Football
SAC Sectional Finals Game Predictions: North Side, Dwenger Prepare for 5A Showdown As Half the Conference Remains
6A
Warsaw (8-2) at Homestead (9-1)
Homestead was forced to make key adjustments on the fly in last week’s game with Snider when they suddenly found themselves trailing with their starting running back injured early on. However, the Spartans were able to ring off 28 unanswered points and win somewhat comfortably against a Panthers squad that gave them a game for the first two-and-a-half quarters or so. Now Homestead faces a similar team, one that beat Carroll in a high-scoring thriller last week. Warsaw threw only two passes all game, meaning that Homestead’s front seven will need to play downhill and get tackles in the backfield. This falls right into LB Luke Palmer’s hands, their emotional leader and leading tackler on defense who has 96 tackles and 14 tackles for a loss. He’s been great at clogging holes and stopping the run, along with other names like LB Cole Etchison and DE Isaac Parrish. Really though, it all comes down to the offense. If QB Evan Ormsby is at the top of his game this week, which he has been as of late, the Spartans could win another sectional.
Opponent Analysis: As mentioned above, Warsaw runs the ball almost every play. Their triple option attack went for 6.2 yards per carry against Carroll and swung time of possession into their hands. That’s going to be key if the Tigers want to win this game. Eating up yards and clock will not only put their offense in a better position to score, but it will also keep Homestead’s offense on the sideline and limit their possessions. With Warsaw’s defense allowing upwards of 25 points this season, the Tigers cannot allow the best offense they’ve faced this year more opportunities than they deserve. The game plan should be quite similar to last weeks for Warsaw, but they’ll face a much stiffer defense this time around.
Final Score: 42-14 Homestead
5A
North Side (5-5) at Bishop Dwenger (9-1)
This is the rematch everyone asked for. Dwenger beat North Side 27-14 in week two of the regular season, but the Legends have improved and have hit their stride offensively. Duce Taylor threw for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns last week while Jasuan Lambert had the best game a North Side running back has ever had with 347 yards, 10.2 yards a carry, and 3 touchdowns in their win over Northrop. It’s important to note however that Dwenger enters this game with one of, in not the best run defense in the SAC. In their first meeting, Lambert was held to just 23 yards in his worst performance this season. As a result, the pressure fell onto Duce. He threw for 328 yards, but only completed 42% of his passes in his worst outing this year. The offensive line got manhandled by the Saints, as has been the case with most other teams that have faced Dwenger. If North Side can’t get it figured out on offense this time, they’re in deep trouble. Dwenger doesn’t have the most prolific offense in the conference, but it does more than enough and having a shut-down defense that has allowed an average of 12.6 points per game certainly helps. This game will be close early, but once the Legends start to tire, the Saints will gain control and pull it out.
Final Score: 35-20 Dwenger
3A
Norwell (10-1) at Concordia (5-5)
This game is a little harder to predict. Neither one of these teams has been challenged in their first few playoff games and Concordia didn’t get play in their first one. Last week though, they efeated Oak Hill 24-0, relying heavily on their elite defense. One of the more promising statlines to come out of that game was that RB Amir Drew went for 248 yards, 8.9 yards a carry, and 2 touchdowns. If this Concordia offense can at the very least get 100 yards out of him , they should do enough defensively to win this game. The problem area for Concordia could be turnovers, which are always an unknown. If the Cadets can nail down those three things, a nice game for Drew, another shutdown defensive performance, and winning the turnover battle, Concordia will be in good shape.
Opponent Analysis: Just outside of city limits in Ossian, Indiana lies one of the best teams in the Northeast 8, Norwell. The Knights largely cruised to a 10-1 record, with Leo coming in as their only loss, and have done so with a prolific ground attack. In their first sectional game, RB Max Ringger ran for 250 yards, 11.9 yards per carry, and a touchdown on their way to a 40-0 dismantling of Heritage. Then last week, Ringger, RB Isaiah Brege, and QB Eli Riley combined for 249 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 49-7 win over Maconaquah. While Concordia has been spectacular defensively, it’s mostly been on pass defense, and their run defense has shown some weaknesses. Norwell also has a great defense of their own, allowing an average of 9.5 points to opposing teams. These two teams are very similar and both make a strong case for winning this game.
Final Score: 28-21 Concordia
2A
Eastside (10-1) at Bishop Luers (5-6)
Bishop Luers has owned their sectional thus far, winning their first two games by a combined 105-19. To put it in simple terms, they’re playing really, really well right now in 2A. It’s been promising too seeing a defense that has struggled all year in the SAC suddenly become dominant, albeit against weaker competition. But that’s what the Knights are up against all the way through the state title game. Now that competition does get turned up a notch this week. Eastside has found their own success outscoring their tournament opponents 82-7. All this means is that QB Carson Clark is going to have to keep playing like he has been, with 511 yards, an 84% competition percentage, and 5 touchdowns in his last two games. He’s been amazing, this offense has been been unstoppable, and the defense has done their job. We’ll see if it can all come together for a sectional title.
Opponent Analysis: Eastside probably poses the greatest threat to an SAC team losing this week (aside from North Side-Dwenger of course). Eastside was probably the best team in their conference this year (they didn’t get to play the other division leader Fairfield who Luers throttled last week) and proved it over the course of the season. They beat teams by at least 30 points in 8 of their 11 games and their defense has shut teams out 5 times this season. QB Laban Davis has been the do-it-all man for them through the air and on the ground. He has 1,637 yards and 24 touchdowns passing, and 1,036 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing. He also has a plethora of receivers he can throw to. 4 Eastside wideouts have at least 10 catches and over 100 yards receiving this year. It’s a difficult game for Luers to win, but this is what you have to expect from here on out. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.
Final Score: 41-27 Eastside
