BROWNSBURG (1-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Marian University.
COACHES: John Hart, 70-18 in ninth season at Brownsburg, 337-99 in 40th season overall. Bill Peebles, 61-17 in seventh season at Cathedral, 135-82 in 20th August season overall…
PREVIOUS MEETING: Brownsburg, 45-31, on 25, 2023.
LAST CONTEST: Brownsburg beat Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, 45-13. Cathedral beat Indianapolis Ben Davis, 24-6.
UP NEXT: Brownsburg travels to Franklin Central. Cathedral goes to Cincinnati Saint Xavier (Ohio).
TOP PERFORMERS: Oscar Frye was 7-of-9 for 135 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 6 (Class 6A) Bulldogs against Bishop Dwenger. Jalen Bonds ran 25 times for 162 yards with a score for the No. 3 (Class 6A) Irish against No. 8 (Class 6A) Ben Davis.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Cathedral did a great job of making and forcing the big plays against Ben Davis. Ball security and special teams will decide this game. If they get the lead, (running back Jalen) Bonds is a closer that is really physical.” – Brownsburg’s John Hart.
“We have to put last week’s game in the rearview mirror. We face another team who is getting first place votes. Brownsburg is an incredibly physical football team. For us to have a chance, we will need to match their physicality up front. We need to limit the big players defensively and will need to limit mistakes on offense.” – Cathedral’s Bill Peebles.
CARMEL (1-0) AT WESTFIELD (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Riverview Health Stadium.
COACHES: John Hebert, 80-32 in 10th season at Carmel. Josh Miracle, 1-0 in first season at Westfield.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Westfield, 37-21, on October 27, 2023 in Class 6A sectional semifinal.
LAST CONTEST: Carmel beat Homestead, 34-10. Westfield beat Center Grove, 34-28.
UP NEXT: Carmel plays at Centerville (Ohio). Westfield entertains Zionsville.
TOP PERFORMERS: Andrew Pemberton ran 10 times for 100 yards with a touchdown for the No. 9 (Class 6A) Greyhounds against Homestead. Carsen Melvin went 12-of-15 for 178 yards with a touchdown and ran for another score for the top-ranked (Class 6A) Shamrocks against No. 7 (Class 6A) Center Grove.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Westfield is a great team in every way. It’s hard to say what their greatest strength is, but their offensive and defensive lines were outstanding against Center Grove. Their defense is very disciplined and physical and they tackle very well. On offense, they excel at running the football and have athletic skilled players on the perimeter to go along with a very talented quarterback (Carsen Melvin). On top of that, their special teams are excellent. We will need great execution on offense so we can control the ball and get value out of our shot plays which they rarely give up. Our defensive front needs to play very well at both controlling blockers and pursuing the ball carrier. If we can get them into a fair amount of third and longs, it would really help our cause. Our goal each is to create an advantage in starting field position with both our coverage and return units on special teams. If they get the advantage there, it makes it that much tougher to beat them. We are so excited for this challenge.” – Carmel’s John Hebert.
“Similar to week one, our players and staff have the utmost respect for what Carmel’s program has been able to accomplish under Coach Hebert’s leadership the past 10 years. They are extremely well-coached and rarely make mistakes. The keys to the game will still revert back to winning the 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.
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (0-1) AT CENTER GROVE (0-1)
GAME TIME: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Ray Skillman Field.
COACHES: Doug Dinan, 110-50 in 15th season at Carroll. Eric Moore, 247-77 in 26th season at Center Grove.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Center Grove, 35-9, on November 25, 2022 in Class 6A state championship game
LAST CONTEST: Carroll lost to Hamilton Southeastern, 45-21. Center Grove lost to Westfield, 34-28.
UP NEXT: Carroll hosts Fort Wayne South. Center Grove travels to Louisville Trinity (Kentucky).
TOP PERFORMERS: Jimmy Sullivan was 12-of-15 for 148 yards with a touchdown and ran 16 times for 82 yards with a score for the Chargers against No. 5 (Class 6A) Hamilton Southeastern. Nolan Rees tallied 20 carries for 108 yards with a touchdown for the No. 7 (Class 6A) Trojans against No. 1 (Class 6A) Westfield.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Center Grove is the standard. They have played in seven state championships under Coach Moore. He and his staff do a tremendous job of teaching and coaching the players at Center Grove High School every year. They are a very physical football team that obviously wants to run the ball, but still have a diverse offensive attack. They play very fast on the defensive side of the ball. We must win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball if we are going to be successful. We must create turnovers when on defense and take care of the ball on offense.” – Carroll’s Doug Dinan.
“The number one key in trying to beat Carroll will be not beating yourself. Turnovers and controlling their big plays will be huge. Converting on third downs like always will also be a key to the game. Obviously, we will have to tackle well and try to keep their powerful offense off the field. They possess a big-time quarterback (Jimmy Sullivan) as well as excellent outstanding skill players who can all make big plays. Possession of the football will be key in this game. We will have to make big plays on special teams as well as a big play somewhere early in the game. We will have to have a strong physical running game mixed in with our speed specialist on the perimeter. Carroll will be one of the best teams in the state this season and will be a very tough game for our young team. But like the rest of our schedule, we hope to improve each week to have success in the sectional.” – Center Grove’s Eric Moore.
CASTLE (1-0) AT EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Reitz Bowl.
COACHES: Doug Hurt, 135-74 in 19th season at Castle. Mike Goebel, 264-90 in 28th season at Mater Dei.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Castle, 49-7, on August 25, 2023.
LAST CONTEST: Castle beat Evansville North, 14-11. Mater Dei beat Evansville Central, 45-7.
UP NEXT: Castle hosts Evansville Bosse. Mater Dei goes to Vincennes Lincoln.
TOP PERFORMERS: Max McCool racked up 14 carries for 88 yards for the No. 7 (Class 5A) Knights against Evansville North. Tate Mallory and Cade Thacker combined for four scores for the No. 10 (Class 3A) Wildcats against Evansville Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We need to play to the best of our ability. Mater Dei is consistently one of the top teams on our schedule. They are disciplined, physical, sound in all phases of the game, and will not beat themselves. Coach Goebel is a master motivator and will have his team ready to go. We have to go to the Reitz Bowl, in a hostile environment, and ‘do what we do.’ It’s always a very competitive game and an outstanding environment.” – Castle’s Doug Hurt.
“We have to play our very best in all phases to compete against this powerful Castle team. The Knights are big, strong, and aggressive, so we must play at a higher level to deal with their physicality. Castle’s offense is formidable and its defense is outstanding, led by two (NCAA) D-1 commits. Coach Hurt’s two-platoon attack is vintage Castle, so we have a huge challenge to handle their weapons.” – Mater Dei’s Mike Goebel.
DECATUR CENTRAL (0-1) AT NEW PALESTINE (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Kelso Stadium.
COACHES: Kyle Enright, 70-26 in ninth season at Decatur Central. Kyle Ralph, 128-14 in 12th season at New Palestine.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Decatur Central, 43-42, on August 25, 2023.
LAST CONTEST: Decatur Central lost to Columbus North, 41-15. New Palestine beat Kokomo, 35-14.
UP NEXT: Decatur Central hosts Whiteland. New Palestine travels to Yorktown.
TOP PERFORMERS: Kasmir Hicks hauled in five passes for 68 yards with a touchdown for the No. 6 (Class 5A) Hawks against Columbus North. Austin McMahan registered two catches for 106 yards with a score for the top-ranked Dragons against Kokomo.
COACHES’ CORNER: “New Pal is a very good football team. Coach Ralph and his staff do a great job in the off-season building strong young men in the weight room and that is what stood out on film watching them play Kokomo in week one. They have big, strong kids at every position, and they have speed at the skill positions. A very good offensive line and quarterback (Jacob Davis) along with a great running back (Caden Jacobia). It will be a challenge for our football team to go on the road in a crazy environment against a very good team, but we are looking forward to it. In order to compete, we must weather the storm. The emotions of a big game and being on the road will be at a high level and we must stay calm and play our game early in the contest. We also have to win the turnover battle. The team that takes care of the ball usually wins. This is especially important in big games. We need to play fast and physical. We need to be able to use our team speed in all three phases of the game to minimize the impact of their size advantage on both lines of scrimmage.” – Decatur Central’s Kyle Enright.
“We need to refocus after a big win in week one over a good Class 5A team in Kokomo. We now play the defending south champions from Class 5A in Decatur Central. They have been good for a long time and this season looks to be no different. They are talented and explosive on both sides of the ball like always. It will be a huge challenge to step up and play another big school for a second week in a row for us. It is always a great game when we play Decatur Central and this should be another in that series.” – New Palestine’s Kyle Ralph.
FRANKLIN CENTRAL (1-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Tully Field.
COACHES: Jayson West, 12-19 in fourth season at Franklin Central, 135-57 in 17th season overall. Sam Otley, 1-0 in first season at Roncalli.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Franklin Central, 20-6, on August 25, 2023.
LAST CONTEST: Franklin Central beat Perry Meridian, 45-14. Roncalli beat Southport, 37-13.
UP NEXT: Franklin Central entertains Brownsburg. Roncalli hosts Indianapolis Bishop Chatard.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nevan Tutterow went 7-of-16 for 153 yards with four touchdowns for the Flashes against Perry Meridian. Drew Nelson caught five passes for 101 yards with a score for the Royals against Southport.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We have to play very clean football to have a chance to win this game. We have to hit three or four big plays on offense and keep their quarterback in the pocket and stop the run on defense.” – Franklin Central’s Jayson West.
“Our keys to victory are we need to play a complete game on offense, defense, and special teams. Our offense needs to play mistake-penalty free football, convert on third downs, and score touchdowns in the red zone. Our defense needs to play fast and physical, rally to the ball, and limit explosive plays.” – Roncalli’s Sam Otley.
HANOVER CENTRAL (1-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Chatard Stadium.
COACHES: Brian Parker, 54-17 in seventh season at Hanover. Rob Doyle, 79-20 in eighth season at Bishop Chatard.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First time playing on the gridiron.
LAST CONTEST: Hanover Central beat Wheeler, 41-21. Bishop Chatard beat Brebeuf Jesuit, 58-35.
UP NEXT: Hanover Central entertains Highland, Bishop Chatard goes to Indianapolis Roncalli.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tommy Bonner threw for 154 yards and ran for 77 yards and two scores for the Wildcats against Wheeler. Jack Harrington completed 25-of-30 for 284 yards with four touchdown for the No. 2 (Class 4A) Trojans against No. 8 (Class 4A) Brebeuf Jesuit.
COACHES’ CORNER: “For us to come away with a win on Friday, we have to play the cleanest game of football we can. We can’t give them extra possessions by turning the ball over and finishing every drive with a kick. In turn, we have to force a few takeaways to gain extra possessions. Offensively, we have to stay on schedule as much as possible and defensively, be violent at the point of attack, tackle well, and keep them in front of us. This is a tremendous opportunity for our football program to play Bishop Chatard. This game on Friday night will make us a better football team.” – Hanover Central’s Brian Parker.
“Hanover Central has a tremendous program with multiple undefeated seasons. They have a very aggressive defense that can overwhelm an offense, so we will need to maintain our physicality. They have some dynamic offensive players, so we will need to stop the run game and force some long yardage situations.” – Bishop Chatard’s Rob Doyle.
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (1-0) AT SOUTH PUTNAM (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Wildman Field.
COACHES: Dave Pasch, 152-53 in 17th season at Lutheran, 217-110 in 28th season overall. Chuck Sorrell, 42-15 in sixth season at South Putnam, 46-41 in ninth season overall.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Lutheran, 21-14, on October 27, 2023 in Class 1A sectional semifinal.
LAST CONTEST: Lutheran beat Christel House Manual, 41-14. South Putnam beat Speedway, 28-20.
UP NEXT: Lutheran plays at Triton Central. South Putnam hosts North Putnam.
TOP PERFORMERS: De’Marco Wilson scored a pair of touchdowns for the No. 1 (Class 2A) Saints against Christel House. Ty Benton romped 21 times for 141 yards with a score for the top-ranked (Class 1A) Eagles against Speedway.
COACHES’ CORNER: “South Putnam is well-coached and very disciplined with a load of talented players. We have to match them with an ability to avoid mistakes and have great mental preparedness. South Putnam has tremendous team speed, very physical, and very fundamental. They have a fast physical defense that attacks and a very explosive offense. We will have to execute the game plan to have success in all three phases of the football game.” – Lutheran’s Dave Pasch.
“This week has been tough for all teams throughout the state. Our group has done a great job of adjusting to morning practices and getting as much work done as possible. We know that Lutheran is a great team and we look forward to the challenge of playing them a third time in three years. This one does not have the same implications as the other two, but it is a great game for us to find out if we are at the top of Class 1A like all of the polls say. Lutheran will be a hard out in Class 2A and the best team we will play all year. We would like to continue to get better. We are building towards a long run in the playoffs and competing against a good Speedway team and a great Lutheran team will help prepare us for playoffs. Lutheran has not lost in three-plus years and they are the standard for small school football right now. A victory against them would prove that all of these long hours in the weight room and these tough summer scrimmages to come closer to our end goals are very attainable.” – South Putnam’s Chuck Sorrell.
PENN (1-0) AT MISHAWAKA (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Steele Stadium.
COACHES: Pete Riordan, 1-0 in first season at Penn. Keith Kinder, 55-18 in seventh season at Mishawaka.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Penn, 28-7, on August 25, 2023.
LAST CONTEST: Penn beat Valparaiso, 49-42. Mishawaka beat Mishawaka Marian, 41-24.
UP NEXT: Penn plays at Jackson Field against South Bend Riley. Mishawaka goes to Concord.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tayshon Bardo hauled in five passes for 126 yards with three scores for the No. 10 (Class 6A) Kingsmen against No. 5 (Class 5A) Valparaiso. Gage Spychalski came up with a pair of scores for the No. 4 (Class 4A) Cavemen against Marian.
COACHES’ CORNER: “To be successful on Friday night against Mishawaka, we have to take care of the football. Because of their offense, we know there will be limited possessions, so we cannot afford to give any of those away. The offense has to be patient and take what they are giving us. Defensively, we have to play assignment football. It’ll be very important to play fast to our responsibilities and be better tacklers than we were last Friday night. Additionally, because of the predicted temperatures, we must prepare ourselves with the proper hydration and nutrition throughout the week.” – Penn’s Pete Riordan.
“As always, we are excited for the opportunity to play one of the premier programs in northern Indiana. Penn is incredibly well-coached and always plays with great discipline. Based on week one, this is the most explosive Penn offense we feel like we’ve seen in a long time. They are fast, athletic and their offensive line plays incredibly fast and physical. We are going to have to have 11 guys on defense running to the ball to try and keep their speed in front of us. On defense, we expect Penn to be what Penn always is. Disciplined, physical, and well-coached. We have to be able to get four yards per play and possess the ball. That’s easier said than done against a great team like Penn. We cannot have penalties and negative plays or we’ll get behind the chains and not be able to recover.” – Mishawaka’s Keith Kinder.
PLAINFIELD (1-0) AT HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Rickard Field.
COACHES: Tyler Bless, 7-4 in second year at Plainfield. Terry Peebles, 70-37 in 11th year at Harrison.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Harrison, 39-13, on October 27, 2023 in sectional.
LAST CONTEST: Plainfield beat Terre Haute South, 31-27. Harrison beat West Lafayette, 30-22.
UP NEXT: Plainfield hosts Mooresville. Harrison travels to Brebeuf Jesuit.
TOP PERFORMERS: Luke Starnes scampered 21 times for 145 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 10 (Class 5A) Quakers against Terre Haute South. Payne Meyer recorded four tackles and a 49-yard interception return for a touchdown for the Raiders against No. 9 (Class 3A) West Lafayette.
COACHES’ CORNER: “As for Friday, we will need to be able to have a good start vs. Harrison on all three phases of the game. Our defense will need to pressure the quarterback and our defensive backs will need to disrupt their wide receivers in the passing game. Our linebackers will need to have great read keys especially vs. Harrison’s jets and motions. Offensively, we will need to handle Harrison’s multiple pressures and coverages while maintaining the line of scrimmage and sustaining our run game. Special teams will be a huge factor for both teams, so we will need to achieve our game breakers goals and make a positive impact in this phase of the game.” – Plainfield’s Tyler Bless.
“On offense, we struggled with explosive plays last week, and hope to stretch the ball down the field a bit more this week. Offensively, we did not have a turnover, which was great for an offense that had eight players starting their first varsity football game. We will need to do the same this week with limiting turnovers for our young offense and protect the quarterback, as Plainfield loves to blitz. On defense, continuing to mix up what we do and give different looks will help confuse the offense. In week one, we did a great job of forcing turnovers and tackling in the open field. This will need to be the case once again, as Plainfield has explosive weapons all over the field.” – Harrison assistant coach Kyle Holderfield.
ROCHESTER (1-0) AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Smith-Bibler Field.
COACHES: Ron Shaffer, 23-8 in fourth season at Rochester. Stephen Moriarty, 51-25 in eighth season at Tippecanoe Valley.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Tippecanoe Valley, 39-8, on August 25, 2023.
LAST CONTEST: Rochester beat Wabash, 42-0. Tippecanoe Valley beat Wawasee, 44-0.
UP NEXT: Rochester entertains Whitko. Tippecanoe Valley hosts Hammond Morton.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brant Beck ran four times for 68 yards with two scores for the Zebras against Wabash. Wes Parker came up with four carries for 149 yards with three touchdowns for the No. 8 (Class 3A) Vikings against Wawasee.
COACHES’ CORNER: “The ‘Bell Game’ is going to have a great atmosphere with tremendous support from both communities. We will need to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball to come away with a victory on Friday night. Along with that, we will need to limit explosive plays on defense while having long scoring drives that eat the clock on offense.” – Rochester’s Ron Shaffer.
“We are very excited to have the opportunity to play Rochester. It is a great rival for the tradition of fighting for the Bell. To come home with a victory, we are going to have to make sure that we do not turn the ball over and trying to cut down on the penalties. Keeping our players hydrated and having a good rotation will be key to making sure the players are fresh during the game.” – Tippecanoe Valley’s Steve Moriarty.
WARSAW (1-0) AT WARREN CENTRAL (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Warrior Field.
COACHES: Bart Curtis, 49-17 in seventh season at Warsaw, 250-119 in 34th season overall. Mike Kirschner, 17-17 in fourth season at Warren Central, 156-87 in 22nd season overall.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First matchup.
LAST CONTEST: Warsaw beat Michigan City, 20-7. Warren Central beat Fort Wayne Snider, 15-0.
‘UP NEXT: Warsaw hosts Goshen. Warren Central goes to North Central (Indianapolis).
TOP PERFORMERS: Airic Hester caught four passes for 101 yards with a touchdown for the No. 4 (Class 6A) Warriors against Fort Wayne Snider. Mason Smythe connected on field goals of 20 yards and 30 yards for the No. 4 (Class 5A) Tigers against Michigan City.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We must compete at the highest level we are possibly capable of in terms of execution, intensity, and purpose in performance. We must give 100 percent maximum effort on every snap and eliminate penalties. We cannot end up with first down and 20 yards and second down and 15 yards to go situations. We must keep their speed in front and inside of us when they have the ball and tackle well in the open field. We cannot have an abundance of misses and miscues in the kicking game.” – Warsaw’s Bart Curtis.
“We are playing against another (Indiana) Hall of Fame coach in Bart Curtis and a great staff. Their offensive scheme is difficult to defend since we do not see this scheme on a regular basis. Their kids are physical and tough on both sides of the ball. They have a huge weapon in their kicker-punter (Mason Smythe). We are going to have to win the battle up front to be successful.” – Warren Central’s Mike Kirschner.
