A bit late this week, as it was a busy weekend for Blitz.
But that thought of perhaps missing out on a Week 7 edition of Bear Necessities? No need to worry.
Here’s a final look at what we learned over the weekend.
SAC
• Confused about how the SAC crowns a champion? So is Blitz.
Per a few SAC coaches, the league champion is decided via the best record over the seven league games that everyone plays, regardless of division.
So as we stand, Carroll is atop the standings at 5-0, with Snider and Bishop Luers lurking just one game back. Carroll holds the tiebreaker with Snider via a victory over the Panthers. Bishop Luers, like last year, does not have to play Carroll or Snider. That will change next year with the two-year scheduling rotation.
So Carroll can clinch at least a share of the SAC crown this week with a victory over Northrop. If it wins out, it will capture the championship outright.
Bishop Luers needs the Chargers to lose to either Northrop and North Side, plus win its final two games over South Side and Homestead, to force a tie and a sharing of the Victory Bell.
• Did you miss the one score that decided the Totem Pole Game? It was a doozy.
Backed up to his own end zone in the second quarter, South Side quarterback KJ Alexander scrambled in an attempt to gain some yards. North Side senior Sahsovian Harris then laid a hit on Alexander that dislodged the ball, with Jamari Pearson grabbing it out of mid-air in the end zone.
Whether a fumble or interception (it was ruled a pick), it was touchdown Legends.
That play proved to be the difference in a 6-0 North Side win, its seventh straight in the rivalry.
• Carroll made it five straight over its rival with a 31-10 victory over Homestead, the longest winning streak for the Chargers in the history of the matchup.
The Spartans got a boost with the return of Michael White, who is still nursing a lower body injury, but Jimmy Sullivan was too much, throwing for 307 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Carroll is 28-2 in SAC play since 2021.
• Snider’s offense is going to be the key to a postseason run, and it showed its potential in a 49-14 win over Northrop, as did Aaron Vance.
The senior quarterback amassed six total touchdowns – four passing and two rushing – in the rout. He also finished with 311 yards passing.
It was Northrop, which is allowing a league-worst 42.9 points per game, but Vance needed a game like this. Heading into Week 7, he was responsible for just seven total touchdowns in the season’s first six weeks. In one game, he nearly doubled that total.
• It was another ridiculous night for Wayne’s Kimar Nelson in a 44-20 victory over Concordia.
The senior two-way stud amassed 10 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, 77 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown.
When Blitz reached out to an SAC assistant coach regarding Nelson and what he thought about the linebacker, the praise was vast.
“The kid was dominant against us,” the assistant said. “He played hard for all 48 minutes. I never saw him take a play off.
“I don’t know how many tackles he had against us, but he was literally in on every play. We could not block him.”
Nelson, who has the size, intelligence and grades to be a great addition to any collegiate program, is finally getting some love. He was invited to Toledo for the Rockets’ game against Miami of Ohio over the weekend.
NE8
• While East Noble‘s offense has largely been fueled by its rushing attack, it was a promising development to see junior quarterback Rylee Biddle perform well in Friday’s rout of Columbia City.
Biddle finished 7-of-10 for 169 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions against the Eagles.
Entering Week 7, Biddle was completing just 51 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and four interceptions.
If the Knights are going to hold off vengeful Leo and Columbia City in sectional play, not to mention teams like Wayne and Bishop Dwenger, it is going to need to make plays in the passing game. Friday was a huge step forward in that regard.
• Tough not to feel happy for New Haven getting win No. 1 on the year.
Blitz has said it before, but Coach Vance Shearer has done an amazing job keeping this group together. The head coach leaves weeks before the season begins, then the Bulldogs lose their first six games, three by five or less points.
Last week seemed to be rock bottom for New Haven, a 70-0 pasting at the hands of Columbia City.
Now, Bellmont is in a tough spot as a program, but getting the 50-9 victory was huge for those kids and the program at New Haven.
DJ Simpson with three rushing touchdowns was cool to see as well. A tough, grinder of a back who showed out in a big way.
• A pair of school records were achieved at DeKalb in the Barons’ win over Norwell.
Freshman Owen Schackow tied the school record with a pair of fumble recoveries in the victory. Meanwhile, Xavier Bell’s 89-yard punt return for a touchdown set a new mark for longest punt return for a school in the program’s history dating back to 1967.
ACAC
• Following Heritage’s 51-20 dismantling of Bluffton, Blitz had someone who was at the game text him.
“How did Heritage lose to Adams Central?”
After what the Patriots did to the Tigers, it’s a darn good question. And definitely a credit to the Flying Jets for making it look relatively easy in a 33-14 win in Week 5.
Heritage is intimidating in the fact that it is massive up front. That commands attention from opposing coaches and, particularly players, prior to a single snap in the game. The defense is relentless and opportunistic, picking off Axton Beste three times on Friday while holding Bluffton to under 200 yards rushing and eight first downs.
Meanwhile, the offense put up the most points in the rivalry since a 54-6 victory on Sept. 29, 2012.
With the win, Heritage reinforced the fact that it is the No. 2 team in the ACAC. It has won 16 consecutive games against league foes not named Adams Central dating back to 2021.
NECC
• For the first time in 20 years, the Garrett Railroaders are 7-0.
Friday’s 42-12 win over Fairfield was actually the program’s 1,000th game played dating back to 1904. Per records, Garrett went 1-4 in 1904, although the schedule and who that first victory was against is not readily available on the interwebs.
The last time Garrett began the year 7-0 was in 2004 under Coach Andy Thomas. That squad ended up going to 8-0 before losing in overtime to Eastside in Week 9, then falling at Jimtown 16-14 to open sectional play.
This year’s Railroaders are aiming for a better finish. Capturing a share of the NECC Big Division title is just step one for Coach Chris DePew’s squad.
• To say the return of Linkin Carter was a boost to Eastside is an understatement.
The junior threw for 101 yards and a TD and rushed for 137 yards and two more scores in the Blazers’ 38-7 win over Fremont.
Carter, who burst onto the scene last year as a running back who rushed for 1,439 yards and 19 touchdowns, claimed the QB1 role in a preseason position battle. However, he went down with an injury in the first half of the Week 2 game at Adams Central.
Carter is just one of numerous Blazers who have missed time this season due to injury. Coach Alyx Brandewie says his team is getting healthy at the right time with the playoffs just three weeks away.
QUICK HITS
Bishop Dwenger’s shutout of Bishop Luers was its first in the rivalry since 2019 and the first in 43 games overall dating back to 2020…DeKalb beat Norwell by 26 points despite being out-gained in yards 436-209. How? Three turnovers and a special teams touchdown…Angola’s 67-13 win over Owen Valley on Saturday saw the most points scored by the Hornets since a 70-0 demolition of Fairfield on Sept. 21, 2018…Blackhawk Christian is now 2-for-2 in games against Vanlue out of Ohio scoring its first win of the season 62-20 on Saturday.
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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