It’s sectional semifinals Friday!
We finally welcome Classes 5A and 6A to the fold this week, while all of the smaller classes began with the opening round last week. Now, it’s time to see who will be playing for some hardware going forward.
We’re getting closer to when every game could be a potential game of the week, but this week does still include some games that could be lopsided. There are some games on paper that could go down to the wire, but one contest stands out more than the rest.
Look no further than Sectional 27 in Class 3A, where you’ll find our OTH Game of the Week between the Adams Central Flying Jets and the Heritage Patriots.
WHAT’S ON THE LINE
This is a rematch from Week 5 where Adams Central beat Heritage, 14-7. The Patriots really struggled to find any groove on offense in that contest, which has been an issue against strong teams this year. Adams Central has ruled this series in recent years. In fact, the last time Heritage knocked off AC was back in 2014.
Not only is this game for some bragging rights in the conference, it sets up either a rematch with the ACAC champion Bluffton Tigers or the Norwell Knights for the sectional crown.
“We expect a hard-hitting football game,” Heritage coach Jeremy Hullinger said. “The Jets are such a good program who play football the right way. They play physical, disciplined football and don’t make mistakes. That’s a testament to their coaches and kids.
“It won’t be any different this time around. Adams Central won’t beat itself, so if you want to have a chance to win, you can’t beat yourself. Teams that go far in the playoffs play clean football. So for us to be victorious we need to match the Jets’ level of focus and intensity. It will come down to blocking, tackling, and controlling penalties and turnovers.”
Simply put, Heritage didn’t match AC’s energy in the first matchup, yet the game was still close. Adams Central coach Michael Mosser knows this time around his team will get the absolute best shot from the Patriots.
“It’s going to be a slugfest, two equal teams doing battle,” Mosser said. “It will be a defensive battle, with both teams trying to stop the same offense. The team who makes the fewest mistakes wins the game.”
Who will be playing for a sectional title next week?
PLAYERS TO WATCH
In the first matchup between these two teams, Heritage finished with just 48 yards passing and 219 yards rushing between seven different backs seeing the field. A hundred of those yards came from running back Jaxton Litchfield. The junior carried the ball 16 times in the first meeting, and expectations are that he will get a lot of carries this time around as well.
Patriots quarterback Zeb Tigulis struggled to find his groove in Week 5 against the Flying Jets. He only completed 3-of-7 passing with an interception. He also was limited to just 37 yards on the ground, but did reach the end zone for their one touchdown. Look for Coach Hullinger to find ways for the offense to be more successful this week.
Defensively, senior linebacker Brady Boyle had a great game against the Flying Jets and was everywhere the football was. He finished with eight total tackles to go along with a fumble recovery. As a senior leader, he knows it’s win or go home and will be a player to watch on defense for the Patriots.
For Adams Central, everything on offense flows through quarterback Jamison Roach. He hasn’t had the typical season we’ve been accustomed to seeing from him through the years, but he has still put together a solid season. He was able to have some success passing and running the first time around against Heritage, although the Flying Jets had trouble finishing off drives.
Last week against Concordia, the Flying Jets ran for 428 yards, with both Reece Hammond and Thomas Laughlin surpassing 100 yards. Look for Adams Central to continue to feed those two this week.
A meeting between two ACAC teams that want a shot at a sectional title next week. We will be on-site for coverage for this dandy of a game of the week taking place in Monroeville tonight. See you there!
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