BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (5-1) AT FLOYD CENTRAL (5-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Weigleb Stadium.
COACHES: Brayden Tidd, 5-1 in first season at Bedford North Lawrence. James Bragg, 48-30 in eighth season at Floyd Central.
LAST CONTEST: Bedford North Lawrence beat Jennings County, 63-0. Floyd Central beat Columbus East, 56-28.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Floyd Central, 48-20, on October 4, 2024.
UP NEXT: Bedford North Lawrence entertains Monrovia (3-3). Floyd Central welcomes Jennings County (2-4).
TOP PERFORMERS: Dayson Kirby was 15-of-21 for 264 yards with four touchdowns for the Stars against Jennings County. Jaxon Stone caught three passes for 37 yards with a score and ran for three touchdowns for the No. 10 (Class 5A) Highlanders against Columbus East.
COACHES’ CORNER: “I think for the Stars to come away with a victory it would mean we win the war in the trenches. Floyd Central has a lot of experience in that department, and they are extremely big up front, so I believe that we have to win the battle up front. Lastly, we just need to focus on ourselves and doing our jobs and if we do those two things, I think we will put ourselves in a good position to have a chance at this ball game. We know this is going to be a battle for all four quarters and our toughest test to date, so we need to come out fast and ready to execute on all three phases.” – Bedford North Lawrence’s Brayden Tidd.
“To secure a victory against Bedford North Lawrence, we need a strong start. Controlling the trenches on both offense and defense is critical, as the team that dominates upfront will likely win the game. In the secondary, we must be physical and prevent their wide receivers from getting free releases.” – Floyd Central’s James Bragg.
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (6-0) AT COLUMBUS NORTH (4-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Andress Field.
COACHES: Gabe Johnson, 46-16 in sixth season at Bloomington South, 60-26 in eighth season overall. Logan Haston, 22-16 in fourth season at Columbus North.
LAST CONTEST: Bloomington South beat Southport, 54-7. Columbus North beat Terre Haute North, 42-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Columbus North, 32-14, on October 4, 2024.
UP NEXT: Bloomington South travels to Brebeuf Jesuit (0-6). Columbus North goes to Bloomington North (3-3).
TOP PERFORMERS: Shaun Cooper tallied 16 carries for 87 yards with two touchdowns for the No. 2 (Class 5A) Panthers against Southport. Parker Elmore hauled in six passes for 96 yards with three scores for the Bull Dogs against Terre Haute North.
COACHES’ CORNER: “It will take a great effort from us. Columbus North is a very good football team, so we will have to play very well and penalty free.” – Bloomington South’s Gabe Johnson.
“Bloomington South is a complete all-around football team who is off to a great start this season. To beat a team like that, we must also be sharp in all phases of the game, offense, defense, and special teams. Adversity will inevitably strike, and we must weather the storm and stick to our game plan in order to be successful. If you’re a competitor, then these are the games you live for. It should be a great night.” – Columbus North’s Logan Haston.
CASTLE (5-1) AT JASPER (5-1)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Brewer Field.
COACHES: Doug Hurt, 148-78 in 20th season at Castle. Derek Hart, 5-1 in first season at Jasper, 39-29 in seventh season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Castle beat Evansville Reitz, 28-25. Jasper beat Evansville Central, 47-12.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Castle, 14-13, on October 4, 2024.
UP NEXT: Castle plays at Evansville Central (1-5). Jasper hosts Evansville North (4-2).
TOP PERFORMERS: Brodie Farmer racked up 12 tackles for the No. 9 (Class 5A) Knights against Evansville Bosse. Cayden Ramos totaled 146 yards on the ground with three touchdowns for the No. 9 (Class 4A) Wildcats against Evansville Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “The first thing we have to do to be successful Friday is to take care of the football. We have had one turnover since week one, and it has kept us in close ball games. We also have to be disciplined defensively and limit big plays. Force them to drive the whole field. The last thing is penalties. We have to limit penalties and play a disciplined four quarters against a well-coached, disciplined football team in Castle.” – Jasper’s Derek Hart.
FRANKLIN CENTRAL (4-2) AT FISHERS (4-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Clarian Field.
COACHES: Jayson West, 21-25 in fifth season at Franklin Central, 144-63 in 18th season overall. Curt Funk, 34-27 in sixth season at Fishers, 111-63 in 16th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Franklin Central beat Noblesville, 37-10. Fishers beat Avon, 29-15.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Franklin Central, 22-13, on October 4, 2024.
UP NEXT: Franklin Central goes to Hamilton Southeastern (3-3). Fishers travels to Westfield (4-2).
TOP PERFORMERS: Connor Moreland went 6-of-18 for 127 yards with a score and ran once for four yards for the No. 15 (Class 6A) Flashes against Noblesville. Osias Sims came up with three catches for 94 yards with a touchdown for the No. 8 (Class 6A) Tigers against No. 11 (Class 6A) Avon.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Fishers is well-coached and always gets better. They have a very dynamic quarterback (Gage Sturgill) and running back (Ryan Thembulembu) and will present a major challenge for our defense. We cannot allow them to hit big plays or convert on third downs. We must control the ball and score in the red zone to have a shot at winning the game.” – Franklin Central’s Jayson West.
“Franklin Central always is well-coached and a physical football team. They have some really explosive players on offense, and we need to make sure we don’t give up the big plays. They do a really good job with their schemes, and this game will be a very challenging contest. We will need to win first downs on both sides of the ball. We still need to continue to eliminate our penalties and play clean football.” – Fishers’ Curt Funk.
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (4-2) AT CENTER GROVE (6-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Ray Skillman Stadium.
COACHES: Bill Peebles, 70-23 in eighth season at Cathedral, 144-88 in 21st season overall. Eric Moore, 261-81 in 27th season at Center Grove.
LAST CONTEST: Cathedral beat Trotwood-Madison (Ohio), 32-28. Center Grove beat Lawrence Central, 36-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Cathedral, 49-45, on October 4, 2024.
UP NEXT: Cathedral plays at Covington (Kentucky) (4-2), Center Grove welcomes Lawrence North (5-1).
TOP PERFORMERS: Adam Ayers hauled in five passes for 116 yards with two scores for the No. 3 (Class 5A) Irish against Trotwood-Madison. Kobe Cherry registered nine tackles with three for loss for the No. 2 (Class 6A) Trojans against Lawrence Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We are playing a typically excellent and well-coached Center Grove team. We will have to play an inspired game with minimal mistakes to have a chance to win.” – Cathedral’s Bill Peebles.
“Traditionally, this has become one of the most exciting games in the state. Being that Cathedral is now in Class 5A, it won’t impact the playoffs this year as it has in the past. It’s just a good old rivalry football game between two of the greatest learning institution in the state with common backgrounds. Great families competing on the gridiron is what high school sports is all about. The past games have been ones to write about. Center Grove has basically had the game put away and the great Irish tradition seems to kick in and those kids never quit and came back and got us twice. One semistate game (2022) to remember for the Trojans was one of a kind, so we hope that this night will be one to remember as well. The last time Cathedral and Center Grove met in 2023, it was (Center Grove quarterback Tyler) Cherry vs (Cathedral quarterback Danny) O’Neil, but as the game went on it was more like Brett Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers. Never have I seen two high school NCAA Division I quarterbacks battle and put up the stats they did with O’Neil winning on the last play of game (45-38 Cathedral). This year features two big physical offensive lines attacking two big defensive lines. For the Trojans to be effective and win this game, they must control football and get first downs moving the chains, cut down penalties that have taken points off the board for the Trojans this year. Our running backs got to make some big run plays to give us a boost. We can’t give Cathedral short fields with turnovers. On the defensive side, Center Grove must get the Irish off the field, son three-and-outs will be huge this year. We can’t let the Irish get behind the secondary for quick scores. We must force some turnovers and keep our offense in great field position. We have to stay positive with all of the injuries we have overcame this year and keep loving each other and stay together to make a playoff run. It’s fun to coach in this game and privilege to be a part of such a great tradition.” – Center Grove’s Eric Moore.
MADISON-GRANT (5-1) AT EASTBROOK (6-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Jeff Adamson Stadium.
COACHES: Brady Turner, 45-37 in eighth season at Madison-Grant. Jeff Adamson, 325-106 in 37th season at Eastbrook.
LAST CONTEST: Madison-Grant beat Frankton, 26-6. Eastbrook beat Elwood, 42-0.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Madison-Grant, 20-14, on October 4, 2024.
UP NEXT: Madison-Grant goes to Alexandria (4-2). Eastbrook entertains Mississinewa (6-0).
TOP PERFORMERS: ZaJuan Johnson returned an interception 60 yards for a score the No. 8 (Class 1A) Argylls against Frankton. Jacob McDermit tallied two tackles and an interception for the No. 5 (Class 2A) Panthers against Elwood.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We need to win the turnover battle and execute on the offensive and defensive side. Special teams will be huge in the field position game.” – Madison-Grant’s Brady Turner.
“Madison-Grant is huge up front on both sides of the ball and we are much smaller. We will need to negate their size advantage with some of our quickness. Both teams are very run heavy teams, but we need to complete some timely passes to complement the run game. Our return game has been very good all season. We will need some big returns to establish field position as well.” – Eastbrook’s Jeff Adamson.
PENN (6-0) AT ELKHART (4-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Rice Field.
COACHES: Pete Riordan, 14-3 in second season at Penn. Travon Curry, 12-4 in second season at Elkhart.
LAST CONTEST: Penn beat South Bend Adams, 42-7. Elkhart lost to South Bend Saint Joseph, 21-14.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Elkhart, 7-3, on October 4, 2024.
UP NEXT: Penn hosts New Prairie (1-5). Elkhart goes to Marian (2-4).
TOP PERFORMERS: Braden White came up with two receptions for 44 yards with a score for the No. 5 (Class 6A) Kingsmen against Adams. Alfonzo Newbern accumulated 10 rushes for 116 yards with two touchdowns for the Lions against No. 6 (Class 4A) Saint Joseph.
COACHES’ CORNER: “In order to beat Elkhart, we have to limit their explosive plays. They have two outside receivers (Frankie Willis and Tayshon Bardo) that can take the ball to the house at any time. They are both also very dangerous returners as well. Offensively, we need to take care of the football, take what they give us, and stay ahead of the chains.” – Penn’s Pete Riordan.
“For Elkhart to come away with a victory on Friday night, we have to be the more disciplined and physical team all night. Special teams will play a huge factor in the outcome of the game on Friday, so we need to win the special team battle and continue to improve and eliminate foolish penalties.” – Elkhart’s Travon Curry.
SOUTH PUTNAM (5-1) AT NORTHVIEW (5-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Knights Stadium.
COACHES: Chuck Sorrell, 57-19 in seventh season at South Putnam, 61-45 in 10th season overall. Mark Raetz, 95-35 in 13th season at Northview, 110-80 in 19th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: South Putnam beat West Vigo, 69-13. Northview lost to Terre Haute South, 37-26.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Northview, 47-7, on October 11, 2019.
UP NEXT: South Putnam welcomes Owen Valley (1-5). Northview hosts Edgewood (5-1).
TOP PERFORMERS: Khalil Jefferson caught two passes for 100 yards with two scores for the top-ranked (Class 1A) Eagles against West Vigo. Slade Fell ran seven times for 69 yards for the No. 13 (Class 4A) Knights against No. 12 (Class 5A) Terre Haute South.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Northview has been the standard of the WIC (Western Indiana Conference) for the past seven years. Getting an opportunity to play and possibly beat a team like this would be a great boost for our program. Coach Raetz has done a great job of keeping Northview as one of the top 15 programs in Class 4A football. I learned so much when I was coaching there with him for the four years prior to coming to South Putnam. This will be a great opportunity to prove that we are one of the top programs in high school football no matter what class, but we will have to protect the football, keep eye discipline on all of their movements in their formations, and just get off the bus ready to match the physicality that a Coach Raetz team always has.” – South Putnam’s Chuck Sorrell.
“We need to learn from our mistakes and bounce back from last week’s loss. South Putnam is obviously a good team, and they are very familiar with what we do as their head coach and offensive coordinator both coached here at Northview for me at various points. We will need to play physical football, contain their big play ability, and finish drives with points.” – Northview’s Mark Raetz.
WARREN CENTRAL (5-1) AT LAWRENCE NORTH (5-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Bell Field.
COACHES: J.T. Whitaker, 5-1 in first season at Warren Central. Patrick Mallory, 58-74 in 13th season at Lawrence North, 72-82 in 15th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Warren Central beat Indianapolis Pike, 31-28 (OT). Lawrence North beat Indianapolis Ben Davis, 48-19.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Lawrence North, 33-7, on October 4, 2024.
UP NEXT: Warren Central goes to Carmel (5-1). Lawrence North plays at Center Grove (6-0).
TOP PERFORMERS: Keyon Thomas scampered 25 times for 190 yards with two touchdowns and caught a two-yard pass for the No. 9 (Class 6A) Warriors against Pike. Breck Mallory registered 16 tackles with three for loss, a fumble recovery, and booted three extra-points for the No. 7 (Class 6A) Wildcats against Ben Davis.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We’re excited for this game. It will be a battle of two 5-1 teams playing for the MIC (Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference) championship. For us to come away with a win, we have to play fast and physical football, minimize big plays on defense, don’t turn the football over, and control line of scrimmage.” – Warren Central’s J.T. Whitaker.
“We have to read our keys, get our alignment, do our job, and then move on to the next play. We must play fast, and physical. That is how we attack each day, and game day should show our preparation. Our special teams must be special. We need to do our job and try to set the tone each time we are on special teams. Special teams sometimes can be the deciding factor in a game, so we need to be fast and physical.” – Lawrence North’s Pat Mallory.
WARSAW (4-2) AT MISHAWAKA (5-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Steele Stadium.
COACHES: Bart Curtis, 62-23 in eighth season at Warsaw, 263-125 in 35th season overall. Keith Kinder, 70-22 in eighth season at Mishawaka.
LAST CONTEST: Warsaw beat Plymouth, 42-14. Mishawaka beat Northridge, 35-20.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Warsaw, 21-13, on October 4, 2024.
UP NEXT: Mishawaka travels to Plymouth (3-3). Warsaw entertains NorthWood (3-3).
TOP PERFORMERS: Parker Sweet hauled in a 45-yard touchdown pass for the No. 11 (Class 5A) Tigers against Plymouth. Kamdon Putz recorded seven tackles and a fumble recovery for the No. 3 (Class 4A) Cavemen against Northridge.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We have to make the Cavemen snap the ball one more time. I know this sounds crazy with their turbo option attack; however, controlling huge ‘chunk plays’ and trying to make them ‘earn everything’ is our best bet. We need to weather the storm that is coming. The Cavemen can score in waves and can turn a close game into a wash (in a hurry). It is imperative that when rough waters hit – we keep the boat afloat and not succumb to their tidal waves. We must play each play 100 percent. Each and every snap has a baring on the outcome of this contest. We cannot let a ‘lack of effort’ play dictate the outcome. We have to be patient, but opportunistic. We’re not going to reinvent who we are. There is no ‘magic pill’ that all of the sudden puts us in the end zone. However, if we do not turn the football over, we increase our chances of having opportunistic plays. We need to show ‘Toughness 2.0’ because both squads pride themselves on physicality. The team that does not get worn down mentally will eventually wear down their opponent physically. It’s the battle of the 10’s. Each quarterback (Warsaw’s Quinton Brock and Mishawaka’s Landon Snyder) wears No. 10. This is the second time they’ve squared off, so whomever has the ‘cooler hand’ most definitely helps their cause. Which quarterback can get their team in the right play and which quarterback takes care of the ball better (no turnovers) has the higher probability of their team winning.” – Warsaw’s Bart Curtis.
“We understand the challenge we face this week. Warsaw is well-coached, physical, and has experience in big games as they went on a run to the state championship game a year ago. I believe for us to be successful we have to win from ‘B gap to B gap’ on both sides of the ball more consistently than they do. The game will come down to physicality, execution, ball security, and discipline in the kicking game. Whoever does those things better, will win.” – Mishawaka’s Keith Kinder.
