SCOUTING TONIGHT’S MATCHUPS
Whiteland (4-4) at Greenwood (4-4)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Warriors have taken the last four meetings, including a 42-14 victory last season.
Sagarin ratings: Whiteland 73.99 (45th in Indiana), Greenwood 60.26 (109th)
Players to watch: Whiteland — RB Slate Valentine, WR Gunnar Hicks, DL Scott Harden, LB Jordan Palmer, DB Andrian Kolleigbo; Greenwood — QB Brock Riddle, RB/LB Alan Burnett, WR/LB Tanner Crouch, WR/DB Amare Middleton, LB Cole Basey
What to look for: Perhaps no two teams personify the up-and-down Mid-State Conference as much as these two. The Woodmen started the season hot with three straight road wins, but have lost four of five since. Whiteland, ravaged by injuries, has some momentum after an upset win over Plainfield last Friday. Greenwood has generally been able to put points on the board but hasn’t been able to stop anyone, allowing at least 28 points in every game and more than 40 five times. It’ll need to slow Valentine and the Warrior ground game to give itself a chance.
Center Grove (7-1) vs. Cathedral (6-2)
At Sellick Bowl, Butler University
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The teams split a pair of meetings last fall, with the Irish taking a 40-29 win in Week 9 and the Trojans coming back with a 33-10 semistate triumph.
Sagarin ratings: Center Grove 99.37 (fourth), Cathedral 100.70 (third)
Players to watch: Center Grove — QB Tyler Cherry, RB Matthew Yoder, WR Noah Coy, LB Owen Bright, LB Kaden McConnell; Cathedral — QB Danny O’Neil, RB Jalen Bonds, WR Keith Long, LB Oscar Kirch, LB Max Finn
What to look for: A battle of perhaps the top two quarterbacks in the state. O’Neil had all the preseason hype, complete with a commitment to Colorado, but one could argue that Cherry has had the more impressive season thus far. Center Grove has gradually improved its run game as the season has progressed, with Yoder in particular looking stronger in recent weeks. The brutal early-season schedule seems to be paying dividends for the Trojans, who are hitting their stride at the right time yet again.
Franklin (5-3) at Decatur Central (6-2)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Hawks had taken 10 straight in the series before the Grizzly Cubs pulled out a 21-13 win last year.
Sagarin ratings: Franklin 67.79 (72nd), Decatur Central 75.91 (37th)
Players to watch: Franklin — QB Clay Pinnick, RB Alex Leugers, WR Quentin Richards, DL Blake Smythe, DB Jake Dinkens; Decatur Central — QB Bo Polston, RB N’Po Dodo, RB/LB Halbert Aguirre, WR K.C. Berry, DL Jalyn Shanks
What to look for: After a less than overwhelming 2-2 start, the Hawks have gotten it together with four consecutive victories. They’ve shown a knack for winning close games, with all but one of their wins coming by seven points or less, and they’ve been able to win shootouts (63-42 vs. Greenwood) and defensive battles (14-7 against Perry Meridian last week). Can the Grizzly Cubs put together a second straight complete effort, or will inconsistency bite them again?
Northview (6-2) at Indian Creek (5-3)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Knights’ 60-23 home rout last year was their third straight series win and fourth of five overall; Indian Creek’s lone victory came in the 2019 WIC title game.
Sagarin ratings: Northview 66.94 (76th), Indian Creek 56.89 (123rd)
Players to watch: Northview — QB Kyle Cottee, RB/DB Tyler Lee, LB Gage Thompson, DB Slade Fell; Indian Creek — QB Jalen Sauer, RB/DB Malachi Mink, WR Bobby Emberton, WR/DB Levi Pappas, LB Carter Modlin
What to look for: The Knights took a couple of tough losses to Terre Haute South and Guerin Catholic before resuming their Western Indiana Conference dominance with a 57-7 rout of Edgewood last week. Likewise, Indian Creek has won the games it was supposed to win; can Casey Gillin’s squad take some extra momentum into the postseason by picking one off that maybe it isn’t supposed to? Stopping Northview’s prolific ground duo of Cottee and Lee will be critical.
Park Tudor (8-0) at Edinburgh (1-7)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Panthers have won the previous two meetings by a combined 87 points, taking a 57-12 home win last season.
Sagarin ratings: Park Tudor 46.86 (162nd), Edinburgh minus-4.70 (306th)
Players to watch: Park Tudor — QB/DB D.J. Gordon, RB/LB William Harris, WR Hayden Souza, WR/DB Cason Ritz, DL Nolan Whitehead; Edinburgh — QB/DB Connor Ramey, RB/DB Jackson Hartwell, WR/DB Gabe Bennett
What to look for: A running clock. Edinburgh has scored seven points or less five times this season and was blanked at North Decatur last week, 69-0; that doesn’t bode well with perhaps the toughest opponent of the season on tap tonight. Gordon has been essentially unstoppable, rushing and passing for more than 1,000 yards, and the Panthers have scored at least 40 points each week, starting with a 65-6 rout of the same Greenwood Christian team that whipped the Lancers in Week 4. The good news? Edinburgh has a sectional bye to look forward to after this one.
Greenwood Christian (5-3) at White Pigeon (Mich.) (7-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Sagarin ratings: GCA 24.21 (251st)
Players to watch: GCA — QB/DB Trey Dobson, RB/DB Nathan Goins, RB/LB Evan McIntire
What to look for: That’s anybody’s guess. The Chiefs are unbeaten and in the top 10 of Division 8 (Michigan’s smallest class), and they’re coming off of a 62-0 rout of Cassopolis — but are they more battle-tested than the Cougars, who are also coming off of a shutout victory and have won five of their last six games? GCA is playing with house money at this point; it’s guaranteed to end its second year of football with a winning record. Can the explosive trio of Dobson, Goins and McIntire maintain the momentum that’s accounted for 141 points the last three weeks?
East Central (8-0) at Roncalli (3-5)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Royals pulled out a 21-19 victory in Week 9 last season, but East Central got payback with a 24-21 overtime win in a Class 4A semistate.
Sagarin ratings: East Central 91.70 (eighth), Roncalli 74.68 (41st)
Players to watch: East Central — QB Cole Burton, RB Josh Ringer, WR Ryan Brotherton, LB Brayden Rouse, LB Dylan Maxwell; Roncalli — QB Collin Ash, RB Zach Dozier, RB/LB Ben Brandenburg, WR Christian Swiezy, LB J.J. Prendergast
What to look for: The Trojans might have lost to Roncalli in last year’s regular-season finale, but they haven’t lost since, thanks in large part to Ringer (1,549 yards rushing). While its schedule strength has been lacking since a Sept. 1 home win over Cincinnati Moeller, East Central has pitched five straight shutouts and hasn’t been scored on by an Indiana team since Week 1; it doesn’t figure to be severely tested by a struggling group of Royals that has been blanked in successive weeks and hasn’t established an offensive identity all season.
