We have officially crossed the halfway point of the regular season.
Every year, it goes fast.
Just four weeks remain before the playoffs, meaning teams are running out of opportunities to figure things out before you must win or go home.
But let’s wrap up Week 5 before we move ahead.
SAC
• There are a lot of people involved in youth football that are in it for the wrong reasons. Someone who is in it for the right reasons is Wayne coach Darrion White.
So that’s why Blitz was particularly excited to see Coach White and his Generals end the program’s 15-game losing streak dating back to 2024 with a 19-12 victory over South Side on Friday.
Over the past few years, Coach White has learned a harsh lesson – it is extremely difficult to resurrect a program in the SAC. But instead of cutting corners and bending rules, White has committed to doing things the right way. By setting a foundation of how things are going to be with the younger classes and demanding hard work and accountability, White has proven that Wayne has the right guy for the job.
White is respected throughout the city for his values and his refusal to overstep and make enemies of others for a quick fix. With his connections, it would be easy to do that.
Instead, White is going about things the right way, and his team was rewarded for it on Friday.
• Entering the season, Eli Neuhouser was a known quantity on defense as one of the area’s top all-around talents on that side of the ball.
But the Carroll senior has made a considerable impact on offense as well at tight end.
After hauling in eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown in Friday’s victory over Snider, Neuhouser continues to show that he is one of Gabe Frisinger’s top options in the Chargers’ passing attack.
Neuhouser entered this season with four career receptions through his high school career. After five games, he has 27 catches for 334 yards and two scores so far this fall.
Harry Scheele gets the headlines, and for good reason, but Neuhouser has broken out just as much as Scheele for Carroll.
• Freshman Jase Brooks made his presence felt for North Side in Friday’s 33-21 victory over Bishop Luers, posting the first touchdown in his prep career on a 77-yard score from quarterback Brandon Sanders.
Brooks is a phenomenal talent and is already reminding those around North Side of senior Maalik Moore, who made his presence felt early in his high career when he went for over 400 yards receiving in his freshman season.
Brooks is also a standout basketball player and will surely turn some heads this winter on the court.
• While North Side did get the win, it committed 14 penalties for 193 yards on Friday. While talent means a lot, it will not always overcome mistakes, whether they be turnovers or penalties.
If the Legends are going to make some noise in the playoffs, it has to find a way to stop shooting itself in the foot with mental miscues.
• With Kolyn Campbell out on Friday due to injury, Bishop Dwenger had to turn to others to carry the load in its running attack.
But Homestead made that problematic, as the Saints were able to muster just 2.4 yards per rush while keeping them out of the end zone for the first three quarters.
Trailing 13-3 early in the fourth quarter, Bishop Dwenger went up tempo and made moving the ball through the air a priority. Quarterback Tommy Coffman delivered, hitting Nick O’Keefe for a 19-yard touchdown to bring the Saints to within three. With less than a minute to go, Max Jordan plunged into the end zone from three yards out to give the Saints their first and only lead of the game.
Coffman’s stat line wasn’t eye-popping, but he did what he needed to do, completing 14-of-23 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown.
Campbell should be back next week, which will be big with Northrop heading into Shields Field.
• While Maddox Weil saw his first playing time of the season for Northrop in its 41-21 win over Concordia, it was once again his position mates who carried the load with Weil still working to get himself back to 100 percent after an injury.
Freshman Jaydin Haller had his best statistical game of his young career, hauling in nine receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Jaxson Robinson and Anthony Barnes also caught touchdown passes as quarterbacks Braydon Peppler and Jaelin Jackson each threw two scores through the air.
A few years ago, losing a player of Weil’s caliber would have spelled disaster for Northrop offensively. But the depth and talent of the Bruins’ roster is much improved and able to handle the blow of losing a D1 talent for several games.
NE8
• As it discussed what to do for its two-point conversion try down one late in Friday’s game at DeKalb, Columbia City’s offense told Coach Brett Fox which play to run.
“Our offensive line said, ‘Run belly,’” Fox said.
The massive, mauling offensive front that had paved the way for 396 rushing yards on the night got the push off the snap to spring Noah Geiger for three more, allowing him to easily reach the end zone and give the Eagles the lead in the final minute of regulation and the eventual 29-28 victory.
Geiger finished with 104 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries, plus the two-point conversion. Fellow junior Lukas Duncan rushed for 174 yards and a score, while sophomore Braxton Fuller also eclipsed the 100-yard mark, going for 102 yards on 12 attempts.
No team so far this season has been able to slow down the Eagles’ running game, and DeKalb did not have an answer when it needed it most on Friday with 30 seconds left.
• Alex Scott, you are ridiculous.
The East Noble senior has made a sizable impact in every single game so far this year. If it isn’t interceptions, it is touchdown receptions. And if it isn’t either of those, he is changing a game on special teams.
Trailing by one midway through the fourth quarter, the Knights were set to receive a punt. Leo felt pretty good about pinning East Noble deep in its own territory, but Scott broke loose and returned the punt 95 yards for a touchdown.
The result? A 12-7 East Noble victory.
Scott leads the Knights in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He has broken the program record for interceptions in a career this year and leads the team with five. He has scored on an interception return and now a punt return in addition to his three touchdown receptions.
What’s the kid going to do next? Insanity.
• Kudos to the New Haven Bulldogs, who earned a hard-fought victory on the road at Norwell 20-18 on Friday.
The schedule was brutal for the Bulldogs to start the season. All four opponents prior to Friday – Heritage, North Side, DeKalb and Leo – currently have winning records. Points were at a premium, with three of those games seeing New Haven score two points or less.
New Haven has now knocked off Norwell twice in two seasons and gives Coach Vance Shearer’s program some much-needed momentum.
ACAC
• Just a reminder that winning ugly is still winning.
Adams Central was outgained offensively 254-205 in its 14-7 victory over Heritage on Friday to stay undefeated in the conference with South Adams looming next week on the road.
But the Flying Jets’ defense made plays when it had to. Heritage scored a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, but it was the only score out of three trips into the red zone. The Patriots converted just 2-of-9 on third down and 1-of-4 on fourth down.
It wasn’t pretty at times, but Adams Central got it done on the road.
• Do not mistake not passing with not being able to pass.
Axton Beste threw just seven passes in Friday’s 40-7 rout of Jay County, completing six of them for 121 yards and a pair of scores.
The seven attempts were Beste’s second-most throws in a game after he threw 10 against South Adams.
Through five games, Bluffton’s starting quarterback is averaging just six pass attempts per game. He hasn’t needed to throw much, but he will later this season with Adams Central looming in Week 8 and a potential second matchup in Sectional 27.
For his career, Beste has thrown for over 3,300 yards for the Tigers. He can sling it, he just hasn’t needed to this year…yet.
NECC
• Garrett Sorgen has been exceptional as the new starting quarterback for Angola, and Friday’s performance was his best so far.
The junior threw for 227 yards and five touchdowns in the Hornets’ 49-0 blanking of Churubusco. The five TDs went to four different receivers, with only Cody Ruple hauling in multiple scores from Sorgen.
For the year, Sorgen has completed 67 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions.
With Fremont, Eastside and West Noble all on the schedule over the final four games of the regular season, Angola definitely will be tested in the short-term.
As for the long term? Coach Seth Wilcox definitely has his quarterback for this year and next.
QUICK HITS
Through five weeks, Homestead quarterback Logan Frieden has accounted for 1,332 of his team’s 1,631 total yards, 470 rushing and 862 passing…Eastside had 302 rushing yards and one passing yard in its win over Fairfield…Bishop Luers is 0-5 for the first time since 2013 and just the second time in program history.
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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