Now that nine weeks of the regular season are in the books for area prep football teams, it is time to look ahead to sectional play.
We continue our sectional football primers in Class 3A, with another ultra-competitive local field.
THE DRAW
Yorktown (4-5) at Concordia Lutheran (0-9)
Delta (5-4) at Norwell (3-6)
Bellmont (0-9) at Garrett (4-5)
Heritage (8-1) at Woodlan (2-7)
THE FAVORITE
HERITAGE (8-1)
Things haven’t been this exciting in October on the gridiron in Monroeville since the days of Coach Dean Lehrman.
Coach Casey Kolkman’s team enters the playoffs with the most regular-season wins since 2012, which also is the last time Heritage captured a sectional crown.
The draw is favorable, opening against a team that the Patriots shut out 26-0 in the regular season followed by a likely home game against Garrett. The two primary threats – Yorktown and Delta – will cannibalize each other on the top part of the bracket by the final.
A lot has been made about Kobe Meyer and the offense, but the defense has powered this team, allowing just two opponents – Adams Central and Bluffton to score more than two touchdowns in a game.
The defense is laden with experience – Caleb Abbott with a team-high 48 tackles and Logan Teichman with 13 tackles for loss. The key to this postseason will be the defense.
THE CONTENDER
DELTA (5-4)
Despite three-straight defeats to conclude the regular season, the Eagles are a team to watch. They are 2-0 against teams in the sectional, having beat Norwell and Yorktown.
Junior Bronson Edwards has thrown for 1,435 yards and 13 touchdowns for Delta, with senior Damare Hood (35 receptions, 549 yards, five TDs) the biggest vertical threat.
Defensive lineman Braxton Russell is a problem despite being just 5-foot-7, having amassed 66 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
While the Eagles have lost three straight games, they came against squads that are a combined 22-5.
THE REST
YORKTOWN (4-5)
The Tigers are another team that had difficulty down the stretch in the Hoosier Heritage Conference, dropping its final three games before sectionals.
What has hampered Yorktown this season is its propensity to give up a lot of points. Three times this year the Tigers have scored 21 or more points and lost.
NORWELL (3-6)
Kudos to the Knights, who have won back-to-back games, including a surprising road win at Columbia City in Week 9.
Does the momentum gained by Coach Josh Gerber’s team continue into the postseason? A familiar foe awaits, with Norwell opening the playoffs against Delta, a team that beat the Knights by 18 points in Week 2.
It has been a trying season for Norwell, between injuries and trying to rebuild after the loss of so much talent from last year. But it could be finding itself at the right time.
They key? Defense. In its three wins, Norwell has allowed 9.3 points per game. In its six losses? 38.1 points.
GARRETT (4-5)
There has been no shortage of excitement for the Railroaders this season, from a shocking road dub at Lakeland in Week 4 to a close win over Fairfield at home and dropping a close one to Angola one week later.
The inability for the offense to perform when needed has been key. Two of Garrett’s five losses saw it hold the opponent to 18 or under points, but the Railroaders offense was held in check just enough to prevent wins.
Opening against Bellmont will provide some momentum, but to put together a run, a young offensive unit led by junior QB Calder Hefty must be more dynamic.
WOODLAN (2-7)
After successive seasons under Coach Mike Smith that saw the win total increase, 2023 looked to be a breakout year for the Warriors.
Instead, Smith was dismissed after Week 8 and Woodlan has lost four straight heading into a matchup with Heritage, a team that shut out the Warriors 26-0 in Week 3.
If Woodlan is to stage a turnaround, it has to start on the ground where the team has not been able to find much success, averaging under 70 yards per game rushing.
CONCORDIA LUTHERAN (0-9)
It has been a season to forget for the Cadets, their first winless regular season since 2011.
Concordia surrendered the most points in the entire SAC this season at 415, 65 points more than the next highest team (Northrop).
The offense in the second half of the season hasn’t been much to write home about either, averaging only 5.6 points over the last five weeks.
One standout for the Cadets has been junior wideout Avery Cook, who has hauled in 64 receptions for 829 yards and eight touchdowns.
BELLMONT (0-9)
The Braves have not won a sectional game since 2018. Interestingly, that squad went winless in the regular season then beat Garrett and Concordia Lutheran to reach the sectional final before falling to Bishop Luers.
It’s tough to see a similar scenario in 2023. That 2018 squad was able to score points, whereas this team has been able to amass only seven total touchdowns over the course of the season.
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