6A
Homestead
Opponent: at Noblesville
This will be the start of what Homestead hopes is a deep state championship run. This week they will face the 1-8 Noblesville Millers, who easily finished last in their conference this year. Their most notable player might be Jayden Barrett who has played as a quarterback, running back, and wide receiver this year. He has 288 yds and 1 TD rushing, which is where he has predominantly contributed this season. That being said this should probably be another dominant game for Homestead QB Luke Goode (2,164 yds, 23 TD, 63% comp) and the Homestead defense as they go on the road for their first sectional matchup.
Snider
Opponent: vs Carroll
The Panthers have looked great at times, and not so great at other times this year, especially against good competition. They’ll need senior QB Jon Barnes Jr and RB Lenny Bennett to avoid mistakes and lead long drives on offense, to keep Carroll’s own offense off the field. The key really lies on defense for them though, with DE Gianini Belizaire and DB Jayshawn Underwood leading the way. They’ll need all of their playmakers to step up and play smart. If they can do that, it would put more pressure on sophomore QB Jeff Becker to make something happen for his own team.
Carroll
Opponent: at Snider
The Chargers will have to jump right into sectional play in a rematch with Snider. The Carroll offense, which had a very strong to start the year, struggled over their last 5 games, only scoring more than 20 points once. However, the defense has picked it up and has won a lot of their games for them. It will be interesting to see if QB Jeff Becker (1,528 yds, 14 TD) can handle the pressure and play well enough to boost Carroll to a victory. He will be the difference in this game.
5A
Bishop Dwenger
Opponent: at North Side
The Saints have a tricky game to start their postseason. Earlier this year, Dwenger beat North Side 36-0 and didn’t face much adversity in that win. However, the Legends are a different team and could be trouble for Dwenger this time around. Saints QB Brenden Lytle (1,441 yds, 12 TD, 61% comp) has had a good year and will need the help of WR’s Michael Ledo Jr (32 rec, 395 yds, 3 TD) and Griffin Eifert (19 rec, 330 yds, 3 TD) to get this win.
North Side
Opponent: vs Bishop Dwenger
The Legends chances to win this game will greatly depend on how effective RB Alex Holliday-Robinson (772 yds, 5.7 yds/car, 8 TD) is in this game. The Legends are 4-1 when he rushes for over 100 yds and at least 1 TD. He is the engine of this offense and QB Duce Taylor (306 yds, 2 TD) will need to make sure he does his part so that Holliday-Robinson doesn’t have to carry the ball every play.
Northrop
Opponent: at Goshen
The Bruins should just stick to their strengths and get out with a win against 1-8 Goshen. Avoiding silly mistakes will be key as well as controlling the clock with RB’s Damarius Cowen (490 yds, 6.1 yds/car, 4 TD) and Jeremiah Green (480 yds, 4.4 yds/car, 7 TD). The player to keep an eye on for Goshen will be senior QB Colin Turner (997 yds, 1 TD, 46% comp), but Northrop should be aggressive and try to force him into some bad throws, as he has 9 INT this year. This should be a nice way for Northrop to ease into sectional play, especially because they’ll either have to play Dwenger or North Side next if they win.
3A
Concordia
Opponent: vs Norwell
Concordia did a great job of slowing down Maconaquah and out-scoring them with their offense in the second half. It was a great way for them to begin their tournament and they’ll look to keep it going against Norwell. The Knights finished the season 5-5, but only went 2-5 in their conference. However, they were able to stomp Bellmont 49-0. It will be an interesting game, but if QB Brandon Davis (1,841 yds, 16 TD) and RB Amir Drew (1,004 yds, 5.5 yds/car, 13 TD) catch fire again, it will be a long night for the Knights.
2A
Bishop Luers
Opponent: at Eastside
The Bishop Luers Knights will be at Eastside this week after they were able to beat Central Noble 45-0. QB Carson Clark played very well in that game, with 192 yds, 3 TD, and a completion percentage of 71%. He will look to replicate those numbers against Eastside who finished the season at an impressive 8-2, winning their conference. Their quarterback Laban Davis leads the Northeast Corner Conference with 1,170 yds and 14 TD, as well as 511 yds and 4 TD on the ground. They also have RB Matthew Firestine (540 yds, 5.1 yds/car, 5 TD) who’s been solid this season. It will be a tough game for the Knights and they’ll have to work hard for this win.
