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THE INDIANA FOOTBALL DIGEST'S TOP GAMES – WEEK TWO
BY PAUL CONDRY AND MATT KOPSEA
ANDREAN (1-0) AT MERRILLVILLE (1-0)
GAME TIME: 7 pm CT, Demaree Stadium.
COACHES: Phil Mason, 45-19 in 6th year at Andrean, 78-56 in 13th year overall. Zac Wells, 68-23 in 8th year at Merrillville.
LAST OUTING: Andrean beat Hammond Noll, 51-14. Merrillville beat South Bend Clay, 41-7.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: Merrillville, 3-1.
LAST MEETING: Merrillville, 50-28, Aug. 24, 2012.
COACHES COMMENTS: "Once again, a great test for us to start the year. I always say it doesn't matter how far we go in the playoffs because Merrillville will be the best team we play. (Bryant) Isabell is an outstanding running back and for us to have success, we must hold him in check. As always, they are big, fast, and physical and give you matchup problems. Defensively, I think we have great personnel that will rise to this challenge. Our offense will have to make strides, particularly up front. This game will come down to the team that makes the fewest mistakes." – Andrean coach Phil Mason.
"Andrean is solid in all three areas of the game, and I think field position will play a key part in Friday night's game. Defensively, we will need to try and prevent the big plays and force them to work the ball down the field. Offensively, we need to take care of the ball and capitalize on any mistakes Andrean may make. It should be a hard fought battle which is something we have become very accustomed to." - Merrillville coach Zac Wells.
BEN DAVIS (1-0) AT CINCINNATI ST. XAVIER (OHIO) (0-0)
GAME TIME: 7:30 pm ET, Cincinnati St. Xavier (Ohio) Field.
COACHES: Mike Kirschner, 47-22 in 7th year at Ben Davis, 61-48 in 11th year overall. Steve Specht, 73-18 in 9th year at St. Xavier.
LAST OUTING: Ben Davis beat Indianapolis Cathedral, 26-20.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: No meetings.
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (1-0) AT PAOLI (1-0)
GAME TIME: 8 pm ET, Cook Field.
COACHES: Andy Owen, 42-26 in 7th year at Evansville Central. Brian Balsmeyer, 57-27 in 8th year at Paoli.
LAST OUTING: Evansville Central beat North Oldham (Ky.), 66-50. Paoli beat Salem, 29-20.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: No meetings.
COACHES COMMENTS: "We will have to play extremely well to go on the road and beat a team that has won nine or more games the last five years. We did not turn the ball over last week and hope to continue to take care of the football. To go on the road and win, our kicking game must be sound. We hope to be able to get some stops on defense and try to create some turnovers on defense as well. Most importantly, we must play inspired football." Evansville Central coach Andy Owen.
"After putting the ball on the ground ten times, losing six fumbles, and throwing an interception that set up a score, we must protect the football. A minus-six turnover ratio will not get it done versus a very talented Evansville Central team." – Paoli coach Brian Balsmeyer.
FORT WAYNE NORTH (1-0) AT DELTA (1-0)
GAME TIME: 7:30 pm ET, Delta Stadium.
COACHES: Ryan Hall, 23-12 in 4th year at Fort Wayne North. Grant Zgunda, 146-36 in 16th year at Delta, 183-48 in 21st year overall.
LAST OUTING: Fort Wayne North beat Fort Wayne Concordia, 26-19. Delta beat Jay County, 34-15.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: No meetings.
COACHES COMMENTS: "Delta is a very good team and they are well-coached! We must stop the run and defend their big receivers. They play extremely well on defense, so we need to get our athletes in space and make some plays. We are very excited about this opportunity to go on the road and play a quality opponent that we are not used to playing." F.W. North coach Ryan Hall.
"We will have to make a lot of one on one tackles on defense because of the way they spread you out and get the ball to their very speedy athletic players. We will have to win the battle up front to have a chance." – Delta coach Grant Zgunda.
HAMILTON HEIGHTS (0-1) AT SHERIDAN (0-1)
GAME TIME: 7:30 pm ET, Blackhawk Field.
COACHES: Mitch Street, 22-6 in 3rd year at Hamilton Heights. Larry Wright, 379-164 in 48th year at Sheridan, 380-167 in 49th year overall.
LAST OUTING: Hamilton Heights lost to Tipton, 28-7. Sheridan lost to Western Boone, 34-13.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: Tied, 4-4.
LAST MEETING: Hamilton Heights, 53-20, Aug. 24, 2012.
COACHES COMMENTS: "In order for us to beat the Blackhawks, we need to make strides up front and improve our offensive and defensive line play. With that in mind, we have to be able to stop their running attack and take advantage of the opportunities we have offensively. Special teams must also be an advantage for us on Friday night." – Hamilton Heights coach Mitch Street.
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (1-0) AT FISHERS (0-1)
GAME TIME: 7 pm ET, Clarian Field.
COACHES: Scott May, 59-13 in 7th year at Hamilton Southeastern, 62-32 in 9th year overall. Rick Wimmer, 54-30 in 8th year at Fishers, 218-113 in 31st year overall.
LAST OUTING: Hamilton Southeastern beat Avon, 28-7. Fishers lost to Noblesville, 27-24.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: Hamilton Southeastern, 7-3.
LAST MEETING: Fishers, 42-7, sectional, Oct. 26, 2012.
COACHES COMMENTS: "For us to win Friday, the key will be to try and get Fishers offense off the field. We must keep (J-Shun) Harris in front of us and take away their deep ball threat. Our offense must move the ball and mix it up pass and run. When you play Fishers, the cross town rival comes into play. They will be ready for us I am sure. Our team played well week one but we have a lot to work on. Our goal is to get better each week." – Hamilton Southeastern coach Scott May.
"We must make significant improvements in every area of the game this week. Defensively, we must get aligned better and maintain leverage. We must have better tackling and pursuit effort from our defense. Offensively, we must get a running game established and be much more efficient in the passing game. I think we looked for too many big plays in the passing game last week instead of just executing the offense and letting the big plays happen from execution. The many young players we are playing right now must continue to show development. We are playing five sophomores and a freshman significantly as well as some inexperienced juniors and seniors." – Fishers coach Rick Wimmer.
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (0-1) AT WARREN CENTRAL (0-1)
GAME TIME: 7 pm ET, Warren Central Field.
COACHES: Rick Streiff, 178-43 in 19th year at Indianapolis Cathedral, 201-86 in 25th year overall. Jayson West, 0-1 in 1st year at Warren Central, 52-13 in 6th year overall.
LAST OUTING: Indianapolis Cathedral lost to Ben Davis, 26-20. Warren Central lost to Center Grove, 21-10.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: Tied, 2-2.
LAST MEETING: Indianapolis Cathedral, 14-7, Aug. 25, 2012.
COACHES COMMENTS: "We must rebound from a physical tough loss to a similar tough opponent. The line of scrimmage will be important again. Our players showed a lot of grit, but made too many mistakes against a very good opponent. We are young (four sophomore starters), so the learning curve is big each week." – Cathedral coach Rick Streiff.
"This game will probably be decided on about five plays and who ends up making those plays. Cathedral will be another great challenge in our schedule, and the team that improves the most from week one will definitely have the advantage." Warren Central coach Jayson West.
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (1-0) AT SPEEDWAY (1-0)
GAME TIME: 7 pm ET, Johnson Field.
COACHES: Ott Hurrle, 142-108 in 22nd year at Indianapolis Scecina, 143-117 in 24th year overall. Denny Pelley, 189-78 in 24th year at Speedway, 283-130 in 39th year overall.
LAST OUTING: Indianapolis Scecina beat Elwood, 29-13. Speedway beat Lapel, 42-13.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: Speedway, 6-2.
LAST MEETING: Indianapolis Scecina, 27-26, Aug. 25, 2012.
COACHES COMMENTS: "Speedway has a Hall of Fame coach (Denny Pelley), a Notre Dame recruit (Justin Brent), and a very good defense. We will have to play our absolute best this Friday against them." Scecina coach Ott Hurrle.
"Our football team is much different than the past several years. We have moved Justin Brent from wide receiver to tailback. We need to eliminate turnovers and stay in the game Friday. We have several first-year players who are improving. How fast they do will have a lot to do with our success." – Speedway coach Denny Pelley.
LEWIS CASS (1-0) AT WEST LAFAYETTE (1-0)
GAME TIME: 7:30 pm ET, Gordon Straley Field.
COACHES: Scott Mannering, 201-98 in 28th year at Lewis Cass. Shane Fry, 1-0 in 1st year at West Lafayette.
LAST OUTING: Lewis Cass beat Pioneer, 29-0. West Lafayette beat Tri-West, 26-15.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: West Lafayette, 6-4.
LAST MEETING: Lewis Cass, 14-6, Aug. 24, 2012.
COACHES COMMENTS: "It should be a good one. For us to win against the Kings, we need to be physical up front. Cass is very well coached and they play extremely hard. We have to match their intensity." - West Lafayette coach Shane Fry.
LOUISVILLE TRINITY (KY.) (0-1) AT CARMEL (1-0)
GAME TIME: 7 pm ET, Greyhound Stadium.
COACHES: Bob Beatty, 91-14 in 9th year at Louisville Trinity. Kevin Wright, 32-5 in 4th year at Carmel, 166-59 in 20th year overall.
LAST OUTING: Louisville Trinity lost to Ensworth, 27-26. Carmel beat Indianapolis Tech, 6-2.
OPPONENTS' RECORDS: Louisville Trinity (Ky.) 0-0, Carmel 0-1.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: No meetings.
COACHES COMMENTS: "In order to beat Trinity, we must play a complete game. Last week, we played very well defensively, but struggled at times to sustain drives on offense. We must also play better on special teams. We made way too many mistakes that must be corrected. Normally the most improvement is made between week one and week two. We will need to improve if we are going to beat one of the best programs in the country." – Carmel coach Kevin Wright.
MISHAWAKA (0-1) AT CROWN POINT (1-0)
GAME TIME: 6:30 pm CT, Bulldog Turf.
COACHES: Bart Curtis, 48-17 in 6th year at Mishawaka, 159-84 in 23rd year overall. Kevin Enright, 9-4 in 2nd year at Crown Point.
LAST OUTING: Mishawaka lost to Portage, 20-7. Crown Point beat Lowell, 16-12.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: No meetings.
COACHES COMMENTS: "We CANNOT play sloppy football offensively. We must continue to tackle well and improve our pass coverage. We MUST take care of the football and try to develop SOME TYPE OF IDENTITY not only as an offense, but as a TEAM." – Mishawaka coach Bart Curtis.
"We have to play extremely well in all three phases of the game, offensively, defensively, and special teams, and eliminate week one mistakes. Mishawaka made it to the state championship game a year ago and utilizes an option attack that presents unique challenges that are very difficult to simulate. They are well-coached and without a doubt, will be ready. If we play hard and stay focused the entire game, we feel like we can be competitive." – Crown Point coach Kevin Enright.
MISHAWAKA MARIAN (1-0) AT NEW PRAIRIE (1-0)
GAME TIME: 7 pm CT, Amzi Miller Field.
COACHES: Reggie Glon, 124-83 in 20th year at Mishawaka Marian. Russ Radtke, 10-2 in 2nd year at New Prairie, 300-122 in 37th year overall.
LAST OUTING: Mishawaka Marian beat DeKalb, 44-7. New Prairie beat LaPorte, 48-7.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: New Prairie, 2-0.
LAST MEETING: New Prairie, 27-6, sectional, Oct. 27, 2006.
COACHES COMMENTS: "We will need to play error free football and take advantage of everyone of our possessions.This could be one of those games that you may only touch the ball four or five times, and the team that doesn't take advantage of that will come out on the short end of the possession game. I think the kick game will also really impact this game and field position will be a huge advantage." Marian coach Reggie Glon.
PIKE (1-0) AT CINCINNATI MOELLER (OHIO) (0-0)
GAME TIME: 8:30 pm ET, U. of Cincinnati.
COACHES: Derek Moyers, 54-19 in 7th year at Pike, 88-49 in 13th year overall. John Rodenberg, 25-11 in 5th year at Cincinnati Moeller.
LAST OUTING: Pike beat North Central (Indianapolis), 41-22.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: No meetings.
COACHES COMMENTS: "In order for us to be successful and come out of Cincinnati with a victory, we have to approach this trip as a business trip and not get caught up in what will be an electric atmosphere. Obviously, we have to be solid in the kicking game and utilize our speed over their size." Pike coach Derek Moyers.
SOUTH PUTNAM (1-0) AT TRI-WEST (0-1)
GAME TIME: 7 pm ET, Tri-West Field.
COACHES: Troy Burgess, 40-34 in 8th year at South Putnam, 85-72 in 16th year overall. Chris Coll, 39-34 in 8th year at Tri-West.
LAST OUTING: South Putnam beat Owen Valley, 26-0. Tri-West lost to West Lafayette, 26-15.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: Tri-West, 11-4.
LAST MEETING: Tri-West, 14-13, Aug. 25, 2012.
COACHES COMMENTS: "Tri West has a very good quarterback in the (Jake) Hendershot kid. If we don't get pressure on him, it's going to be a long night for us." – South Putnam coach Troy Burgess.
TIPTON (1-0) AT ELWOOD (0-1)
GAME TIME: 7 pm ET, Panther Stadium.
COACHES: Aaron Tolle, 63-31 in 9th year at Tipton. Marty Wells, 35-50 in 9th year at Elwood, 58-79 in 14th year overall.
LAST OUTING: Tipton beat Hamilton Heights, 28-7. Elwood lost to Indianapolis Scecina, 29-13.
SERIES LAST 15 YEARS: Tipton, 13-2.
LAST MEETING: Tipton, 49-33, Aug. 24, 2012.
COACHES COMMENTS: "Obviously, when attempting to defeat Elwood, priority number one has to be to contain Sammy Mirales. He will touch the ball in every imaginable way, so we will have to tackle really well in the open field. Offensively, we will strive to be more balanced as far as our run/pass ratio is concerned. This is another rivalry game for both teams, so we will have to match their intensity, especially early in the game." – Tipton coach Aaron Tolle.
"We MUST eliminate penalties and negative plays. We put the ball on the ground seven times last week & had 15 penalties. Most of the fumbles were bad snaps in shotgun formation. Tipton's offensive line is probably the best they have ever had, so we MUST match their physical play. We MUST make (Austin) Hooker earn every yard." – Elwood coach Marty Wells.
