It wasn’t the best of weeks for Blitz to start off the season, but here is hoping it is just upward from here.
The Week 2 schedule has been tough to nail down, with DeKalb and Angola having to be quarantined earlier this week. The hope is that this is not the beginning of a trend.
After all, Blitz is your weekly dose of sanity (depends on who you ask) in these unprecedented times.
Last week: 14-5 (.736)
BISHOP DWENGER AT NORTH SIDE. North has lost eight straight to the Saints, but as last week proved, this is not your typical North Side squad. However, Bishop Dwenger will be more technically sound than Snider was and has vastly more experience. Can Duce and Co. have another big night and shock the city again? North thrives being the underdog. BLITZ SAYS BISHOP DWENGER BY 6.
BISHOP LUERS AT WAYNE. 1-1 is a lot better than 0-2, and each of these teams will have one of those records after Friday. The 48 points allowed by Luers last week was the most in a Week 1 game since Snider dropped 52 on the Knights in 1995. If Shawn Collins has a big night on offense, Wayne could pull off the W in a surprise. BLITZ SAYS WAYNE BY 2.
SNIDER AT CARROLL. The Panthers have not begun a season 0-2 in 27 years. The problem with avoiding that dubious mark is that Carroll looked like a vastly superior team than Snider in Week 1. Coaches always say the biggest improvement for a team is between week one and two. Blitz expects the Panthers to play better on Friday, but will it be enough? BLITZ SAYS CARROLL BY 10.
SOUTH SIDE AT NORTHROP. Meanwhile at Spuller Stadium, the Bruins will be looking for a 2-0 start, which hasn’t happened since 2005. South had trouble corralling Amir Drew of Concordia in Week 1, now it gets to contend with Damarius Cowen, who ran over the Homestead defense last Friday. Welcome to SAC title contention, Bruins. BLITZ SAYS NORTHROP BY 20.
HOMESTEAD AT CONCORDIA. The Spartans are expected to be at full strength for this one, good news for us who see plenty of intrigue with this one. Some consider the Cadets a sleeper for their first-ever SAC championship. The key here will be an offensive line of Homestead looking to command the trenches and neutralize a physical Concordia front seven. This one will be close. BLITZ SAYS HOMESTEAD BY 3.
COLUMBIA CITY AT CENTRAL NOBLE. There was a lot to like out of the Eagles last week, from Greg Bolt’s arm to T.J. Bedwell’s big-play prowess and the giant inflatable Eagle on the new CCHS turf. Central Noble surprised its rival with a win over West Noble in Week 1. This week will present a bigger challenge. BLITZ SAYS COLUMBIA CITY BY 15.
EAST NOBLE AT NORTHWOOD. The Knights shut out one solid 4A foe last week, now they hit the road to take on another in Week 2. This is NorthWood’s season opener and it has senior dual-threat QB Nate Newcomer (2,100 yards of total offense in 2019) back. Can East Noble neutralize the threat? Blitz thinks so. BLITZ SAYS EAST NOBLE BY 11.
HERITAGE AT NORWELL. Coach Josh Gerber’s Knights are a good favorite to go to 2-0 with their home opener on Friday. Heritage showed some spunk in Week 1, but is still going to need time to develop. BLITZ SAYS NORWELL BY 29.
MOORESVILLE AT LEO. A Thursday edition to the schedule has the Lions hosting Mooresville, one of the better 4A programs in central Indiana. Barely any prep or game planning can make for an entertaining show, so expect this one to be interesting. BLITZ SAYS LEO BY 9.
HUNTINGTON NORTH AT JAY COUNTY. You know who went underappreciated in Week 1? Coach Bob Prescott’s Vikings, that’s who. A single-digit loss to a Warsaw team that punked you by nearly 40 in 2019 is significant progress. No problem this week for a developing program in Huntington. BLITZ SAYS HUNTINGTON NORTH BY 42.
MISSISSINEWA AT NEW HAVEN. Lane Woodson III averaged 57 yards per catch last week, with all three of his receptions going for Bulldogs touchdowns. Mississinewa did not score less than 14 points in a single game last year, yet was shut out in Week 1. If New Haven can contain the slippery Carson Campbell on offense, it should roll. BLITZ SAYS NEW HAVEN BY 14.
BLUFFTON AT MANCHESTER. Lukas Hunt in the Wildcat gives the Tigers a different look off of Hayden Nern traditionally behind center. This one may be tight for awhile but a Bluffton offensive unit that was stymied at times last week against Northfield will break out. BLITZ SAYS BLUFFTON BY 22.
EASTSIDE AT ADAMS CENTRAL. A doozy of a matchup in Week 2 between a pair of teams with big conference and postseason aspirations. Neither team was tested in Week 1, making this Friday big in terms of making an impression on Blitz and picking up a dub over a quality opponent. This one is tough, but with rain potentially in the forecast, Blitz is going with the home team in a close one. BLITZ SAYS ADAMS CENTRAL BY 2.
SOUTH ADAMS AT LEWIS CASS. This late addition to the schedule looked solid until Cass was destroyed by Pioneer last week. Still, this is a good road game for a Starfires squad that sometimes lacks competition most weeks, which can make a team complacent. Should be another big night for the SA offense. BLITZ SAYS SOUTH ADAMS BY 18.
WOODLAN AT SOUTH BEND ADAMS. Following an 0-10 campaign last year, Adams opened 2020 with a blanking of South Bend Washington to show some promise. That’s bad news for Woodlan, which heads into a road game with a 5A squad coming off a game at Leo in which the offense looked completely lost. BLITZ SAYS SOUTH BEND ADAMS BY 21.
FREMONT AT PRAIRIE HEIGHTS. This is the first of two matchups between these teams this season. Due to schedule changes, a Week 2 non-conference game was added. Here is thinking that the home team each wins one. BLITZ SAYS PRAIRIE HEIGHTS BY 3.
LAKELAND AT CHURUBUSCO. Last week’s 38-0 loss to Churubusco was the worst setback for the Eagles in years. It was plain to see that Coach Paul Sade’s team has a lot of growing to do – both in size and experience. There is an opportunity to turn the page here with a good night at home. BLITZ SAYS CHURUBUSCO BY 7.
OSCEOLA GRACE AT FAIRFIELD. Questioning the opponent? Osceola Grace is a non-IHSAA club team in Osceola, between Elkhart and Mishawaka. As for the game? Blitz likes Fairfield in its season opener. BLITZ SAYS FAIRFIELD BY 13.
WEST NOBLE AT WAWASEE. How quickly things can go sour for West Noble, which went undefeated in the regular season last year but fell to Central Noble in Week 1. Senior Parker Young threw for over 200 yards and four touchdowns for Wawasee in Week 1. Braxton Pruitt, see what you can do… BLITZ SAYS WAWASEE BY 12.
MICHIGAN CITY AT WARSAW. The ninth-ranked team in Class 5A comes to Warsaw for a showdown on Friday. The Tigers edged Michigan City last year by a single point. Another close one is on tap, but it goes the other way in 2020. BLITZ SAYS MICHIGAN CITY BY 1.
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