CLASS 6A SECTIONAL 1
CROWN POINT (10-0) AT PENN (10-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EST, Everwise Freed Field.
COACHES: Craig Buzea, 50-8 in fifth season at Crown Point, 266-97 in 33rd season overall. Pete Riordan, 18-3 in second season at Penn.
LAST CONTEST: Crown Point beat Lake Central, 35-7. Penn beat Portage, 55-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Crown Point beat Penn, 35-0, on November 8, 2024 in sectional final.
UP NEXT: Crown Point hosts No. 10 Carroll (Fort Wayne) (7-3) or Fort Wayne Northrop. Penn entertains Carroll (Fort Wayne) or travels to Fort Wayne Northrop.
TOP PERFORMERS: Trevor Gibbs scampered 42 yards for a touchdown for the No. 2 Bulldogs against Lake Central. Buddy Hurley caught two passes for 52 yards with two scores for the No. 5 Kingsmen against Portage.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Penn is an entirely different animal that we have faced this year. Offensively, defensively, and special teams, they are as good as any team we have played since Westfield last year. As the case with every game we play, it will come down to pre-snap penalties, turnovers, and converting or stopping third and fourth down conversions. To go to Penn three years in a row and come away with a win is a monumental task.” – Crown Point’s Craig Buzea.
“In order to be successful Friday against Crown Point, we will need to adjust to the various offensive and defensive sets they give us. Crown Point does a great job mixing things up on both sides of the ball. It’s important for us to get set as quickly as possible so we can play fast. We will need to be patient on offense as they do not give up the big play much. Conversely on defense, we will need to tackle well in space to force them to go the length of the field.” – Penn’s Pete Riordan.
CLASS 6A SECTIONAL 3
WESTFIELD (8-2) AT CARMEL (9-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Greyhound Stadium.
COACHES: Josh Miracle, 20-4 in second season at Westfield. Kevin Wright, 63-11 in sixth season at Carmel, 168-29 in 17th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Westfield beat Zionsville, 48-20. Carmel beat Harrison (West Lafayette), 56-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Carmel beat Westfield, 34-10, on August 29, 2025.
UP NEXT: Westfield welcomes No. 9 Fishers (7-3) or No. 11 Hamilton Southeastern. Carmel goes to Hamilton Southeastern or hosts Fishers.
TOP PERFORMERS: Aiden Grabowski scampered seven times for 57 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 6 and defending state runner-up Shamrocks against Zionsville. Ayden Johnson finished with nine carries for 82 yards with a score and one catch for 26 yards for the No. 3 Greyhounds against Harrison (West Lafayette).
COACHES’ CORNER: “We look forward to this week’s rematch against an extremely talented Carmel team. Coach Wright and his staff have our utmost respect as we know that they will be well-prepared in all three phases of the game. In order for us to be successful this week, we will need to continue to prioritize winning both the takeaway and explosive play battles. Carmel has fielded one of the most explosive scoring attacks in the state, so we will need our defense to step up to the challenge again this week. We look forward to seeing how much our team has grown since our week two matchup and remain grateful for the opportunity to compete for a sectional title on Friday.” – Westfield’s Josh Miracle.
“We need great discipline and attention to detail in all three phases of the game. We have to put forth relentless effort and physicality for 48 minutes and compete with a ‘refuse to lose mentality.’ Most games of this nature come down to the fourth quarter and often the last drive, so championship teams have that type of mindset.” – Carmel’s Kevin Wright.
CLASS 6A SECTIONAL 4
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (6-4) AT FISHERS (7-3)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Clarian Field.
COACHES: Michael Kelly, 48-18 in sixth season at Hamilton Southeastern, 62-34 in ninth season overall. Curt Funk, 37-28 in sixth season at Fishers, 114-64 in 16th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Hamilton Southeastern beat Homestead, 24-10. Fishers beat Noblesville, 41-13.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Fishers beat Hamilton Southeastern, 28-16, on September. 12, 2025.
UP NEXT: Hamilton Southeastern welcomes No. 3 Carmel (9-1) or plays at No. 6 Westfield (8-2). Fishers goes to Carmel or Westfield.
TOP PERFORMERS: Carter Reed had 22 rushes for 78 yards for the No. 11 Royals against Homestead. Vincent Rozzi hauled in four passes for 65 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 9 Tigers against Noblesville.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Fishers is one of the most well-coached teams in our conference. They are disciplined across the board and play with great consistency in all three phases. Offensively, they feature a high-powered attack led by one of the best quarterbacks (Gage Sturgill) in the state. Their offense is explosive with tremendous speed at the wide receiver position and a very technically sound offensive line. Their running back (Ryan Thembulembu) is a strong, physical runner with excellent burst and balance, making him a constant threat both inside and outside the tackles. To be successful, we must contain their quarterback by winning at the line of scrimmage. Limiting explosive plays will be critical. That means playing disciplined, trusting our reads, and pursuing the football with speed and physicality every snap. Defensively, Fishers starts 11 seniors, an experienced and confident unit. Their defensive line is big, physical, and plays with great effort. Their linebackers are fast to the football and extremely assignment-sound. On the back end, their defensive backs are long, athletic, and aggressive. The safeties are fast-fill, physical tacklers who do an excellent job in run support. For us, success will come down to playing assignment-sound, physical football at the line of scrimmage. Ball security will be of the utmost importance, as will our ability to take what the defense gives us and stay on schedule. We must play fast, physical, and relentless football for all 48 minutes.” – Hamilton Southeastern’s Michael Kelly.
“It is always a challenge to beat a team twice in the same season. Especially a good football team like Hamilton Southeastern, which is well-coached and very talented. They have an elite defense and are very balanced on offense. Their special teams play is the best we have scouted all year. We will need to take care of the football on offense, maintain good field position, and eliminate their big play ability. If we can do these things, it will give us an opportunity to win the game.” – Fishers’ Curt Funk.
CLASS 5A SECTIONAL 13
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (7-3) AT NEW PALESTINE (10-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Kelso Stadium.
COACHES: Bill Peebles, 73-24 in eighth season at Cathedral, 147-89 in 21st season overall. Kyle Ralph, 151-14 in 13th season at New Palestine.
LAST CONTEST: Cathedral beat Anderson, 68-0. New Palestine beat Plainfield, 42-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Cathedral beat New Palestine, 23-7, on November 12, 2021 in regional final.
UP NEXT: Cathedral entertains No. 9 East Central (8-2) or No. 8 Whiteland (9-2). New Palestine travels to East Central or welcomes Whiteland.
TOP PERFORMERS: Marcus Shannon returned a fumble 25 yards for a touchdown for the No. 2 Irish against Anderson. Caden Jacobia tallied seven carries for 62 yards with a score for the No. 1 and defending Class 4A state champion Dragons against No. 10 Plainfield.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We are going to have to play our best game of the year to defeat a great New Pal team. They have outscored their opponents, 510-39, this season. They are excellent in all three phases of the game. It should be a fun game to be a part of.” – Cathedral’s Bill Peebles.
“This is another tremendous challenge for our program taking on one of the traditional powerhouse programs in the state. Cathedral has been playing Class 6A football and is used to that type of environment, along with playing an elite schedule every year. They’re very well-coached and their program is always one of the best in the state and the Midwest. This is what playoff football is all about and it is another great opportunity for our program to play on such a large stage.” – New Palestine’s Kyle Ralph.
CLASS 5A SECTIONAL 14
EAST CENTRAL (8-2) AT WHITELAND (9-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Sleighter Field.
COACHES: Jake Meiners, 73-15 in seventh season at East Central. Darrin Fisher, 150-85 in 21st season at Whiteland, 211-157 in 35th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: East Central beat Franklin, 21-7. Whiteland beat Columbus East, 42-21.
PREVIOUS MEETING: East Central beat Whiteland, 38-30, on November 8, 2002 in Class 4A sectional final.
UP NEXT: East Central hosts No. 1 New Palestine (10-0) or plays at No. 2 Cathedral (7-3).
TOP PERFORMERS: Troy Sebastian racked up nine tackles and a quarterback sack for the No. 9 Trojans against Franklin. Braydon Yates finished with six rushes for 57 yards for the No. 8 Warriors against Columbus East.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We have a huge challenge in front of us with Whiteland. Whiteland has been on quite the roll of late and playing really good football. Darrin Fisher does an incredible job and this is one of his better teams. Our defense will have their hands full trying to stop the ‘Fly Sweep’ offense. They do such a good job of attacking defenses in a variety of ways. We have to play sound, assignment football and be great tacklers. Our offense is going to have to take care of the football and score points. Whiteland’s defense does a great job making teams earn every yard. They play extremely sound team defense, and we are going to have to be able to make adjustments. This will be a game of limited possessions, so the winning team will be the team who makes their possessions count.” – East Central’s Jacob Meiners.
“The scheme is different, but the philosophy of how to win football games is the same. Offensive possessions will be at a premium. Long clock consuming drives is the goal of both teams. The key will be creating big plays on offense and special teams and/or forcing turnovers on defense to steal one or two more possessions in the game.” – Whiteland’s Darrin Fisher.
CLASS 5A SECTIONAL 16
EVANSVILLE NORTH (8-2) AT FLOYD CENTRAL (9-1)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EST, Weigleb Stadium.
COACHES: Zac Nero, 8-2 in first season at Evansville North. James Bragg, 52-30 in eighth season at Floyd Central.
LAST CONTEST: Evansville North beat New Albany, 55-7. Floyd Central beat Castle, 49-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Evansville North beat Floyd Central, 28-20, on October 27, 2023 in sectional semifinal.
UP NEXT: Evansville North welcomes No. 4 Bloomington South (9-1) or goes to Bloomington North (7-3). Floyd Central plays at Bloomington South or Bloomington North.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jayden Jones completed all four of his passes for 68 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 12 Huskies against New Albany. Luke Jacobi managed four catches for 89 yards with a score and two rushes for 13 yards for the No. 7 Highlanders against Castle.
COACHES’ CORNER: “I think we have two very good teams in Class 5A battling it out for a sectional title. I think it will be a great game in a fun atmosphere. Our focus has not changed since the summer. We need to play with high energy, set a tone, and embrace all adversities that come our way. We have a saying ‘North Can’t Beat North’ and as long as we stick by that we will have a fun night. We are a team that has grown tremendously throughout the season. The kids are playing for something bigger than themselves. Our team motto is ‘It is not about YOU, it is not about ME, it is not even about WE, it has to be about US. I am the Problem. I am the Solution.’ This was created by the idea that ‘you cannot have Huskies without US.’ This is our culture statement that the foundation of our program is being built on. I feel like the kids are playing for each other and (Evansville) North as a school more and more each week. It has been a fun season with a great group of kids, especially our seniors.” – Evansville’s North’s Zac Nero.
“Offensively, every drive must result in points. Last week, we converted multiple turnovers into touchdowns, which sealed the game. We must always protect the football. Defensively, we have to build a wall at the line of scrimmage to stop their backs from cutting back. We have to tackle through the hips because tackling high will lead to a long night. On special teams, we must avoid self-inflicted mistakes and ensure strong kickoff coverage by staying in lanes and making tackles. On Evansville North’s punts, we must prioritize defending against fakes before focusing on the return because they’re well-coached in fake punts. When we stop their offense, we must secure the ball for our offense and neutralize their punt game.” – Floyd Central’s James Bragg.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 18
SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH (10-1) AT MISHAWAKA (10-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Steele Stadium.
COACHES: Ben Downey, 75-46 in 10th season at Saint Joseph. Keith Kinder, 75-22 in eighth season at Mishawaka.
LAST CONTEST: Saint Joseph beat Northridge, 14-7. Mishawaka beat Plymouth, 21-17.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Mishawaka beat Saint Joseph, 30-8, on August 26, 2022.
UP NEXT: Saint Joseph hosts Hobart (9-2) or travels to No. 12 Lowell (9-2). Mishawaka goes to Hobart or Lowell.
TOP PERFORMERS: James Criniti added five rushes for 40 yards with a score for the No. 7 Huskies against Northridge. Drew Ginter recorded six tackles and a fumble recovery for the No. 2 Cavemen against Plymouth.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Beating Mishawaka will require winning the special teams’ field position battle, playing physical and disciplined assignment-based defensive football, and finishing drives with points on offense.” – Saint Joseph’s Ben Downey.
“Saint Joe has had a fantastic season. They are extremely talented and well-coached. They are fast and physical on defense and statistically have one of the stoutest defenses in Indiana. Offensively, they have a very challenging scheme and several playmakers to get the ball to. For us to be successful, we have got to win on third down on both sides of the ball and be great in special teams. Mistakes are magnified in championship games, so we must play with great discipline and avoid the silly penalties.” – Mishawaka’s Keith Kinder.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 19
EAST NOBLE (11-0) AT FORT WAYNE BISHOP DWENGER (9-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Shields Field.
COACHES: Alex Stewart, 24-2 in second season at East Noble, 78-41 in 11th season overall. Jason Garrett, 69-28 in eighth season at Bishop Dwenger.
LAST CONTEST: East Noble beat Fort Wayne South, 35-28. Bishop Dwenger beat Columbia City, 21-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: East Noble beat Bishop Dwenger, 38-0, on November 8, 2024 in sectional final.
UP NEXT: East Noble welcomes Logansport (8-3) or Lebanon (9-2). Bishop Dwenger entertains Logansport or plays at Lebanon.
TOP PERFORMERS: Lucas Niman contributed 10 carries for 69 yards for the No. 1 and defending state runner-up Knights against Fort Wayne South. Houston Ellinger registered 11 rushes for 22 yards, eight tackles, an interception, and a fumble returned 19 yards for a score for the No. 8 Saints against Columbia City.
COACHES’ CORNER: “To win on Friday night, we need to play East Noble football. We have to continue to do the things that we have done well to this point in the season. We know that Bishop Dwenger is a very good football team, and we are excited for the opportunity to compete on Friday night.” – East Noble’s Alex Stewart.
“To be successful on Friday against East Noble, we will need to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball as well as the turnover battle. We must also reduce penalties and be efficient in the red zone with points.” – Bishop Dwenger’s Jason Garrett.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 22
INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (8-3) AT INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (9-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Bishop Chatard Stadium.
COACHES: Sam Otley, 14-8 in second season at Roncalli. Rob Doyle, 96-25 in ninth season at Bishop Chatard.
LAST CONTEST: Roncalli beat Danville, 49-16. Bishop Chatard beat Brebeuf Jesuit, 63-33.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Bishop Chatard beat Roncalli, 33-11, on September 5, 2025.
UP NEXT: Roncalli hosts No. 5 Pendleton Heights (10-1) or goes to No. 13 Yorktown (8-2). Bishop Chatard travels to Pendleton Heights or Yorktown.
TOP PERFORMERS: Zach Dozier chipped in 12 rushes for 41 yards with a score and two receptions for 22 yards for the No. 6 Royals against Danville. Brooks Haines ended with three catches for 78 yards with a touchdown for the No. 3 Trojans against Brebeuf Jesuit.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Offensively, we have to start fast, take care of the football, control the line of scrimmage, and take advantage of explosive play opportunities. On defense, we must play sound, physical football, and rally to the ball. Most importantly, we have to tackle them. Scoring points and controlling field position will be crucial on special teams.” – Roncalli’s Sam Otley.
“Roncalli is an excellent team that has continued to improve every week. They have many offensive weapons, so getting them off the field is a challenge. They do a god job of limiting possessions. This is always an even and physical game and we expect the same on Friday.” – Bishop Chatard’s Rob Doyle.
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL 28
FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (6-5) AT MISSISSINEWA (10-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Fisher Field.
COACHES: Kyle Lindsay, 101-70 in 13th season at Bishop Luers. Jeremy Lochner, 10-1 in first season at Mississinewa.
LAST CONTEST: Bishop Luers beat Norwell, 45-12. Mississinewa beat Jay County, 36-7.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Bishop Luers beat Mississinewa, 34-28, on November 8, 2024 in sectional final.
UP NEXT: Bishop Luers entertains Western (8-3) or plays at No. 13 Twin Lakes. Mississinewa goes to Western or Twin Lakes.
TOP PERFORMERS: Terrance Epperson accounted for nine rushes for 93 yards with three touchdowns for the defending state runner-up Knights against Norwell. Levi Crandall amassed seven carries for 37 yards and one catch for 10 yards for the No. 6 Indians against Jay County.
COACHES’ CORNER: “To beat a very good Mississinewa this week, we’ll have to play our best game yet. Our special teams coverage has to be much better. We gave Norwell great field position twice a week ago following our kickoff team. Our offense needs to get out of its own way (penalties have been the only thing slowing us down lately) and establish the line of scrimmage. Defensively, we have to tackle better than we did last week and refrain from giving up the big play. Containing the combo of (Ah’lijah) Monday and (Levi) Crandall in their backfield is a tough task and it can only be done with physical, assignment football. Ultimately, we have to rely on the experience and strength of this team, our defensive and offensive lines.” – Bishop Luers’ Kyle Lindsay.
“To come away with a win on Friday night, we must take care of the football on special teams and offense while still being aggressive every chance we get. Both teams have benefited from great line play all year, therefore the line of scrimmage battle could dictate the outcome. We need to be aggressive off the snap and nasty with our finishes. We expect a brutal fight all night long like last year and will have a no flinch mentality to anything that may happen during the game. Good play, bad play, it does not matter because we are on to the next (play).” – Mississinewa’s Jeremy Lochner.
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL 29
GUERIN CATHOLIC (7-4) AT CASCADE (11-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Cascade Stadium.
COACHES: Tom Dilley, 77-55 in 12th season at Guerin Catholic, 157-132 in 26th season overall. Connor Simmons, 39-26 in sixth season at Cascade.
LAST CONTEST: Guerin Catholic beat Crawfordsville, 45-7. Cascade beat Tri-West, 45-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First matchup on the gridiron.
UP NEXT: Guerin Catholic hosts No. 5 Lawrenceburg (9-1) or Greensburg (4-7). Cascade plays at Lawrenceburg or welcomes Greensburg.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nolan Ratcliff tallied eight tackles for the Golden Eagles against Crawfordsville. Brady Trebley was 2-of-3 for 67 yards with a score and ran twice for 18 yards for the No. 2 Cadets against No. 14 Tri-West.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Cascade is a great football team and we are excited for the opportunity to compete against them. We know that playing them on the road will present a fantastic challenge and we will need to play our best. Offensively, we must be efficient and take care of the ball. Our offensive line will need to be a cohesive unit that can control the line of scrimmage in both the run and pass game. Defensively, we must have discipline to play sound assignment football while getting numbers to the ball. We must tackle well and be able to force takeaways. At this time of year, the impact of the kicking game is typically magnified. Our coverage units must limit Cascade’s ability to gain field position while our return units need to set up our offense with good starting field position.” – Guerin Catholic’s Tom Dilley.
“Guerin Catholic is a great team and has earned their opportunity to play in the sectional final. They are very efficient on offense and play fundamentally on defense by showing numerous different looks. In order for Cascade to have success, we have to set the tone with our lineman up front in the run game on both sides of the ball. We must be efficient on offense and set the pace of the game. Defensively, continue playing a physical brand of football with all 11 guys swarming to the football. Special teams will play a big role. We must win the kicking game with consistent coverage in kickoffs, strong return game, and end every drive in a kick. We are looking forward to the challenge that Coach Dilley and Guerin Catholic will bring Friday night.” – Cascade’s Connor Simmons.
CLASS 2A SECTIONAL 36
EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (10-1) AT EASTBROOK (11-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Jeff Adamson Stadium.
COACHES: Josh Edwards, 106-94 in 19th season at Eastern (Greentown), 122-158 in 27th season overall. Jeff Adamson, 330-106 in 37th season at Eastbrook.
LAST CONTEST: Eastern (Greentown) beat Tipton, 41-40. Eastbrook beat Rochester, 42-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Eastbrook beat Eastern (Greentown), 56-14, on October 22, 2021 in sectional quarterfinal.
UP NEXT: Eastern (Greentown) hosts No. 1 Adams Central (11-0) or goes to No. 14 Eastside (9-2). Eastbrook plays at Adams Central or Eastside.
TOP PERFORMERS: Owen Tolle came up with one carry for two yards, three catches for 20 yards, and 12 tackles for the No. 12 Comets against Tipton. Jacob McDermit caught four passes for 82 yards with a score for the No. 4 Panthers against No. 8 Rochester.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We will have to continue to play well in all three phases. We have been outstanding on special teams all year. Last Friday, we gave up our first kickoff return for a touchdown all year, so we will have to play well on special teams. We will have to continue to take good care of the football and not give Eastbrook any free possessions. We have only had four turnovers all year. We will also need to improve our tackling from the past two weeks. We are hopeful that all-state linebacker Abe Edwards will be able to play this week which will help to sure up our run defense in the middle. We have held him out the last two weeks. Overall, it will take our best game of the year in all three phases to win this game.” – Eastern’s (Greentown) Josh Edwards.
“Eastern’s (Greentown) offense presents several problems for us. They are very explosive in the passing game. Their receivers have excellent speed, which makes them very dangerous after the catch and their quarterback (Gibson Eagle) is very accurate. They have a huge offensive line which makes them solid in the run game and difficult to get pressure on their quarterback. Defensively, they show multiple fronts and they really get to the ball. We need to have some long, sustained drives to keep the ball away from their explosive offense and play great pass defense. They have also returned multiple kicks for scores, so the special teams battle will be critical as well.” – Eastbrook’s Jeff Adamson.
CLASS 2A SECTIONAL 38
TRITON CENTRAL (10-1) AT LAPEL (11-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, The Boneyard.
COACHES: Tim Able, 120-41 in 13th season at Triton Central, 245-139 in 32nd season overall. Tim Miller, 95-67 in 14th season at Lapel.
LAST CONTEST: Triton Central beat Northeastern, 49-6. Lapel beat Eastern Hancock, 26-22.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Lapel beat Triton Central, 27-17, on November 8, 2024 in sectional final.
UP NEXT: Triton Central welcomes Heritage Christian (7-4) or plays at No. 6 Indianapolis Lutheran (10-1). Lapel goes to Heritage Christian or Indianapolis Lutheran.
TOP PERFORMERS: Henry Kemper totaled two receptions for 42 yards with a touchdown for the No. 7 Tigers against No. 14 Northeastern. Jack Miller raced 12 times for 43 yards and hauled in eight passes for 60 yards with a score for the No. 3 Bulldogs against Eastern Hancock.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Lapel continues to be an elite Class 2A football program. We have to start fast each half, sustaining the highest level of intensity and awareness, and even more importantly to finish relentlessly. Lapel has a great propensity to make miraculous comebacks late in the game. All three phases of football are important for our success.” – Triton Central’s Tim Able.
“Triton Central has a very good football team in all phases of the game. Defensively, we have to find a way to slow down their running game. They do a lot of different things on offense week to week that make them challenging to prepare for. Defensively, they play very fast and physical. They will not beat themselves. We have to take what we can get in the pass game and not try to force big plays and take the completions where we can get them and be able to run the football when we need to. Proven by their season, Triton Central will not beat themselves, so we will have to come out Friday ready for another four-quarter battle until the final whistle blows.” – Lapel’s Tim Miller.
CLASS 1A SECTIONAL 45
SOUTH PUTNAM (9-2) AT RIVERTON PARKE (11-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Ciolli Field.
COACHES: Chuck Sorrell, 61-20 in seventh season at South Putnam, 65-46 in 10th season overall. Brad Sanders, 45-48 in ninth season at Riverton Parke.
LAST CONTEST: South Putnam beat Fountain Central, 45-7. Riverton Parke beat North Central (Farmersburg), 41-6.
PREVIOUS MEETING: South Putnam beat Riverton Parke, 44-6, on November 8, 2024 in sectional final.
UP NEXT: South Putnam hosts No. 11 Sheridan (7-2) or Cloverdale. Riverton Parke welcomes Sheridan or travels to Cloverdale.
TOP PERFORMERS: Drew Cline went 5-of-9 for 75 yards with two touchdowns and carried the ball twice for 16 yards for the No. 5 Eagles against Fountain Central. Sean Vester accounted for 14 rushes for 97 yards with a score and two catches for 12 yards for the No. 3 Panthers against North Central (Farmersburg).
COACHES’ CORNER: “We have to win the line of scrimmage. They are a big, physical team that likes to control the run game with tight splits and they run their offense really well. We need to play our gaps and not let the motions and movements affect how we play defense. Offensively, we have to continue to do what we do best and that is get the ball to our athletes. If they spread out to cover our receivers, we need to hand the ball to Ty Benton and let him do what he has done best all season by rushing for almost 2,000 yards. This game is one of our early season goals and everything we did in the summer and early fall should prepare us for this type of game.” – South Putnam’s Chuck Sorrell.
“For us to pull off the upset this week, we will have to control the line of scrimmage. We have had success doing that this year, but South Putnam will definitely be our biggest challenge of the season. We have taken really good care of the football this year and will need to continue that this week. Our best defense will be keeping the ball out of their offenses hands if possible. For us defensively, they will be the fastest team we have seen and definitely the most athletic. They are very balanced offensively. We have to try and limit their big plays and get a few stops. We have been pretty good defensively this year, but they are a different than anyone we have seen. We are grateful to get back to the sectional championship and get another shot at them. This is our third championship appearance in five years and we have worked hard to try and get over the hump. We know they are the favorite to win state this year and they took it to us pretty good last year. We are gonna give our best effort to give them a better game this year.” – Riverton Parke’s Brad Sanders.
CLASS 1A SECTIONAL 48
PROVIDENCE (8-2) AT NORTH DAVIESS (10-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Brown Field.
COACHES: Daniel McDonald, 52-18 in sixth season at Providence. Trent Fine, 45-39 in eighth season at North Daviess, 62-71 in 13th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Providence beat Springs Valley, 35-14. North Daviess beat Tecumseh, 36-6.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Providence beat North Daviess, 51-6, on November 8, 2024 in sectional final.
UP NEXT: Providence entertains Milan (5-4) or goes to No. 9 North Decatur (8-2). North Daviess travels to Milan or North Decatur.
TOP PERFORMERS: Lucas Mauk threw a 31-yard touchdown pass, carried the ball six times for 31 yards with a score, and racked up two tackles for the No. 5 and defending state champion Pioneers against top-ranked Springs Valley. Kohl Bell mustered 12 rushes for 88 yards with a touchdown for the No. 8 Cougars against Tecumseh.
COACHES’ CORNER: “In order to win this game, we need to win the turnover differential, be the more physical team, make them miss more than seven tackles; likewise, we need to miss fewer than seven tackles, and win the explosive play margin.” – Providence’s Daniel McDonald.
“Providence brings a team in that just knows how to win and has been here before. We need to be really good in all three aspects of the game to come out on top. Time of position and turnover battle will be crucial and we need to win these areas. We are coming into this game with a lot of confidence in who we are as a team and that needs to show on the field.” – North Daviess’ Trent Fine.
