An electric beginning to postseason play in Indiana high school football saw some great performances from the finest players in the 260. Time to highlight the five best performances from Friday night.
Drew Yates – QB, West Noble
In West Noble’s 46-43 squeaker win over Mishawaka Marian, Drew Yates stepped up to the task of an offensive shootout. Yates was unshakable, throwing for 262 yards, rushing for 101 yards, and collecting five total touchdowns to lead the Chargers to the next round.
Kaden Hurst – WR/CB, Leo
The Mr. SCS of the Northeast 8 conference did it again on Friday against South Side. In the Lions’ 42-0 drubbing of the Archers Hurst ran for a nine-yard touchdown, caught a 14-yard touchdown pass, and scampered for a 60-yard punt return–all in the first half of play. Quite the showing to start off postseason play for #3.
Gage Bennett – RB/DE, Blackhawk Christian
Due to IHSAA rules, Blackhawk (a team in its first season of 11-man football) is unable to compete in the postseason. So, the Braves scheduled an out-of-state matchup against Ohio’s Vanlue to close out the season–and they did so with a 43-28 win, their first victory as an 11-man team. Gage Bennett was a major reason for their win, as he rushed for 188 yards off eleven carries for three scores. On defense, he corralled 13 tackles, three of them for a loss. Great game for Bennett, and a great game for Blackhawk.
Braden Walter – S, Heritage
Let’s show some love to the defense. Walter led the Heritage shutout of Woodlan with seven tackles and two interceptions, one of which he returned to the house. Woodlan stood no chance against this defense–which totaled five interceptions in all–and Walter was the leader of the pack with his excellent coverage.
Camren Ruble – RB, Garrett
Garrett dismantled Bellmont 35-7 to advance to the next round, and Ruble’s performance on the ground was a big reason for the 28-point win. Ruble took 19 carries for 211 yards–an 11.1-yard average–and added two scores to the Railroader total. Just the right time to have his best performance of the season.
