High School Football Previews For Friday
August 27, 2020 at 1:55 a.m.
Michigan City (1-0) at Warsaw (1-0)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m., Fisher Field, Warsaw.
Series (last 35 years): Warsaw, 1-0.
John Harrell’s prediction: Warsaw, 42-31.
Last meeting: Aug. 30, 2019, Warsaw 20-19.
About Michigan City: Coach Phil Mason’s Wolves blew out visiting South Bend Riley 55-0 in Week 1 …. Michigan City was 1-3 on the road in 2019.
About Warsaw: Coach Bart Curtis’ Tigers went on the road and outgunned Huntington North 42-35 in Week 1 … Aaron Greene rushed 20 times for 267 of his team’s 499 yards with touchdown runs of 22, 70 and 54 yards. Juan Jarmillo had 31 totes for 120 yards. Julius Jones added 55 ground yards. Warsaw dominated time of possession, having the ball 31 minutes … The Tigers are ranked tied for No. 10 in Class 6A by the the Indiana Football Coaches Association and No. 13 by Associated Press … Warsaw was 5-1 at home in 2019 … The Tigers have gotten off to 2-0 starts in each of the last two seasons after going nine straight campaigns without that distinction.
Per Warsaw coach Bart Curtis:
On Michigan City — “On film, they’re big, fast, physical and look angry when they play. They have a mission and method to their madness … Michigan City is a very physical team that can out-finesse and out-speed you if you’re not in the right position. We were fortunate to get out of (Michigan City) last year with a win. “
Intensity — “We did not convert on two fourth downs. That’s disheartening and not like us. Defensively, we have to play a whole lot better. We were slow (against Huntington North) and didn’t look interested.”
On Huntington North game — “I knew they’d be better. They had 16 starters back … We have to forge our own identity. Last year is gone and this year is here. We have to write our own chapter and make it a positive one.”
West Noble (0-1) at Wawasee (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Field, Syracuse.
Series (last 35 years): Tied, 3-3.
John Harrell’s prediction: West Noble, 35-10.
Last meeting: Aug. 30, 2019, West Noble 21-6.
Last time Wawasee won: Aug. 26, 2016, 48-7.
About West Noble: Coach Monte Mawhorter’s Chargers lost 27-14 at home to Central Noble in Week 1 … West Noble went 10-1 in 2019.
About Wawasee: Coach Jon Reutebuch’s visiting Warriors blanked Lakeland 42-0 in Week 1 … Parker Young completed 10-of-15 passes for 220 yards and four touchdowns and had rushing TD’s of 2 and 3 yards. Catching Young’s scoring aerials were Jacob Meek (7 and 24 yards), Kameron Salazar (35 yards) and Adam Beer (33 yards) … The Warriors have the chance to be 2-0 for the first time since 2016.
Per Wawasee coach Jon Reutebuch:
On West Noble — They had beaten us the last three years in a row. That’s something we’re looking to change. We have to make sure we’re one of those teams that are improving from the first game to the second game … The offensive linemen help immensely upfront … They’ve got a really good back in Taylor Gustavo. He’s fast. They have bookend defensive ends in Braxton Pruitt and Zach Beers and middle linebacker Peter Bradley.
Defense — The kids were very aggressive. The other overall emphasis on pursuit and swarming to the ball that we emphasized in July paid off.
On Lakeland game — We’ve got pretty good depth. Defensive starters Robert Schmucker, Dante Landeros and Zach Smith did not play. Kids stepped up and filled those roles. The mental of ‘next man up’ is paying off.
Bluffton (1-0 overall) at Manchester (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Burk Field.
Series: Bluffton leads 12-4.
Last meeting: Bluffton won 43-20 on Aug. 30, 2019.
Last Manchester win: 46-23 on Aug. 28, 2009.
John Harrell’s prediction: Bluffton, 31-21.
About Bluffton: The Tigers opened last week with a 25-13 home win over Northfield. … Bluffton, slated to be the Squires’ lone non-Three Rivers Conference opponent of the regular season, has won 11 straight meetings since Manchester’s 2009 victory. … The Tigers, members of the Allen County Conference, are coming off a 7-3 season that ranks as the program’s best since 10-2 in 1982.
About Manchester: All kinds of sweet rarities came from the Squires’ season-opening 47-12 home win over North Miami last week. Among them, Manchester — by virtue of being part of the only TRC game in Week 1 — is alone in first place in the league for the first time since its table-running 1998 league championship season. The Squires are also over .500 overall for the first time in any season since standing 3-2 in 2014, and their 35-point win against the Warriors matched the program’s second-largest margin of victory in the last 11 years. … Sophomore quarterback Brock Casper completed 11-of-14 passes for 288 yards in his varsity debut with four touchdowns. Blake Pohler (four receptions, 124 yards) and Seth Gaerte (four, 108) evenly divided four TD catches, while Braxton Ream rushed 31 times for 169 yards and three scores. Peyton Addair registered a pair of sacks among his seven tackles for the defense.
Manchester coach Alyx Brandewie
On winning debut — “I’m just really pleased by how hard our kids played. They played hard for four quarters, from start to finish.”
On Casper’s first start — “He played fantastic. We knew with Brock that he’s a smart kid who processes well what’s going on. He made good decisions and was smart with the football.”
On the defense — “I was really impressed by our defensive effort. One of (North Miami’s) touchdowns was on the last play of the game, so we really only gave up six (points) all night against a team that spreads you out. We answered what they were trying to do and we were physical with them.”
On Bluffton: “They’re really talented and beat a pretty good team last week. They’re going to spread you out with four or five athletes. The quarterback’s really talented and they’ve got a running back who I think is their best player. They do some things similar (to North Miami’s spread), but some that are unique.”
Peru (1-0 overall, 0-0 TRC) at Whitko (1-0, 0-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Huff Stadium.
Series: Peru leads 3-0.
Last meeting: Peru won 35-13, Aug. 30, 2019.
John Harrell’s prediction: Peru, 38-7.
About Peru: The Tigers, coming off a 6-6 season, opened last week with a 25-20 home win over longtime rival Logansport. Junior quarterback Levi Strong netted 143 yards and a touchdown on 22 keepers to go with another 104 yards and a TD on 7-of-12 passing. Zach Johnson booted field goals of 35 and 24 yards, the second giving Peru a 25-14 lead early in the fourth quarter before the Berries narrowed the final margin with a TD at 14 seconds to go. Matt Ross caught six passes for 77 yards and a score, that being a 16-yarder that capped a 99-yard, second-quarter drive.
About Whitko: The Wildcats, 0-10 last season, not only broke a 13-game overall losing streak with their 22-20 overtime win over Prairie Heights last week, but ended a 16-game home skid that stretched back to September of 2016. … Cade Berg scored the tying TD in OT on a fourth-down pass by Ethan Schuh from 3 yards out, before Isaiah Kyles added the game-winning conversion on a throw from Schuh. … Whitko was forced to go for two by virtue of its top two kickers being unavailable. Starter Austin Kreps is back this week after being out last week, while backup kicker Cameron Sapp — also a starting linebacker and tight end — will remain out this week after suffering a concussion against the Panthers.
Whitko coach Phil Jensen
On ending skid — “It was pretty cool to see. We had our Senior Night and to get the first home win since 2016, there was a lot of smiling afterwards. The biggest positive was how we didn’t roll over when we faced some adversity.”
On that adversity — “There were times last year when we had a lead or were in the game, but as soon as something bad happened, it was like, ‘Oh well, here we go again.’ Friday, we got up 14-nothing, and then the third quarter was just ugly. We have a lot of kids going both ways, and we had kids cramping and kids puking. It got to 14-14 and they got the ball right back. A year ago, we would’ve folded, but the kids didn’t do that. That’s a huge step.”
On Peru — “Their quarterback is very talented, a dual threat. They’re well-coached, and beating Logansport two years in a row, that’s a big game for them. We’ll have our hands full.”
Tippecanoe Valley (0-1 overall, 0-0 TRC) at Northfield (0-1, 0-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Dawes Field.
Series: Valley leads 38-7.
Last meeting: Valley won 28-21, Aug. 30, 2019.
Last Northfield win: 27-7 on Sept. 7, 2018.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 17-10.
About Valley: The Vikings, coming off a 16-0 season-opening home loss to Culver Academy, ended a five-game losing skid to Northfield in last season’s matchup. … The Valley defense notched three takeaways against Culver — interceptions by Wade Melanson and Hunter Eherenman, and a fumble recovery by Rex Kirchenstien — but the Viking offense gave up three. … Junior halfback Braden Shepherd finished with 72 yards on 10 carries for Valley. Junior QB Branson McBrier closed 8-of-20 throwing for 62 yards.
About Northfield: The Norsemen, 7-5 in 2019, opened last week with a 25-13 loss at Bluffton. … Northfield stood 0-4 at one point last season, but then rang up seven straight wins before falling 38-28 to Adams Central in a Class 1A sectional championship. That streak included stunning a 10-0 Southwood club 14-6 in the sectional semis. … Senior quarterback Clayton Tomlinson, the new starter with the graduation of Levi Fulkerson, went 7-of-15 passing for 96 yards last week with an interception. He also fumbled, but made a pick on defense to go with the five he notched last year at safety. Jarret Shafer carried 13 times for 54 yards and a touchdown for the Norsemen.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty
On last week — “We need to get in better shape. Culver Military is always in good condition because of the academy, and then us with the COVID restrictions and not being able to have summer workouts, they just outlasted us for the most part. But our conditioning will come. We’re going to be a good football team. It’s a hard-knock group of kids who will fight to the bitter end.”
On McBrier — “I thought he did very well. The one interception he had was a deflection. I was very proud of his composure. Our offensive line gave him some time, but at the end, Culver brought more than we could block.”
On Northfield — “They’re coming off a very successful season. They’re always well-coached and prepared, they’re very fundamental and they play very hard.”
Michigan City (1-0) at Warsaw (1-0)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m., Fisher Field, Warsaw.
Series (last 35 years): Warsaw, 1-0.
John Harrell’s prediction: Warsaw, 42-31.
Last meeting: Aug. 30, 2019, Warsaw 20-19.
About Michigan City: Coach Phil Mason’s Wolves blew out visiting South Bend Riley 55-0 in Week 1 …. Michigan City was 1-3 on the road in 2019.
About Warsaw: Coach Bart Curtis’ Tigers went on the road and outgunned Huntington North 42-35 in Week 1 … Aaron Greene rushed 20 times for 267 of his team’s 499 yards with touchdown runs of 22, 70 and 54 yards. Juan Jarmillo had 31 totes for 120 yards. Julius Jones added 55 ground yards. Warsaw dominated time of possession, having the ball 31 minutes … The Tigers are ranked tied for No. 10 in Class 6A by the the Indiana Football Coaches Association and No. 13 by Associated Press … Warsaw was 5-1 at home in 2019 … The Tigers have gotten off to 2-0 starts in each of the last two seasons after going nine straight campaigns without that distinction.
Per Warsaw coach Bart Curtis:
On Michigan City — “On film, they’re big, fast, physical and look angry when they play. They have a mission and method to their madness … Michigan City is a very physical team that can out-finesse and out-speed you if you’re not in the right position. We were fortunate to get out of (Michigan City) last year with a win. “
Intensity — “We did not convert on two fourth downs. That’s disheartening and not like us. Defensively, we have to play a whole lot better. We were slow (against Huntington North) and didn’t look interested.”
On Huntington North game — “I knew they’d be better. They had 16 starters back … We have to forge our own identity. Last year is gone and this year is here. We have to write our own chapter and make it a positive one.”
West Noble (0-1) at Wawasee (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Field, Syracuse.
Series (last 35 years): Tied, 3-3.
John Harrell’s prediction: West Noble, 35-10.
Last meeting: Aug. 30, 2019, West Noble 21-6.
Last time Wawasee won: Aug. 26, 2016, 48-7.
About West Noble: Coach Monte Mawhorter’s Chargers lost 27-14 at home to Central Noble in Week 1 … West Noble went 10-1 in 2019.
About Wawasee: Coach Jon Reutebuch’s visiting Warriors blanked Lakeland 42-0 in Week 1 … Parker Young completed 10-of-15 passes for 220 yards and four touchdowns and had rushing TD’s of 2 and 3 yards. Catching Young’s scoring aerials were Jacob Meek (7 and 24 yards), Kameron Salazar (35 yards) and Adam Beer (33 yards) … The Warriors have the chance to be 2-0 for the first time since 2016.
Per Wawasee coach Jon Reutebuch:
On West Noble — They had beaten us the last three years in a row. That’s something we’re looking to change. We have to make sure we’re one of those teams that are improving from the first game to the second game … The offensive linemen help immensely upfront … They’ve got a really good back in Taylor Gustavo. He’s fast. They have bookend defensive ends in Braxton Pruitt and Zach Beers and middle linebacker Peter Bradley.
Defense — The kids were very aggressive. The other overall emphasis on pursuit and swarming to the ball that we emphasized in July paid off.
On Lakeland game — We’ve got pretty good depth. Defensive starters Robert Schmucker, Dante Landeros and Zach Smith did not play. Kids stepped up and filled those roles. The mental of ‘next man up’ is paying off.
Bluffton (1-0 overall) at Manchester (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Burk Field.
Series: Bluffton leads 12-4.
Last meeting: Bluffton won 43-20 on Aug. 30, 2019.
Last Manchester win: 46-23 on Aug. 28, 2009.
John Harrell’s prediction: Bluffton, 31-21.
About Bluffton: The Tigers opened last week with a 25-13 home win over Northfield. … Bluffton, slated to be the Squires’ lone non-Three Rivers Conference opponent of the regular season, has won 11 straight meetings since Manchester’s 2009 victory. … The Tigers, members of the Allen County Conference, are coming off a 7-3 season that ranks as the program’s best since 10-2 in 1982.
About Manchester: All kinds of sweet rarities came from the Squires’ season-opening 47-12 home win over North Miami last week. Among them, Manchester — by virtue of being part of the only TRC game in Week 1 — is alone in first place in the league for the first time since its table-running 1998 league championship season. The Squires are also over .500 overall for the first time in any season since standing 3-2 in 2014, and their 35-point win against the Warriors matched the program’s second-largest margin of victory in the last 11 years. … Sophomore quarterback Brock Casper completed 11-of-14 passes for 288 yards in his varsity debut with four touchdowns. Blake Pohler (four receptions, 124 yards) and Seth Gaerte (four, 108) evenly divided four TD catches, while Braxton Ream rushed 31 times for 169 yards and three scores. Peyton Addair registered a pair of sacks among his seven tackles for the defense.
Manchester coach Alyx Brandewie
On winning debut — “I’m just really pleased by how hard our kids played. They played hard for four quarters, from start to finish.”
On Casper’s first start — “He played fantastic. We knew with Brock that he’s a smart kid who processes well what’s going on. He made good decisions and was smart with the football.”
On the defense — “I was really impressed by our defensive effort. One of (North Miami’s) touchdowns was on the last play of the game, so we really only gave up six (points) all night against a team that spreads you out. We answered what they were trying to do and we were physical with them.”
On Bluffton: “They’re really talented and beat a pretty good team last week. They’re going to spread you out with four or five athletes. The quarterback’s really talented and they’ve got a running back who I think is their best player. They do some things similar (to North Miami’s spread), but some that are unique.”
Peru (1-0 overall, 0-0 TRC) at Whitko (1-0, 0-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Huff Stadium.
Series: Peru leads 3-0.
Last meeting: Peru won 35-13, Aug. 30, 2019.
John Harrell’s prediction: Peru, 38-7.
About Peru: The Tigers, coming off a 6-6 season, opened last week with a 25-20 home win over longtime rival Logansport. Junior quarterback Levi Strong netted 143 yards and a touchdown on 22 keepers to go with another 104 yards and a TD on 7-of-12 passing. Zach Johnson booted field goals of 35 and 24 yards, the second giving Peru a 25-14 lead early in the fourth quarter before the Berries narrowed the final margin with a TD at 14 seconds to go. Matt Ross caught six passes for 77 yards and a score, that being a 16-yarder that capped a 99-yard, second-quarter drive.
About Whitko: The Wildcats, 0-10 last season, not only broke a 13-game overall losing streak with their 22-20 overtime win over Prairie Heights last week, but ended a 16-game home skid that stretched back to September of 2016. … Cade Berg scored the tying TD in OT on a fourth-down pass by Ethan Schuh from 3 yards out, before Isaiah Kyles added the game-winning conversion on a throw from Schuh. … Whitko was forced to go for two by virtue of its top two kickers being unavailable. Starter Austin Kreps is back this week after being out last week, while backup kicker Cameron Sapp — also a starting linebacker and tight end — will remain out this week after suffering a concussion against the Panthers.
Whitko coach Phil Jensen
On ending skid — “It was pretty cool to see. We had our Senior Night and to get the first home win since 2016, there was a lot of smiling afterwards. The biggest positive was how we didn’t roll over when we faced some adversity.”
On that adversity — “There were times last year when we had a lead or were in the game, but as soon as something bad happened, it was like, ‘Oh well, here we go again.’ Friday, we got up 14-nothing, and then the third quarter was just ugly. We have a lot of kids going both ways, and we had kids cramping and kids puking. It got to 14-14 and they got the ball right back. A year ago, we would’ve folded, but the kids didn’t do that. That’s a huge step.”
On Peru — “Their quarterback is very talented, a dual threat. They’re well-coached, and beating Logansport two years in a row, that’s a big game for them. We’ll have our hands full.”
Tippecanoe Valley (0-1 overall, 0-0 TRC) at Northfield (0-1, 0-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Dawes Field.
Series: Valley leads 38-7.
Last meeting: Valley won 28-21, Aug. 30, 2019.
Last Northfield win: 27-7 on Sept. 7, 2018.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 17-10.
About Valley: The Vikings, coming off a 16-0 season-opening home loss to Culver Academy, ended a five-game losing skid to Northfield in last season’s matchup. … The Valley defense notched three takeaways against Culver — interceptions by Wade Melanson and Hunter Eherenman, and a fumble recovery by Rex Kirchenstien — but the Viking offense gave up three. … Junior halfback Braden Shepherd finished with 72 yards on 10 carries for Valley. Junior QB Branson McBrier closed 8-of-20 throwing for 62 yards.
About Northfield: The Norsemen, 7-5 in 2019, opened last week with a 25-13 loss at Bluffton. … Northfield stood 0-4 at one point last season, but then rang up seven straight wins before falling 38-28 to Adams Central in a Class 1A sectional championship. That streak included stunning a 10-0 Southwood club 14-6 in the sectional semis. … Senior quarterback Clayton Tomlinson, the new starter with the graduation of Levi Fulkerson, went 7-of-15 passing for 96 yards last week with an interception. He also fumbled, but made a pick on defense to go with the five he notched last year at safety. Jarret Shafer carried 13 times for 54 yards and a touchdown for the Norsemen.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty
On last week — “We need to get in better shape. Culver Military is always in good condition because of the academy, and then us with the COVID restrictions and not being able to have summer workouts, they just outlasted us for the most part. But our conditioning will come. We’re going to be a good football team. It’s a hard-knock group of kids who will fight to the bitter end.”
On McBrier — “I thought he did very well. The one interception he had was a deflection. I was very proud of his composure. Our offensive line gave him some time, but at the end, Culver brought more than we could block.”
On Northfield — “They’re coming off a very successful season. They’re always well-coached and prepared, they’re very fundamental and they play very hard.”