Local High School Football Previews For Week 3
August 31, 2022 at 11:18 p.m.
By Anthony Anderson & Steve Krah-
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Fisher Field, Warsaw.
Series (last 35 years): Plymouth, 18-17.
John Harrell’s prediction: Warsaw, 49-0.
Last meeting: Sept. 3, 2021, Warsaw, 43-14.
About Plymouth: Coach Andy Handley’s 4A Rockies lost 49-0 at Kokomo in Week 2 … Sophomore Exander Ramirez is Plymouth’s leader in rushing yards (93) and passing yards (94 on 12-of-25 with two interceptions) … Sophomore Carter Bush (12) and senior Alan Barrera paces the Rockies in total tackles … Plymouth is 6-2 in its last eight meetings with Warsaw, including 3-1 at Fisher Field.
About Warsaw: Coach Bart Curtis’ Associated Press/Indiana Football Coaches Association Indiana Football Coaches Association 6A No. 11/No. 13-ranked Tigers beat visiting Chesterton 24-7 in Week 2 … Warsaw trailed 7-3 at halftime … Season leaders for the Tigers include senior fullback German Flores-Ortega (38 carries for 267 yards and three TDs), senior halfback Bryson Brown (11 attempts for 107 yards and one TD) and senior quarterback Tucker Curtis (five totes for 104 yards and one TD before going out with a season-ending injury) in rushing, junior quarterback Grady Nolin (1-of-5 for 10 yards and one TD) in passing and senior tight end Russ Winchester (one reception for 10 yards and one TD) in receiving … Sophomore kicker Mason Smythe has connected on 1-of-1 field goal attempts (43 yards vs. Chesterton) and 4-of-5 on extra points … Total tackle leaders include senior Theo Katris (17.5), senior Dimitri Chandler (14.5), senior Nick Katris (14.5 with an interception return for a TD), junior Eric Pohl (12.5), junior Jette Woodward (12) and senior Jonn Burritt (11.5) … The last 3-0 start for Warsaw came in 2001.
Per Warsaw coach Bart Curtis:
On Plymouth — (The Rockies) have not had a lot of success yet this year. They’ve played two games and scored seven points, but that may be a little deceiving. They’re trying to develop a program and they’re awfully young in a lot of places … But if we were playing the Indianapolis Colts we’d still focus on what Warsaw can do well. We try to be more process-driven than results-driven.
New starting QB — There were some things that (first-time starter Grady Nolin) did that kept us in the ballgame (against Chesterton). There are some things that put us in a bad situation. It’s a faster game than junior varsity (where he started throughout 2021). He’d been playing some split end this year. Things happened in a hurry. He will adjust to the tempo of the game. He will get more confident and accurate with his reads. He’s going to be fine … You’ve got to have a good cadence. You’ve got to get the snap. You’ve got to take proper footwork and you’ve got to make split-second decisions on who’s going to have the ball. It’s not for the faint of heart and slow-twitch fibers.
On Chesterton game — (Our defense) has handled every challenge … Great defenses I’ve been around have always had that edge to them. You’re not going to play well defensively with kids that don’t have that … We want to play with a little bit of a chip on our shoulders. For the most part, our kids did that … We want to be smart, intense, fast and furious, but you don’t want to do dumb things that get you beat. You don’t want your emotions to get the best of you … What you really don’t want is a friendly collection of individuals that can’t run or get off blocks.
Peru (1-1, 1-0 TRC) at Tippecanoe Valley (2-0, 1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Smith-Bibler Memorial Field.
Series: Tied 3-3.
Last meeting: Valley won 45-9, Sept. 3, 2021.
Last Peru win: 21-18, Sept. 4, 2020.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 38-17.
About Peru: The Tigers made a 104-point swing from Week 1 to Week 2, beating host Whitko 60-0 after falling 44-0 to visiting Logansport. … Peru is in its first year under head coach Tim Weeks. He succeeded Romison Saint-Louis, who left for Elkhart after four seasons and a 21-21 record that included 15-5 over the last two. … The Tigers’ win against Whitko was one point short of tying their most lopsided victory over the last 73 years (the period for which full data is available). Peru downed Taylor 61-0 in 2010.
About Valley: Junior Wade Jones scooted 65 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage as the Vikings won 49-19 last week at Northfield. Valley led 24-0 by early in the second quarter. The count was 37-12 at the half. … Over two games, junior Nate Parker has rushed 37 times for 177 yards and five touchdowns, and caught two passes for 72 yards and a TD. He’s added four two-point conversions to give him 44 points. … Junior quarterback Cody Easgate completed 4-of-4 passes for 106 yards and two TDs against Northfield. … Valley is seeking its ninth straight regular-season home win since falling 21-18 to Peru two years ago.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty:
On last week — “I thought we played OK. I wish we hadn’t allowed 19 points, but anytime you get a win, you’re happy. We’re learning to play more aggressive. I think our intensity was pretty much there. Sometimes, it’s not every week you can stay fired up, so to come out and stay focused, and being on the road, we took care of those things.”
On Peru — “I think with their first opponent (4A No. 14 Logansport), they just played a very, very good team, then we kind of saw last week more of what they’re like. They have a lot of explosive players and a lot of returning players. They’re very good throwing the ball deep and like to spread the field. Their quarterback’s very accurate and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.”
On injuries — “We do have a couple bumps and bruises, a couple guys that won’t see the field this week. We’ll be without two defensive ends who both play a lot.”
Goshen (0-2, 0-0 Northern Lakes Conference) at Wawasee (0-2, 0-0 NLC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m, Warrior Stadium, Syracuse.
Series (last 35 years): Goshen, 24-12.
John Harrell’s prediction: Goshen, 28-17.
Last meeting: Oct. 15, 2021, Goshen, 28-25.
About Goshen: Coach Tom Wogomon’s 5A RedHawks lost 33-14 to visiting New Prairie in Week 2 … Goshen led 7-0 at halftime and yielded 21 three-quarter points to the Cougars … Senior quarterback Quinn Bechtel triggers the Goshen offense, which got 1-yard TD runs from Drew Elliot (second quarter) and Adam Ellison (third period) against New Prairie …The RedHawks are 1-4 in the last five meetings with Wawasee … Wogomon went 25-37 as Warriors head coach 2007-12, winning seven games in both 2011 and 2012. He went 52-34 as head coach at Northridge from 2013-20. This is his first season leading the Goshen program.
About Wawasee: Coach Jon Reutebuch’s 4A Warriors lost 35-24 to visiting West Noble in Week 2 … Wawasee TDs were a 37-yard fumble return by senior Brandon Kelly, a 70-yard pass from senior quarterback Jaxon Brown to junior wideout Hunter Tinkey, a 53-yard aerial from Brown to Tinkey and a 16-yard run by senior running back Cameron Zimmerman … West Noble led 14-12 at halftime and 21-18 after three quarters.
Per Wawasee coach Jon Reutebuch:
On Goshen — Offensively, it starts with (Bechtel). They are throwing 51 percent of the time with some tall receivers … The difference between Tippy Valley, West Noble and Goshen is that Goshen will put it in the air more, but they will also try to exploit the run defense … Goshen’s defense flies to the football … I have great respect for Tom Wogomon. You have to respect what he’s done over the years.
QB — (Jaxon Brown) didn’t throw any picks. He’s getting better. Coming off an injury, he’s feeling more comfortable and knows what he’s dealing with.
On West Noble game — We did execute better on offense (than in Week 1) … We’ve still got some things to shore up on. The kids didn’t quit. We’ve been working on competing for four quarters … We’ve got to cut out the key turnovers (a fumble led to a West Noble TD) … Penalties hurt us, too. We’re marching down the field then we have a chop-block … Special teams played a big part. We need to shore that up (against Goshen).
Manchester (0-2, 0-1 TRC) at Wabash (0-2, 0-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Alumni Field.
Series: Wabash leads 26-18-1.
Last meeting: Wabash won 16-12 in sectional first round, Oct. 23, 2020.
Last Manchester win: 21-14, Sept. 6, 2019.
John Harrell’s prediction: Manchester, 28-21.
About Manchester: The Squires hit the road for the first time after losses of 14-12 to North Miami and 42-14 against Bluffton. In that second game, Manchester was down 28-0 at halftime and 35-0 after a third-quarter pick six, triggering a running clock the rest of the way. … Garrett Sites made an interception for the Squires and is at 138 yards on 31 carries through two games. Quarterback Brock Casper is 29-of-59 throwing for 350 yards with two touchdowns and two picks. … Last season’s Manchester-Wabash matchup, also slated for Week 3, was canceled due to health and safety protocols at Wabash. The Squires were able to replace the contest with one against Winamac.
About Wabash: The Apaches will be playing their home opener after falling 31-20 at Maconaquah and 35-6 at Class 2A No. 13 Alexandria. … Wabash is in its first season under longtime assistant Ryan Carmichael. He succeeded Adam Handley, who left for Plymouth after four years and a 14-26 record. … Junior quarterback Izaak Wright is 25-of-54 throwing for 414 yards and three touchdowns against one interception, but the Apaches have netted just 13 ground yards through two games. … Receivers Trevor Daughtry, Keaton Fields and Antonio Grant have combined for 21 catches, 391 yards and three TDs.
Manchester coach Alyx Brandewie:
On last week — “We didn’t execute well on offense for the second week in a row. It’s frustrating for us and frustrating for the kids, and it’s going to be when you feel you’ve prepared well. We did come out in the second half and do things a little better. … There have been some communication things up front that we had to get on the same page about. Beyond that, there have been some things about the passing game, but Saturday morning and into this week we’ve been working on those.”
On Wabash — “With a new staff, you never know exactly what you’re going to see. What stands out to me is their kids are genuinely excited and play hard. I’m sure they don’t want to be 0 and 2, just like we don’t, but to their credit, they’re playing hard. Antonio Grant, Daughtry and (linebacker Isaiah) Cavins are three kids who have stood out and given their team a chance to win. We’ll have to be keenly aware of where they are.”
On last week’s two TDs — “We had two sophomores score their first career touchdowns. Logan Eastgate caught one and Mason Rooney ran one in, and those are two kids who have worked their tails off, so it was nice to see. They’ve assimilated to varsity football pretty quickly, which speaks to how hard they’ve worked.”
Whitko (0-2, 0-1 TRC) at Rochester (2-0, 1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Barnhart Field.
Series: Rochester leads 25-12.
Last meeting: Rochester won 35-6, Sept. 3, 2021.
Last Whitko win: 28-7, Sept. 4, 2020.
John Harrell’s prediction: Rochester, 56-14.
About Whitko: The banged-up Wildcats go on the road for the first time following 39-0 and 60-0 losses to start the season. … In last week’s against Peru, one that matched Whitko’s second-most lopsided defeat ever, the Cats, who already had multiple regulars missing, lost three more to injury. Those included two-way junior standout Skyler Zellers, who rolled an ankle and is expected to miss at least this week, and sophomore safety Nate Schuler, who sustained a hip injury and is expected to miss at least two weeks. Meanwhile, two-way starter Cody Adkins remains out for at least one more game after suffering a Week 1 knee injury. Freshman starter Preston Furar could be back Friday after missing Week 2 due to an opening-game injury. … Junior Dean Boggs, who did not play in the opener due to illness, did return Friday despite an injury last week that cost him practice time. He gained 39 yards on seven carries to go with 10 tackles defensively. … Whitko’s been shut out three straight games dating back to last season and in six of its last nine outings.
About Rochester: The Zebras are coming off a wild 48-46 win last week at Knox. It was the second-highest scoring game Rochester’s been involved in over at least the last 73 years (the period for which all scores are available), surpassed only by a 74-28 win over Southwood in 2011. … Junior fullback Alex Deming rushed 37 times for 233 yards and five touchdowns to go with four two-point conversions. Each team tallied six TDs and the clubs were a combined 11-of-11 on two-point tries until Dylan Hook’s tackle stopped Knox from knotting the score with 28 seconds left. … In two games, Deming has 420 yards and eight touchdowns on 69 carries. Payton Luhnow has added 135 yards on 12 carries and 151 yards on four receptions to go with a pair of TDs. … Freshman linebacker Brant Beck leads the Zebras in tackles at 19.
Whitko coach Chip Coldiron:
On last week — “We were playing backups because we had three kids hurt, then we lost three more, so it was kind of a disaster. We had turnovers on two kickoff returns to give them possession, and two more on plays that might have been touchdowns if we held on to the ball. So, four turnovers in the first quarter and down 28-nothing, and that was the ballgame.”
On Rochester — “They’ll run the ball. They know what they’re doing, they execute their plays and they do it very well. Really, we’re down to 16 varsity kids and we’re going to play against a good, disciplined team that has (41 players on its roster). Hopefully, we make it a game and don’t have any more injuries. We might be two injuries away from where we’d have trouble fielding a team.”
On the message to players — “We’re trying to make it a life lesson. It’s not fair to have seven guys out with injuries in two weeks, but life’s not fair, so we gotta suck it up. We haven’t had everybody on the field yet, but once we get healthy, I really like our top 12, 13 kids. I’d like to see what we can do when we have everybody.”
Triton (1-1, 0-1 Hoosier North Athletic Conference) at Caston (0-2, 0-1 HNAC)
When: 7 p.m., Friday, Comet Crater, Fulton.
Series (last 35 years): Triton, 17-10.
John Harrell’s prediction: Triton, 42-17.
Last meeting: Sept. 4, 2021, Triton, 35-16.
About Triton: Coach Rodney Younis’ Associated Press/Indiana Football Coaches Association Indiana Football Coaches Association 1A No. 12/No. 13-ranked Trojans lost 56-14 to visiting LaVille in Week 2 … Junior Anthony Schuh ripped off a TD run of 68 yards for the Trojans and finished with 152 of his team’s 228 rushing yards … Senior Reilley Wood (7), junior Cole Shively (6) and senior Cameron Shively (5.5) were total tackle leaders for Triton … The Trojans have won six straight against Caston, including two away games.
About Caston: Coach Chris Ulerick’s 1A Comets lost 52-8 to visiting North Judson in Week 2 … Senior Landon Shafer is 11-of-24 passing for 141 yards and one TD in two games … The Comets have less than 10 yards rushing … Junior Levi Martin (16), freshman Jabez Yarber (8) and senior Quinlan Kelly (7) pace the team in total tackles.
Per Triton coach Rodney Younis:
On Caston — They are a team on the rise … It’s a program that’s slowly starting to gain more numbers. They have good numbers in their junior high program … Caston is the type of team that can be very dangerous if you let them hang around. They’ll compete. They’re always a physical team and they’ll always give you effort.
Positives — We got down 14-0 (against LaVille) right away. We were able to battle back and tie it up (in the second quarter). Overall — with our response in that first half — our kids did well … Offensively, we moved the ball well. Arguably, LaVille has one of the best defenses around in 1A or 2A football for us to gain (close) to 250 yards rushing was a positive for us.
On LaVille game — It got away from us in the third quarter and our kids got rattled … It’s a good lesson for our boys moving forward … There are definitely some areas we need to work on.
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Fisher Field, Warsaw.
Series (last 35 years): Plymouth, 18-17.
John Harrell’s prediction: Warsaw, 49-0.
Last meeting: Sept. 3, 2021, Warsaw, 43-14.
About Plymouth: Coach Andy Handley’s 4A Rockies lost 49-0 at Kokomo in Week 2 … Sophomore Exander Ramirez is Plymouth’s leader in rushing yards (93) and passing yards (94 on 12-of-25 with two interceptions) … Sophomore Carter Bush (12) and senior Alan Barrera paces the Rockies in total tackles … Plymouth is 6-2 in its last eight meetings with Warsaw, including 3-1 at Fisher Field.
About Warsaw: Coach Bart Curtis’ Associated Press/Indiana Football Coaches Association Indiana Football Coaches Association 6A No. 11/No. 13-ranked Tigers beat visiting Chesterton 24-7 in Week 2 … Warsaw trailed 7-3 at halftime … Season leaders for the Tigers include senior fullback German Flores-Ortega (38 carries for 267 yards and three TDs), senior halfback Bryson Brown (11 attempts for 107 yards and one TD) and senior quarterback Tucker Curtis (five totes for 104 yards and one TD before going out with a season-ending injury) in rushing, junior quarterback Grady Nolin (1-of-5 for 10 yards and one TD) in passing and senior tight end Russ Winchester (one reception for 10 yards and one TD) in receiving … Sophomore kicker Mason Smythe has connected on 1-of-1 field goal attempts (43 yards vs. Chesterton) and 4-of-5 on extra points … Total tackle leaders include senior Theo Katris (17.5), senior Dimitri Chandler (14.5), senior Nick Katris (14.5 with an interception return for a TD), junior Eric Pohl (12.5), junior Jette Woodward (12) and senior Jonn Burritt (11.5) … The last 3-0 start for Warsaw came in 2001.
Per Warsaw coach Bart Curtis:
On Plymouth — (The Rockies) have not had a lot of success yet this year. They’ve played two games and scored seven points, but that may be a little deceiving. They’re trying to develop a program and they’re awfully young in a lot of places … But if we were playing the Indianapolis Colts we’d still focus on what Warsaw can do well. We try to be more process-driven than results-driven.
New starting QB — There were some things that (first-time starter Grady Nolin) did that kept us in the ballgame (against Chesterton). There are some things that put us in a bad situation. It’s a faster game than junior varsity (where he started throughout 2021). He’d been playing some split end this year. Things happened in a hurry. He will adjust to the tempo of the game. He will get more confident and accurate with his reads. He’s going to be fine … You’ve got to have a good cadence. You’ve got to get the snap. You’ve got to take proper footwork and you’ve got to make split-second decisions on who’s going to have the ball. It’s not for the faint of heart and slow-twitch fibers.
On Chesterton game — (Our defense) has handled every challenge … Great defenses I’ve been around have always had that edge to them. You’re not going to play well defensively with kids that don’t have that … We want to play with a little bit of a chip on our shoulders. For the most part, our kids did that … We want to be smart, intense, fast and furious, but you don’t want to do dumb things that get you beat. You don’t want your emotions to get the best of you … What you really don’t want is a friendly collection of individuals that can’t run or get off blocks.
Peru (1-1, 1-0 TRC) at Tippecanoe Valley (2-0, 1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Smith-Bibler Memorial Field.
Series: Tied 3-3.
Last meeting: Valley won 45-9, Sept. 3, 2021.
Last Peru win: 21-18, Sept. 4, 2020.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 38-17.
About Peru: The Tigers made a 104-point swing from Week 1 to Week 2, beating host Whitko 60-0 after falling 44-0 to visiting Logansport. … Peru is in its first year under head coach Tim Weeks. He succeeded Romison Saint-Louis, who left for Elkhart after four seasons and a 21-21 record that included 15-5 over the last two. … The Tigers’ win against Whitko was one point short of tying their most lopsided victory over the last 73 years (the period for which full data is available). Peru downed Taylor 61-0 in 2010.
About Valley: Junior Wade Jones scooted 65 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage as the Vikings won 49-19 last week at Northfield. Valley led 24-0 by early in the second quarter. The count was 37-12 at the half. … Over two games, junior Nate Parker has rushed 37 times for 177 yards and five touchdowns, and caught two passes for 72 yards and a TD. He’s added four two-point conversions to give him 44 points. … Junior quarterback Cody Easgate completed 4-of-4 passes for 106 yards and two TDs against Northfield. … Valley is seeking its ninth straight regular-season home win since falling 21-18 to Peru two years ago.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty:
On last week — “I thought we played OK. I wish we hadn’t allowed 19 points, but anytime you get a win, you’re happy. We’re learning to play more aggressive. I think our intensity was pretty much there. Sometimes, it’s not every week you can stay fired up, so to come out and stay focused, and being on the road, we took care of those things.”
On Peru — “I think with their first opponent (4A No. 14 Logansport), they just played a very, very good team, then we kind of saw last week more of what they’re like. They have a lot of explosive players and a lot of returning players. They’re very good throwing the ball deep and like to spread the field. Their quarterback’s very accurate and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.”
On injuries — “We do have a couple bumps and bruises, a couple guys that won’t see the field this week. We’ll be without two defensive ends who both play a lot.”
Goshen (0-2, 0-0 Northern Lakes Conference) at Wawasee (0-2, 0-0 NLC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m, Warrior Stadium, Syracuse.
Series (last 35 years): Goshen, 24-12.
John Harrell’s prediction: Goshen, 28-17.
Last meeting: Oct. 15, 2021, Goshen, 28-25.
About Goshen: Coach Tom Wogomon’s 5A RedHawks lost 33-14 to visiting New Prairie in Week 2 … Goshen led 7-0 at halftime and yielded 21 three-quarter points to the Cougars … Senior quarterback Quinn Bechtel triggers the Goshen offense, which got 1-yard TD runs from Drew Elliot (second quarter) and Adam Ellison (third period) against New Prairie …The RedHawks are 1-4 in the last five meetings with Wawasee … Wogomon went 25-37 as Warriors head coach 2007-12, winning seven games in both 2011 and 2012. He went 52-34 as head coach at Northridge from 2013-20. This is his first season leading the Goshen program.
About Wawasee: Coach Jon Reutebuch’s 4A Warriors lost 35-24 to visiting West Noble in Week 2 … Wawasee TDs were a 37-yard fumble return by senior Brandon Kelly, a 70-yard pass from senior quarterback Jaxon Brown to junior wideout Hunter Tinkey, a 53-yard aerial from Brown to Tinkey and a 16-yard run by senior running back Cameron Zimmerman … West Noble led 14-12 at halftime and 21-18 after three quarters.
Per Wawasee coach Jon Reutebuch:
On Goshen — Offensively, it starts with (Bechtel). They are throwing 51 percent of the time with some tall receivers … The difference between Tippy Valley, West Noble and Goshen is that Goshen will put it in the air more, but they will also try to exploit the run defense … Goshen’s defense flies to the football … I have great respect for Tom Wogomon. You have to respect what he’s done over the years.
QB — (Jaxon Brown) didn’t throw any picks. He’s getting better. Coming off an injury, he’s feeling more comfortable and knows what he’s dealing with.
On West Noble game — We did execute better on offense (than in Week 1) … We’ve still got some things to shore up on. The kids didn’t quit. We’ve been working on competing for four quarters … We’ve got to cut out the key turnovers (a fumble led to a West Noble TD) … Penalties hurt us, too. We’re marching down the field then we have a chop-block … Special teams played a big part. We need to shore that up (against Goshen).
Manchester (0-2, 0-1 TRC) at Wabash (0-2, 0-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Alumni Field.
Series: Wabash leads 26-18-1.
Last meeting: Wabash won 16-12 in sectional first round, Oct. 23, 2020.
Last Manchester win: 21-14, Sept. 6, 2019.
John Harrell’s prediction: Manchester, 28-21.
About Manchester: The Squires hit the road for the first time after losses of 14-12 to North Miami and 42-14 against Bluffton. In that second game, Manchester was down 28-0 at halftime and 35-0 after a third-quarter pick six, triggering a running clock the rest of the way. … Garrett Sites made an interception for the Squires and is at 138 yards on 31 carries through two games. Quarterback Brock Casper is 29-of-59 throwing for 350 yards with two touchdowns and two picks. … Last season’s Manchester-Wabash matchup, also slated for Week 3, was canceled due to health and safety protocols at Wabash. The Squires were able to replace the contest with one against Winamac.
About Wabash: The Apaches will be playing their home opener after falling 31-20 at Maconaquah and 35-6 at Class 2A No. 13 Alexandria. … Wabash is in its first season under longtime assistant Ryan Carmichael. He succeeded Adam Handley, who left for Plymouth after four years and a 14-26 record. … Junior quarterback Izaak Wright is 25-of-54 throwing for 414 yards and three touchdowns against one interception, but the Apaches have netted just 13 ground yards through two games. … Receivers Trevor Daughtry, Keaton Fields and Antonio Grant have combined for 21 catches, 391 yards and three TDs.
Manchester coach Alyx Brandewie:
On last week — “We didn’t execute well on offense for the second week in a row. It’s frustrating for us and frustrating for the kids, and it’s going to be when you feel you’ve prepared well. We did come out in the second half and do things a little better. … There have been some communication things up front that we had to get on the same page about. Beyond that, there have been some things about the passing game, but Saturday morning and into this week we’ve been working on those.”
On Wabash — “With a new staff, you never know exactly what you’re going to see. What stands out to me is their kids are genuinely excited and play hard. I’m sure they don’t want to be 0 and 2, just like we don’t, but to their credit, they’re playing hard. Antonio Grant, Daughtry and (linebacker Isaiah) Cavins are three kids who have stood out and given their team a chance to win. We’ll have to be keenly aware of where they are.”
On last week’s two TDs — “We had two sophomores score their first career touchdowns. Logan Eastgate caught one and Mason Rooney ran one in, and those are two kids who have worked their tails off, so it was nice to see. They’ve assimilated to varsity football pretty quickly, which speaks to how hard they’ve worked.”
Whitko (0-2, 0-1 TRC) at Rochester (2-0, 1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Barnhart Field.
Series: Rochester leads 25-12.
Last meeting: Rochester won 35-6, Sept. 3, 2021.
Last Whitko win: 28-7, Sept. 4, 2020.
John Harrell’s prediction: Rochester, 56-14.
About Whitko: The banged-up Wildcats go on the road for the first time following 39-0 and 60-0 losses to start the season. … In last week’s against Peru, one that matched Whitko’s second-most lopsided defeat ever, the Cats, who already had multiple regulars missing, lost three more to injury. Those included two-way junior standout Skyler Zellers, who rolled an ankle and is expected to miss at least this week, and sophomore safety Nate Schuler, who sustained a hip injury and is expected to miss at least two weeks. Meanwhile, two-way starter Cody Adkins remains out for at least one more game after suffering a Week 1 knee injury. Freshman starter Preston Furar could be back Friday after missing Week 2 due to an opening-game injury. … Junior Dean Boggs, who did not play in the opener due to illness, did return Friday despite an injury last week that cost him practice time. He gained 39 yards on seven carries to go with 10 tackles defensively. … Whitko’s been shut out three straight games dating back to last season and in six of its last nine outings.
About Rochester: The Zebras are coming off a wild 48-46 win last week at Knox. It was the second-highest scoring game Rochester’s been involved in over at least the last 73 years (the period for which all scores are available), surpassed only by a 74-28 win over Southwood in 2011. … Junior fullback Alex Deming rushed 37 times for 233 yards and five touchdowns to go with four two-point conversions. Each team tallied six TDs and the clubs were a combined 11-of-11 on two-point tries until Dylan Hook’s tackle stopped Knox from knotting the score with 28 seconds left. … In two games, Deming has 420 yards and eight touchdowns on 69 carries. Payton Luhnow has added 135 yards on 12 carries and 151 yards on four receptions to go with a pair of TDs. … Freshman linebacker Brant Beck leads the Zebras in tackles at 19.
Whitko coach Chip Coldiron:
On last week — “We were playing backups because we had three kids hurt, then we lost three more, so it was kind of a disaster. We had turnovers on two kickoff returns to give them possession, and two more on plays that might have been touchdowns if we held on to the ball. So, four turnovers in the first quarter and down 28-nothing, and that was the ballgame.”
On Rochester — “They’ll run the ball. They know what they’re doing, they execute their plays and they do it very well. Really, we’re down to 16 varsity kids and we’re going to play against a good, disciplined team that has (41 players on its roster). Hopefully, we make it a game and don’t have any more injuries. We might be two injuries away from where we’d have trouble fielding a team.”
On the message to players — “We’re trying to make it a life lesson. It’s not fair to have seven guys out with injuries in two weeks, but life’s not fair, so we gotta suck it up. We haven’t had everybody on the field yet, but once we get healthy, I really like our top 12, 13 kids. I’d like to see what we can do when we have everybody.”
Triton (1-1, 0-1 Hoosier North Athletic Conference) at Caston (0-2, 0-1 HNAC)
When: 7 p.m., Friday, Comet Crater, Fulton.
Series (last 35 years): Triton, 17-10.
John Harrell’s prediction: Triton, 42-17.
Last meeting: Sept. 4, 2021, Triton, 35-16.
About Triton: Coach Rodney Younis’ Associated Press/Indiana Football Coaches Association Indiana Football Coaches Association 1A No. 12/No. 13-ranked Trojans lost 56-14 to visiting LaVille in Week 2 … Junior Anthony Schuh ripped off a TD run of 68 yards for the Trojans and finished with 152 of his team’s 228 rushing yards … Senior Reilley Wood (7), junior Cole Shively (6) and senior Cameron Shively (5.5) were total tackle leaders for Triton … The Trojans have won six straight against Caston, including two away games.
About Caston: Coach Chris Ulerick’s 1A Comets lost 52-8 to visiting North Judson in Week 2 … Senior Landon Shafer is 11-of-24 passing for 141 yards and one TD in two games … The Comets have less than 10 yards rushing … Junior Levi Martin (16), freshman Jabez Yarber (8) and senior Quinlan Kelly (7) pace the team in total tackles.
Per Triton coach Rodney Younis:
On Caston — They are a team on the rise … It’s a program that’s slowly starting to gain more numbers. They have good numbers in their junior high program … Caston is the type of team that can be very dangerous if you let them hang around. They’ll compete. They’re always a physical team and they’ll always give you effort.
Positives — We got down 14-0 (against LaVille) right away. We were able to battle back and tie it up (in the second quarter). Overall — with our response in that first half — our kids did well … Offensively, we moved the ball well. Arguably, LaVille has one of the best defenses around in 1A or 2A football for us to gain (close) to 250 yards rushing was a positive for us.
On LaVille game — It got away from us in the third quarter and our kids got rattled … It’s a good lesson for our boys moving forward … There are definitely some areas we need to work on.
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