It was another beautiful evening weather-wise on Friday, continuing our run of superb evenings for high school football to start the year.
Now that the first week of league play across the region is in the books, what did we learn?
Let’s put a bow on Week 3 with Bear Necessities.
SAC
• Through the first two games this season, Bishop Dwenger’s Kolyn Campbell had not gotten a single carry out of the backfield. But the Saints gave him a shot on Friday against Wayne, and he delivered.
Campbell rushed for 107 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the 46-0 victory, all on just eight carries. The Saints have several running backs from which to choose from – Gus Tippmann, Houston Ellinger, AJ Shefferly – but the youngster Campbell may be the most complete of the bunch.
When you talk about sophomores to watch in the area, Campbell is emerging as one worthy of discussion.
• While Northrop and North Side delivered on the hype on Friday, both teams had trouble with penalties.
Blitz hasn’t seen a total for the game, but it was easily 25 accepted penalties, and perhaps closer to 30. Yes, emotions run high in games like this, but it also will hold both teams back when it has bigger games as the season goes on.
Remember, Northrop still has to play Snider, Bishop Dwenger, Carroll and Homestead. North Side is trying to end a 35-year drought without a sectional championship.
Both squads have talent in bunches, but without an improvement in keeping the emotions in check, the ceiling isn’t as high as it could be.
• Snider made the most of its opportunities in its 9-0 victory over Bishop Luers. The Panthers amassed just 135 yards of total offense, but forced three Knights turnovers and Mang Tung hit three field goals, all inside 30 yards.
Coach Kurt Tippmann’s team is still a work in progress. Week 3 saw a significant improvement in the play up front on both sides, but with the heavy part of its SAC division schedule coming up beginning in Week 5, the Panthers need to find consistency in its running game, particularly in short yardage. Snider converted just 2-of-13 third downs on Friday.
• Bishop Luers had a quarterback battle throughout the summer and preseason between sophomores Tommy Reichert and Knox Johnson, with Reichert getting the nod.
Reichart has had his moments, notably that phenomenal throw on fourth down for a touchdown on the final play of the first half at Leo.
But that score is the lone points put up by the Knights this year. They have been held to seven or fewer points in three-straight games for the first time since Weeks 3 to 5 in 2006.
To try and find a spark after halftime Friday, Bishop Luers went with Johnson, who threw for 56 yards in the second half.
There was always going to be a learning curve for the sophomore QBs, and they are surrounded by fellow sophomores in key skill positions, meaning all of them are learning what it takes to succeed on Friday nights. Both will get plenty of opportunities, but at this point, Coach Kyle Lindsay is hoping to see one truly grow into a rhythm and take control of the offense.
NE8
• Rumors continue to swirl about the future of the Bellmont football program.
On Friday, the Braves lost their 35th consecutive game, 61-6 to Columbia City. Bellmont has been outscored 156-6 this year. The program’s last win was a 42-34 victory over DeKalb on Oct. 8, 2021. That win ended a 26-game losing skid.
There’s no arguing the fact that Bellmont is outmatched in the Northeast Eight. On the one hand, you do not want to rob the kids and coaches from playing football, but at the same time, it has become very tough to watch.
The closest result last year was a 35-point loss to Jay County in the playoffs, the same Jay County team that just lost to Southern Wells on Friday.
Bellmont has not won a postseason game since a winless Braves squad beat Garrett and Concordia in sectional play before falling to Bishop Luers.
Blitz doesn’t have the answer on what Bellmont should do. A drop to a JV schedule at some point? The numbers are down and the optics aren’t good. At the very least, scheduling some other opponents instead of the big boys in the NE8, similar to what Elmhurst did when it did not play Snider for several years, could help.
The kids are putting in the work, and there are some dogs on the Braves, particularly along the offensive and defensive lines. You just hope things can get turned around, because this is a proud program that in its history has the magical run to the 2008 state championship, as well as a sectional title as recently as 2015.
• When talking about man-childs, Austin Phillips heads the list.
The East Noble freshman has a presence much older than he is and he continues to perform on the field for the Knights. On Friday, he rushed for 176 yards and a score in the 39-0 victory over Huntington North.
With every passing week, East Noble is looking more and more like the complete package that may very well roll through the NE8. And when the program keeps adding talent each year like Phillips from the Kendallville youth ranks, it is further evidence that the rich continue to get richer.
ACAC
• Bluffton ended up holding off South Adams 44-41 on Friday, with a late interception clinching it for the Tigers.
Despite the narrow victory, Bluffton coach Brent Kunkel had plenty of praise for his adversary, if you can call him that, across the field.
“Grant Moser may be the best play caller in the area,” said Kunkel about the Starfires head coach. “I know he’s a friend of mine, I’m not kissing his butt or anything, but his game plan tonight and scheming his eyes open – (Derek) McKean and (Wes) Summersett gave us fits all night – it’s just a credit to him and his offensive coaching staff.”
South Adams finished with 434 passing yards in the game with 41 completions on 60 attempts. McKean passed his own father, coach Craig McKean in career South Adams receiving yards, knocking him out of the top 5 all time. His 16 receptions on Friday night were a program record.
• Unfamiliar with Jake Krauss of Heritage despite him being a senior? So was Blitz.
It makes sense though, considering Krauss is playing in his first season of football for the Patriots.
Krauss has been a sensation, most recently on Friday when he rushed for 92 yards and three touchdowns in the 42-21 victory over Woodlan.
For the season, Krauss has ran for 233 yards and four touchdowns for the undefeated Patriots, who were expected by some, including Blitz, to regress a bit after graduation hit an eight-win team hard.
We talk a lot about how victories can help bring more kids out to the program. Usually, we are thinking about underclassmen or kids coming over from another school. But for Heritage and Krauss, it means luring a senior out and giving Coach Jeremy Hullinger another offensive weapon.
• After back-to-back close losses to Elwood and Blackhawk Christian to begin the season, it felt like another winless season was on tap as Southern Wells headed into ACAC play.
Instead, the Raiders ended a 21-game losing streak dating back to a 29-26 victory over Elwood in Week 1 of 2023.
Congratulations to Coach Blake Blaker and the Raiders, who also picked up their first conference victory since 2019.
Trey Slusher led the way for the Raiders with 39 carries for 177 yards and a score with 6-of-8 passing for 100 yards and another score.
NECC
• Blitz may just keep picking against Eastside, because it seems to be working so far.
In Week 1, the bear went with Woodlan, but the Blazers won by 32 points.
Adams Central got the best of Coach Alyx Brandewie’s team in Week 2, but it was closer than Blitz anticipated.
And in Week 3, Blitz felt that West Noble had the edge in Butler against the Blazers, but instead it was Eastside with the 27-24 victory.
The Blazers are at Churubusco next week for Week 4. Should Blitz pick the Eagles?
Quick hits
Homestead junior quarterback Logan Frieden is responsible for all six of the Spartans’ touchdowns so far this season – four passing and two rushing…Columbia City has surpassed the 60-point mark four times in its last 11 games…Leo’s Nathan Foster has rushed for six touchdowns in three weeks, over half as many as he ran for all last season (11)…After three weeks, no NECC teams remain undefeated.
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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