High school football is back, and we already have plenty to talk about after Week 1.
For those unfamiliar, yours truly will be here every weekend to wrap up the Friday that was. We will look back at some of the top plays, stats, fun facts and more from game day as Blitz provides his opinion about it all, conference by conference.
SAC
Let’s revisit Snider-North Side to start off.
There was no flow to this game whatsoever. As disjointed of a contest as you’ll see, even when factoring in that it was Week 1.
Blitz doesn’t lean on officials too much. It’s a tough and thankless job. Yet the crew on this game never seem to be on the same page. Frequently they had to meet to figure out calls and yardage. There was confusion on both sidelines on what was being called and why.
The game saw over a half-dozen personal foul and taunting calls. Some were warranted, some were not, including Langston Leavell’s second taunting penalty when he signaled first down after a run. It resulted in an ejection for the senior.
Look, Blitz understands that heated matchups in the SAC are hell on officials to try and control at times. But the crew overstepped in a few instances. There is a fine line between keeping the players in check and taking the emotion completely away.
A couple of important ground game takeaways from outside of all of that. Jontae Lambert had a great opening week on the ground, going for 133 yards and a touchdown for North Side in a losing effort. And while Leavell was stellar before he was sent to the locker room, sophomore De’Alcapon Veazy was a great weapon to back him up. More depth = more fun.
• Anytime you start a sophomore quarterback in the SAC there is going to be a tremendous learning curve. Even the bad teams have players that can make you pay if you make a mistake.
That’s what we got from Jimmy Sullivan at Carroll on Friday in the rout of Bishop Luers. He threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns plus a rushing score, but he also was picked off twice.
In terms of potential, the sky is the limit for Sullivan. Week 1 was a good first test for him considering the Knights are slotting in a lot of newbies on defense. It also was a good test considering that he hasn’t been with the Chargers for long so Sullivan is likely still trying to figure some things out and build a rapport with his new teammates. That said, with Snider looming next week, he will need to avoid too many miscues.
When Bohde Dickerson transferred to North Side, some questioned whether Sam Campbell was capable of being QB1 at Bishop Dwenger.
He has proven the doubters wrong, at least for one week. Campbell amassed 316 yards of total offense in the Saints’ win over Wayne on Friday, including 274 through the air.
It helps to have CJ Davis on the field. Kudos to the Saints for not overthinking things and maximizing the opportunities for their star player. He had five receptions for 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The first time the two really connected, and I mean really connected, was still in the first quarter. With Wayne pushing their biggest offensive threat to that point in the game, they looked to make a play on a deep ball on 3rd and nine. But, airing it out where Davis is proved to be a mistake and it will continue to be one in weeks to come. Davis picked that pass off and then on the very first Saints play after that, Campbell connected on a nice screen pass that freed Davis up to take off up field for an 88 yard touchdown.
Like I said, don’t overthink. Campbell makes good reads, Davis makes good speed.
Speaking of weapons, how big of one does Concordia Lutheran have with basketball stud Ajani Washington? He had three catches on Friday night – all went for touchdowns.
It’s going to be fun watching the Eli Mattox to Washington connection all year long. That duo is going to burn a ton of good defensive backs over the course of the season.
Is there more to come from them? Blitz is sure of it, but week one was a nice sampling of what they can do and that Mattox can have a bit of a “throw it up there, Ajani will go get it attitude” on occasion. After all, if you’ve see Washington on a basketball court, you know he can soar.
NE8
Blitz has been saying it to anyone who will listen – Leo was going to struggle early on, potentially all season, as its players learn an entirely new offense.
Imagine running the same thing across all of your squads for 15 years, then changing it up drastically. How can you expect the kids to not have a learning curve?
But there were bigger problems for the Lions in the 20-point loss to Kokomo on Friday, a game that Leo led 10-0 with a minute left in the first half.
Three turnovers.
Going 2-of-10 on third down.
Allowing 271 yards rushing.
The fact that Leo’s next four games are against Angola, Norwell, New Haven and East Noble means there isn’t much time to figure it out.
Positives you say? Well Blitz is all about those too when they are present. A non existent Leo kicking game from a season ago turned into seven of the Lions thirteen points as Jake Patton chipped in an extra point and hit two field goals from 21 and 37 yards out. Considering a missed kick ended their 2021 season, having Patton boot the ball with success is important.
Also, we can talk about the one touchdown Leo did score? Kylar Decker to Brock Schott for a lateral to Max Loeffler and big scamper for a score. You want diversity in your Leo offense? Book it. Just time to clean up those things mentioned above.
Many folks outside of the Northeast 8 don’t know who Josh Arntz is, but they should get to know him.
The Columbia City senior had nine tackles, three TFL, a sack and rushed for a touchdown the Eagles’ comfortable win over Churubusco.
Arntz is a key piece to CC’s puzzle this year on both sides of the football. Week 1 won’t be the only time an opposing team feels his impact.
New Haven passed its first defensive test on Friday when it shut out Marion, a team that hadn’t been blanked since 2015.
While the Giants have a LOT of inexperience on the field, credit to new defensive coordinator Kendrick Mullen on his game plan.
Now, an entirely different challenge awaits as the Bulldogs travel to Eastbrook to face a pack-it-in, physical offense.
If New Haven can show out in Grant County next week, even in a close loss, it will put the ‘dogs on the map as maybe a contender in the NE8.
Norwell allowed seven or less points in eight of its 13 games last season. Coach Josh Gerber’s squad is off to a good start in that regard as it held Mississinewa to seven points.
Do not underestimate this performance. The Knights had to go on the road to face a team that won nine games a year ago – including postseason victories over New Haven and Wayne.
Norwell went in and took care of business without a hint of drama.
In short, the Knights looked the part of a top team in the 3A north.
ACAC
Adams Central rushing yards in its 56-6 rout of Garrett – 294. Passing yards – zero.
Blitz has already seen enough. The Flying Jets are the team to beat in the 1A north.
Ryan Black took the lead on that run game from quarterback. While he only let two passes fly and one was picked off, he ran for 111 yards on his six rushes, scoring twice. The Flying Jets were so diverse in the run game last season, something they look to be doing again with a whole new rotation of guys.
Seven guys ran the ball for AC, led by Black’s 111 yards and Keegan Bluhm‘s nine rushes.
Early returns and all, but it doesn’t look bad.
Patrick Hemmelgarn returned the opening kickoff 77 yards for a Jay County touchdown in a 41-0 rout of Blackford. The senior later added a 27-yard touchdown reception.
Can Jay County be a factor in the ACAC? Perhaps at least show signs that it is on the rise? A 4A school in that league should be owning teams like South Adams and Adams Central, not the other way around.
NECC/Area
Christening the new turf on Friday, Angola was able to get a hard-fought win over DeKalb in one of the better games of the night.
In a night that was laden with subpar matchups and quite a few blowouts, this was probably the best game you could ask for. One of the key moments of the game came late in the first half when Angola stuffed DeKalb on 4th and 2 to take over at their own 42 yard line. They were able to use a lot of clock before Tyler Call found Lane King for a score and a 14-7 lead.
DeKalb would tie back up and Angola would take a 21-14 lead in the second half, before icing the game on a 4th and goal pass breakup with just over two minutes to play.
The Hornets have been scuffling for a few years, including just two wins last year. The fortunes could be turning around up north. Leo comes to town next week. Keep an eye on that one.
Eastside accumulated 515 yards of total offense in a rout of Woodlan, proving that the Blazers are still going to be an issue for teams despite Laban Davis now at Saint Francis.
Carsen Jacobs doesn’t need to be Davis; he just needs to protect the football and make the right decisions. Briar Munsey went for 201 yards and Dax Holman 123 on the ground, so you could say Jacobs did a good job.
The fact that he rushed for 90 yards and a pair of scores while also throwing a TD pass to Holman is further proof the Blazers are in good hands.
Drama in Goshen as Fairfield stopped a two-point try in overtime to hold on to a 22-20 victory.
Kudos to Carter Kitson, who had a great name and called his own number twice in overtime to take the lead and secure the gutsy first possession two-point conversion.
Sophomore Breckan Maran was the first on the scene on the Goshen run to try and tie it, but he was able to get off a block and make initial contact before his comrades came to assist. As Fairfield celebrated, Maran stayed on the ground grasping his leg.
The hope is that Maran is OK, but that was a helluva play.
The Daniels boys had themselves a night for Prairie Heights in a 39-0 drubbing of Whitko.
Junior Jaden Daniels went for 126 yards receiving and rushed for 70 more, accounting for three total touchdowns.
Senior Trenton Daniels threw for 101 yards, rushed for 104 and was a part of three touchdowns.
There was no more impressive victory in Week 1 among area teams than Warsaw manhandling Michigan City 35-7.
City came in to the game considered a top-five squad in Class 5A in many people’s minds, yet the Tigers rushed for 375 yards and did not allow a point until a garbage score at the end of the game. But that was after German Flores-Ortega ran all over Michigan City so it just didn’t matter.
Blitz hopes to get up to a Warsaw game this prior to the playoffs. It will be easier to make that trip if Coach Bart Curtis’s squad keeps putting up performances like we saw Friday.
QUICK HITS
Blitz has confirmed that South Side coach Tiny Lee was not in attendance at Friday’s game for reasons unknown…Carroll’s defense held Bishop Luers to just 1.8 yards per rush…Lamarion Nelson rushed for 204 yards on 24 carries for Wayne, continuing his dominance from a year ago on the ground in the SAC…East Noble QB Zander Brazel averaged 29 yards per completion for the Knights in the win over Plymouth…Heritage is 1-0 for the first time since 2009…Bluffton was shut out in Week 1 for the first time since a 27-0 loss to Bellmont to open the 2004 campaign…Mav Summersett led South Adams in rushing (14 carries, 163 yards, two TDs) and on defense (6.5 tackles)…Fremont has started 1-0 in back to back seasons for the first time since 2015/16. Collin Green ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns, while Gage Cope registered 7 tackles and an interception in the win over Southern Wells.
These opinions represent those of Blitz and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Blitz on Twitter at Blitz_OTH
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