Football
Sectional Semifinals Preview: Week 1
6A
Homestead
Opponent: at Noblesville 11/1
We have already established that this Homestead team has very few weaknesses. Senior Luke Goode (2,164 yds, 23 TD, 1 INT) is one of the best quarterbacks in the state on will get his chance to prove it against some great teams. The Spartans get the week off before having to travel to Noblesville.
Snider
Opponent: vs Carroll 11/1
Snider finished the year on a good note, collecting their third shutout of the year, against Luers. Their path to a state championship won’t be easy this year, as they’ll have to prove their one-point win from their first meeting with Carroll wasn’t a fluke, and then beat either Homestead or Noblesville just to make it to regionals.
Carroll
Opponent: at Snider 11/1
It’s rare to get second chances in sports, but Carroll gets another opportunity to win a game that they came close to winning the first time. That week 2 battle between Carroll and Snider was one of QB Jeff Becker’s best performances of the season, as he picked apart the Panther defense for 244 yds passing,132 yds rushing, and 3 TD. We’ll se if he can do it again with more on the line this time around.
5A
Bishop Dwenger
Opponent: at North Side 11/1
The Saints will get a much needed break after two tough games at Spuller Stadium, one a 14-7 win over Snider and the other a 9-7 win against Northrop. North Side will be a game that could challenge them, much like their sectional game last year against Wayne.
North Side
Opponent: vs Bishop Dwenger 11/1
North Side was flying high at the end of the year, until Concordia brought them back down to Earth. Still, North Side has had a very successful season and will have extra time to think about how they will attack the weaknesses that Northrop was able to exploit in Dwenger’s offense.
Northrop
Opponent: at Goshen 11/1
Speaking of the Bruins, they will have to find a way to end their 3 game losing streak against Goshen. It won’t be easy, but if RB’s Damarius Cowen and Jeremiah Green can get going, it will give them a good chance.
4A
South Side
Opponent: vs Huntington North 10/25
The Archers have been in some close games this year that they ultimately lost. Progress has been made, but they’d like to see it show up on the scoreboard more often. They have a real shot against Huntington North and it would be huge for the Archers to get the win. QB Demere Clark (658 yds, 6 TD) will have to have a big game to lead South Side to the victory. The Vikings are 2-7 this year and have been blown out in every loss they’ve had. The Vikings would likely be even less successful in the SAC, meaning the edge could actually be given to South Side in this game.
Wayne
Opponent: at Marion 10/25
The winless Wayne Generals would like right now to be the time that they get their first win of the year. RB Keshaun Fields (694 yds, 5.0 yds/car, 8 TD) has done his best to carry this team and QB Aidan Meek (1,091 yds, 7 TD) has been a steady presence for them, but they still have yet to break through. Marion comes in at an impressive 7-2 and has good playmakers in RB Khalid Stamps (972 yds, 9.9 yds/car, 15 TD) who eats up yardage every time he touches the football and QB Keshaun Taylor (567 yds, 6 TD, 0 INT) who has been flawless thus far. It’s a tough matchup for the Generals, especially on the road.
3A
Concordia
Opponent: at Maconaquah 10/25
The Cadets potential on offense is unreal. They have weapons that could light up the scoreboard on any given night and cause the team to go well over 50 points. They’d like to see that kind of explosiveness from RB Amir Drew (850 yds, 5.2 yds/car, 12 TD) and QB Brandon Davis (1,601 yds, 14 TD, 50% comp) this week against Maconaquah. The Braves are 7-2, second in the Three Rivers conference, and have a ferocious running back in Carter Little (1,409 yds, 7.1 yds/car, 14 TD). This game will likely come down to which team can outscore the other and one defensive stop could be the difference.
2A
Bishop Luers
Opponent: vs Central Noble 10/25
The Knights will do their best to keep their season alive behind RB Cecil Hale (446 yds, 5.0 yds/car, 3 TD). It’s been a tough year for Luers football, but they can’t focus on what happened in the regular season when the postseason is here now. They will face the 2-7 Cougars, who have experienced similar struggles this season. RB’s Kyle Bollinger (420 yds, 5.6 yds/car, 5 TD), Will Hoover (182 yds, 5.1 yds/car), and Noah Christopher (166 yds, 2.9 yds/car, 1 TD) will lead Central Noble on offense as they try to wear down the Luers defense.
