ON THE LOOSE (Top running performances)
Merrillville’s JQ Johnson rambled 22 times for 214 yards with two scores in the Pirates’ 41-14 win over Concord.
Noah Vanmeter of Pioneer ran 25 times for 185 yards with two touchdowns and recorded five tackles in the Panthers’ 31-14 win over South Adams.
Merrillville’s Cameron Jordan contributed 12 carries for 178 yards with four touchdowns and two catches for 30 yards against Concord.
Fort Wayne Bishop Luers’ Terrance Epperson finished with 21 rushes for 177 yards with three touchdowns and one catch for 10 yards in the Knights’ 35-0 win over Knox.
Deacon King of Westfield scampered 25 times for 136 yards with four scores in the Shamrocks’ 35-14 win over Carroll (Fort Wayne).
Brownsburg’s Aiden Jobe had 24 carries for 155 yards with two touchdowns in the defending Class 6A state champion Bulldogs’ 31-0 win over Warren Central.
Dayton Mink of Cascade chipped in 25 rushes for 125 yards with three touchdowns in the Cadets’ 49-34 win over Gibson Southern.
South Putnam’s Ty Benton totaled 16 carries for 120 yards with a touchdown in the Eagles’ 40-7 win over Milan.
Reese Breveard of Concord raced 20 times for 114 yards with two scores and caught six passes for 45 yards for the Minutemen against Merrillville.
Brownstown Central’s Preston Garrison scampered 12 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 31 yards with another tally in the Braves’ 31-21 win over Lapel.
Knox’s Myles McLaughlin was limited to 78 yards on 24 carries in his final game with the Redskins against Bishop Luers. He finished this season with 4,846 yards and 71 touchdowns, which are both new national records. For his career, he closed with 174 scores and 11,839 yards, which was 285 yards short of the national record held by Derek Henry of the Baltimore Ravens, who had 12,124 career yards.
PASSING GRADES (Top quarterback performances)
South Putnam’s Drew Cline was 5-of-11 for 226 yards with three touchdowns and carried the ball six times for 55 yards with a fourth score against Milan.
Devin Craig of Lapel finished 17-of-32 for 214 yards with three scores and raced six times for 51 yards for the Bulldogs against Brownstown Central.
Carroll’s (Fort Wayne) Gabe Frisinger went 16-of-24 for 201 yards with a touchdown and ran 19 times for 52 yards with another score for the Chargers against Westfield.
Caden Rochleau of Gibson Southern finished 18-of-31 for 200 yards with three touchdowns and raced for 51 yards for the Titans against Cascade.
Tytus Lehman of South Adams completed 17-of-36 for 197 yards with two touchdowns for the Starfires against Pioneer.
New Palestine’s Jacob Davis was 6-of-12 for 147 yards with two scores and carried the ball 13 times for 85 yards with another touchdown in the defending Class 4A state champion Dragons’ 42-0 win over Bloomington South.
Oscar Frye of Brownsburg completed 9-of-22 for 146 yards and raced seven times for 46 yards against Warren Central.
Bloomington South’s Duncan Combs went 14-of-24 for 144 yards and ran twice for 13 yards for the Panthers against New Palestine.
Collin Ash of Indianapolis Roncalli was 9-of-10 for 124 yards with two scores and carried the ball 16 times for 83 yards with two touchdowns in the Royals’ 42-14 win over defending Class 3A state champion Heritage Hills.
South Bend Saint Joseph Sam Scicchitano finished 9-of-27 for 141 yards with a score for the Huskies in their 28-7 loss to Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger.
Micah Sheffer of Brownstown Central went 6-of-10 for 122 yards with two touchdowns and ran 21 times for 77 yards against Lapel.
Adams Central’s Jamison Roach completed 3-of-12 for 117 yards with a touchdown and raced for 100 yards with another score for the Flying Jets in their 24-19 loss against Andrean.
Bo Brunner of Concord went 12-of-20 for 104 yards and ran 11 times for 30 yards against Merrillville.
WHAT A CATCH (Top receiving performances)
South Adams’ Wes Summersett came up with six catches for 122 yards with two scores and eight tackles against Pioneer.
Brownsburg’s Branden Sharpe hauled in five passes for 109 yards and ran for a five-yard touchdown against Warren Central.
Bransyn Ensor of South Putnam tallied three receptions for 108 yards with a score against Milan.
SPECIAL PERFORMERS (Top overall offensive, defensive, and special teams’ performances)
Bishop Dwenger’s KC Pieper racked up 11 tackles and returned a blocked field goal 69 yards for a score for the Saints against Saint Joseph.
Toby Savini of Cascade recorded 13 rushes for 95 yards, a nine-yard touchdown catch, nine tackles with two for loss, and two sacks against Gibson Southern.
Andrean’s Brady Elish ran 15 times for 80 yards with a score, completed a five-yard pass, and intercepted two passes for the 59ers against defending Class 2A state champion Adams Central.
Houston Ellinger of Bishop Dwenger ran 13 times for 73 yards with a score, caught a two-yard pass, and recorded two tackles against Saint Joseph.
Along with six rushes for 78 yards with a touchdown, Cascade’s Lucas Farmer also chipped in 10 tackles and two interceptions against Gibson Southern.
