Playoff time is here, and with it come some interesting matchups from the jump.
Here are five to keep an eye on locally heading into Friday:
CLASS 2A: #8 Bluffton (7-2) at #6 Alexandria (8-1), 7 p.m.
Arguably the best game in the state in Class 2A comes in Madison County where Alexandria hosts defending sectional champion Bluffon in the opening round of Sectional 36. Bluffton snapped its two-game losing streak in Week 9 with a 32-14 win over Lakeland thanks to two pick-6s from senior Fletcher Wenger.
Coach Brent Kunkel has been very pleased with his team’s defensive performance all season and is confident that will continue in sectionals.
“Our defense really has carried us all year long, even in the games that we lost,” said Kunkel. “We held Heritage’s offense to 20 points (punt return for other TD) and held Adams Central significantly below their season average in both points and yardage.
“We knew coming in how explosive Lakeland’s offense could be, so we really challenged our guys up front to control the game and – for the most part – we were able to do that. Obviously (Lakeland leading rusher Sean Conley) being out of the game factored in, but I was happy with our effort regardless.”
Bluffton has won two football sectionals in program history: 1988 and 2022. A repeat will be greatly challenged by Tigers, which is averaging 39.1 points per game. Offensively, they are capable to throw and run because of an excellent offensive line. They average 171.6 yards per game in the air and 170.2 yards per game on the ground.
Kunkel said that Alexandria will be a great first test for Bluffton to ensure that it is able to defend its sectional crown from a year ago. For that to happen, it will have to contain Alex’s athletes on Friday.
“Alexandria is a great challenge for us,” said Kunkel. “They come into the sectional having finished second in the tough CIC. We are going to have to be tough up front, and not let them get behind us on the back end. (Gabe McGuire) is one of the best athletes that we have played this season, so we need to know where he is every play. They have some size up front on both the offensive and defensive lines.”
McGure, a senior, has 42 catches for 599 yards and nine touchdowns as Alexandria’s de facto No. 1 option in the passing game. Sophomore Brady Gast has thrown for 1,476 yards with 16 TDs and 2 INTs. Senior Carson Cuneo has rushed for 1,033 yards (eight yards per carry) and 18 scores.
Defensively, Alexandria has limited opponents to just 11 points per game and has only allowed 20 or more points twice all season. Last week against rival Madison-Grant, it shut out the Argylls in the second half to complete a comeback.
But this Alexandria defense will have to face a Bluffton team that can pound the ball. Tucker Jenkins and Khamel Moore have played the last two games (coming off an injury) and contributed in a huge way. Against Lakeland, Moore ran for just under 180 yards and two TDs in the win.
Kunkel said that mistakes are “amplified” during the postseason, and he acknowledged that his team has to eliminate turnovers and “selfish” penalties to have a chance at a sectional repeat.
“I feel like our defense travels well and our heavy-run sets give teams problems,” said Kunkel. “We are going to have to play sharp and focus on what is in front of us.
“I think that we have the talent to win another sectional, (but) are we going to be mentally and physically tough enough? We will find out.”
CLASS 3A: Delta (5-4) at Norwell (3-6), 7 p.m.
At ‘The Courtyard’ in Ossian, Norwell gets a chance at redemption in as it hostsa solid Delta squad. Back in Week 2, Norwell went into the half up two at Delta before the Eagles scored 20 unanswered points in a 34-16 win.
Since then, Norwell has slowly gotten better and now enters sectionals with wins in two of its last three games. In the 28-22 victory over Columbia City last week, the Knights played perhaps its most complete game of the season, knowing in the back of their minds what happened a year ago when Columbia City spoiled their senior night to win the NE8.
Coach Josh Gerber reflected on that game as a moment that the team was rewarded for their efforts all season long, despite the win-loss record.
“I feel as though we’ve gotten better each week with the exception of one game,” said Gerber. “We’ve battled through some injuries and adversity this year. (I’m) very happy for the guys to pick up a good win.”
In that game, Timothy Bonjour had perhaps his best game of his high school football career as he said “Bonjour” to Columbia City’s Senior Night festivities. He ran 44 times for 204 yards and 2 TD’s. But Gerber shared the credit with his offensive line for the admirable job they did to establish a productive running game.
“I thought our offensive line did a great job of opening up holes not just for Timothy, but rather all of them,” Gerber said. “Timothy did a great job of reading blocks and making cuts.”
On Friday, Norwell wants to keep its season alive as it hopes the late-season momentum will provide a jolt of confidence to pull off a first-round shocker. In a competitive Hoosier Heritage Conference, the Eagles scored 21 points per game, but they come into sectional play losers of their last three.
Delta averages 159 yards per game in the passing game, led by senior wide receiver D’Amare Hood with 35 catches for 549 yards and five TDs. Juniot Nolan Carpenter leads the backfield with eight rushing scores.
For Norwell to be successful, it must be able to play clean football, establish a balanced offense and execute the game plan. While the Knights have dealt with having a young defense, they hope that the recent success can place them in a position to upset Delta.
“We have to take care of the football and limit their big plays,” said Gerber. “We have familiarity with their players and schemes. We feel as though we have a good plan. We’ll just need to execute it.”
Junior Drew Graft, who was injured during that first Delta game, will be a key player to watch at quarterback as well as at safety. Cohen Bailey has been his go-to player in the passing game and is becoming a strong returner on special teams. The running game, led by seniors Trey Bodenheimer and Bonjour, is crucial. And you have senior kicker, Austin DeLeon.
Against Delta, DeLeon converted two field goals from 31 and 46 yards to help Norwell to the first-half lead.
CLASS 4A: #6 East Noble (7-2) at #7 New Haven (8-1), 7 p.m.
Two of the three co-champions of the NE8 will square off in the first round of Sectional 19 at John Young Stadium in New Haven. Round 1 between these two went East Noble’s way, a 31- 21 home win over the Bulldogs in less-than-ideal conditions.
In East Noble’s 70-7 win over Bellmont in Week 9, senior Zander Brazel was 16-of-18 passing for 293 yards and six TDs.
“(It was) great for our seniors to end (the regular) season with a home win and achieve a championship,” said Amstutz. “(It was a) great feeling for them and a huge confidence boost heading into (a) difficult playoff run.”
New Haven had a fun Senior Night of its own in a 47-12 win over Huntington North. Senior Donavan Williams was 14-of-22 passing for 301 yards and ran 10 times for 122 yards, amassing a total of five touchdowns. Coach Kyle Booher said it was a little bittersweet that the Bulldogs could not win the NE8 outright, but was happy to see the kids’ hard work pay off.
“It’s always a special moment when you get to see families all come together and celebrate our young men,” said Booher. “When you get to see the long-standing traditions, it just makes it even better. Strong families are a huge part of our success with helping development these young men.”
One of the key headlines coming in is the status of Ohio State commit Mylan Graham, who has been dealing with an injury that he suffered in Week 6 vs Columbia City. Despite all of the talk surrounding Graham, Booher said the team has handled it remarkably well.
“Honestly, it hasn’t been an issue to deal with on the team,” said Booher. “This group has had one of the most selfless mindsets. Everyone is willing to do what it takes for each other.
“So, they found ways to keep Mylan feeling important even though he has not been on the field, and he has been super involved with helping his teammates get better. They have done an awesome job of having a family mentality.”
With the potential of Graham returning in sectionals, that will certainly add a new challenge for teams aiming to knock off New Haven. Despite that, however, Amstutz is confident that his team will respond.
“Obviously, Mylan Graham being back will be a boost for them, but they still have to be able to stop our run game, and we think we can play better against their run game than we did (in the first meeting),” said Amstutz. “It will be interesting to see the types of adjustments each team makes to get this done.
“(It’s) unbelievably hard to win this sectional, as you have to play great for 3 games. (We) can’t miss a beat. We are good enough to do it, but the opponents are all good enough to beat us if we don’t play great.”
In Week 8 between these two, East Noble showcased a sense of dominance through its relentless defense and a strong run game. For New Haven, it knows it must be better to extend the season. Booher and his team are more than ready for a chance at redemption.
“We have to be better than last time, but I think everyone in the building is ready for a rematch,” said Booher. “We are excited for an opportunity to get better and play a team that beat us.
“That’s a rare opportunity and we are excited for the upcoming challenge.”
CLASS 3A: Mishawaka Marian (5-4) at West Noble (9-0), 7 p.m.
For the first time since 2019, the Chargers head into sectional play undefeated. The Chargers have utilized the last couple games as an opportunity to get healthy and focus on the basics to prepare for what should be a very competitive Sectional 26. West Noble enters sectional play looking for its elusive first sectional championship in football.
Don’t let the record fool you, Mishawaka Marian plays in a very difficult Northern Indiana Conference and always is focused on competing for championships in the playoffs. The Knights have won their last three games, including a 16-10 win at South Bend St. Joe in the Holy War. They have done this through their defense, which has held the last three opponents to 14 points or less.
Last year, these two met in the first round where West Noble earned a 26-14 win. West Noble coach Monte Mawhorter said his team was young and learned a lot from that matchup.
“We were very young (then) and are still playing several sophomores and freshmen,” said Mawhorter. “We feel Marian is a very good team and we will have to play our best to compete. (Brian) Osman has rushed for 800 yards this year and we must find a way to slow him down.
“Their QB (Bryce LaSane) is also a very good player with a great arm and several receivers who can catch the ball. Our defense must come up with some stops. Marian’s defense is also very solid and big. They have very few weaknesses.”
One major challenge that Marian will have to face against West Noble is junior running back Seth Pruitt, who has 193 carries for 1,337 yards and 24 TDs. Senior quarterback Drew Yates has thrown for 980 yards and has 79 carries for 656 yards with 25 combined TDs. When these two players are finding the end zone, West Noble is a lethal team.
While it is easy to look ahead towards undefeated Knox, the Chargers cannot take this Marian team lightly. Mawhorter has emphasized his team that ball control, discipline, turnovers and special teams will all be huge factors in this game, especially with rain expecting to impact the field conditions in Ligonier.
“Marian is a very good team, and they are going to make some good plays,” said Mawhorter. “We must accept they are going to have success and not let it change what we want to do. We want to go out and have a good time, play our best and hope it is good enough to move on.”
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