SCOUTING THIS WEEK’S SECTIONAL QUARTERFINALS
Class 4A
Shelbyville (1-8) at Greenwood (2-7)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: This will be the first time the two schools have met on the gridiron since 1970, when the Golden Bears ended their season with a 14-7 win.
Sagarin ratings: Shelbyville 38.79 (207th in Indiana, 47th in Class 4A), Greenwood 45.73 (173rd, 42nd in 4A)
Players to watch: Shelbyville — QB Tyler Gwinnup, RB/LB Grantland Fitzgerald, WR/DB Jaylen Eads, OL/DL Brayden Schultz, OL/LB Julian Eads; Greenwood — QB Ayden Houseman, RB/LB Gunner Ruppert, RB/LB Anthony Scaramazzo, WR/DB Davion Jones, LB Ethan Lobb
What to look for: Greenwood was without seven of its top players by the end of the regular-season finale against Whiteland; coach Justin Boser said many of those injuries are week to week, and it’s likely that several of the above players will be ready to go tonight. If even a few are back, the Woodmen should be able to win this one and advance; if it’s the same skeleton crew that finished up against the Warriors, though, then Shelbyville might be able to knock off its future Hoosier Legends Conference rival.
Northview (8-1) at Roncalli (4-4)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
Recent history: The Royals beat the Knights in a 35-14 sectional tilt on their way to a state title in 2016.
Sagarin ratings: Northview 64.31 (90th, 25th in 4A), Roncalli 80.30 (26th, fourth in 4A)
Players to watch: Northview — QB Colton Bath, RB/DB Slade Fell, WR Avery Perry, LB Gage Thompson; Roncalli — QB Collin Ash, RB Zach Dozier, WR Conner Kesler, DL Sam Neu, LB Carson Keller
What to look for: The records might convince you that the Knights are a prohibitive favorite tonight; don’t be fooled. There’s a cavernous gap in strength of schedule between the two squads, with Northview playing a largely 3A schedule and Roncalli testing itself against some of the state’s best. The matchup to watch will be the Knights’ high-octane offense (37.1 ppg) against a stingy Royals defense that held Brebeuf Jesuit 30 points below its season average and limited ranked Bishop Chatard, Columbus North and East Central teams to a combined 30 points.
Class 3A
Edgewood (2-7) at Indian Creek (4-5)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Braves rolled to a 43-14 road win over the Mustangs on Sept. 28, their ninth victory in as many meetings during the teams’ time together in the WIC.
Sagarin ratings: Edgewood 19.23 (276th, 57th in 3A), Indian Creek 44.43 (181st, 39th in 3A)
Players to watch: Edgewood — QB Michael Law, WR/DB Nehemiah Strunk, TE/LB Gunnar Perry, LB Dylan Wickens; Indian Creek — QB Evan Clark, RB Malachi Mink, WR Bobby Emberton, WR/DB Levi Pappas, WR/DB Jaxon Ramey
What to look for: The Braves had no trouble winning on the Mustangs’ red turf last month, with Drew Pingleton rushing for 192 yards while Mink was out with an injury. Last week’s lopsided loss at Northview notwithstanding, Creek had been looking up of late, with freshman Clark settling in under center and the defense holding four straight opponents under 20 points. The Braves are in a very winnable sectional; if they’re going to make a run at it, a game like tonight’s needs to get handled without any suspense.
Class A
North Decatur (8-1) Edinburgh (0-9)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Chargers routed the Lancers, 82-0, in a Week 8 matchup this season; they’ve won the last 11 meetings.
Sagarin ratings: North Decatur 57.84 (122nd, 6th in Class A), Edinburgh minus-5.80 (312th, 61st in A)
Players to watch: North Decatur — QB Mason Morris, RB/DB Cooper Parmer, RB/LB Corbin Thackery, WR/DB Owen Eldridge, WR/DB Alexander Jones; Edinburgh — QB/DB Samson Parkhurst, RB Landon Clouse, RB/DL Milas Burkman, WR/DB Luke Fowler
What to look for: A mercy killing. The Lancers have had a nightmarish season replete with injuries and lopsided defeats, none worse than the 82-point beating administered by these same Chargers two weeks ago. Offense has been a major problem — since its season-opening 32-14 loss to Tindley, Edinburgh has managed to score just 12 more points, matching an undesirable school record with six shutout losses. Avoiding a seventh might be a tall order against a seemingly merciless North Decatur team that might well end up playing for a state championship.
Eastern Greene (3-6) vs. Greenwood Christian (7-2)
At Beech Grove High School
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Sagarin ratings: Eastern Greene 14.93 (285th, 50th in A), GCA 32.32 (229th, 24th in A)
Players to watch: Eastern Greene — QB/DL Peyton Lewis, RB/LB Brody Teague, WR/DB Kasen Cullison, LB Luke McNeal; GCA — QB/DB Trey Dobson, RB/DB Daniel Honeycutt, RB/LB Evan McIntire, WR/DB Zach Haynes, WR/DB Isaiah Johnson
What to look for: Tonight represents new territory for the Cougars, who are making their IHSAA tournament debut and doing so on high school turf after playing on the grass at Beech Grove Middle School in the regular season. The artificial surface should help GCA’s explosive offense, which relies heavily on the speed of Dobson and his cohorts. The Thunderbirds were a state runner-up in 2017 but have fallen on hard times since, winning a combined 13 games in the last six seasons. Expect GCA to handle this one and set up a semifinal date with North Decatur next week.
