While it may just now be starting to feel like fall, we are closing in on the end of the regular season for high school football.
It all just goes so fast, doesn’t it?
As we crown some league champions over the next few weeks, more attention is going to be put on the playoffs, particularly after next Sunday’s IHSAA sectional draw.
But for now, we are content ranking the top 10 teams in the area, with the top two holding steady.
1. CARROLL CHARGERS (4-2)
WHY #1?
In the absence of a truly dominant team in the area this year, Carroll has filled the role as the most steady. After two lopsided victories over Bishop Dwenger and Snider, the Chargers allowed Wayne to keep it close last Friday, eventually winning by just a point.
The wind and rain had something to do with the closeness of the game with the Generals, but it also showed how far Carroll still has to go to be considered a good bet to make a deep postseason run in Class 6A.
The Chargers are the class of northeast Indiana in 2024. But what does that mean, really? It’s a good question.
2. SNIDER PANTHERS (4-2)
WHY #2?
What a difference a week makes. After being beaten up and knocked around at Carroll in Week 5, Snider bounced back and did the exact same thing to Homestead in a 35-point rout of Sparty.
But there are still concerns about Snider’s offense and what it can do against elite opponents. The Panthers may see Carroll again in sectional play. Can they score more than six points?
Snider should be able to finish the season strong, but the challenges of Class 6A loom large.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
You cannot overlook the 24-point defeat to Carroll just a few weeks ago.
3. EAST NOBLE KNIGHTS (5-1)
WHY #3?
For the first time this season, a non-SAC school cracks the top 3 of Blitz’s Power Poll.
There was no letdown by the Knights last Friday following the emotional road victory at Leo in Week 5, as Coach Alex Stewart’s team shut out Norwell, 42-0.
What continues to be impressive about East Noble is its defense. Entering Week 7, the Knights have had 60(!) tackles for loss as a team to go with 10 sacks and 10 interceptions.
It is a defensive unit that is making plays at every level in NE8 play.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
In the only game in which it looked outmatched, East Noble lost by 25 to Snider on the road in Week 2.
4. LEO LIONS (5-1)
WHY #4?
The only thing separating East Noble and Leo at this point is the win the Knights have over the Lions. But the Week 5 game could have easily went the other way and they may meet again in sectional play.
Junior Grayson Esguerra has been a revelation. The first-year starting quarterback has thrown 12 touchdowns to five interceptions and seems to have more poise and presence in the pocket with each passing game. He may be the key to a playoff run.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
Leo jumps over Homestead, but must stay behind its rival that beat them – East Noble.
5. HOMESTEAD SPARTANS (3-3)
WHY #5?
This year’s Homestead team is a lot like last season’s. Just when you think you know what they are, or aren’t, something happens to turn your opinion on its head.
Homestead began the season 0-2, then won three straight, including a three-point win over Bishop Dwenger. Last week, Snider handed Homestead its most lopsided SAC loss in two years. Yes, Michael White was out and that changes the dynamic of the offense incredibly, but he doesn’t play defense, a unit that allowed Snider’s offense to score four times.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
Homestead has yet to beat a team this season that currently has a winning record. That can change this Friday when rival Carroll comes a callin’.
6. BISHOP LUERS KNIGHTS (5-1)
WHY #6?
Credit the Knights for being able to find ways to win close games.
Since a season-opening three-point loss to Leo at Luersfield, Bishop Luers has won five straight, three of which were by six points or less.
The offense is still a work in progress, with running back Daryea Williams carrying the majority of the workload. But the defense has been efficient at creating turnovers and getting stops at key times.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
The Knights do not play Snider or Carroll and lost to Leo in Week 1. They have Homestead in Week 9, which could lead to a vault over the Spartans if victorious.
7. COLUMBIA CITY EAGLES (6-0)
WHY #7?
Finally, we have reached the point in the season where we find out if Columbia City is for real or not.
A visit to East Noble followed by a home showdown with Leo next week are the two biggest challenges of the year by far for the Eagles.
That said, the wins over Churubusco and Plymouth look a lot more impressive than they did at the time, considering the success both programs are having.
Columbia City is averaging 324 yards per game on the ground with 32 touchdowns. If that continues through the next two weeks, the Eagles will have earned Blitz’s respect.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
The record is impressive, the strength of schedule is not (ranked last in the NE8 per the Sagarin Ratings).
8. WARSAW TIGERS (4-2)
WHY #8?
What was that last week?
Warsaw seemed to still be feeling the aftereffects of the loss to Concord, falling to Plymouth in overtime last Friday, likely ending hope of a second-consecutive NLC championship.
Just a few short weeks ago, Coach Bart Curtis’s team looked the part of perhaps the area’s best shot at advancing to state in a wide-open Class 5A in the north. Now, we are wondering if they can avoid a three-game skid with state-ranked Mishawaka visiting this Friday.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
Warsaw has played one of the most difficult schedules in the area. The NLC is a pretty darn good football conference. But the defensive struggles of the last two weeks are very concerning.
9. GARRETT RAILROADERS (6-0)
WHY #9?
An impressive victory over previously-undefeated West Noble did a lot to convince folks that Garrett is the real deal, at least in the NECC. But what it didn’t do it move Garrett up much in Blitz’s poll.
That’s not a knock on the Railroaders, more that there are too many other teams to consider. Is Garrett better than say, Bishop Luers? Maybe. It’s just tough to know with certainty at this point.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
Blitz is up against it when it comes to finding a spot higher than No. 9 for Coach Chris DePew’s squad. It’s not disrespect, just a logjam above them.
10. ADAMS CENTRAL FLYING JETS (5-1)
WHY #10?
We hold Adams Central to such a high standard that anytime they show weakness, it surprises us.
That was the case in Week 1 when AC lost by double digits to Garrett on the road. But since then, the Flying Jets have won five straight games, all by 19 or more points.
The rushing attack is absolutely deadly, with AC not having to pass much over the last few weeks. A date with Bluffton looms in Week 8.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
What happens when Adams Central runs up against a team that slows down the run? Garrett did it to start the season, yet no one else has been able to. It has to happen sometime, right?
NEXT FIVE
11. Wayne
12. Bluffton
13. Bishop Dwenger
14. North Side
15. Huntington North
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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