We’ve somehow found a way to fast-forward time. At least it feels like it.
Every year when Week 9 approaches, it feels like the regular season has just started. Instead, we’re preparing for another postseason. We’ve seen the polls and rankings all season. Now, it is time to see who can represent northeast Indiana and play for a state title at Lucas Oil Stadium. It is easy to look ahead to that and forget we’ve got football to play this week.
It’s also a week that only has a few games that will likely be competitive. There is one game that stands out as the best. Our Game of the Week for Week 9 is a NE8 battle between the DeKalb Barons and the Leo Lions.
WHAT’S ON THE LINE
While the conference championship has been settled, the winner of this game will go into the playoffs with some added confidence. DeKalb got a favorable draw against New Haven, while Leo saw a tough draw and will face league foe Columbia City Eagles in the opening round.
Both programs were believed to be approaching rebuilding years after both teams lost a lot of talent to graduation from last season. But the Lions and Barons have exceeded all expectations, with both teams taking undefeated East Noble to the brink of a potential upset.
Leo is coming off a three-score defeat to Columbia City last week. The Barons are coming off back-to-back wins over Norwell and Bellmont. A year ago, DeKalb escaped Leo with a 31-28 victory for their first-ever victory in the series.
There will be a lot of key playmakers to watch in this year’s match-up.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
They’ve been producing at such a high level, people online have been speculating whether their stats are real. That’s the kind of seasons Drake Hall and Eli Schwab have had for DeKalb.
According to Maxpreps, Schwab is 12th in the country in total tackles and fourth in the state with 120 on the season. He has been everywhere the football has been all year long. The linebacker helps orchestrate the defense and help them attack the football. Hall also has surpassed 100 total tackles (107), and has been very disruptive in the secondary with his five interceptions, tied for fourth in the state. Both guys will be players to watch as usual for the Barons.
Offensively, DeKalb is expected to welcome back quarterback Bracen Staley this week. His returns will help balance the offense and make them more unpredictable. He is a pass-first QB that has been efficient with the football. Add that in with running backs Xavier Vice and freshman Colton Brandon and you’ve got your players to watch. Vice has quietly surpassed over 800 rushing yards and 12 rushing scores. Brandon has added over 400 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Leo’s defense will have to be ready to slow down DeKalb’s running game. It is unknown whether or not Isaiah Detmers will play for the Lions since he is a bit banged up. Junior linebacker Isaac Smith leads the Lions in tackles and is their most active linebacker. Paul Woods and Kaden Doll will have the added responsibility to try and limit DeKalb’s success on the ground and force Staley to beat them in the passing game. Doll has been a menace in the backfield with six tackles for loss and leads the team with three sacks.
Leo quarterback Luke Marquardt has had a really solid first season as the starter. He has over 1,200 passing yards for 10 touchdowns, but he does have seven interceptions. It will be interesting to see if he can be smart with the football with a secondary as opportunistic as DeKalb has. His primary targets have been wideouts Landon Kindschy and Max Schreck, who have combined to haul in eight of Marquardt’s 10 touchdown passes (remaining 2 to Detmers). It will be intriguing to see how Leo approaches this game if Detmers, its top athlete, is out.
With playoff momentum on the line, Leo will be the place to be in Week 9 as the Barons come calling.
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