SCOUTING TONIGHT’S MATCHUPS
Center Grove (1-1) at Louisville Trinity (2-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Trojans avenged a 2022 overtime loss with a 34-7 home victory last season.
Sagarin ratings: Center Grove 83.13 (15th in Indiana)
Players to watch: Center Grove — QB Gabe McWilliams, RB Austin Hennessy, WR Brody Holubar, LB Lincoln Bright, DB Luke Barrett; Trinity — QB Zane Johnson, RB Jemaurion Berry, WR Jeremiah Lynn, DL Bailey Vance LB J.C. Wilson
What to look for: Ranked among Kentucky’s top teams once again, the Shamrocks now play a pair against traditional Indiana powers (they travel to Carmel next week). They’ve leaned on a strong defense thus far and will try to do so again against a Trojan offense that has looked sharp, especially through the air. Center Grove’s defense and special teams will be tested by Lynn, a dynamic playmaker, but if it can limit the big plays and not shoot itself in the foot with mistakes, this is a winnable road game that would provide needed momentum heading into a Week 4 clash at Ben Davis.
Perry Meridian (1-1) at Franklin (2-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Grizzly Cubs’ 26-20 overtime triumph a year ago was their fifth in six meetings since the Falcons joined the Mid-State Conference.
Sagarin ratings: Perry Meridian 69.97 (77th), Franklin 71.65 (63rd)
Players to watch: Perry Meridian — QB Allen Zupan, RB Jonathan Hunter, WR Byron Hon, LB Andy Warren, LB Isaac Williams; Franklin — QB Greyson Betts, RB Alex Leugers, OL/DL Blake Smythe, LB Isaac Broughton, DB Landen Basey
What to look for: Don’t look now, but the Grizzly Cubs are quietly the only 2-0 team in Johnson County. Can they make it three? Leugers has been dominant on the ground as expected, and Franklin got a bit more out of Betts in the passing game last week against Mt. Vernon (12 completions, 114 yards), showing some needed diversity in a 21-20 win. The Falcons lost a game they were supposed to lose and blew out a Southport team they were supposed to blow out; this one sits somewhere in between. Franklin has the confidence of knowing they can win a close game — that might matter tonight.
Whiteland (1-0) at Decatur Central (0-1)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Warriors have won the last two regular-season meetings but dropped a 41-7 regional battle on the Hawks’ home field last Nov. 10.
Sagarin ratings: Whiteland 67.37 (97th), Decatur Central 68.36 (89th)
Players to watch: Whiteland — QB Oliver Taylor, RB Slate Valentine, FB/LB Jordan Palmer, DL Ayden Shaffer, LB Brandon Dye; Decatur Central — QB Bo Polston, Mykul Campbell
What to look for: The Class 5A No. 2 Warriors felt like they had just gotten the ball rolling at Kokomo last Friday when storms cut the game short. Meanwhile, the sixth-ranked Hawks have had that much more time to stew after a shocking blowout loss to Columbus North in the opener. Decatur tends to get better week to week and has a dangerous quarterback in Toledo recruit Polston; can Whiteland shut him down like it did in the regular season last year, or did the Hawks unlock something in the postseason rematch that they can exploit again? Either way, this one shouldn’t be boring.
Martinsville (2-0) at Greenwood (1-1)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Woodmen snapped a five-game series losing streak with a 43-28 road win last season.
Sagarin ratings: Martinsville 78.81 (25th), Greenwood 62.39 (126th)
Players to watch: Martinsville — QB A.J. Reynolds, RB Austin Pryor, WR Hunter Stroud, WR Mason Dodson, DL Noah Sumner; Greenwood — QB Aiden Houseman, RB/DB Gunner Ruppert, RB Anthony Scaramazzo, WR/DB Davion Jones, OL/DL Carter Swain
What to look for: Greenwood gave itself a major shot in the arm by rallying past Indian Creek last week, scoring the last 21 points of the game — and the Woodmen will need every bit of that momentum. The Artesians, ranked seventh in Class 4A, have scored 91 points in two games and are shaping up as a dark horse in the Mid-State Conference race. The Woodmen will need to be as opportunistic on defense as they were in picking off five passes last time out — it’s going to take some of those tide-turning takeaways to knock the steam out of Martinsville’s potent offense.
Indian Creek (0-2) at Owen Valley (0-2)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Patriots won two in a row before the Braves cruised to a 38-0 home triumph a year ago.
Sagarin ratings: Indian Creek 59.66 (145th), Owen Valley 29.16 (286th)
Players to watch: Indian Creek — QB Evan Clark, RB Malachi Mink, WR Bobby Emberton, WR/DB Levi Pappas, WR/DB Jaxon Ramey; Owen Valley — QB Parker Greene, RB Elijah Anderson, RB/LB Braddock Nickless, WR/DB Calvin Dean, TE/DL Tye Voss
What to look for: The Patriots have fallen a long way fast since going 12-1 in 2022, cycling through two more coaches and suffering a 47-0 loss to Cascade last week — their seventh in the last eight games. Indian Creek has been at victory’s doorstep each of these first two weeks this season and fallen just short, but the Braves will be a heavy favorite in this one. A key to ensuring that first win will be Clark, who looked like a future star at times last week against Greenwood but threw five interceptions. Can he avoid costly mistakes and lead his team across the finish line?
South Decatur (0-2) at Edinburgh (0-2)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Lancers won in 2021 and 2022 before the Cougars roared back last season with a 52-14 win.
Sagarin ratings: South Decatur 26.78 (295th), Edinburgh 16.31 (308th)
Players to watch: South Decatur — QB J.P. Scudder, RB/DB Jayden Jackson-Ray, RB/LB Corbin Johnson, RB/DB Malaki Roszell; Edinburgh — QB Caleb Murphy, RB/DB Luke Fowler, RB/LB Irving Luis-Orosco, WR/DB Jared Myers, OL/DL Cooper Cordray
What to look for: Johnson does much of the heavy lifting for the Cougars on both sides, leading the team in rushing, receiving and tackles. Both teams have struggled to get much going through the air this season, so it won’t be a surprise to see the defenses stack the box and dare the opposition to beat them with the pass. Can Murphy or Scudder pull it off? The Lancers in particular could use a good start to shake off last week’s nightmarish 62-0 home loss to Cloverdale.
Wes-Del (0-2) vs. Greenwood Christian (1-1)
(at Beech Grove MS)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Cougars pulled out a 29-26 triumph last fall in the first-ever meeting between the schools.
Sagarin ratings: Wes-Del 29.38 (285th), GCA 42.24 (229th)
Players to watch: Wes-Del — QB Kameran Vonderschmitt, RB Rhyker Mauck, RB/LB Brock Nauman, OL/LB Grayson Mealy, OL/DL Luke Powers; GCA — QB/DB Trey Dobson, RB/DB Danny Honeycutt, RB/LB Evan McIntire, WR/DB Zach Haynes, OL/DL Eli Jackson
What to look for: The Warriors took it on the chin in their first two games, losing by 29 and 30 points, while GCA is coming off arguably the biggest victory in its brief history, a 24-14 triumph over a Covenant Christian team that won the Class A state title just four years ago. The Cougars will need to be careful to avoid a letdown game, especially with a Week 4 rivalry clash looming against Edinburgh, but this is a matchup that they should be able to handle without much trouble.
Bishop Chatard (2-0) at Roncalli (1-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Recent history: The Trojans posted a 14-7 victory last year, one of its three single-digit wins on the way to a 15-0 record and a state championship.
Sagarin ratings: Chatard 84.37 (12th), Roncalli 73.26 (53rd)
Players to watch: Chatard — QB Jack Harrington, TE/LB Harrison Forestal, DL Mike McGinley; Roncalli — QB Jayden Buchanan, RB Zach Dozier, WR Drew Nelson, DL Sam Neu, LB Carson Keller
What to look for: After rolling to a Class 3A title last fall, Chatard is settling into 4A nicely with a No. 2 ranking, having scored 86 points in just six quarters of play. The Royals represent the toughest test so far for the Trojans, and they’re looking a bit more dynamic offensively than a year ago with the emergence of Buchanan under center. The last couple of games between these two traditional city powerhouses have been low-scoring and tight; despite each team having a quarterback capable of opening things up, it won’t be a surprise if this turns into another slobberknocker.
