The playoffs are here!
Somehow, nine weeks went quick and we are now kickoff off the postseason with the first round of sectionals, which means all of the self hype, regular-season results and expectations are out the window. It’s time for teams to leave it all on the field for a chance to play at Lucas Oil Stadium for a state title.
Ultimately, all of the kids have these dreams and aspirations. Every high school football player wants to accomplish a dream of a lifetime and play for a state championship. For seniors, every game potentially could be the last time they suit up with friends and kids they’ve been accustomed to playing with for the past few years, and some even longer than that.
I’ve chosen a few games that stand out as key matchups in the first round to catch up with the players. Last year, we had two teams from northeast Indiana represented in Indy with Bishop Luers and Bishop Dwenger. The Saints were able to capture their sixth state title. With an 8-1 record going into sectionals, they appear to be a favorite to possibly do so again. It won’t come easy as Sectional 19 is loaded with talented teams, including their opening-round matchup against North Side, as well as potential future foes DeKalb, Columbia City and, of course, undefeated East Noble.
Loaded Sectional 19 Begins with Marquee Matchup
Let’s start there and ‘flip the script’ with one of the most anticipated matchups between Bishop Dwenger and North Side. The two teams did not play in the regular season, so there’s nothing to measure there. They didn’t play last season either, so we can’t go back to that. The Legends are coming into this game with two consecutive losses, to Homestead and Snider in overtime. After losing to Carroll in Week 4, the Saints have gone undefeated, including wins over the Northrop Bruins and the Spartans. North Side lost to both those teams in the regular season. That means nothing when it comes to the playoffs. These teams are going to lay it all on the line and be ready to battle.
“I am expecting that Dwenger will put up a fight and this will not be an easy game to win, but we will win,” North Side lineman Darius Holley said. “Dwenger will try to run the ball on us all night. And when we stop that and establish that they can’t run the ball on us, the game is ours.
“Dwenger will also try to bring us out of our character, but we will not let that happen. And if we play the game that we know we can play and not take the foot off the pedal, this game is ours.”
“I’m excited for the game,” North Side senior Maalik Moore said. “I do hope we come out with the victory, that’s the goal.
“I know I’ll see a lot of athletes on the field, so I have to make plays for my team. I know they will bring a lot of physicality when it comes to the defense, but we are capable of dodging their players. Our defense will always be ready for anything too come our way. We got to go into this game and shut the run game down. We have a very good secondary, so when it comes to the passing game, we don’t give up a lot of passes in one game. This will be a show on Friday. I can’t wait.”
“North Side is really talented on both sides of the ball,” Bishop Dwenger quarterback Tommy Coffman said. “Defensively, they have two extremely talented guys up front in (Leslie) Woodson and (Omarion) Waites who are going to bring pressure and Moore who is a big-time playmaker on the back end.
“We just have to execute to our standard and take what they give us.”
“We’re expecting their run game early, as they have two good backs that can run the ball well,” said Saints linebacker Cooper Campbell. “With that, we have to dominate on the line of scrimmage early and be the more physical team all four quarters of the game.”
“We are expecting them to be a talented and physical team, and we’ve got to take care of the ball on offense and be physical and disciplined on defense,” Dwenger senior Nick O’Keefe replied.
Tough to Beat A Team Twice
Leo will welcome Columbia City to town tonight in a rematch from Week 8. The Eagles defeated Leo 49-28 at home, but can they repeat that again this time around on the road? It’s not easy to beat a team twice in one season, especially when it comes to a talented team that plays in your conference and knows your tendencies. Leo is a younger team, while Columbia City has a lot of seniors, but with home field, can the Lions take advantage in the rematch and pull out the victory? The winner will advance to face the winner of East Noble and Wawassee. This should be one of the best opening-round games in the area.
“It’s gonna be a different game than the last time,” Columbia City junior Lukas Duncan said. “They’re gonna come out attacking each and every blocker. Going into this game, we need to have a clear mind and not let the last outcome affect our performance.
“We need to expect them to come in hot. The last time we played, their passing game was what killed us. They’re going to come out throwing the ball and we need to be prepared for that. If our secondary steps up and does its job correctly, I believe we will come out on top this week.”
“I think Leo is gonna come out ready to take some shots in the passing game, establish the line of scrimmage, try to make adjustments from last game against us, and take advantage of their opportunities in the running game,” Columbia City quarterback Jordan Parrett said. “But at the end of the day, it’s the playoffs, so it’s win or go home now. Everything we’ve worked for this season comes down to these next few weeks and months, and we can’t take anything for granted.
“We’ve gotta play physical, execute our assignments, take care of the football and trust each other on every play. We need to come out with energy, play for each other, and finish every drive. It doesn’t matter what happened during the regular season anymore. Everybody starts fresh, and our goal is to keep our season alive. We know what we’re capable of, and if we play our game for four quarters, I believe we can come out with the victory.”
“We know how tough it is to beat a team twice, so we have been hammering home all week in practice how tough this Friday will be,” Columbia City’s Gabe McDevitt said. “We know we are facing one of the best groups of linebackers in the area, so it’s important we play sound football offensively and take care of the ball. Defensively, we are excited to play these guys again and correct some mistakes we made the first time.”
“We are expecting them to come out running the ball,” Leo’s Landon Kindschy said. “They have a big O-line and have great runners. We are expecting them to do the same thing as Week 8 when we matched up before.
“We need to come out and make big plays on offense, and on defense we need to have stops. Last time, our offense and defense weren’t correlating, which caused some problems. We need to come out, be physical and play the best football on both sides of the ball.”
“We know what to expect out of Columbia City having played them two weeks ago,” Leo quarterback Luke Marquardt said. “I think if we execute our offensive plan and create big, explosive plays, then we will come out on top.
“We expect them to use multiple defensive fronts and alignments, so we will have to identify what they come out in and be able to move the ball on the ground as well as through the air.”
Introduction to Class 4A For Luers
After advancing to Lucas Oil Stadium last season and coming up short to undefeated Cascade in the title game, the Bishop Luers Knights have moved up to Class 4A. They do so in a season where between graduation and transfer they lost the majority of their defense, a few key offensive linemen and a running back. Because of this, the beginning of the season felt like a bit of a rebuild. The past two weeks, the Knights seemed to have improved and are playing more competitive ball with a dominating 48-8 victory over Wayne and a close 23-6 loss to Carroll.
Although everyone seems to be counting it out, Bishop Luers still has a lot of talent and a coaching staff that should not be forgotten when it comes to the postseason. The Knights still have two experienced offensive linemen in Myante Williams and Josh Morken that have led the way for another 1,000-yard rushing season for junior back TJ Epperson. Owen Weaver and Dallas Mata have become defensive anchors on defense as well. They will travel to Yorktown to begin their journey in Sectional 20.
“I feel we are going to get their best and fight because it’s win or go home, so I have to be ready for someone to come give me their all,” Williams said. “For us to come out with the victory, we just have to do what we know we are good at, stay disciplined and play for one another.”
“We’re expecting them to stack the box and play hard,” Epperson Jr. said. “The community is gonna pack their stands. They are a strong, physical team.
“We need to run the ball, limit turnovers and finish drives to have a chance to win. We also need to play hard football, which is what we’ve done the last couple weeks, and I think we will be fine.”
“We’ve had lots of competition and self-adversity, but there’s a lot we have yet to show,” Mata said. “(Yorktown is) a good team and disciplined. They run a great and smart scheme offensively and it’ll be a great game.
“I believe offensively and defensively we have the guys every day of the week, but now that we are fighting to keep playing I know there will be a different version of us offensively and defensively that will surprise many people. We have great coaches and lots of young guys, but I believe with the drive we have this week it’ll be a great game.”
Luers lost a lot of talent from last season and has been working to find their identity this fall, but have looked much better the past couple of weeks. It will be exciting to see how it performs in the playoffs.
A Look Into The Future of the ACAC
Next season, the Concordia Cadets will join the Allen County Athletic Conference, a league that features Bluffton, Adams Central, South Adams, Heritage, Jay County, Woodlan and Southern Wells. Sectional 27 is loaded with talented programs from the ACAC and one of the opening-round matchups includes a preview for next year and beyond between Adams Central and the Cadets.
“We expect a tough hard-fought game from them,” Concordia senior Eli Trent said. “They’re gonna try and establish the run game and get their key players the ball. We have to execute at our highest level in order to win this football game.
“We have to be sharp in each of our roles, bring intensity and be confident in what we know we can do.”
“For their game plan I’m expecting a heavy run game all night, because that’s what they’re good at with either the running backs or their quarterback, who is very mobile,” Concordia’s Rashon Johnson said. “For us to get the victory we have to do what we’re good at and what we know how to do, not hurt ourselves with penalties and score a lot of points and stop the run.”
“Adams Central will try to run the ball, obviously, because they are a Wing-T offense,” Concordia’s Luke Hayworth said. “They will be physical and disciplined, so we have to match their physicality.
“If we have zero turnovers and can move the ball all night, we have a great chance at winning this game.”
From what we have seen, Concordia is going to try to make big pass plays,” Adams Central’s Xander Schwartz said. “Our corners and secondary will need to really get it done tonight.”
It is playoff time. Let’s get it!
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