage Hills’ Todd Wilkerson.
“For us to beat a very talented Heritage Hills team, we will have to win on first down on both sides of the ball. Our offense has to stay on schedule and have manageable down and distances to help us keep their high-powered offense on the sideline. On defense we have to limit the big play. Heritage Hills has athletes all over the field and are capable of scoring at any time. If we give up the big play, it will be a long night.” – North Posey’s Waylon Schenk.
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (3-0) AT WEST LAFAYETTE (3-1)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Straley Field.
COACHES: Brian Nay, 52-27 in seventh season at Lafayette Central Catholic. Shane Fry, 119-24 in 12th season at West Lafayette.
LAST CONTEST: Lafayette Central Catholic beat Twin Lakes, 56-21. West Lafayette beat Rensselaer Central, 34-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: West Lafayette, 37-7, on September 8, 2023.
UP NEXT: Lafayette Central Catholic hosts Rensselaer Central (1-3). West Lafayette plays at Western (0-4).
TOP PERFORMERS: Hudson Gutwein registered nine catches for 127 yards for the No. 2 (Class 2A) Knights against Twin Lakes. Benny Speaker went 18-of-24 for 186 yards with a touchdown and ran for another tally for the No. 7 (Class 3A) Red Devils against Rensselaer Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “It’s going to take an elite focus and intensity level in our preparation all week to even put ourselves in position to win at West Lafayette on Friday night. We will have to beat them, as they are well-coached and do not beat themselves.” – Lafayette Central Catholic’s Brian Nay.
“In weeks one through four, we have had to focus on stopping the run. Central Catholic will be the best passing team we have faced, so we need to stop the run and be sound in the secondary. We must win the special teams and turnover battle to succeed against a well-coached Central Catholic team.” – West Lafayette’s Shane Fry.
NORTH DECATUR (3-1) AT LAPEL (4-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, The Boneyard.
COACHES: Steve Stirn, 77-35 in 10th season at North Decatur, 164-84 in 22nd season overall. Tim Miller, 79-63 in 13th season at Lapel.
LAST CONTEST: North Decatur beat Shenandoah, 27-7. Lapel beat Indian Creek, 42-12.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Lapel, 42-7, on September 15, 2023.
UP NEXT: North Decatur welcomes Connersville (2-2). Lapel hosts Rushville (2-2).
TOP PERFORMERS: Jarrett Helman was 13-of-18 for 119 yards and ran 14 times for 63 yards with a touchdown for the No. 5 (Class 1A) Chargers against Shenandoah. Brice Burress registered six catches for 142 yards with a score for the No. 8 (Class 2A) Bulldogs against Indian Creek,
COACHES’ CORNER: “Lapel is an outstanding football team. Offensively, they have very good talent at the skill positions and have proven to have the ability to attack you many ways with a run-pass balance. Defensively, they are very aggressive and talented. For us to be successful, we must maintain possession offensively and limit zero and negative plays in order to do that. Offensively, we must keep them off balance while distributing the ball to all of our skill people. Defensively, it is a pick-your-poison approach. Do we load up to stop the run or do we drop eight into coverage? I think the answer is a variation of both. Momentum will be something that we must control in this game. They have proven they can be a quick strike team if given the opportunity. This will be a great challenge for our team. We use this as a midseason test to prepare us for the tournament.” – North Decatur’s Steve Stirn.
“Steve Stirn is one of the best coaches in the state who gets the absolute most out of the talent he has. His team will be well-prepared. We will have to play fast fundamental football to win. Offensively, we need to play our game and take what they are giving us in the passing game and win the battle at the line of scrimmage in the run game. Defensively, we need to play fast. They will run 30 different formations at us, looking for misalignments, matchups they want. We need to have the same intensity in week five that we have had the previous four weeks.” – Lapel’s Tim Miller.
WARSAW (3-1) AT CONCORD (4-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Jake Field.
COACHES: Bart Curtis, 51-18 in seventh season at Warsaw, 252-120 in 34th season overall. Craig Koehler, 66-34 in 10th season at Concord.
LAST CONTEST: Warsaw beat Wawasee, 56-6. Concord beat Northridge, 34-17.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Warsaw, 10-3, on September 8, 2023.
UP NEXT: Warsaw entertains Plymouth (2-2). Concord plays at NorthWood (2-2).
TOP PERFORMERS: Tucker Reed scored three touchdowns for the No. 5 (Class 5A) Tigers against Wawasee. Jaron Thomas accumulated 21 carries for 174 yards with three scores for the No. 4 (Class 5A) Minutemen against Northridge.
COACHES’ CORNER: “When the Tigers have the football, we must hand the ball to the official at the end of every play. Valuing the football will be crucial. We must play with incredible effort and physicality when blocking at the second level. We must finish runs and blocks with violence. Every yard will be critical. When the Minutemen have the football, we must be disciplined in our run fits and reads. We must play with physicality across the line of scrimmage. We must keep the ball in front of us in the passing game and break on shallow routes and screens. When the football is being kicked, we must be disciplined with our personnel, assignments, lanes, and responsibilities. The football cannot touch the ground when it is kicked to us. We must maintain legal blocks throughout the course of the whistle and have no blocked kicks.” – Warsaw’s Bart Curtis.
“Warsaw presents several issues on both sides of the ball and they also have a high-end kicker. It’s the same story when it comes to defending the flexbone, we have to win on first down. We cannot allow them to be in second (down) and five or six (yards to go) all night. Offensively, we need to protect so that we can complete some balls early. We must have balance on offense. We will not be able to line up and just run at them all night. As always, turnovers will play a major factor.” – Concord’s Craig Koehler.
