The Bishop Luers Knights are back in the state championship game for the 18th time, but first in Class 3A.
The foe? A Heritage Hills squad looking to secure a state crown after falling in the 3A championship game last season against Indianapolis Chatard.
What kind of battle awaits on Saturday afternoon?
Let’s break it down.
TWO STORYLINES
1. A TOUGH ROAD
Some may look at the routs that Heritage Hills earned in the playoffs – every win by at least 14 points – and think it was an easy road to Lucas Oil Stadium. Not so fast.
Sectional 32 was an absolute grind. The Patriots traveled to No. 3 Gibson Southern to open the playoffs and beat it for the second time this year. Two weeks later, they took down previously-undefeated and top-ranked Evansville Memorial 38-24 to capture a sectional crown.
The last two weeks, Heritage Hills destroyed North Harrison and Batesville by a combined 92-7 to reach its second-straight state championship game.
Battle tested and used to the big stage of state, this is not a team that will be intimidated.
2. SURPASSING EXPECTATIONS
Bumped up to Class 3A due to Success Factor and a plethora of experience to replace, many believed that Bishop Luers was a long shot to reach the state finals entering the season, and even at times during the regular-season campaign. However, the Knights have turned it on, knocking off three-straight undefeated teams in Mississinewa, Maconaquah and Garrett to reach the 3A state title game for the first time in program history.
This is a team laden with an ultra-talented junior class, with some believing this is a team a year ahead of schedule. But that’s talk for 2025. Right now, this group of Knights is trying to achieve something no Bishop Luers team ever has, which is saying something for a program with 12 state titles to its name.
FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB/S Jeff Goldsberry, junior, Heritage Hills
The name ‘Goldsberry’ is synonymous with Heritage Hills football, with generations of the family having gone through the program. Jeff is the latest and is making his second start in the state championship after last year’s appearance.
Goldsberry is a two-way starter, shining at both quarterback and safety. He has thrown for 1,736 yards and 27 touchdowns against just four interceptions while rushing for 1,499 yards and another 25 scores. The offense goes through the junior, and the he is a steady presence on the back end of the defense.
RB Daryea Williams, senior, Bishop Luers
As a junior, Williams received all of nine total carries last year for 13 yards. That makes his emergence this season even more of a surprise and success story.
Williams is a punishing runner. He lives between the tackles and isn’t afraid to lower his head, fall forward and pick up a few extra yards per carry. Heading into state, he has rushed for 1,351 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is the single most important skill-position player on the Luers roster. More so than in past years, if the Knights cannot run the football, the offense will struggle.
LB Parker Hart, senior, Heritage Hills
The Patriots love to mix up formations on defense, and while doing so take advantage of Hart’s versatility by moving him from middle linebacker to the edge and back again.
Hart is the team’s lacking tackler with 94 to go with several tackles for loss. The position(s) in which he is in on the field, coupled with the strength of Bishop Luers (its running game), makes the role of Hart on Saturday of utmost importance. If he can be a catalyst in halting the Knights on the ground, it bodes very well for Heritage Hills.
DT Jarron Taylor, junior, Bishop Luers
If there has been an unsung unit for the Knights in their run to state, it has to be the defensive line. Taylor is a big part of that on the interior. He leads Bishop Luers in tackles with 90 to go with 17 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
Taylor is relentless up front. He has become a mainstay in getting into the backfield. Even when he doesn’t directly notch a sack or TFL, the disruption and chaos he brings is exceptional.
KEY TO VICTORY – HERITAGE HILLS
Limit the run game
The best path to a dub for the Patriots is locking up Daryea Williams, Dee Hogue and the Bishop Luers rushing attack. Williams and Hogue represent 84 percent of the Knights’ rushing yards this year.
Heritage Hills has held opponents to 88 yards per game on the ground so far this season. If it can come close to that number, it puts Bishop Luers in a tough spot, as this is not an offense designed to take to the air with much regularity.
KEY TO VICTORY – BISHOP LUERS
Force turnovers
Heritage Hills enters as a plus-17 in turnover margin, but the Luers defense has been relentless this season in forcing miscues.
The Knights have 28 interceptions and 17 fumble recoveries this year, and would like nothing more than to force more against the Patriots on Saturday.
The key may be how the ultra-talented Bishop Luers secondary fares against the Heritage Hills wide receivers, namely Tyler Ruxer and Peyton Gray, who combined have hauled in 20 receiving touchdowns. If the Knights can force Heritage Hills to make some mistakes and cough the ball up or throw into coverage, it will go a long way towards capturing Class 3A state title No. 1 for the storied program.
BLITZ’S PICK
As Blitz has delved deeper into research this week on Heritage Hills, the more he sees a team that can match up with Bishop Luers athletically. The offense has multiple sets in which it can present big challenges, and victories over Gibson Southern (twice) and Evansville Memorial this year is no joke.
But there’s something about this Bishop Luers team. It is flawed. Its leading receiver has 18 catches on the year. The Knights have thrown just one more touchdown than interception as a team. The special teams are decent but not spectacular.
And yet, here they are, on the cusp of program history.
The difference will be the Bishop Luers defense. The front line with Jarron and Ayle Taylor is tremendous. The linebacker corps has grown throughout the year and the back end is full of playmakers.
Because of the defense, Luers makes it state title No. 13 and first ever in Class 3A.
BLITZ SAYS BISHOP LUERS BY 6.
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