Sam’s NECC Super Picks
Do you hear that sound? It sounds like a plane, faster than light, and stronger than a steel wall. From the planet of Krypton, it’s SuperSam ready to talk about some football! Indiana High School football is through one round of postseason football, and the stakes are much higher. The remaining teams will look to punch their ticket to next week’s sectional championship game. We are less than a month away from the 2022 IHSAA Football State Finals!! Once again, it’s win or go home for the remaining teams in the state of Indiana!
Get out the popcorn because it is time to look at this week’s matchups from the NECC!
#TheRoadToLucasOil
Week 11 NECC Predictions
NECC Game of the Week: 5-5 Bishop Luers @ 8-2 Churubusco
Turtle Town will be the site of one of Busco’s most anticipated home football games in years against the always competitive Bishop Luers Knights. This is their first meeting since the 2A 27 sectional championship game back on Nov. 2, 2012, in a 21-0 Luers’ home win. This is also the first meeting at Busco since October 18, 1996, a 45-7 Luers win.
Both teams have unique strengths to showcase what they can do. However, when we look at Bishop Luers, records should not be taken with too much weight as Luers plays in a 5A conference where Fort Wayne provides some of the most gifted kids out there. Busco will have to figure out how to run the football, and that may come down to the play of Riley Buroff. This is a game Busco can win, but it’s an extremely difficult matchup to forecast a big upset like this (Yes, I said that). A more in-depth preview is shown on my ANEC Blog.
Players to Watch:
Bishop Luers: Nick Thompson Sr. WR
Churubusco: Riley Buroff Sr. QB/CB
Luers by 14
8-2 Eastside @ 2-8 Manchester
This is Eastside’s first meeting and trip to North Manchester as they face the struggling Squires. Eastside will be big favorites this because the matchup is not all that exciting. Manchester’s two wins came against winless Whitko.
So, while you can’t overlook anybody in the postseason, it’s hard not to take the Raging Blazers. In the words of Metallica: Give me fuel! Give me fire! Give me the Blazers for the win!
Players to Watch:
Eastside: Carsen Jacobs Sr. QB/CB
Manchester: Memphis Wood Sr. WR/CB
Eastside by 42
3-7 Garrett @ 7-3 Yorktown
Garrett has been playing their best football of the season over the last four weeks, averaging 269.5 rushing yards over the last four games led by the play of Robert Koskie. Koskie ran for 301 yards on 30 carries and four touchdowns in Garrett’s 38-14 win over Bellmont.
The Tigers out of Muncie, IN are having a nice season, and it showed at the most opportune time against Delta. In Yorktown’s 10-7 win over Delta, junior quarterback Mason Moulton threw for 172 yards with a TD pass, despite only completing 45% of his passes. However, a 28-yard field goal by Kolton Nanko in the fourth quarter helped Yorktown to get to tonight’s game.
Yorktown will have some trouble containing the red-hot rushing attack led by a tough offensive line. But can Garrett contain the deep ball tonight? Sorry, Garrett fans, there won’t be any jumping around tonight. I see the Eye of the Tiger!
Players to Watch:
Garrett: Robert Koskie Sr. RB
Yorktown: Kolton Nanko Sr. WR/CB/Kicker
Yorktown by 24
8-2 West Noble @ 7-3 Knox
It’s hard for even someone like SuperSam to forecast how this game will go. Everyone is giving up on West Noble because they only see the Knox Redskins and think ‘Well, they’re just going to run them over’. NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!
While this will be a difficult game for WN to get the running game going, they have a few things going for them: Seth Pruitt at running back, a lot of big, strong athletes up front, and a strong defense. Knox relies on the use of the Wing-T offense, so the question becomes can West Noble find a way to contain the power run? Knox did run for 634 yards against Lakeland, with 317 of them coming to Myles McLaughlin.
I will take a bold move and predict a major West Noble thunderstorm. I’m taking the Chargers in an upset. Give me the Los Caballos Grandes!
Players to Watch
West Noble: Seth Pruitt So. RB/DL
Knox: Myles McLaughlin Fr. RB
West Noble by 1
