Week 4 has come and gone in the SAC, as a big showdown in the Small Division ends in a huge win for Luers and a tough defeat for the Generals of Wayne. A big week is ahead of us, as this Friday marks the day Carroll and Snider face off in a heavyweight divisional clash.
Big Division
1. Snider (4-0)
Previous Ranking: #1
Week 4: 41-0 W vs 4A South Side
Week 5: vs 6A #11 Carroll
Once again the elite Snider running back core shined on Friday night. Senior Uriah Buchanan ran for a couple of scores off of 140 yards, and Kevon Russell was just one yard shy of 100 yards on the ground. The true test of the regular season awaits Snider this week in a grudge match with the Carroll Chargers.
2. Carroll (3-1)
Previous Ranking: #2
Week 4: 40-13 W vs 4A Bishop Dwenger
Week 5: at 5A #1 Snider
The Jimmy Sullivan-Hansen Haffner connection was hitting all game long against a Dwenger defense that couldn’t keep up with the duo. Out of Sullivan’s 298 yards and three touchdowns, Haffner accounted for 190 yards and all three of those scores. Carroll has found their stride on offense after a sluggish start to the year, just in time for their date with 5A’s #1 Snider, a team they beat 28-21 last season in a SAC-title-deciding game.
3. Homestead (2-2)
Previous Ranking: #3
Week 4: 48-13 W vs 6A Northrop
Week 5: at 4A Bishop Dwenger
After starting the season with just seven offensive points through two games, the Spartan-O has found their stride with 89 across their last two games. Special teams also made headlines, as Senior Brett Fuchs took a punt 61 yards to the house. Two straight wins for a Homestead team on an upward trajectory.
4. Bishop Dwenger (1-3)
Previous Ranking: #4
Week 4: 40-13 L at 6A #11 Carroll
Week 5: vs 6A Homestead
Dwenger’s defense was blown up on Friday against Carroll, as they could not slow Jimmy Sullivan down through the air. The firepower is missing from this Saints’ defense, and it has shown against Brownsburg (gave up 51 points), Cincinnati Moeller (gave up 57), and now Carroll.
5. Northrop (0-4)
Previous Ranking: #5
Week 4: 48-13 L at 6A Homestead
Week 5: at 5A North Side
Northrop kept Homestead away from big-time plays on offense, but couldn’t slow down the Spartans at the same time. This Bruins defense is getting much better week by week, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement on both sides of the field.
Small Division
1. Bishop Luers (2-2)
Previous Ranking: #3
Week 4: 24-21 W at 4A Wayne
Week 5: vs 3A Concordia
Seniors step up in big games, and Isaac Zay stepped up big time against Wayne in a divisional game with a lot on the line. Zay hauled in 7 catches for 132 and two touchdowns in a winning effort against the Generals. Luers got lucky at times, especially with two fumbles by QB Kohen McKenzie, both of which were recovered by the Knights.
2. North Side (1-3)
Previous Ranking: #2
Week 4: 70-39 W at 3A Concordia
Week 5: vs 6A Northrop
A rough start to the year has been categorized by a struggle to get the offense going. So, what’s Coach Ben Johnson’s solution? Let his best player on offense, Tae Johnson, run the offense. To no one’s surprise, Tae Johnson ran the offense with precision. What did surprise some people was his accuracy at quarterback, as he threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns (no interceptions). Tae also ran for 65 yards and ANOTHER three scores, but the majority of the Legends’ production on the ground came from Kamden Johnson, who scampered for 206 yards and three scores. North Side’s sheer talent on the field was on full display against Concordia.
3. Wayne (2-2)
Previous Ranking: #1
Week 4: 24-21 L vs 2A #16 Bishop Luers
Week 5: at 4A South Side
Wayne looked composed against Luers, but just couldn’t capitalize. Especially on defense, forcing two fumbles but being unable to recover either. In a one-score game, those are situations with a whole lot of swing to them. Still, this is a solid Wayne team looking to contend for the Small Division the rest of the way.
4. Concordia (0-4)
Previous Ranking: #4
Week 4: 70-39 L vs 5A North Side
Week 5: at 2A #16 Bishop Luers
The Concordia offense again looked good this season against North Side. Senior Carter Ripke had his second 300-yard passing game, throwing for 341 yards on 42 passes with six touchdowns. Junior Avery Cook was his favorite target again, as Cook gathered 269 yards receiving off 18 receptions with four touchdowns. Now it’s about fixing the holes in the defense.
5. South Side (0-4)
Previous Ranking: #5
Week 4: 41-0 L at 5A #1 Snider
Week 5: vs 4A Wayne
There wasn’t much South Side could do to slow down Snider, as their ground game was just too physical for the Archers. A trip to Wayne will put the Archer defense up to another difficult test on Friday.
