After a successful regional Friday for the majority of our area teams, Blitz takes a look back at some news and notes from what went down.
CLASS 6A
• When taking on an undefeated team, you never want to have a slow start, particularly in the regional round of the tournament when you know the squad opposite of you is legit.
That’s exactly what Carroll allowed to happen in the 38-21 loss to Crown Point that ended the Chargers’ season. The Bulldogs scored on the game’s opening drive with a field goal, then added touchdowns on their next two possessions. By the time Carroll got on the board, it had given up the game’s first 17 points.
Crown Point instilled its will offensively, and took chances to keep the momentum going. It converted a fourth-down attempt every quarter of the game, and finished 4-of-5 on fourth down for the game while possessing the ball for over 30 of the game’s 48 minutes.
The Bulldogs scored points on their first six drives when you take away the one-play possession to conclude the first half.
Carroll dug itself a hole it could not escape from.
CLASS 5A
• After a surprising overtime loss to Plymouth in Week 6, Warsaw sat at 3-3 with a really good Mishawaka team looming. While any shot at a Northern Lakes Conference title had evaporated, a defeat to the Cavemen would have seen the Tigers slip under .500 and a season perhaps on the brink of complete collapse.
But Coach Bart Curtis and his team rallied, beating Mishawaka to start what is now a six-game winning streak after beating Lafayette Jeff 44-27 on Friday.
The victory handed Warsaw its first-ever regional title, another mark in Curtis’s program building, taking the Tigers to the next level.
In the seven seasons since Curtis took over, Warsaw has won its first two sectional crowns ever, in addition to the regional title.
CLASS 4A
• East Noble’s defense was stupid good again in the 52-17 victory over Huntington North.
While it was the first opponent to reach double-digits against the Knights since Week 7, Coach Alex Stewart’s team completely shut down Huntington North on the ground while also notched a pair of defensive scores – a 23-yard interception return by Dylan Krehl and an 11-yard scamper on a fumble recovery by Jacob Ramey.
East Noble picked off Tony Decker three times in the week, giving the Knights 29 interceptions on the season to go with nine fumbles recoveries.
If East Noble is able to knock off Mishawaka in the Class 4A North Semistate, look for the defense to be the difference, as it has been all year.
• Despite the lopsided defeat to East Noble, Huntington North’s eight-game improvement from last year, going from one win to nine, will remain one of 2024’s great stories in the area.
But do the Vikings have staying power?
If so, it will be with some new faces. Quarterback Tony Decker, an All-NE8 First Team pick, is set to graduate, as well as wide receiver Tatum Brooks, linebacker Jason Teusch and defensive lineman Sully Stahl.
There are some pieces who will be back like Wyatt Shearer and Jimmy Linker, but is this a program that will continue its momentum, or be a flash in the pan thanks to a stellar senior class?
If the underclassmen put in work, the Vikings have a chance to stay relevant.
CLASS 3A
• When Jake Conroy beat Calder Hefty downfield for a 30-yard Knox touchdown that put the Redskins ahead by 14 on Friday, it was a turning point in the 41-40 Garrett win.
A turning point in the Railroaders’ favor.
To that point midway through the third quarter, Hefty just didn’t seem to have it. But after that humbling play, the senior just could not be stopped. On the ensuing possession, he completed a pair of big passes, converted a fourth-and-two on a run, then fought his way into the end zone for a score to trim the deficit to eight.
Garrett then forced a punt, with Hefty breaking loose for a 27-yard return, then hit a streaking Brayden Nusbaum for a 60-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive.
After Knox retook the lead, it was Hefty again with a couple big passes, then scored on another run to put the Railroaders back in front.
For the game, Hefty threw for a season-high 222 yards and rushed for 87 with five total touchdowns. It was a massive second-half effort by the senior to ensure Garrett stayed unblemished.
• There is the prevailing feeling that Bishop Luers has still not played a complete four quarters of football, and that’s just the incentive Coach Kyle Lindsay needs to make sure his team stays focused heading into semistate.
The Knights beat Maconaquah 31-28 on Friday, the second-consecutive undefeated team to go down to Bishop Luers. However, Lindsay’s team had a pair of first-half touchdowns called back due to penalty, and allowed Maconaquah to sneak to within three late in the game.
With another undefeated squad on tap this Friday in Garrett, that complete effort may need to be seen for the Knights to reach their first-ever state championship game in Class 3A.
That’s right, of Bishop Luers’ 17 semistate titles, none have come in 3A.
CLASS 2A
• Adams Central found itself in an unfamiliar spot on Friday – tied at halftime.
Credit to Eastern, which put up a tremendous fight against the Flying Jets. Problem was, Adams Central’s running game came alive after the break. Five touchdowns and 309 yards on the ground later, the Flying Jets were moving on to their fourth-consecutive semistate appearance.
While AC had some difficulty in getting going offensively, it was a perfect 5-of-5 in red zone opportunities, while Eastern was 0-for-1, with being held to 1-of-4 on fourth-down conversions a big part of the story.
Friday proved that even when the offense is held in check for a few quarters, the Flying Jets can still get it done.
CLASS A
• One of the stars of South Adams’ run to semistate has been Wes Summersett, who was actually rarely seen on the field early in the season.
The leading receiver for the Starfires as a sophomore a year ago, Summersett suffered an injury ofer the summer that sidelined him for the start of the season. While he returned in late September, he didn’t have his accustomed athleticism all the way back. He did haul in a touchdown pass against Blackhawk Christian in Week 5, but otherwise did not find the end zone or catch more than four balls in a game until the playoffs.
As he rounded into form in October, Summersett’s role steadily increased. He has hauled in five touchdown receptions in four weeks, most recently a pair of scores against North Miami last Friday.
A season once thought lost with an injury has turned into a fun comeback story for Summersett, who is an additional weapon in the pass game with the likes of Caiden Neuenschwander and Derek McKean.
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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