High school football is back for 2026, and we already have plenty to talk about after Week 1.
Post-Week 1 is always interesting because you have folks ready to make snap judgements on 48 minutes of football. This team is great, that team stinks, etc.
For those unfamiliar, yours truly will be here every weekend to wrap up the Friday that was. We will look back at some of the top plays, stats, fun facts and more from game night as Blitz provides his opinion about it all, conference by conference.
SAC
• It was a Friday night to forget for North Side in a 19-0 shutout loss to East Noble. Missing their starting quarterback Brandon Sanders, who could still miss Week 2 at New Haven, the Legends went with do-everything athlete Maalik Moore behind center.
It didn’t work. North was held to 113 total yards and turned the ball over three times.
There has already been a lot of piling on of the Legends this weekend, but remember, it has only been one game. “Let ‘em cook” as they say.
Perhaps the biggest adjustment will be for Coach Ben Johnson to figure out who on his staff are in it for the right reasons and who are in it just to be a part of something. Frequently on Friday, North had a half-dozen coaches in offensive and defensive huddles during timeouts. That’s too many voices, which creates a lot of confusion.
It is a get-right game next week against New Haven.
• Win or lose, coaches want to come out of Week 1 feeling good about their teams’ ability to compete and make plays when it counts.
Bishop Dwenger coach Jason Garrett has to be feeling really good, because his squad did just that in the three-OT classic against Roncalli, a 15-14 victory.
There were multiple instances in which the Saints’ night could have ended in a loss. Fourth-and-goal in the first overtime when Tommy Coffman ran for a tying score. A recovered fumble in the second OT to send it to a third and Kolyn Campbell’s run up the middle on the two-point conversion for the win.
Victories in Week 1 are nice. Showing the moxie to execute in the clutch sets the stage for the entire season.
• Perhaps the most important aspect of Concordia’s 35-26 victory over Scecina was the Cadets’ ability to stop the run. Scecina averaged just 2.5 yards per rush – 55 yards on 22 attempts.
On the other side, Concordia rushed for 325 yards, including 178 yards and two scores from quarterback Eli Trent.
If the Cadets can control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball consistently like it did against Scecina, it should be in line for more than two wins in a season for the first time since 2022.
• Jaidon who?
Harrison Scheele got his senior campaign off to a blazing start – 15 receptions, 231 yards and five touchdowns – in Carroll’s 54-23 rout of Hamilton Southeastern. It quickly dispelled the notion that the Carroll offense would take a step back without the graduated Jaidon Vanpelt at wideout.
The 15 receptions in a game are a program record, and it is believed to be the five receiving touchdowns are as well.
The 54 points allowed by HSE is the most in a game since the 55-20 loss to Warren Central in the 2005 Class 5A state title game.
• Take a bow, Jayvon Irby.
The senior scored a total of three touchdowns – two rushing and one receiving – in South Side’s 49-6 rout of Marion.
Irby even added an interception and a 50-yard return on that pick on defense.
South is 1-0 for the first time since 2005.
There was a lot of positivity entering the season around the Archers in general and Irby in particular. Both impressed on Friday.
• The positive for Snider at Warsaw? It accumulated 456 yards of total offense in its 33-30 loss.
The negative? It allowed 478 rushing yards.
We know that Warsaw’s flexbone scheme is a pain in the ass to the opposition. So should we be concerned that Snider allowed nearly 500 yards on the game, including the game-winning 95-yard run? Yes.
That said, the Tigers are a unique animal. If Snider can bottle up the East Noble running game in Week 2, the concerns evaporate.
NE8
• Couldn’t have much of a better start to the year as a conference than the Northeast Eight’s 7-1 record in Week 1. Bellmont came close to ending its 43-game losing streak, but fell short on the road at Madison-Grant, 16-12.
East Noble, Columbia City, DeKalb, Huntington North and Norwell all had impressive victories.
• It was great to see Ian Ramey back on the field making a difference for East Noble. Knocked out of the season last year early on due to injury, Ramey did not waste much time making an impact against North Side as he rushed for the first two touchdowns of the game. He finished with 12 rushes and 44 yards.
“That kid has come a long way,” said East Noble coach Alex Stewart about the senior. “In the spring I had him in strength training class. You could tell he wasn’t quite back to where he was. We got into the summer and he was getting there. It was great to see him out there (Friday) running the ball and having fun with his friends.
• Junior Noah Geiger had all of 16 carries last year for Columbia City – eighth on the team.
On Friday against NorthWood, he eclipsed all of last year’s rushes with 19 of them, for 157 yards and four touchdowns.
It is always fun to see who emerges in the first weeks of a new season that will be household names by the end of the year. Geiger is well on his way.
• Prior to Friday, Eastbrook hadn’t given up 45 points in a game since 2022. Huntington North did it despite being outgained in total yardage 405-351 in a 45-13 victory.
How did it happen? The usual, turnovers and penalties.
The Vikings won the turnover battle 3-0 and only committed three penalties, while Eastbrook committed nine.
The 32-point loss is the worst for Eastbrook at home since losing to Winamac 42-7 in sectional play in 2000.
ACAC
• How long since Southern Wells has shut someone out prior to Friday’s 21-0 win over Elwood? A 42-0 victory over Fremont in Week 1 of the 2018 season.
Elwood has struggled to field enough numbers for a team, but a win is a win, and Southern Wells has been in Elwood’s position plenty of times over the years.
The Raiders are fielding a very young team. Their quarterback, Isaac VanDeman, is a freshman, all 225 of their rushing yards were by underclassmen and their leading defender in Week 1, Brody Davis, who amassed nine tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and an interception, is a ninth-grader.
• How complete was Bluffton’s 42-6 win over Shenandoah? The Tigers did not allow a completed pass by Shenandoah QB Paxton Masters. Officially, he finished 0-of-6 on the night, but he did have a pair of completions…to Bluffton’s Bennett Stoller.
The junior Stoller saw action in just four games last year, tallying a single pass break-up. He already has two INTs this season.
• While the 45-27 loss to Eastside was not ideal, South Adams’ Wes Summersett had himself a night.
The senior hauled in more receptions (10) than the Blazers had pass attempts (nine) and finished with 171 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
He also led the Starfires with 15 tackles.
• Heritage junior Jaxton Litchfield was a terror against New Haven in the Patriots’ 21-2 win. He had several tackles for loss, a sack and caused a fumble on the night. He also had seven rushes for 27 yards.
The college prospect showed signs of dominance as a sophomore last year. He is already off to a good start in taking the next step in 2026.
NECC
• While last year was a success for Angola with a sectional crown, it did rely too much on Hawk Hasselman at times.
That’s what makes Friday’s win over Goshen all the more exciting, because five players scored touchdowns and multiple players stepped up on defense for the Hornets.
Quarterback Garrett Sorgen threw for three touchdowns, while Cody Ruple returned a kick 92 yards for a touchdown and Angola also scored on a scoop-and-score off of a Goshen fumble.
“We have playmakers this season with a stout defense,” said Coach Seth Wilcox, who got win No. 1 as the head man at Angola. “It should be a fun year.”
• How about some love for the Cougs of Central Noble?
Losers of 19 of their last 20 entering this year, new coach Gabe Stuck’s squad went on the road and delivered a 35-7 rout of Culver, the first road win for the Cougars since at Fremont in 2023.
• Welcome to Fridays, Jackson Christlieb.
In his first start at quarterback for West Noble, the sophomore threw for 202 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 100 more yards and a pair of TDs.
The Chargers allowed 62 points to Northridge in the loss, but it appears the QB spot is locked up for the foreseeable future after Christlieb’s debut.
QUICK HITS
Carroll quarterback Gabe Frisinger’s seven touchdowns through the air for the Chargers was beyond impressive, but NOT a program record. Jeff Becker threw eight TD passes in a 76-48 win over North Side in 2020…Bishop Dwenger was plus-6 in turnover margin against Roncalli…Leo held Wayne to just three first downs and negative-20 yards rushing in the Lions’ 42-0 win…DeKalb’s 39-point victory over Garrett is its biggest Week 1 win since a 53-14 triumph over South Bend Riley in 2002…Woodlan and Prairie Heights combined to go 3-of-32 on third and fourth downs on Friday.
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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