The opening week of the conference season around the area gave us some close showdowns and some significant blowouts.
Blitz is going to tackle it all here.
Let’s wrap Week 3 with Bear Necessities.
SAC
• Neither Carroll or Concordia wanted to play against the other on Friday. That was obvious over the summer when it was announced that the teams were seeking other opponents for Week 3.
The lack of available teams to play forced them back together, and Carroll showed the discrepancy between the programs by leading 56-7 at half, which just so happened to be the final score.
The last four games between the Chargers and Cadets have been decided by an average of 51.7 points.
This game was Exhibit A of how the SAC is changing and will continue to do so.
Also of note, all five “Big” Division teams in the SAC beat the five in the “Small” Division by an average of 24.8 points on Friday.
• Not only did Bishop Dwenger win its third-straight game to start the season on Friday over Wayne, it also continued its streak of not allowing a single point in regulation play.
The stifling Saints defensive unit, led by defensive coordinator Dan Knepper, has been nothing short of spectacular in wins over Roncalli, St. Francis De Sales (OH) and the Generals, especially when you consider that five of the top six tacklers from a year ago graduated.
But Bishop Dwenger is far from its own record. The three-straight shutouts in regulation pales in comparison to the 2009 Saints, who shut out SIX consecutive foes from Week 7 through all three sectional games.
That 2009 team fell to Lowell 24-21 in semistate.
• Despite Snider entering Friday’s game with Bishop Luers with an 0-2 record, the Panthers had had success in the first two games going vertical with Max Johnson at quarterback. That only continued against Bishop Luers, with Johnson finishing 14-of-20 for 185 yards and a touchdown.
Through three games, Johnson is averaging 254 yards per game through the air. Last year, Snider averaged only 76 yards per game going vertical.
Yes, the run game is always going to be important, but in today’s football against good foes, you have to be able to throw for yards. Snider simply couldn’t do that in 2025, a big reason for its 3-7 record.
With stability at quarterback with Johnson this year, it gives the Panthers move offensive variety. It has paid off with the offense averaging 31 points a contest so far this year, double the 15 ppg average of a season ago.
• Senior Brandon Pinkston of Homestead had spent the last few years buried on the depth chart, seeing occasional action here and there. He entered Friday with just over 100 career yards rushing with a lone touchdown.
That is what made Friday so fun about Pinkston’s performance – 12 rushes, 113 yards, two touchdowns in Sparty’s 30-13 victory over South Side.
We, Blitz included, talk so much about the top players in the area. We don’t recognize enough of the kids who work hard, don’t look to transfer due to lack of playing time and wait for their opportunity. Pinkston is a prime example of staying the course and being rewarded for it.
NE8
• There has been a significant amount of chatter regarding Columbia City’s 76-0 drubbing of Bellmont on Friday. It was the most points in a game ever for the Eagles, and the most points allowed in Bellmont’s history.
The game was the 45th loss in a row for the Braves.
But not all blowouts are built the same. Blitz never got the impression that Columbia City was purposely trying to embarrass Bellmont. It was 28-0 after the first quarter and 63-0 at halftime. The Eagles only attempted seven passes and was liberally substituting in the second half.
Bellmont, which is trying to find any type of momentum after a close loss in Week 1, took some risks, which resulted in several short fields for Columbia City.
Some believe it is so easy to sub in JV players to play the majority of a varsity game, but players only get six quarters a week to play. You cannot play JV players for three quarters in a varsity game, for instance, if you want those same players to be available for the entirety of their JV contest.
On Saturday night, Virginia Tech was up on VMI 45-0 in the closing seconds of the first half. Running a hurry-up, the Hokies tried to get down the field quickly to score again. With one second left, instead of kneeling out the half, Tech threw a completion, then attempted to toss laterals to try and get into the end zone. Again, while up 45-0.
Virginia Tech beat VMI 73-3.
Again, not all blowouts are the same. Some are blatant attempts to run up the score. Some, like Friday night in Columbia City, are not.
• On another night it which it was significantly undermanned with players out, DeKalb had to turn to its depth in its 28-14 victory over New Haven to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2019.
Freshman Colton Brandon had 34 carries for 165 yards for the Barons, just six carries short of the program record. He had seen some action in the first two games, but nothing as much as the workload he had against the Bulldogs.
There was the question on if DeKalb could continue to be a threat in the NE8 after graduating a lot from last year’s seven-win team. Thanks to underclassmen like Brandon, the Barons are aiming higher in 2026.
• Credit to Huntington North, it had East Noble in a battle in the first half of Friday’s game, but the usual suspects came to the rescue for the Knights.
Barely 90 seconds into the second half, Alex Phillips scored on a 25-yard pass from Easton Kline. Three minutes later, Aaron Perlich broke loose for a 53-yard score for the Knights. Just over three minutes after that, Austin Phillips plunged into the end zone from eight yards out.
Six minutes. Twenty-one points. A seven-point lead ballooned to 28.
ACAC
• Adams Central was in a fight in the third quarter with Tippecanoe Valley on Friday, but a key three-minute sequence allowed the Flying Jets to take control.
With the game tied at six, Barrett Collier forced a fumble for Adams Central, which was recovered by Ben Hirschy at the Valley 14-yard line. Two plays later, Jamison Roach scored on a 1-yard run.
The Vikings then turned the ball over on downs deep in their own territory on the ensuing possession. Adams Central made them pay with another touchdown, this one by Godfrey Shoaf from four-yards out.
What was once a close game saw Adams Central lead by 14 points late in the third, a game they would eventually win, 33-12.
• We know Jaxton Litchfield as such an impactful player on the edge on defense, we forget he can be a menace on offense as well.
Woodlan found out, as the Heritage junior rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries in the Patriots’ 33-14 victory. Litchfield was one of three players to surpass the 100-yard mark, with Lucas Taylor going for 121 yards and a score and quarterback Zeb Tigulis finishing with 13 carries for 100 yards.
For the game, Heritage amassed 450 yards on the ground.
Litchfield now has four rushing scores this year, matching his total from all of last season.
NECC/Area
• Angola seemed to have the game in hand against Fairfield on Friday, but a fumble with 1:43 left in regulation gave the Falcons one last shot down seven.
Fairfield scored with 58 seconds to go to make the score 7-6, then decided to go for two and the potential victory.
“Fairfield tried to run a quarterback throwback on the two-point play,” Angola coach Seth Wilcox said. “Our backside defensive back stayed home, wrapped the QB up and our guys did a great job rallying to the football to keep them short.
“It was an exclamation point on a great defensive performance on the night.”
Senior linebacker Gus Heavin set the program record with 17 solo tackles.
And in a game of field position, punters can come up big. Angola’s sure did, as senior Landen Bussard averaged 57 per punt in helping flip the field and pin Fairfield back time and time again.
• Kudos to the Fremont Eagles, who beat Churubusco 40-25 to earn their first victory over the Eagles from Turtle Town since 2001 and improve to 3-0 for the first time in 39 years.
It was another exceptional night for senior Jaret Laughlin, who had five total touchdowns in four different ways – rushing (two), passing, receiving and an interception return.
Laughlin has been a part of a total of 18 touchdowns – eight rushing, seven passing, two INT returns and one receiving – in three weeks.
Fremont hosts fellow undefeated Eastside next week.
QUICK HITS
Carroll’s Harry Scheele has more touchdowns in three games (eight) than he had in 13 games last year (six)…Alex Scott tied the East Noble record for most career interceptions by picking off Huntington North’s Lathen Janes. He now has 17, tied with Dylan Jordan…Sophomore Max Schreck leads Leo in receptions (seven), receiving yards (113) and receiving touchdowns (two)…Through three games, Bluffton has only punted once…The 62-0 rout of Southern Wells was the most points scored in a game by Jay County since 2021, 64 points against, Southern Wells.
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
Be the first to comment