Local High School Football Previews For Week 7
September 28, 2022 at 10:28 p.m.
By Anthony Anderson & Steve Krah-
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Stadium, Syracuse.
Series (last 35 years): Warsaw, 24-11.
John Harrell’s prediction: Warsaw, 45-7.
Last meeting: Oct. 1, 2021, Warsaw, 49-7.
About Warsaw: Coach Coach Bart Curtis’ 6A Tigers lost 43-19 to Mishawaka in Week 6 … Warsaw, which fell 42-21 to NorthWood Sept. 16, has lost two straight regular-season games for the first time since 2017 … The Tigers are outscoring opponents 188-99. Warsaw yielded 14 points in Weeks 1-4 and 85 in Weeks 5-6 … The Tigers are led by junior Grady Nolin (7-of-20 for 109 yards and two touchdowns) in passing, senior German Flores-Ortega (102 carries for 616 yards and seven TDs), senior Bryson Brown (45 carries for 388 yards and three TDs), junior Reed Zollinger (24 carries for 200 yards and two TDs) and Nolin (48 carries for 183 yards and four TDs) in rushing, senior Jack Murrell (one catch for 34 yards), senior Bryce Duncan (one catch for 32 yards) and Flores-Ortega (one catch for 18 yards and one TD) in receiving … Warsaw has 14 takeaways on defense (eight fumbles and six interceptions) and 12 giveaways (nine fumbles and three interceptions) on offense … Topping the Tigers in total tackles are senior Nick Katris (39.5 with two sacks), senior Dimitri Chandler (31.5), junior Eric Pohl (31), senior Trey Koontz (25.5), senior Theo Katris (25.5) and junior Jette Woodward (24.5). Six different players have intercepted a pass — Nick Katris, Theo Katris, Chandler, Pohl, junior Lucas Ransbottom and junior Colt VanHouten … Sophomore Mason Smythe is 19-of-21 on extra point kicks and 1-of-4 on field goals. He also has 34 kickoffs (17 touchbacks) and 10 punts.
About Wawasee: Coach Jon Reutebuch’s 4A Warriors lost 42-17 to Northridge in Week 6 … Wawasee was down 21-10 at halftime. The Warriors were led by junior Mason Shoemaker (5-of-12 for 80 yards), senior Jaxon Brown (2-of-4 for 47 yards) and junior Derek Bontrager (0-for-1) in passing, junior Brandon Kelly (12 carries for 38 yards), Bontrager (two carries for 30 yards), junior Hunter Tinkey (nine carries for 25 yards and one TD) and senior Cameron Zimmerman (seven carries for 11 yards) in rushing and senior Cameron Reyes (one catch for 49 yards), Tinkey (two catches for 35 yards) and junior Donovan Blair (two catches for 26 yards) in receiving … Brown went out with a first-half leg injury and Shoemaker took over at quarterback … On the season, Brown is 39-of-71 for 551 yards and three TDs, Shoemaker 6-of-17 for 105 yards and Bontrager 0-for-1. Kelly has 70 carries for 288 yards and two TDs, Zimmerman 42 for 261 yards and three TDs and Tinkey 31 for 175 yards and two TDs. Tinkey has 14 catches for 328 yards and three TDs, Blair 11 catches for 119 yards and Kelly seven catches for 83 yards … Total tackle leaders for the Warriors against Northridge were Zimmerman (6.5), Tinkey (3.5), Kelly (3.5), Bontrager (3) and senior David Anderson (3). Season pacers are Kelly (54), Anderson (36), Zimmerman (31) and Bontrager (31) … Senior Tim Bolt has handled placekicking and punting for Wawasee. He booted a 32-yard field goal against Northridge … The Warriors have been outscored 175-104 … The ‘W’ Game between Warsaw and Wawasee has seen the Tigers win seven straight. The last win for the Warriors came in 2014. That game was played in Syracuse … It will be homecoming Friday at Wawasee.
Per Warsaw coach Bart Curtis:
On Wawasee — Our focus right now is Warsaw Tiger Football. I don’t mean to be trite. I respect our opponent. (Wawasee) is a physical lot as well … You have to rely on your our process of day-to-day operations and getting better at the game of football vs. the end result. End results take care of themselves.
Upbeat — I have not given up on our kids. They’re resilient. We’re down. We’re not out. I believe our kids will rise and fight … We’ve just got to get better at doing things we can do — offensively and defensively … I don’t think our kids are (losing confidence). I still believe in what we’re doing. The ship has not been abandoned … The bottom line is I’m going to take full blame when things aren’t going our way. I’m never going to throw our kids or our coaches under the bus. We’ve got to do a better job on certain things … This is a small adversity — losing two games vs. losing a loved one or losing a marriage or a job. We’ve all got to fight through, develop a strong mettle and really sharpen our character so when the real things happen after football we can deal with them.
On Mishawaka game — They pummeled us repeatedly and intentionally. It was my 351st game as a head coach and that might be as poorly as our defense has been treated in some time. They were not very nice visitors. We were very nice guests … We fought our tail off. Our kids fought play after play, but the Cavemen were unfriendly, particularly when they had the ball … Their opening drive was absolutely incredible. They went 82 yards like a hot knife through butter.
Per Wawasee coach Jon Reutebuch:
On Warsaw — We’re looking at where we need to improve … This is a very rough stint of the schedule for us (Warsaw this week, NorthWood in Week 8 and Mishawaka in Week 9). They are the top three teams in the conference … Warsaw has a lot of kids. They can plug and go. It’s the Flexbone (offensive attack). You’ve got to be physical and you’ve got to play assignment football (on defense) if you even want to slow it down.
New QB — Mason (Shoemaker) did a nice job when Jaxon (Brown) came out (against Northridge). He did a nice job of running the offense.
On Northridge game — It goes back to missed opportunities. We had a good first quarter moving the ball. I would’ve loved to have punched a touchdown in on the first drive and ended up with a field goal … Three out of the four drives the first half we were in scoring position and came out with 10 points. We felt we missed a few opportunities, but liked where we were at halftime. We went into the second half with the right frame of mind and it got away from us real quick in the third quarter … Our kids were resilient and scored again on a pick-six (by Hunter Tinkey) … We fumbled a snap on the 1/2-yard line so there’s another missed opportunity. One of these days it’s all going to click for us. We’re not going to miss those opportunities. We’re going to capitalize … The kids are still in it. They’re still fighting. They’re still competing. That’s all I can ask of them at this point.
Maconaquah (5-1, 5-0) at Tippecanoe Valley (6-0, 5-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Smith-Bibler Memorial Field.
Series: Valley leads 3-2.
Last meeting: Valley won 57-6, Oct. 1, 2021.
Last Maconaquah win: 24-3, Oct. 4, 2019.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 38-17.
About Maconaquah: The Braves and the Vikings collide as the last two Three Rivers Conference unbeatens. … Maconaquah, which joined the league in 2015 and is chasing its first TRC crown, is led by one of the state’s most prolific quarterbacks in junior Braxton Birner. At 144-of-205 passing for 1,712 yards and 20 touchdowns against just three interceptions, Birner ranks third in Indiana in QB rating (122), third in yardage (285.3 per game), third in TD throws and — among individuals who are also top 20 in yardage — third in completion percentage (70.2). A second-year starter, he already holds multiple school single-season and career passing marks. … Birner’s top targets are a pair of sophomores in wideouts Fuddy Kile (48 catches, 711 yards, eight TDs, sixth in the state in receiving yards per game at 118.3) and AJ Kelly (47 catches, 596 yards, seven TDs, 99.3 yards per game). … Kelly’s also proven a dangerous return threat, having taken a punt back for a touchdown to go with a 26.0 average on five tries, taken a kickoff return 95 yards and having returned his lone interception 24 yards for a score. … Junior Ty Galvan leads the run game at 275 yards on 61 carries and three TDs. … The Mac defense has recorded 27 tackles for loss, with three of the top four individuals in that category being just sophomores (Austin Ringeisen at five, Ethan Farnell at five and Brady Dausch at four) and the other being a freshman (Eli Price at four). … After Valley, remaining regular-season opponents for second-year coach Tyler Campbell’s Braves are Manchester (0-5 TRC) and Rochester (4-1 TRC).
About Valley: The Vikings — with a chance to go unbeaten in the Three Rivers for the second straight year — have Wabash (1-4 TRC) and Southwood (4-1 TRC) remaining after Friday to close the regular season. … Valley’s coming off a 60-6 win at Whitko and owns the favorable score compared to Mac in all three matchups so far against common opponents. The Vikings have beaten Northfield 49-19 and Peru 41-22, while the Braves beat Whitko 53-8, edged Northfield 27-26 and topped Peru 30-13. … Valley offensive leaders include Nate Parker (90 carries, 566 yards, 12 TDs; four catches, 199 yards, three TDs) and fellow junior Wade Jones (20 carries, 310 yards, six TDs; 12 catches, 210 yards, one TD). … Efficient junior QB Cody Eastgate is 26-of-37 passing for 493 yards and six TDs against one pick. … On the defensive side, the Vikings have racked up 14 sacks, including four by junior end Dalton Alber, and 37 other tackles for loss, including nine by senior linebacker Noah Prater. … Junior tight end/linebacker Landon Durkes, who has a pair of TD receptions among eight catches overall and a pair of Valley’s five interceptions defensively, is expected to return after missing last week due to injury, while junior Cameron Mason, out since Week 2 with a knee injury, is projected to miss the rest of the season.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty:
On last week — “We finished our blocks and got a lot of people a lot of playing time. I thought our younger kids played well. With a lot of people getting in, I thought it went smoothly. You worry sometimes about the longevity of the season and keeping focused, but I think we’ve done pretty well.”
On Birner — “The numbers are crazy. He’s very talented. I’ve been especially impressed with how he gets the ball out quickly and is accurate. It’s an air-raid offense that will be tough to slow down. They’ll definitely be the best passing team we’ve faced. Hopefully, we keep them in front of us.”
On Mac as a whole — “They’re young, but they’ve played like veterans. That’s what worries me for years to come. They’re 5-and-1 and they’re in our sectional, so it’s definitely a big game. Our kids’ goal is to win the conference, so it has to continue to be one game at a time.”
Whitko (0-6, 0-5 TRC) at Manchester (0-6, 0-5)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Burk Field.
Series: Whitko leads 34-16.
Last meeting: Manchester won 42-7, Oct. 1, 2021.
Last Whitko win: 20-14, Oct. 2, 2020.
John Harrell’s prediction: Manchester, 49-14.
About Whitko: Though they trailed 46-0 by halftime of their 60-6 loss last week against unbeaten Tippecanoe Valley and saw plenty of Viking backups, the Wildcats ultimately moved the ball as effectively as they have all year. … Junior Dean Boggs rushed for a career-best 132 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. He added a team-leading nine tackles defensively. Junior QB Jack Hill netted a career-high 66 yards on 12 keepers. Senior Cody Adkins caught a pair of passes for 15 yards. … With Boggs’ score, Whitko avoided being shut out for the eighth time over its current 11-game losing skid that dates back to midway through last year. … The Wildcats are trying to snap a 10-game road losing streak — their last such win coming two years ago at Manchester. … Defensively for Whitko, junior Skyler Zellers has been in on a team-high 41 tackles, including four for loss, while sophomore Isaac Irwin has a team-high five TFLs among 34 tackles.
About Manchester: The Squires trailed 20-0 after the first quarter of their 55-22 loss last week against Southwood, but scrapped back to within 27-14 before halftime and 33-22 by midway through the third period before the Knights (4-2) closed with a flurry. … Senior receiver Memphis Wood caught six passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns for Manchester, while classmate Brock Casper completed 19-of-42 throws for 231 yards and three TDs against one pick. … Manchester, which had early-season narrow losses of 14-12 to North Miami and 28-27 to Wabash, has allowed 43, 48 and 55 points over its last three games, though in its most recent one, did counter a trend in which it trailed 36-0 and 27-0 by halftime of those first two contests. … Tackle leaders for the Squires are senior Jordan Ayres (55), sophomore Mason Rooney (43) and freshman Reiss Gaerte (43, including a team-high 14 solos). … Sophomore Logan Eastgate (18 catches, 157 yards, two TDs) is expected to be out Friday following an injury last week.
Whitko coach Brad Sprunger:
On last week — “I thought we played pretty well. One thing we gotta do is quit hurting ourselves. We had a snap sail over the punter’s head that gave (Valley) the ball at the 1-yard line and kind of killed us, and we gave up (three) fumbles. But they’re things that are easy to correct and we did move the ball. We ended up with 242 yards. I felt like we took a step up from the week before, and a bigger one than I thought we would.”
On Manchester — “They’re what we call a scary team. They’re 0-for, but watching film, they have a lot of potential. There are times they look pretty decent and times, like us, that youth catches up to you. It’s an exciting game, because one of us will walk away with a first win.”
On the state of the team — “The kids are working really hard. Being so young, we’re concentrating on the fundamentals so we’re better in the future. We didn’t lose anybody last week (to injury), so that’s one of our plusses. We’ve had our full team last week and this week.”
Manchester coach Alyx Brandewie:
On last week — “Obviously, we did not play as well as we would’ve liked. We just didn’t do a good job finishing, which is how we’ve phrased it to the kids. If you’re in position to make a tackle, make a play, you gotta do it. Southwood’s second-effort plays hurt us, so finishing has been a point of emphasis. I was happy we started faster. That’s been a thing for us, so that was a step in the right direction, but we didn’t play a complete game.”
On Whitko — “They absolutely are (moving the ball better) and it shows up on film. With a new coach taking over halfway through the year, that’s adversity no team wants to have to deal with, but 33 (Boggs) and 67 (Irwin) and some other kids, they’re playing their tails off.”
On curing the defense — “We’re giving up big plays, way too many explosives. It’s not that we’re getting nickel and dimed down the field. We seem to play OK, but then we give up a big play. We’ll play well, but blow a coverage. Southwood had several players capable of explosives, but everyone has to be better at their responsibilities.”
Triton (5-1, 3-1 Hoosier North Athletic Conference) at North Judson (6-0, 4-0 HNAC)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m., Liberty Field, North Judson.
Series (last 35 years): North Judson, 5-3.
John Harrell’s prediction: North Judson, 35-24.
Last meeting: Oct. 1, 2021, North Judson, 35-16.
About Triton: Coach Rodney Younis’ Associated Press No. 11-ranked/Indiana Football Coaches Association No. 8 1A Trojans beat Pioneer 35-12 in Week 6 after eighth straight losses to the Panthers … Triton has won four straight … The Trojans are outscoring foes 237-84 with two shutouts … Triton is led by junior Cole Shively (21-of-41 for 238 yards and two touchdowns) in passing, junior Anthony Schuh (92 carries for 1,113 yards and 20 TDs), Shively (58 carries for 471 yards and nine TDs), freshman Vincent Prater (20 carries for 173 yards and one TD) in rushing and Schuh (five catches for 59 yards and one TD), senior Amari Snyder (two catches for 53 yards) and sophomore Dante’ Workman (seven catches for 50 yards and one TD) in receiving … Guiding the Trojans in total tackles are senior Reilley Wood (43), sophomore Esai Lemler (36), senior Brayden Cunningham (35) and senior Cameron Shively (34) … Triton has six interceptions — led by two apiece from Cole Shively and Snyder … Cole Shively is 22-of-25 on extra point kicks and 1-of-1 on field goals (32 yards).
About North Judson: Coach Brett Lambert’s AP No. 3/IFCA No. 3-ranked 1A Bluejays beat Culver Academy 39-10 in Week 6 … North Judson has outscored opponents 265-40 with three shutouts … The Bluejays are led by senior Aldric Harper (20-of-36 for 447 yards and 11 touchdowns) in passing, sophomore Brock Benson (76 carries for 545 yards and six TDs), senior Cheyenne Allen (69 carries for 503 yards and 12 TDs) and Harper (37 carries for 363 yards and three TDs) and sophomore Jesiah McDaniel (eight catches for 232 yards and four TDs) and Allen (seven catches for 167 yards and five TDs) in receiving … Pacing North Judson in total tackles are senior Quinton Frasure (69), senior Logan Radtke (39), McDaniel (37) and freshman C.J. Sanchez (32 with two sacks) … The Jays have nine interceptions — led by McDaniel, Benson and sophomore Kole Wilcox with two each … Frasure is 12-of-20 on extra point kicks.
Per Coach Triton coach Rodney Younis:
On North Judson — They have multiple weapons (in a option/multiple attack). It starts with Cheyenne Allen. But he has very talented players around him. It’s going to be a challenge … It’s another game where we have to play great team team defense. Offensively, it will be very important for us to take care of the football — not having any turnovers or unnecessary penalties. When we get our opportunity inside the ‘red zone’ we need to put points on the board.
Commitment — Our boys really committed this off-season and they’re seeing the rewards. It just makes them more hungry. Every Monday when they get in they just go to work. It’s been a fun group to work with.
On Pioneer game — We played an outstanding game. Pioneer’s a good program. They just reload every year. Our boys did a really good job of reading their keys (on defense) and having great eye discipline. It helped keep us in the ball game … Pioneer had a great gameplan against Anthony (Schuh) and was able to slow him down in the first half. We made some minor adjustments at halftime and we able to have some success offensively in the second half.
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Stadium, Syracuse.
Series (last 35 years): Warsaw, 24-11.
John Harrell’s prediction: Warsaw, 45-7.
Last meeting: Oct. 1, 2021, Warsaw, 49-7.
About Warsaw: Coach Coach Bart Curtis’ 6A Tigers lost 43-19 to Mishawaka in Week 6 … Warsaw, which fell 42-21 to NorthWood Sept. 16, has lost two straight regular-season games for the first time since 2017 … The Tigers are outscoring opponents 188-99. Warsaw yielded 14 points in Weeks 1-4 and 85 in Weeks 5-6 … The Tigers are led by junior Grady Nolin (7-of-20 for 109 yards and two touchdowns) in passing, senior German Flores-Ortega (102 carries for 616 yards and seven TDs), senior Bryson Brown (45 carries for 388 yards and three TDs), junior Reed Zollinger (24 carries for 200 yards and two TDs) and Nolin (48 carries for 183 yards and four TDs) in rushing, senior Jack Murrell (one catch for 34 yards), senior Bryce Duncan (one catch for 32 yards) and Flores-Ortega (one catch for 18 yards and one TD) in receiving … Warsaw has 14 takeaways on defense (eight fumbles and six interceptions) and 12 giveaways (nine fumbles and three interceptions) on offense … Topping the Tigers in total tackles are senior Nick Katris (39.5 with two sacks), senior Dimitri Chandler (31.5), junior Eric Pohl (31), senior Trey Koontz (25.5), senior Theo Katris (25.5) and junior Jette Woodward (24.5). Six different players have intercepted a pass — Nick Katris, Theo Katris, Chandler, Pohl, junior Lucas Ransbottom and junior Colt VanHouten … Sophomore Mason Smythe is 19-of-21 on extra point kicks and 1-of-4 on field goals. He also has 34 kickoffs (17 touchbacks) and 10 punts.
About Wawasee: Coach Jon Reutebuch’s 4A Warriors lost 42-17 to Northridge in Week 6 … Wawasee was down 21-10 at halftime. The Warriors were led by junior Mason Shoemaker (5-of-12 for 80 yards), senior Jaxon Brown (2-of-4 for 47 yards) and junior Derek Bontrager (0-for-1) in passing, junior Brandon Kelly (12 carries for 38 yards), Bontrager (two carries for 30 yards), junior Hunter Tinkey (nine carries for 25 yards and one TD) and senior Cameron Zimmerman (seven carries for 11 yards) in rushing and senior Cameron Reyes (one catch for 49 yards), Tinkey (two catches for 35 yards) and junior Donovan Blair (two catches for 26 yards) in receiving … Brown went out with a first-half leg injury and Shoemaker took over at quarterback … On the season, Brown is 39-of-71 for 551 yards and three TDs, Shoemaker 6-of-17 for 105 yards and Bontrager 0-for-1. Kelly has 70 carries for 288 yards and two TDs, Zimmerman 42 for 261 yards and three TDs and Tinkey 31 for 175 yards and two TDs. Tinkey has 14 catches for 328 yards and three TDs, Blair 11 catches for 119 yards and Kelly seven catches for 83 yards … Total tackle leaders for the Warriors against Northridge were Zimmerman (6.5), Tinkey (3.5), Kelly (3.5), Bontrager (3) and senior David Anderson (3). Season pacers are Kelly (54), Anderson (36), Zimmerman (31) and Bontrager (31) … Senior Tim Bolt has handled placekicking and punting for Wawasee. He booted a 32-yard field goal against Northridge … The Warriors have been outscored 175-104 … The ‘W’ Game between Warsaw and Wawasee has seen the Tigers win seven straight. The last win for the Warriors came in 2014. That game was played in Syracuse … It will be homecoming Friday at Wawasee.
Per Warsaw coach Bart Curtis:
On Wawasee — Our focus right now is Warsaw Tiger Football. I don’t mean to be trite. I respect our opponent. (Wawasee) is a physical lot as well … You have to rely on your our process of day-to-day operations and getting better at the game of football vs. the end result. End results take care of themselves.
Upbeat — I have not given up on our kids. They’re resilient. We’re down. We’re not out. I believe our kids will rise and fight … We’ve just got to get better at doing things we can do — offensively and defensively … I don’t think our kids are (losing confidence). I still believe in what we’re doing. The ship has not been abandoned … The bottom line is I’m going to take full blame when things aren’t going our way. I’m never going to throw our kids or our coaches under the bus. We’ve got to do a better job on certain things … This is a small adversity — losing two games vs. losing a loved one or losing a marriage or a job. We’ve all got to fight through, develop a strong mettle and really sharpen our character so when the real things happen after football we can deal with them.
On Mishawaka game — They pummeled us repeatedly and intentionally. It was my 351st game as a head coach and that might be as poorly as our defense has been treated in some time. They were not very nice visitors. We were very nice guests … We fought our tail off. Our kids fought play after play, but the Cavemen were unfriendly, particularly when they had the ball … Their opening drive was absolutely incredible. They went 82 yards like a hot knife through butter.
Per Wawasee coach Jon Reutebuch:
On Warsaw — We’re looking at where we need to improve … This is a very rough stint of the schedule for us (Warsaw this week, NorthWood in Week 8 and Mishawaka in Week 9). They are the top three teams in the conference … Warsaw has a lot of kids. They can plug and go. It’s the Flexbone (offensive attack). You’ve got to be physical and you’ve got to play assignment football (on defense) if you even want to slow it down.
New QB — Mason (Shoemaker) did a nice job when Jaxon (Brown) came out (against Northridge). He did a nice job of running the offense.
On Northridge game — It goes back to missed opportunities. We had a good first quarter moving the ball. I would’ve loved to have punched a touchdown in on the first drive and ended up with a field goal … Three out of the four drives the first half we were in scoring position and came out with 10 points. We felt we missed a few opportunities, but liked where we were at halftime. We went into the second half with the right frame of mind and it got away from us real quick in the third quarter … Our kids were resilient and scored again on a pick-six (by Hunter Tinkey) … We fumbled a snap on the 1/2-yard line so there’s another missed opportunity. One of these days it’s all going to click for us. We’re not going to miss those opportunities. We’re going to capitalize … The kids are still in it. They’re still fighting. They’re still competing. That’s all I can ask of them at this point.
Maconaquah (5-1, 5-0) at Tippecanoe Valley (6-0, 5-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Smith-Bibler Memorial Field.
Series: Valley leads 3-2.
Last meeting: Valley won 57-6, Oct. 1, 2021.
Last Maconaquah win: 24-3, Oct. 4, 2019.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 38-17.
About Maconaquah: The Braves and the Vikings collide as the last two Three Rivers Conference unbeatens. … Maconaquah, which joined the league in 2015 and is chasing its first TRC crown, is led by one of the state’s most prolific quarterbacks in junior Braxton Birner. At 144-of-205 passing for 1,712 yards and 20 touchdowns against just three interceptions, Birner ranks third in Indiana in QB rating (122), third in yardage (285.3 per game), third in TD throws and — among individuals who are also top 20 in yardage — third in completion percentage (70.2). A second-year starter, he already holds multiple school single-season and career passing marks. … Birner’s top targets are a pair of sophomores in wideouts Fuddy Kile (48 catches, 711 yards, eight TDs, sixth in the state in receiving yards per game at 118.3) and AJ Kelly (47 catches, 596 yards, seven TDs, 99.3 yards per game). … Kelly’s also proven a dangerous return threat, having taken a punt back for a touchdown to go with a 26.0 average on five tries, taken a kickoff return 95 yards and having returned his lone interception 24 yards for a score. … Junior Ty Galvan leads the run game at 275 yards on 61 carries and three TDs. … The Mac defense has recorded 27 tackles for loss, with three of the top four individuals in that category being just sophomores (Austin Ringeisen at five, Ethan Farnell at five and Brady Dausch at four) and the other being a freshman (Eli Price at four). … After Valley, remaining regular-season opponents for second-year coach Tyler Campbell’s Braves are Manchester (0-5 TRC) and Rochester (4-1 TRC).
About Valley: The Vikings — with a chance to go unbeaten in the Three Rivers for the second straight year — have Wabash (1-4 TRC) and Southwood (4-1 TRC) remaining after Friday to close the regular season. … Valley’s coming off a 60-6 win at Whitko and owns the favorable score compared to Mac in all three matchups so far against common opponents. The Vikings have beaten Northfield 49-19 and Peru 41-22, while the Braves beat Whitko 53-8, edged Northfield 27-26 and topped Peru 30-13. … Valley offensive leaders include Nate Parker (90 carries, 566 yards, 12 TDs; four catches, 199 yards, three TDs) and fellow junior Wade Jones (20 carries, 310 yards, six TDs; 12 catches, 210 yards, one TD). … Efficient junior QB Cody Eastgate is 26-of-37 passing for 493 yards and six TDs against one pick. … On the defensive side, the Vikings have racked up 14 sacks, including four by junior end Dalton Alber, and 37 other tackles for loss, including nine by senior linebacker Noah Prater. … Junior tight end/linebacker Landon Durkes, who has a pair of TD receptions among eight catches overall and a pair of Valley’s five interceptions defensively, is expected to return after missing last week due to injury, while junior Cameron Mason, out since Week 2 with a knee injury, is projected to miss the rest of the season.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty:
On last week — “We finished our blocks and got a lot of people a lot of playing time. I thought our younger kids played well. With a lot of people getting in, I thought it went smoothly. You worry sometimes about the longevity of the season and keeping focused, but I think we’ve done pretty well.”
On Birner — “The numbers are crazy. He’s very talented. I’ve been especially impressed with how he gets the ball out quickly and is accurate. It’s an air-raid offense that will be tough to slow down. They’ll definitely be the best passing team we’ve faced. Hopefully, we keep them in front of us.”
On Mac as a whole — “They’re young, but they’ve played like veterans. That’s what worries me for years to come. They’re 5-and-1 and they’re in our sectional, so it’s definitely a big game. Our kids’ goal is to win the conference, so it has to continue to be one game at a time.”
Whitko (0-6, 0-5 TRC) at Manchester (0-6, 0-5)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Burk Field.
Series: Whitko leads 34-16.
Last meeting: Manchester won 42-7, Oct. 1, 2021.
Last Whitko win: 20-14, Oct. 2, 2020.
John Harrell’s prediction: Manchester, 49-14.
About Whitko: Though they trailed 46-0 by halftime of their 60-6 loss last week against unbeaten Tippecanoe Valley and saw plenty of Viking backups, the Wildcats ultimately moved the ball as effectively as they have all year. … Junior Dean Boggs rushed for a career-best 132 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. He added a team-leading nine tackles defensively. Junior QB Jack Hill netted a career-high 66 yards on 12 keepers. Senior Cody Adkins caught a pair of passes for 15 yards. … With Boggs’ score, Whitko avoided being shut out for the eighth time over its current 11-game losing skid that dates back to midway through last year. … The Wildcats are trying to snap a 10-game road losing streak — their last such win coming two years ago at Manchester. … Defensively for Whitko, junior Skyler Zellers has been in on a team-high 41 tackles, including four for loss, while sophomore Isaac Irwin has a team-high five TFLs among 34 tackles.
About Manchester: The Squires trailed 20-0 after the first quarter of their 55-22 loss last week against Southwood, but scrapped back to within 27-14 before halftime and 33-22 by midway through the third period before the Knights (4-2) closed with a flurry. … Senior receiver Memphis Wood caught six passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns for Manchester, while classmate Brock Casper completed 19-of-42 throws for 231 yards and three TDs against one pick. … Manchester, which had early-season narrow losses of 14-12 to North Miami and 28-27 to Wabash, has allowed 43, 48 and 55 points over its last three games, though in its most recent one, did counter a trend in which it trailed 36-0 and 27-0 by halftime of those first two contests. … Tackle leaders for the Squires are senior Jordan Ayres (55), sophomore Mason Rooney (43) and freshman Reiss Gaerte (43, including a team-high 14 solos). … Sophomore Logan Eastgate (18 catches, 157 yards, two TDs) is expected to be out Friday following an injury last week.
Whitko coach Brad Sprunger:
On last week — “I thought we played pretty well. One thing we gotta do is quit hurting ourselves. We had a snap sail over the punter’s head that gave (Valley) the ball at the 1-yard line and kind of killed us, and we gave up (three) fumbles. But they’re things that are easy to correct and we did move the ball. We ended up with 242 yards. I felt like we took a step up from the week before, and a bigger one than I thought we would.”
On Manchester — “They’re what we call a scary team. They’re 0-for, but watching film, they have a lot of potential. There are times they look pretty decent and times, like us, that youth catches up to you. It’s an exciting game, because one of us will walk away with a first win.”
On the state of the team — “The kids are working really hard. Being so young, we’re concentrating on the fundamentals so we’re better in the future. We didn’t lose anybody last week (to injury), so that’s one of our plusses. We’ve had our full team last week and this week.”
Manchester coach Alyx Brandewie:
On last week — “Obviously, we did not play as well as we would’ve liked. We just didn’t do a good job finishing, which is how we’ve phrased it to the kids. If you’re in position to make a tackle, make a play, you gotta do it. Southwood’s second-effort plays hurt us, so finishing has been a point of emphasis. I was happy we started faster. That’s been a thing for us, so that was a step in the right direction, but we didn’t play a complete game.”
On Whitko — “They absolutely are (moving the ball better) and it shows up on film. With a new coach taking over halfway through the year, that’s adversity no team wants to have to deal with, but 33 (Boggs) and 67 (Irwin) and some other kids, they’re playing their tails off.”
On curing the defense — “We’re giving up big plays, way too many explosives. It’s not that we’re getting nickel and dimed down the field. We seem to play OK, but then we give up a big play. We’ll play well, but blow a coverage. Southwood had several players capable of explosives, but everyone has to be better at their responsibilities.”
Triton (5-1, 3-1 Hoosier North Athletic Conference) at North Judson (6-0, 4-0 HNAC)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m., Liberty Field, North Judson.
Series (last 35 years): North Judson, 5-3.
John Harrell’s prediction: North Judson, 35-24.
Last meeting: Oct. 1, 2021, North Judson, 35-16.
About Triton: Coach Rodney Younis’ Associated Press No. 11-ranked/Indiana Football Coaches Association No. 8 1A Trojans beat Pioneer 35-12 in Week 6 after eighth straight losses to the Panthers … Triton has won four straight … The Trojans are outscoring foes 237-84 with two shutouts … Triton is led by junior Cole Shively (21-of-41 for 238 yards and two touchdowns) in passing, junior Anthony Schuh (92 carries for 1,113 yards and 20 TDs), Shively (58 carries for 471 yards and nine TDs), freshman Vincent Prater (20 carries for 173 yards and one TD) in rushing and Schuh (five catches for 59 yards and one TD), senior Amari Snyder (two catches for 53 yards) and sophomore Dante’ Workman (seven catches for 50 yards and one TD) in receiving … Guiding the Trojans in total tackles are senior Reilley Wood (43), sophomore Esai Lemler (36), senior Brayden Cunningham (35) and senior Cameron Shively (34) … Triton has six interceptions — led by two apiece from Cole Shively and Snyder … Cole Shively is 22-of-25 on extra point kicks and 1-of-1 on field goals (32 yards).
About North Judson: Coach Brett Lambert’s AP No. 3/IFCA No. 3-ranked 1A Bluejays beat Culver Academy 39-10 in Week 6 … North Judson has outscored opponents 265-40 with three shutouts … The Bluejays are led by senior Aldric Harper (20-of-36 for 447 yards and 11 touchdowns) in passing, sophomore Brock Benson (76 carries for 545 yards and six TDs), senior Cheyenne Allen (69 carries for 503 yards and 12 TDs) and Harper (37 carries for 363 yards and three TDs) and sophomore Jesiah McDaniel (eight catches for 232 yards and four TDs) and Allen (seven catches for 167 yards and five TDs) in receiving … Pacing North Judson in total tackles are senior Quinton Frasure (69), senior Logan Radtke (39), McDaniel (37) and freshman C.J. Sanchez (32 with two sacks) … The Jays have nine interceptions — led by McDaniel, Benson and sophomore Kole Wilcox with two each … Frasure is 12-of-20 on extra point kicks.
Per Coach Triton coach Rodney Younis:
On North Judson — They have multiple weapons (in a option/multiple attack). It starts with Cheyenne Allen. But he has very talented players around him. It’s going to be a challenge … It’s another game where we have to play great team team defense. Offensively, it will be very important for us to take care of the football — not having any turnovers or unnecessary penalties. When we get our opportunity inside the ‘red zone’ we need to put points on the board.
Commitment — Our boys really committed this off-season and they’re seeing the rewards. It just makes them more hungry. Every Monday when they get in they just go to work. It’s been a fun group to work with.
On Pioneer game — We played an outstanding game. Pioneer’s a good program. They just reload every year. Our boys did a really good job of reading their keys (on defense) and having great eye discipline. It helped keep us in the ball game … Pioneer had a great gameplan against Anthony (Schuh) and was able to slow him down in the first half. We made some minor adjustments at halftime and we able to have some success offensively in the second half.
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