The Indiana Football Digest's Top Games – 2015 Week Six
By Paul Condry And Matt Kopsea
AVON (3-2) AT FISHERS (4-1)
KICKOFF: 7 pm ET, Clarian Field.
COACHES: Mark Bless, 43-20 in sixth season at Avon, 192-87 in 26th season overall. Rick Wimmer, 74-36 in 10th season at Fishers, 238-119 in 33rd season overall.
LAST WEEK: Avon beat Whiteland, 34-0. Fishers beat Brownsburg, 37-23.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Avon 1-1; Fishers 1-1.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Avon 13-12, Fishers 10-15.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: Fishers, 5-4.
LAST MEETING: Avon, 36-26, Sep. 26, 2014.
UP NEXT: Avon hosts Westfield. Fishers takes on Indianapolis Cathedral at Victory Field.
COACHES COMMENTS: "We will need to play with a high level of energy and enthusiasm. We will need to take care of the football to win the turnover battle, be solid on special teams to win the field position battle, and just play smart and play physical." – Avon coach Mark Bless.
"Avon brings great challenges to both our offense and our defensive units on Friday. Brandon Peters is the best quarterback I have seen in a very long time and he has an outstanding athlete in Andrew Griffin at a wide receiver position, who is one of the best athletes in our conference. Griffin leads the HCC in catches and yards receiving. Their tight end Matt Moore is also a very good receiver and they have two running backs that split time and are very effective making their offense a balanced attack. Defensively, they have an excellent pass rusher in AJ Elcock, who leads the HCC with eight sacks. This game is going to test our defense and our ability to limit big plays. A key for us is to stop the run early and make them one dimensional and to get a pass rush when those situations arise. We must take care of the football on offense and maintain some drives, finishing with points when we can get those opportunities. Field position and special teams will play a big role. We will need great coverage from our coverage units." – Fishers coach Rick Wimmer.
BELLMONT (4-1) AT LEO (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7 pm ET, Lion Field.
COACHES: Larry Getts, 25-25 in fifth season at Bellmont, 44-61 in 10th season overall. Jared Sauder, 82-25 in 10th season at Leo.
LAST WEEK: Bellmont beat Huntington North, 48-13. Leo beat East Noble, 35-14.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Bellmont 1-0; Leo 1-0.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Bellmont 9-16, Leo 11-14.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: Bellmont, 1-0.
LAST MEETING: Bellmont, 41-7, Nov. 7, 2008, sectional.
UP NEXT: Bellmont plays host to New Haven. Leo travels to Huntington North.
COACHES COMMENTS: "We just have to be ourselves and play Bellmont Brave football. Controlling the process will be the key, which is simply our effort, our unity, and our execution. It will come down to playing hard, playing together, and playing smart." – Bellmont coach Larry Getts.
BREMEN (3-2) AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7 pm ET, Otolski Field.
COACHES: Bob Holmes, 47-21 in sixth season at Bremen, 113-92 in 20th season overall. Reggie Glon, 140-92 in 22nd season at Mishawaka Marian.
LAST WEEK: Bremen lost to New Prairie, 42-0. Mishawaka Marian beat Jimtown, 7-6.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Bremen 2-0; Mishawaka Marian 2-0.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Bremen 10-15, Mishawaka Marian 8-17.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: No meetings.
UP NEXT: Bremen hosts South Bend Washington at Don Bunge Field. Marian hosts New Prairie.
COACHES COMMENTS: "For us to be successful this week against a very good Mishawaka Marian team, we must do a much better job tackling the ball carrier. Marian has three very big backs that run extremely hard and containing them will be priority number one. We must establish the run on offense and throw the ball effectively. We must play 48 minutes of exceptional football if we want to have an opportunity to win this game." – Bremen coach Bob Holmes.
"We are very happy with how the defense has been playing this year. It has allowed us to overcome some turnovers that we need to eliminate in the upcoming weeks for us to stay on the plus side. We will need a strong defensive outing, and we will need to be more consistent on the offensive side of the ball to come away with the win against a very disciplined and well-coached football team in Bremen." – Marian coach Reggie Glon.
EASTERN HANCOCK (5-0) AT NORTH DECATUR (4-1)
KICKOFF: 7 pm ET, Ed Kaelin Field.
COACHES: Jim O'Hara, 15-3 in second season at Eastern Hancock, 102-51 in 14th season overall. Steve Stirn, 4-1 in first season at North Decatur, 91-50 in 13th season overall.
LAST WEEK: Eastern Hancock beat Knightstown, 53-28. North Decatur lost to Milan, 27-0.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Eastern Hancock 3-0; North Decatur 2-1.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Eastern Hancock 11-14, North Decatur 9-16.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: North Decatur, 7-5.
LAST MEETING: Eastern Hancock, 44-13, Sep. 26, 2014.
UP NEXT: Eastern Hancock entertains Wes-Del. North Decatur travels to Indian Creek.
COACHES COMMENTS: "In order for us to be successful, we must contain their quarterback (Evan Smith) and battle up in the trenches. We must take care of the football and eliminate penalties and go to the whistle on every play by staying low and running our feet." – Eastern Hancock coach Jim O'Hara.
'We must be able to control the tempo of the game with our offense. Moving the chains will be the focus. Defensively, we must contain their play makers. They are very talented across the board. Our ability to limit their big plays is essential for our success." – North Decatur coach Steve Stirn.
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (5-0) AT CASTLE (3-2)
KICKOFF: 7 pm CT, Castle Field.
COACHES: Mike Goebel, 189-51 in 19th season at Evansville Mater Dei. Doug Hurt, 73-36 in 10th season at Castle.
LAST WEEK: Evansville Mater Dei beat Evansville North, 42-14. Castle beat Evansville Central, 42-13.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Evansville Mater Dei 11-14, Castle 14-11.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: Tied, 15-15.
LAST MEETING: Evansville Mater Dei, 42-17, Sep. 26, 2014.
UP NEXT: Mater Dei hosts Evansville Bosse. Castle plays at Evansville Harrison.
COACHES COMMENTS: "Our defense, particularly against the arm of quarterback Dayne Keller, will be tested throughout the game. Castle has a number of very good and disciplined receivers, so we will not be able to key on any one, thus our defense will be stretched. Castle has a very aggressive defense and disguises their coverages and blitz techniques very well. We must play better on special teams and, in particular, eliminate some of the penalties that have plagued us to date." – Mater Dei coach Mike Goebel.
"Mater Dei is an outstanding team that is very disciplined and doesn't beat themselves. We must be able to slow an explosive offense down and eliminate our own mistakes on offense. We must try to slow down their run game and their talented running back Drayke Richardt. They also have an explosive passing game, led by their quarterback Kurtis Wilderman and his favorite target Jackson Pokorney. On offense, we must eliminate mental errors and sustain drives. Our running game has to continue to improve. Turnovers and mistakes will ultimately decide this game." – Castle coach Doug Hurt.
FLOYD CENTRAL (4-1) AT COLUMBUS EAST (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7 pm ET, Columbus East Field.
COACHES: Brian Glesing, 55-39 in ninth season at Floyd Central, 95-69 in 15th season overall. Bob Gaddis, 153-30 in 15th season at Columbus East, 271-130 in 37th season overall.
LAST WEEK: Floyd Central beat Jeffersonville, 30-28. Columbus East beat New Albany, 54-20.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Floyd Central 1-0; Columbus East 1-0.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Floyd Central 4-16, Columbus East 10-15.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: Columbus East, 17-13.
LAST MEETING: Columbus East, 67-7, Sep. 26, 2014.
UP NEXT: Floyd Central hosts Bedford North Lawrence. Columbus East travels to Madison.
COACHES COMMENTS: "The Olympians are as good as usual. We need to establish a running game in order to keep the ball away from their offense. They are well-coached and don't make many mistakes. We need to be at the top of our game in order to win." – Floyd Central coach Brian Glesing.
FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (4-1) AT CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (3-2)
KICKOFF: 7 pm ET, Charger Field.
COACHES: Kyle Lindsay, 17-15 in third season at Fort Wayne Bishop Luers. Doug Dinan, 46-19 in sixth season at Carroll (Fort Wayne).
LAST WEEK: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers beat Fort Wayne Concordia, 42-35. Carroll (Fort Wayne) lost to Fort Wayne Snider, 21-7.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 1-1; Carroll (Fort Wayne) 1-1.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 11-14, Carroll (Fort Wayne) 13-12.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: No meetings.
UP NEXT: Bishop Luers hosts F.W. South. Carroll plays at F.W Bishop Dwenger.
COACHES COMMENTS: "(Carroll's) Aidan Smith is one of the top quarterbacks around. He can beat you with his arm and his feet. We have to play solid coverage on the back end defensively, but our front seven has to keep him from gaining big plays and moving the sticks with his running ability. We have to gang tackle and move him off the block when he drops back to pass. Offensively, we have to continue to run the ball well. It makes passing much easier and gives us one-on-one opportunities to get (Austin) Mack the ball. Controlling the line of scrimmage and finding middle linebacker Dylan Connor of Carroll are imperative to scoring points and picking up first downs. Special teams play is crucial, especially in these big games. While our play was very good the first few weeks, we have given up a couple long returns on kickoff the past couple weeks. This cannot happen against a team like Carroll. We have to win the special teams battle. Overall, we have to be more physical than Carroll, who I think is a very physical football team across the board." – Bishop Luers coach Kyle Lindsay.
"Bishop Luers is a well-coached team that plays very hard and physical on the defensive side, while at the same time, they possess great weapons on the offensive side giving them the ability to move the football and score. For us to be successful, we need to be disciplined and play sound defense and win the line of scrimmage on offense so that we can move the ball." – Carroll coach Doug Dinan.
FORT WAYNE SNIDER (5-0) AT HOMESTEAD (3-2)
KICKOFF: 7 pm ET, Dave Walters Stadium.
COACHES: Kurt Tippmann, 66-18 in seventh season at Fort Wayne Snider. Chad Zolman, 96-30 in 12th season at Homestead.
LAST WEEK: Fort Wayne Snider beat Carroll (Fort Wayne), 21-7. Homestead beat Fort Wayne South, 47-6.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Fort Wayne Snider 2-0; Homestead 1-1.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Fort Wayne Snider 9-16, Homestead 12-13.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: Fort Wayne Snider, 12-3.
LAST MEETING: Fort Wayne Snider, 30-20, Oct. 19, 2012, sectional.
UP NEXT: F.W. Snider travels to F.W. North. Homestead plays at F.W. Wayne.
COACHES COMMENTS: "Homestead has a very good quarterback (Drew Keszei) that is athletic and can make all of the throws. They also have a Northwestern commit (wide receiver Ben Skowronek) that they move all over the field. We must contain these two players to be successful. As always, we need to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Our quarterback (Isaac Stiebeling) must distribute the ball to our running backs and wide receivers for whatever their defense gives us and not force the issue to any one particular player. Special teams will be huge, as the battle for field position will be crucial." – F.W. Snider coach Kurt Tippmann.
"Snider is loaded with some very explosive offensive talent. We must contain the big play, which means we are assignment sound, getting off blocks, and tackling well. Snider runs to the football defensively as well as we have seen anyone this year. We need to be able to establish a run game and sustain drives to be successful against this team." – Homestead coach Chad Zolman.
GIBSON SOUTHERN (5-0) AT HERITAGE HILLS (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7 pm CT, Patriot Field.
COACHES: Nick Hart, 39-6 in fourth season at Gibson Southern. Todd Wilkerson, 24-15 in fourth season at Heritage Hills.
LAST WEEK: Gibson Southern beat Princeton, 58-16. Heritage Hills beat North Posey, 42-7.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Gibson Southern 1-0; Heritage Hills 1-0.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Gibson Southern 8-12, Heritage Hills 9-16.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: Heritage Hills, 23-3.
LAST MEETING: Heritage Hills, 14-13, Nov. 7, 2014, sectional.
UP NEXT: Gibson Southern goes to Pike Central. Heritage Hills hosts Southridge.
COACHES COMMENTS: "Heritage Hills is extremely well-coached and disciplined. We must match their discipline on Friday night. In any big game, penalties and turnovers are going to be a huge factor in the outcome of the game. I also think that third down success and red-zone success on both sides of the ball is very important to us being successful on Friday night." – Gibson Southern coach Nick Hart.
"Gibson Southern is an outstanding football team. To win this game, we will need to move the chains and get the ball in the end zone. Defensively, we will need to tackle well in space and avoid giving up big plays. We will also need to adjust quickly to their no-huddle, fast-paced style of play." – Heritage Hills coach Todd Wilkerson.
GUERIN CATHOLIC (4-1) AT GREENWOOD (4-1)
KICKOFF: 7 pm ET, Woodman Field.
COACHES: Tom Dilley, 13-5 in second season at Guerin Catholic, 93-82 in 16th season overall. Mike Campbell, 47-56 in 10th season at Greenwood.
LAST WEEK: Guerin Catholic beat Indianapolis Broad Ripple, 50-6. Greenwood beat Plainfield, 42-23.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Guerin Catholic 1-0; Greenwood 1-0.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Guerin Catholic 9-11, Greenwood 10-15.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: Tied, 3-3.
LAST MEETING: Guerin Catholic, 42-21, Sep. 26, 2014.
UP NEXT: Guerin Catholic travels to Brebeuf Jesuit. Greenwood plays host to Decatur Central.
COACHES COMMENTS: "For the Woodmen to be successful against Guerin Catholic, we must limit big plays and win third down. We have to gang tackle as their backs and receivers are physical. Offensively, we need to avoid penalties and stay on schedule (avoid second and long situations). Our line will need to maintain blocks and move their feet because their defense is very active." – Greenwood coach Mike Campbell.
INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (4-1) AT NOBLESVILLE (3-2)
KICKOFF: 7 pm ET, Swanson Field.
COACHES: Vince Lorenzano, 144-31 in 13th season at Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, 204-100 in 25th season overall. Lance Scheib, 30-47 in eighth season at Noblesville, 128-113 in 24th season overall.
LAST WEEK: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard beat Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, 48-19. Noblesville beat Zionsville, 23-21.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard 13-12, Noblesville 16-9.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, 5-0.
LAST MEETING: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, 24-14, Sep. 26, 2014.
UP NEXT: Bishop Chatard hosts Cincinnati Winton Woods. Noblesville plays at Hamilton Southeastern.
COACHES COMMENTS: "For us to succeed this week, we need to improve our blocking, take care of the football, play more consistent at our quarterback position, improve our tackling, shut down their key players, and win the field position battle." – Bishop Chatard coach Vince Lorenzano.
"The Millers will have success on Friday night if we play fast and physical and if we will continue to play through the echo of the whistle. We must continue to improve as a football team and understand that our best game is still in front of us." – Noblesville coach Lance Scheib.
JIMTOWN (3-2) AT CONCORD (4-1)
KICKOFF: 7 pm ET, Jake Field.
COACHES: Mike. Campbell, 75-21 in eighth season at Jimtown. Craig Koehler, 4-1 in first season at Concord.
LAST WEEK: Jimtown lost to Mishawaka Marian, 7-6. Concord beat Goshen, 24-20.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Jimtown 0-1; Concord 1-0.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Jimtown 14-10, Concord 13-12.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: Jimtown, 17-13.
LAST MEETING: Concord, 37-7, Sep. 26, 2014.
UP NEXT: Jimtown welcomes South Bend Riley to Knepp Field. Concord plays at Plymouth.
COACHES COMMENTS: "Offensively, we need to have another week of improvement in the run game. We rushed the ball very well against Goshen and will need to do the same against Jimtown in order to have a chance. Defensively, we need to limit the big play and continue to play good run defense. They have two dynamic players in (Trevor) Hobbs and (Dylan) Guldager that can really catch the ball vertically." – Concord coach Craig Koehler.
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (5-0) AT TWIN LAKES (4-1)
KICKOFF: 7 pm ET, The Reservation.
COACHES: Kevin O'Shea, 92-9 in eighth season at Lafayette Central Catholic, 192-72 in 23rd season overall. Justin Gardiner, 21-17 in fourth season at Twin Lakes.
LAST WEEK: Lafayette Central Catholic beat Northwestern, 49-6. Twin Lakes beat Benton Central, 34-7.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Lafayette Central Catholic 3-0; Twin Lakes 3-0.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Lafayette Central Catholic 10-15, Twin Lakes 8-17.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: Tied, 7-7.
LAST MEETING: Lafayette Central Catholic, 59-6, Sep. 6, 2014.
UP NEXT: Lafayette Catholic hosts Lewis Cass. Twin Lakes plays at Hamilton Heights.
COACHES COMMENTS: "Twin Lakes has been playing outstanding football this season. They have the Bennington Twins, quarterback Blake and wide receiver Bryce, that are an outstanding athletes. We will need to contain them to have a chance to win." – Lafayette Catholic coach Kevin O'Shea.
"It is vital that we take good care of the football and do not give them easy opportunities for points. They have jumped on teams early in games this year by capitalizing on mistakes, so we must make them earn everything." – Twin Lakes coach Justin Gardiner.
PIONEER (5-0) AT LAVILLE (5-0)
KICKOFF: 7:30 pm ET, Lancer Field.
COACHES: Mike Johnson, 207-77 in 25th season at Pioneer. Will Hostrawser, 18-9 in third season at LaVille.
LAST WEEK: Pioneer beat West Central, 62-0. LaVille beat Caston, 39-0.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Pioneer 4-0; LaVille 4-0.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Pioneer 8-17, LaVille 6-19.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: No meetings.
UP NEXT: Pioneer hosts Knox. LaVille plays at John Glenn.
COACHES COMMENTS: "LaVille is an outstanding team that is well-coached. We will have to find a way to move the ball against their defense. They haven't surrendered many yards and points this season and they possess size and speed. Offensively, we will have to find a way to slow their rushing attack. No one has stopped them from running the ball in the first five games. They have very good backs and their offensive line is big and physical. Their quarterback (Adam Steinke) is an athlete and has made some big plays within their passing game." – Pioneer coach Mike Johnson.
"In order for us to upset a very solid Pioneer team, we must play a very discipline assignment oriented defense. Field position is going to be paramount in this game. They average almost 57 points a contest, so we must find a way to slow down their offensive production and a long field will assist with that Friday night." – LaVille coach Will Hostrawser.
WHEELER (5-0) AT SOUTH CENTRAL (4-1)
KICKOFF: 7 pm CT, Satellite Field
COACHES: Tony Klimczak, 26-11 in fourth season at Wheeler. Eric Stephens, 4-1 in first season at South Central.
LAST WEEK: Wheeler beat North Newton, 43-27. South Central lost to River Forest, 20-14.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: Wheeler 2-0; South Central 1-1.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Wheeler 8-17, South Central 7-17.
RECORD OVER LAST 30 YEARS: Wheeler, 8-2.
LAST MEETING: Wheeler, 56-6, Sep. 26, 2014.
UP NEXT: Wheeler hosts Hanover Central. South Central plays host to North Newton.
COACHES COMMENTS: "South Central is a fundamentally sound team, and if we want to beat them, we will need to continue to take steps to improve as a team. We need to execute our assignments with precision and speed. Our defensive players will need to read their keys and react with technique." – Wheeler coach Tony Klimczak.
"To beat Wheeler, we have to match their speed and physicality, first and foremost, in order to match up with them. If we can do that and minimize fundamental mistakes, it will definitely make for an interesting ball game in the end. Wheeler is a very well-coached team and a well-defined football program. This game is definitely a test for us and we are anxious to see how we stack up against one of the best teams in the region." – South Central coach Eric Stephens.
