Friday was our first night of football in October, which means fall is here and, with that, playoff football in just a few weeks.
A week from today, we will have the sectional draw.
Like we have said so many times before, it goes fast.
What went down of note in Week 7? Let’s take a look.
SAC
• The dominance of Carroll over its rival Homestead continued on Friday in a 45-14 rout that never felt that close.
The discrepancy in dudes up front and playmakers at the skill positions was once again evident. Carroll dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides, while no one on the Spartans was able to contain quarterback Gabe Frisinger (222 yards passing, four total touchdowns) and his receivers.
Logan Frieden once again put in a great effort for Homestead with close to 300 total yards of offense, but in the end it was another lopsided loss.
During Carroll’s seven-game winning streak over Homestead, the average margin of victory is 27 points.
• There was something special seeing Concordia earn its first SAC victory of the season on Friday, especially because it may be its last ever.
A charter member since the inception of the league in 1973, the Cadets will move to the ACAC next school year. While it never captured a conference championship, Concordia was a factor in several years, including in 2016 where its only losses were to Homestead (by one) and Snider. Coach Tim Mannigel’s team went on to win a Class 3A state title that season.
The ride isn’t over yet, as the Cadets have a chance for one more SAC victory next week at South Side before wrapping up the regular season with Calumet in a non-conference matchup.
Gonna miss you on the SAC gridiron, Cadets.
• A player to watch for Bishop Dwenger in October? Senior Zion Boungou.
After battling injury early in the season, Boungou is back and could be an X-factor down the stretch. Last week against Northrop, he hauled in 137 yards receiving and added 40 more on the ground. On Friday against Bishop Luers in a 34-6 win, he averaged 6.7 yards per carry on seven touches and added four receptions for 25 yards.
What Boungou provides is a bit of a big-play ability to the Saints’ offense. He is strong with some twitch with an equal ability to break through a tackle or turn the corner and get upfield at speed.
We know the usual suspects for the Bishop Dwenger offense. But Boungou could see an increased role down the stretch and into the playoffs, and for good reason.
• Imagine your first full start behind center, as a freshman, in the Totem Pole Game.
That is where Jeremiah Crusoe found himself on Friday for North Side, which won its ninth-straight Totem Pole Game over South Side, 28-17.
Crusoe has seen some spot action this year, particularly early in the season, but with Brandon Sanders injured, he was QB1 for the entirety of the matchup with the Archers.
The Legends were able to run over close to 400 yards, so the pass game didn’t need to do much, but Crusoe did his part. Two of his three completions went for touchdowns, both to Donte Adams.
Adams was a good story in itself. After suffering what at first was believed to be a season-ending injury in Week 1 at East Noble, Adams was back in the lineup on Friday and delivered with the two receiving scores.
• Speaking of young quarterbacks, sophomore Jaelin Jackson got the nod at QB1 for Northrop in the rivalry showdown with Snider. While the Bruins only scored six points in the loss, Jackson played decent as he threw for close to 250 yards.
It was the penalties (13) and turnovers (three) that burned Northrop and must be addressed if Coach John Schaefer’s team is going to have any chance against Carroll, both next week and in the playoffs, with both squads residing in Sectional 4.
NE8
• How about the night for Drake Hall?
The DeKalb senior made himself felt in all three facets of the game in the Barons’ 28-14 win over Norwell.
Offensively, Hall had 10 receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, he had a 99-yard fumble return for a score (a school record), as well as an interception.
On special teams, Hall had a blocked field goal and down two of his six punts inside the 20-yard line.
What an effort.
• The problem with taking on East Noble, and finding a way to escape with a victory, as that it can change the game on a single play.
Columbia City was hanging tough with the Knights on Friday in Kendallville as the teams exchanged touchdowns for the better part of three-plus quarters. But after a 44-yard touchdown run by Austin Phillips put East Noble in front 28-21, the Knights’ defense made a play that changed the trajectory of the game.
There seemed to be some confusion by the Eagles on the play, and East Noble took advantage of the opportunity. Tayden Getts picked up a fumble and went 44 yards the other way for a score and a two-touchdown lead with eight minutes left in the game.
The Knights would add an insurance touchdown in the 42-21 win, which was closer than the final score indicated.
East Noble now has five touchdowns on defense and special teams this season, three of them by Getts.
• There are good nights throwing the ball for a quarterback and then there is what Tre McCraney did on Friday for New Haven.
The senior finished the Bulldogs’ 57-35 victory over Bellmont by completing 34-of-51 passes for 575 yards and eight touchdowns. The yardage and passing TDs are believed to be program records.
McCraney averaged nearly 17 yards per completion. He connected with Donald Gage Jr. 10 times for 230 yards and four touchdowns, while Ethan Wake (10 receptions, 163 yards) and Jaylan Doughty (six receptions, 87 yards) had two touchdown catches apiece.
Some will question why New Haven continued to go vertical. It had to, because Bellmont kept scoring. The 35 points were the most by the Braves in a game since 2021.
With every Bellmont score, the Bulldogs, and McCraney, had to respond.
ACAC
• You know who Adams Central and Bluffton don’t want to see in the sectional draw as a first-round foe? Heritage.
The Patriots did not make things easy for the undefeated Tigers on Friday. Bluffton entered the night averaging over 45 points per game, but was held to just 16 in a shutout win.
Yes, Heritage’s offense could not do much against Bluffton, but Coach Jeremy Hullinger’s defense is allowing just 12 points per game and has kept Bluffton, Adams Central and South Adams significantly below their season scoring averages.
In Week 4, South Adams squeaked by Heritage, 21-13. One week later, Adams Central escape with a 14-7 victory.
The Starfires don’t have to worry about the 4-3 Patriots again, but Bluffton and Adams Central may have to in Sectional 27.
Heritage’s defense is good enough to keep them in games, and with a key turnover or two could surprise a team with a better record in the playoffs.
• Sometimes, we do not appreciate the numbers that South Adams quarterbacks put up because the offense is constructed around the pass, but junior Zaden Baumer deserves some attention.
With his team tied at 28 in the fourth quarter on Friday at Jay County, Baumer led the Starfires on a pair of touchdown drives, both capped by throws by Baumer for scores, one to Will Patterson and the other to Jax Wanner.
Baumer finished the game with 380 yards and three passing touchdowns, giving him 20 on the year against four interceptions.
As we get closer towards sectionals, a potential South Adams v. Fremont game for Sectional 44 supremacy would be huge with Baumer facing off against Fremont’s Jaret Laughlin in a battle of talented quarterbacks.
NECC/Area
• We all know of Warsaw as a run-heavy team. And by run heavy, we mean it is not atypical to see the Tigers without a single passing yard in a game as they run for 300-plus.
But Friday’s 49-0 victory over Plymouth was on another level.
Once again, Warsaw did not have a passing yard (0-for-2 overall), but it ran for a program-record 564 yards on 37 attempts. That is a 15 yard average per carry.
Tucker Reed had just seven runs on the night, but he turned it into 245 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Wyatt Harman and Mark Haynes also added touchdowns on the ground in the dominant performance.
Warsaw stays undefeated at 7-0 with a road game at Concord next week, followed by a huge showdown with fellow undefeated Northridge in Week 9.
• If there has been a constant in Blackhawk Christian’s four years as an IHSAA-santioned 11-on-11 program, it has been Chip Bennett.
First seeing action as a freshman, the now-senior carried the ball 23 times for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Braves’ 42-22 win over Monroe Central on Friday.
Chip, son of head coach Brice Bennett, has done a little bit of everything in his career for Blackhawk Christian. Securing a victory, giving the Braves a program-high three wins in a season, has to be high up the list of achievements.
• Angola went on the road and beat a tough Fremont squad 27-13 to earn its fifth victory in the row, and while Garrett Sorgen and the Hornets offense did work, Blitz wants to give some love to the defense.
Coach Seth Wilcox’s team has held four of its last five opponents to 13 points or less. The one outlier was Garrett where it allowed 28, but scored 43.
For the year, Angola is allowing 15.9 points per game. If the team can continue to average that the rest of the way, they have a shot to be a contender in Sectional 26 against the likes of West Noble and Tippecanoe Valley.
But the next two weeks are huge for momentum, with West Noble coming to Angola in Week 8, followed by Eastside visiting in Week 9.
The two most-dynamic offenses on their schedule coming in the next two weeks. The defense needs to really show out.
QUICK HITS
Huntington North’s streak of 13-straight games with double-digit points scored ended in the 28-6 loss to Leo…Jamison Roach accounted for as many touchdowns for Adams Central (four) as Southern Wells had first downs in the Flying Jets’ 35-7 victory…Job Richman and Noah Dove combined for 286 yards and five touchdowns on just 17 rushing attempts in Friday’s 50-6 win over Churubusco.
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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