BROWNSBURG (1-0) AT CINCINNATI ST. XAVIER (OHIO) (0-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Ballaban Field.
COACHES: Steve Specht, 127-50 in 16th season at Cincinnati St. Xavier. John Hart, 27-6 in fourth season at Brownsburg, 295-88 in 35th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Brownsburg beat Ben Davis, 29-24.
TOP PERFORMERS: Preston Terrell had four receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown for the No. 2 (Class 6A) Bulldogs against Indianapolis Ben Davis. Liam Clifford hauled in 17 passes for 286 yards and five scores for the Bombers last year.
PREVIOUS MEETING: None.
CHALK TALK: "This is their first game, so we are a little blind. They run a hybrid defense (just like Cathedral), so it changes a lot of blocking rules. One big key is making sure we are blocking the right dudes. Their tight end and wide receiver are power five kids that will challenge us defensively. The old adage you grow the most from game one to game two will be another key. Unforced mental mistakes opened the door for Ben Davis to come back. We have to eliminate those as much as possible because this is a great team that won't beat themselves." Brownsburg's John Hart.
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (1-0) AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Spuller Stadium.
COACHES: Doug Dinan, 67-36 in 10th season at Carroll. Kurt Tippmann, 107-24 in 11th season at Snider.
LAST CONTEST: Carroll beat Fort Wayne Luers, 42-0. Snider beat Fort Wayne North, 51-0.
TOP PERFORMERS: Hunter Mertz ran for three touchdowns for the Chargers against Bishop Luers. Alonzo Derrick scampered 75 yards for a score for the No. 7 (Class 6A) Panthers against Fort Wayne North.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Snider, 49-30, on October 26, 2018 in Class 6A sectional semifinal.
CHALK TALK: "Snider has a storied history in the state and again is a very strong, senior-led team. They will play disciplined and physical. For us to be successful, we must take care of possession of the football, play good defense, and make a difference with special teams." – Carroll's Doug Dinan.
"Carroll is a very good football team with lots of weapons. On both sides of the ball, they have very good personnel on the front lines. I think this will be a big key in the game is how each side handles the other's front. Offensively, they have a young quarterback (Jeffrey Becker) that is going to be very good. He is a running threat as well as a very good deep ball thrower. We have to eliminate the big chunk plays on defense. Defensively, they are very aggressive and physical. We have to do a good job of blocking the linebacker against the run and protecting the quarterback. Special teams and field position will have a big impact on the game as well. Offensively, we have to do a better job of blocking the correct scheme and not having our young guys be confused on who to block. Defensively, we can't give up the big plays." – Fort Wayne Snider's Kurt Tippmann.
COLUMBUS NORTH (0-1) AT COLUMBUS EAST (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Stafford Field.
COACHES: Tim Bless, 130-84 in 20th season at Columbus North, 142-93 in 22nd season overall. Bob Gaddis, 198-37 in 19th season at Columbus East, 316-137 in 41st season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Columbus North lost to Avon, 48-14. Columbus East beat Whiteland, 40-19.
TOP PERFORMERS: Blake Huffman rambled 24 times for 120 yards with a touchdown for the Bulldogs against Avon. Dalton Back caught seven passes for 97 yards with a score for the No. 8 (Class 6A) Olympians against Whiteland.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Columbus North, 17-16, on August 24, 2018.
CHALK TALK: "We're still optimistic for a successful 2019 season and plan to improve every week. What a fun challenge it will be playing one of Indiana's finest football programs led by coach Gaddis. Along with the magnitude of the crosstown rivalry, it is simply high school athletics at its finest." – Columbus North's Tim Bless.
"As always, we expect a four-quarter physical game with North. We will need to generate positive offense with a balanced attack to keep our defense off of the field. We expect them to try to control the clock with their strong running game. Special teams, field position, and execution will also be huge. We are working at getting better, but we need to keep improving." – Columbus East's Bob Gaddis.
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (1-0) AT HOMESTEAD (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Walters Stadium.
COACHES: Tim Mannigel, 47-56 in 10th season at Concordia. Chad Zolman, 126-41 in 16th season at Homestead.
LAST CONTEST: Concordia beat Fort Wayne South, 41-14. Homestead beat Fort Wayne Northrop, 43-6.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jeren Kindig had two receptions for 42 yards with a touchdown for the No. 8 (Class 3A) Cadets against Fort Wayne South. Sam Scavo recorded six catches for 100 yards and a score for the Spartans against Fort Wayne Northrop.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Homestead, 29-27, on August 24, 2018.
CHALK TALK: "We have to be able to withstand the emotion that will come from Homestead playing in front of their home crowd for the first time and celebrating senior night for their seniors. The atmosphere there is a pretty good one, so our young kids will certainly be tested. Homestead moves really well on defense and they have some skill position players that are impressive. We need to take better care of the ball on offense. If we can limit our turnovers, we always give ourselves a better chance." – Fort Wayne Concordia's Tim Mannigel.
"We will need to play assignment sound football on defense and play efficiently on offense to be successful." – Homestead's Chad Zolman.
INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (1-0) AT NORTHWOOD (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Andrews Field.
COACHES: Rob Doyle, 19-9 in third season at Bishop Chatard. Nate Andrews, 47-15 in sixth season at NorthWood, 87-54 in 13th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Bishop Chatard beat Brebeuf Jesuit, 49-14. NorthWood beat Jimtown, 35-21.
TOP PERFORMERS: Derion Gilbert scampered 10 times for 64 yards with a touchdown for the top-ranked (Class 3A) Trojans against Brebeuf Jesuit. Nate Newcomer completed 4-of-8 passes for 51 yards with a touchdown and ran 22 times for 118 yards and a score for the No. 4 (Class 4A) Panthers against Jimtown.
PREVIOUS MEETING: NorthWood, 7-0, on November 26, 2005 in Class 3A state championship game.
CHALK TALK: "I am very impressed with NorthWood. They play hard on every play and are a very physical team. We need to slow down the run game or it will be a long night. On offense, we will need to control the ball and stay balanced as we will have to score some points to keep this one close." – Bishop Chatard's Rob Doyle.
"We will need to cut it loose and play inspired football. We must be happy with three-yard gains on offense and must limit the explosives defensively. Our special teams must find a way to win the field position." – NorthWood's Nate Andrews.
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (1-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS CARDINAL RITTER (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Marian University.
COACHES: Dave Pasch, 87-50 in 12th season at Lutheran, 152-107 in 23rd season overall. Ty Hunt, 130-40 in 14th season at Cardinal Ritter.
LAST CONTEST: Lutheran beat Beech Grove, 27-22. Cardinal Ritter beat Monrovia, 14-6.
TOP PERFORMERS: Marcus McFadden accounted for the game-winning one-yard touchdown run for the No. 1 (Class 1A) Saints against Beech Grove. Tommy Godsil came up with four receptions for 100 yards for the No. 10 (Class 3A) Raiders against Monrovia.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Lutheran, 32-21, on August 24, 2018.
CHALK TALK: "We are building on the adversity of coming together and building a stronger relationship. When you meet the storm, you have to be willing to call upon other to help raise the mast so you can set sail or change the direction. We must deal with each play individually correcting the small things and turning them into a positive." – Cardinal Ritter's Ty Hunt.
LOUISVILLE TRINITY (KENTUCKY) (1-0) AT WARREN CENTRAL (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Warrior Stadium.
COACHES: Bob Beatty, 229-42 in 20th season at Louisville Trinity. Jayson West, 60-16 in seventh season at Warren Central, 112-28 in 12th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Louisville Trinity beat Carmel, 41-14. Warren Central beat Center Grove, 21-14.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nathan McElroy tossed for 187 yards and four touchdowns for the Shamrocks against Carmel. Elijah Price tallied a pair of touchdown catches for the No. 1 (Class 6A) Warriors against Center Grove.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Warren Central, 42-41, on August 24, 2018.
CHALK TALK: "They are a very big and physical football team with a very dynamic quarterback (Nathan McElroy), so we must play much better offensively this week and play solid special teams and defense to have a chance to beat them." – Warren Central's Jayson West.
MARTINSVILLE (1-0) AT BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Huff Field.
COACHES: Carter Whitson, 15-8 in third season at Martinsville. Mo Moriarity, 194-55 in 22nd season at Bloomington South, 298-96 in 34th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Martinsville beat Bedford North Lawrence, 40-7. Bloomington South beat Castle, 34-10.
TOP PERFORMERS: Andy Myers registered two receptions for 99 yards with two scores for the No. 7 (Class 4A) Artesians against Bedford North Lawrence. Maveric Thiery raced 11 times for 126 yards and a touchdown for the No. 6 (Class 5A) Panthers against Castle.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Bloomington South, 28-25 (2OT), on November 2, 2018 in Class 5A sectional final.
CHALK TALK: "It should be a fun game to watch. Defensively, we have a few key guys to focus on and stress to stop. Obviously, it starts with their tailback (Maveric Thiery) and tight end (James Bomba). They have other weapons too and do a great job of game planning and finding the opponent's weaknesses. Offensively, we have to come up with dynamic plays. That will be the measure of success for us all year. South plays good defense and makes you work for points. They are a tough team to convert a 10-play drive against, so we need our weapons to make big plays and score fast." – Martinsville's Carter Whitson.
"We will need to keep the ball in front of us. They have a quarterback (Xavier Tunitis) that throws it really well and two wide receivers (Andy Myers and Matthew Thomas) that can go get it. We also need to control the line of scrimmage." – Bloomington South's Mo Moriarity.
MISHAWAKA (1-0) AT EAST NOBLE (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, East Noble Field.
COACHES: Keith Kinder, 13-2 in second season at Mishawaka. Luke Amstutz, 57-20 in eighth season at East Noble, 83-35 in 12th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Mishawaka beat Portage, 42-27. East Noble beat Plymouth, 34-31.
TOP PERFORMERS: Ethan Fowler rambled three times for 20 yards and two touchdowns for the No. 7 (Class 5A) Cavemen against Portage. Hayden Jones accumulated seven catches for 91 yards with a score for the Knights against Plymouth.
PREVIOUS MEETING: None.
CHALK TALK: "We have our work cut out for us this Friday. East Noble is a very talented and well-coached team. Their quarterback (Bailey Parker) is an excellent runner and passer and they are very athletic and skilled across the board offensively. They are big and physical defensively and we will need to do a better job this week of taking care of the football. We're looking forward to competing against one of the top programs in northern Indiana." Mishawka's Keith Kinder.
"It's a great opportunity to play one of the top programs in the state. For us to be successful, we have to play very disciplined against their run game and take advantage of our offensive opportunities." – East Noble's Luke Amstutz.
NEW PALESTINE (1-0) AT CENTER GROVE (0-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Ray Skillman Stadium.
COACHES: Kyle Ralph, 75-4 in seventh season at New Palestine. Eric Moore, 188-67 in 21st season at Center Grove, 236-72 in 25th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: New Palestine beat Kokomo, 63-13. Center Grove lost to Warren Central, 21-14.
TOP PERFORMERS: Madix Johnson had seven carries for 36 yards and a touchdown for the top-ranked and defending Class 5A state champion Dragons against Kokomo. With Carson Steele nursing a hamstring injury, Connor Delp came up with 10 rushes for 120 yards for the No. 4 (Class 6A) Trojans against Warren Central.
PREVIOUS MEETING: New Palestine, 31-9, on August 24, 2018.
CHALK TALK: "This is another huge challenge for our program and one of the weeks you love to be a part of it as a player and coach. We have to have a tremendous week of practice to prepare for a very good Center Grove team. Our success will be determined by our ability to protect the football and have sustained drives along with our defense being able to play physical assignment football against a very big powerful offensive line with a lot of speed at the skill positions behind it. The ability to play field position with special teams is usually what makes a huge difference in games like this, so we need to be sharp in that phase as well. It is going to be an incredible challenge for our players, but one they have worked hard for." – New Palestine's Kyle Ralph.
"It may be the greatest game in the state in all classes this Friday. New Palestine has a 55-game (regular season) win streak and we understand this. We have to control the football with the run game and not have three and outs and turnovers. Moving the chains will be very important. We can't give up the big play and we must make the big play. We have to tackle the state's leading rusher (Charlie Spegal) and try to control the other offensive stars they have. The bottom line is we must make them punt the football." – Center Grove's Eric Moore.
SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH (0-1) AT NORTHRIDGE (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Raider Field.
COACHES: Bryon Whitten, 14-21 in fourth season at Saint. Joseph. Tom Wogomon, 43-25 in seventh season at Northridge, 68-62 in 13th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Saint. Joseph lost to Concord, 17-14. Northridge beat South Bend Adams, 35-34.
TOP PERFORMERS: Luke Leonard tallied three carries for 30 yards for the Indians against Concord. Dominic Crowder accounted for 11 rushes for 63 yards with a score for the Raiders against Adams.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Saint Joseph, 10-0, on August 24, 2018.
CHALK TALK: "In order to have success against Northridge, we must eliminate our mistakes and capitalize in crucial situations. This past week against Concord, we had several third and long situations and could not get off the field defensively. We also were unable to capitalize on several third and short chances on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively, we need to create turnovers and get the ball back to our offense and help create field position. Offensively, we need to be able to grind out first downs and keep the ball out of the hands of the Northridge offense, minimizing their opportunities to score points." – Saint Joseph's Bryon Whitten.
"Saint Joe is a well-coached physical football team. What really impresses me about them is how well they attack the football on defense. On offense, (running back) John Driscoll is impressive. It's no secret that they are going get the ball into his hands early and often. The key for us this week is to be on the positive side when it comes to the turnover category. We also have to play good physical, disciplined football this Friday." – Northridge's Tom Wogomon.
WARSAW (1-0) AT MICHIGAN CITY (1-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Ames Field.
COACHES: Bart Curtis, 8-3 in second season at Warsaw, 209-105 in 29th season overall. Phil Mason, 27-11 in fourth season at Michigan City, 140-72 in 19th season overall.
LAST CONTEST: Warsaw beat Huntington North, 52-13. Michigan City beat Griffith, 60-7.
TOP PERFORMERS: Wyatt Amiss racked up 11 carries for 93 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers against Huntington North. Kaydarious Jones returned a punt 54 yards for a score for the No. 5 (Class 5A) Wolves against Griffith.
PREVIOUS MEETING: None.
CHALK TALK: "This is a wonderful opportunity for us to compete against one of the top tier programs in the state. They have a ton of speed and are extremely physical. They are playing with a high level of confidence, so we will have to be up for the task at Ames Field." – Warsaw's Bart Curtis.
"Warsaw presents a great challenge for us. Their offense is difficult to defend because it is so well-coached and almost impossible to simulate in practice. Their defense is solid, so we have to find a way to slow them down and get the ball in space." Michigan City's Phil Mason.
