The regular season is over and now we enter the portion of the season where if you don’t bring your best each and every week, there’s a good chance your year is gonna end.
The mission is a simple one, win and advance or lose, turn in equipment and begin getting ready for a long off-season.
Let’s take a look at Class 4A, Sectional 19.
THE DRAW
Frankfort (0-9 bye
Lebanon (7-2) at Culver Academy (3-6)
Muncie Central (5-4) at Marion (2-7)
Huntington North (4-5) at Logansport (6-3)
THE FAVORITE
LEBANON TIGERS (7-2)
Only two games have been played between teams in this sectional, with one of them being the Tigers’ 42-14 win over Marion. Lebanon bookended its regular season with the two losses. In between saw seven straight wins, score a low of 21 points in a game and never was inside the 20s any other time as they averaged 30.4 points per game.
The Tigers put up big yardage and because of that have been able to have a highly reliable and valuable offense all season. Quarterback Chris Hill has completed 63 percent of his passes for 1,372 yards and a 13-0 touchdown to interception ratio. He has one receiver over 500 yards (Jacob Jones, 509 yds) and another flirting with it (Tannon Monden, 477). You’d think that would make this a highly pass-skewed team, but senior Josh Parks has run for 932 yards.
Defensively, the Tigers have forced more fumbles (six) than they have interceptions, with Dylan Gosewehr recovering three of those. Cayden Gates leads the team with 76 tackles.
Lebanon has the longest drought of anyone in this sectional when it comes to a title, with the last one coming in 1997.
THE CONTENDERS
MUNCIE CENTRAL (5-4)
The other game played this season between teams in this Sectional was won by Muncie Central, also over Marion. At 5-4, the Bearcats are also the second of just three teams with a winning regular-season record. Muncie Central won four sectionals in five years between 2002 and 2006, but does not have one since.
This is one of the most balanced offenses in Sectional 19 as quarterback Mason Ferguson has thrown for 872 yards, while running backs Landan Johnson and Daecion Echols have run for 758 and 580 yards, respectively. Ferguson has had his choice of targets as well, with five different Bearcats at triple-digit receiving yards, headed up by 250 yards from Dorion Montgomery. Winners of four of five coming into the postseason, the Bearcats have been turnover hunters, with eight forced fumbles and 15 interceptions this season. Kye Hiatt has picked off five passes, while Rex Vargas has forced three fumbles and blocked a field goal.
HUNTINGTON NORTH (4-5)
Don’t overlook the Vikings, who are entering postseason play as healthy as they have been all season. Eric Frey, who entered the season as WR1, is expected to be back this week, and Christian “CJ” Jemison is as close to 100 percent as he will get after getting banged up early in the year against Northrop.
The Lathen Janes to James Linker combo has been electric for Huntington North, amassing 997 yards and nine touchdowns. Those kind of numbers certainly lend themselves to the thought that there are some good milestones near. Janes, just a sophomore, has thrown for over 1,700 yards and the balance with junior Jemison’s 731 yards on 103 carries has made the Vikings offense tougher than some give it credit for.
Outside of Wyatt Shearer’s five sacks, the Vikings’ defense numbers balance out pretty good as well. Seven different players make up their eight interceptions, five guys make up nine fumble recoveries and four different guys have between 44 and 46 total tackles, with Benjamin Roth leading the way.
Huntington North’s last ecstional title came just last year in a bit of a shocker that has really helped jumpstart the program back in the right direction.
THE REST
LOGANSPORT (6-3)
One thing about Logansport: it is going to run the ball and do it a lot. The Berries have run the ball 304 times this season in comparison to just 78 passes. It has meant big yardage for a lot of guys, with five players running for over 200 yards and nine different instances of 100-plus yard games. Six of those games have been by Elliot Baldini, who has amassed 1,166 yards and 13 touchdowns rushing. It is worth noting that in their last two games, both one point losses, Baldini has ran for just 38 and 95 yards, the two lowest rushing totals in a game all season.
On the defensive side, the Berries have been paced by the breakout play of freshman Karsen Jackson, who leads the team with 83 tackles and five sacks; Loran Taylor also has five sacks for the Berries.
Logansport’s last sectional title came in 2020. The Berries have gone to overtime in two of the last threes weeks; they defeated West Lafayette 44-43 on October 3 and lost October 17 to Rensselear Central 36-35.
MARION (2-7)
It has not been a banner record year for the Giants, but they still boast some really talented players and a rematch with Muncie Central that we are sure they are looking forward to. Quarterback Jayden Johnson is just shy of the 1,000-yard mark at 997, has gone past the century mark rushing the ball four times and has 11 of Marion’s 25 offensive touchdowns. The Giants have spread out their pass game arsenal some, with Lycarr Bledsoe hauling in 330 yards on 25 receptions and Toledo-commit Logan Barnes taking in 13 passes for 192 yards.
Marion’s last sectional title came in 2020.
CULVER ACADEMY (3-6)
Culver has struggled at times, but still has guys with big play-making ability. Ainsley Ritchie is quick on the ground and has been able to break off several big scores for the Eagles. Jak Chaney has been a reliable and sometimes tenacious part of Culver’s defensive front.
FRANKFORT (0-9)
Winless Frankfort is averaging just 4.4 points per game this season, twice hitting a high of 12 points, including the final night of the regular season in a 49-12 loss to Crawfordsville. The Hot Dogs have not given up less than 30 points in a game all season and that was on opening night. But hey, the bye!
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