Intermixed with Thanksgiving celebrations and tons of eating (Blitz’s favorite) over the holiday weekend, we had four area teams play for state championships in Indianapolis.
While only one, Adams Central, brought home the big trophy, there is plenty to break down from Lucas Oil Stadium.
Let’s get to it.
WARSAW
- One aspect of the game that the Tigers had been very adept at, particularly during their postseason run, was avoiding turnovers. They forced four of them in semistate against Merrillville while not committed one of their own.
But that wasn’t the case in Saturday’s 38-24 loss to Decatur Central in the Class 5A State Championship, as Coach Bart Curtis’s team committed five turnovers – two fumbles and three interceptions.
After scoring a touchdown on its initial possession, Warsaw fumbled the ball away on its next two drives. Three more turnovers came in the second half as the Tigers tried to fight back into a game they never led.
That was always the question about Warsaw, if it fell behind could it pass its way back into it?
It couldn’t.
“The two things that concerned me came to fruition,” said Curtis to the IHSAA. “We’re not built to overcome those types of mistakes and we didn’t tackle well enough in the open field.
“Decatur Central was better than us and my hats’ off to them.”
The Hawks rushed for 274 yards in the win.
Warsaw actually averaged 7.3 yards per rush on the night, proving that without the turnovers, the Tigers would have been state champs. - Even with the loss, it was incredible to see a ton of orange and white at Lucas Oil Stadium to support the Tigers.
Saturday saw the dichotomy of area state representatives – Bishop Luers in state finals No. 18 and Warsaw in state finals No. 1. It was good to get some new area blood onto prep football’s biggest stage.
EAST NOBLE
- What worried Blitz about the matchup with New Palestine came to fruition in the Class 4A title game.
East Noble couldn’t run the ball and couldn’t stop the run in the 56-26 loss.
It wasn’t for lack of trying, that’s for sure. But New Palestine ran the ball 57 times and averaged 6.7 yards PER RUSH. That’s a first down every second run. Two players – Josh Ranes and Caden Jacobia – went over 160 yards on the ground, with the duo combining for 329 yards and six rushing scores.
Meanwhile, the Knights couldn’t move the ball at all on the ground. Dylan Krehl, the team’s top playmaker on offense and defense, finished with negative-2 yards rushing on seven carries.
East Noble’s ability to command the game on the ground was paramount in its run to state. It couldn’t find a way to do that against the Dragons. - When Rylee Biddle hit Logan Hatton over the top for an 80-yard touchdown on East Noble’s first play from scrimmage, it not only gave the Knights the early momentum, but it showed what this offense could still be capable next year.
Biddle will return as a senior after throwing for nearly 2,000 yards this season along with 26 touchdowns. While he only completed 7-of-27 passes against New Palestine, the Knights played from behind for the majority of the game, leading to any real balance between pass and run.
When it comes to skill position players, East Noble graduates Krehl, as well as five of its top six receivers. Mason Treesh returning will be huge, and expect a bigger role from sophomore Alex Phillips in 2025.
While the disappointment of Friday’s loss is still being felt, Biddle, with three touchdown passes in the game, should have East Noble fans optimistic about next season’s offensive attack.
BISHOP LUERS
- Much like East Noble, Bishop Luers was dominated by its opponent’s rushing attack, with Heritage Hills putting up 328 yards and a record-tying five rushing scores in the Class 3A title game.
The Knights fell 38-15 due to the inability to slow down an offense that scored on six of its eight full possessions.
Heritage Hills quarterback Jett Goldsberry rushed for 177 yards and three touchdowns and Hunter Meredith added 141 yards and a pair of scores on the ground.
Blitz felt that if Bishop Luers could force Heritage Hills into having to pass, it would be an advantage due to the Knights’ talented secondary. The problem was, the Patriots didn’t need to pass. In fact, it only did so seven times with a pair of completions.
The Knights defensive front, anchored by Jarron and Ayle Taylor, finished with zero sacks and just three tackles for loss for the game. - There’s no question that Bishop Luers will compete for another Class 3A state appearance in 2025. Several skill players, including quarterback Jayce White, are back next year. The defense is set to return five of its top six tacklers and 13 of its 15 interceptions.
However, there is also another side to things. With another trip to the state finals next year, the Knights could very well find themselves in Class 4A for the 2026-28 Success Factor cycle. So be careful what you wish for.
ADAMS CENTRAL
- Linton-Stockton came into the Class 2A state title game thinking it could throw the ball around and keep the Adams Central defense off balance. After all, the Miners’ Braylon McBride had thrown for 1,700 yards and 27 touchdowns coming into the game.
But the Flying Jets completely shut McBride down, picking him off four times in the 46-6 rout that earned AC its first state title since 2000.
The first two Linton-Stockton possessions set the tone. On third-and-four on its initial possession, the Miners tried to throw to move the chains. It was picked off by Max Kaehr.
After an Adams Central touchdown, the Miners again tried to throw for a first on third down. That pass was intercepted by Carson Schnitz, which was followed by another Flying Jets score.
At that point, Blitz knew Linton-Stockton was in for a rough day. - Speaking of rough days, the last three Class 1A state final games were just that for Adams Central. Three titles on the line, three times in which Indianapolis Lutheran took down the Flying Jets.
Linton-Stockton presented a new and welcoming challenge for AC with the Miners knocking off Lutheran in the semistate. It almost felt like a reboot of sorts. Different class. Different opponent. Different result for the Flying Jets.
Coach Michael Mosser has always been welcoming to Blitz and his cohorts over the years. Never shies away from an interview and makes his players available whenever it is convenient.
Congrats to Adams Central and Monroe, but particularly Coach Mosser. It isn’t easy as the leader of a program to answer the same questions for three-straight years about losses in the state finals. He always handled it with class, and now he is a state-winning head coach.
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
“Success Factor”? To be honest about it, they should call it the “Punish Success Factor.”