Week 9: Five players to watch on the gridiron tonight

Week 9 is finally here. The season has gone by too quickly. This is the final chance for teams to get right before the postseason, and the final opportunity for players to shine in the regular season. 

Here are five players expected to shine tonight:

Carsen Jacobs, Eastside vs. Angola

Jacobs could be featured on this list every single week because that’s how electric he is. On offense, he has 985 rushing yards on 138 carries with 10 touchdowns. He’s a 62.3 percent passer for 602 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. But don’t throw on him because he has four interceptions on defense. The Blazers don’t punt very often, but Jacobs is also the punter. He averages over 40 yards per punt. Angola will challenge Jacobs and the Blazers, but Jacobs will be the best player on the field.

Deonte Williams, Wayne vs. Carroll

Williams’ production has really picked up the last couple of weeks with back to back 100-yard receiving games. He only had four catches in the first six weeks of the season and racked up a game-high 11 catches for 103 yards and one touchdowns in a wild, back-and-forth game against Homestead. Williams gives the Generals offense another weapon, which will make them dangerous in a competitive Sectional 19. 

Donnie Wiley, DeKalb vs. Leo

Wiley, like Williams, is coming off consecutive 100-yard receiving games, including against the vaunted Norwell defense. Wiley missed the first six weeks of the season with a broken arm, and DeKalb is happy to see him back in the lineup. Against Bellmont in Week 8, he had seven receptions for 154 yards and two scores. The Barons will need Wiley against a good Leo pass defense.

Rylan Whitacre, Heritage vs. Jay County

Whiteacre has a nose for the football. He has 90 tackles on the season with 73 solo tackles and eight for loss. He’s also shown the ability to carry the rock, as he has five rushing touchdowns on the year. The all-Patriot showdown should favor the ones from Monroeville, which would put them in second place in the ACAC. The last time that happened was in 2014. An incredible job from coach Casey Kolkman.

Robert Pelkington, Bishop Dwenger vs. Northrop

The Saints’ defense is filled with plenty of guys that can pile up tackles on any given Friday night, but it’s Pelkington who stands out most nights. He has 53 tackles and 9.5 for loss, which leads the team. Bishop Dwenger’s defense should be able to hold down a Northrop offense that has yet to score more than 20 points in a game this season.