Warsaw (1-0) at Warren Central (1-0)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m., Warren Stadium, Indianapolis.
Series (last 35 years): No meetings.
John Harrell’s prediction: Warren Central, 28-0.
Last meeting: No meetings.
About Warsaw: Coach Bart Curtis’ IFCA 5A No. 5-ranked Tigers beat visiting IFCA 5A No. 15 Michigan City 20-7 in Week 1 … Of Warsaw’s 259 rushing yards, Quinton Brock had three carries for 114 yards and one touchdown, Drew Sullivan 17 carries for 58 yards and one TD and Brody Duncan 16 carries for 57 yards … Mason Smythe kicked one extra point and field goals of 20 and 30 yards to go with four touchbacks … Michigan City gained 257 of 329 yards via the pass (the lone TD was on a 64-yard pass play) … The Tigers were penalized 11 times for 110 yards … Warsaw has won 10 straight season openers … Curtis is 49-17 in his seventh season leading the program … Warsaw’s 2023 Sagarin Rating is 75.85, 36th overall, 7th in 5A.
About Warren Central: Coach Mike Kirschner’s IFCA 6A No. 4 Warriors won 15-0 at IFCA 6A No. 10 Fort Wayne Snider in Week 1 … Scoring the touchdowns were Keith Jackson on a 14-yard run and Airic Hester on a an 80-yard pass from Anthony Dennison … Warren Central out-gained Snider 332-73, including 185 yards in the air … Dennison completed 6-of-14 passes for 140 yards … Hester caught four passes for 101 yards … Seven different backs accounted for 35 carries and 168 rushing yards … Bolstered by linemen and LSU commit Damien Shanklin (6 total tackles), Jerimy Finch Jr. (5), and Tyrone Burrus Jr. (4), the Warriors held the Panthers to 1-of-11 on third down conversions … Warren Central’s 2023 Sagarin Rating is 87.37, 16th overall, 12th in 6A.
Per Coach Bart Curtis:
On Warren Central — It’s always good to play the best possible competition out there during your non-conference schedule … They are big, fast, physical and angry on defense … I’ve got a lot of respect for Mike (Kirschner). He’s newly-inducted into the (Indiana Football) Hall of Fame. He’s won big wherever he’s gone (including two state titles at Ben Davis and 30 victories in three seasons Mt. Vernon of Fortville) … We have a two-year contract with them (with varsity going to Warren Central Friday and the freshmen and junior varsity playing a Saturday doubleheader then doing the opposite in 2025).
Defense — It was neat to watch our kids grow up as the game went along. They put themselves in some really tough situations and dug themselves out … (Michigan City) opened up the game with a long, long drive and we were able to hold them out of the end zone.
On Michigan City game — We played pretty hard for the most part. On the scale of 1 to 10, I’d give the defense a 7, our offense a 6 and kicking game a 9 … They certainly earned that win. It was a 48-minute game for sure … We showed some progress, some physicality, some stick-to-it-ness and some mettle when things could have gone a different way.

Rochester (1-0) at Tippecanoe Valley (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Smith-Bibler Memorial Field, Akron.
Series: Valley leads, 28-19.
Last meeting: Valley won 39-8 on Aug. 25, 2023.
Last Rochester win: 28-14 on Sept. 29, 2017.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 31-0.
About Rochester: The host Zebras opened with a 42-0 whipping of Wabash last week, building that 42-0 spread by halftime. Given that Valley also blanked its opponent, this will be the first Bell Game since 2009 with each side coming off a shutout win. … Running back Brant Beck rushed for 68 yards and two touchdowns on just four carries against the Apaches. Fellow junior Clarence Garrett gained 60 yards on just three. As a team, Class 2A No. 13-ranked Rochester finished at 269 ground yards. Junior quarterback Carson Paulik added 2-of-4 throwing for 60 yards, including a 35-yard TD pass to senior wideout Drew Bowers. … Sophomore linebacker Ethan Bailey piled up 14 tackles for a Zebra defense that recorded four takeaways, including interceptions by Garrett and junior safety Zakk Parks. Parks’ pick featured a 46-yard return. He also had a sack and on the offensive side a 25-yard catch.
About Valley: The Vikings have rung up five straight Bell wins since the Zebras’ 2017 victory (the teams did not meet in 2021, a COVID-shortened season for Rochester). With a win Friday, Valley would match the longest winning streak ever in the storied rivalry. The Vikings took six straight meetings from 1978 to ’83, and the Zebras six straight from 1997 to 2002. … Last week, Valley shredded visiting Wawasee 44-0 to kick off its 50th season. Junior running back Wes Parker blasted free for touchdown runs of 66, 24 and 52 yards. His only non-scoring carry of the night was a 7-yarder as he finished at 149 yards on just four handles. Junior Jamison Phillips, in his first start at QB, completed one pass in five tries, but it was a 47-yard touchdown to sophomore Owen Omondi. Phillips also had a rushing TD. … The Class 3A No. 8 Vikings racked up their 44 points, including a safety, over the first three quarters. Junior Gage Overbey went 6-of-6 on extra points. … The Valley defense registered 12 tackles for loss, including a pair of sacks each by Overbey and senior Asher McGriff. Senior linebacker Brock Derf led in total tackles with 11, and he and McGriff each recovered fumbles. … The Vikings are 27-1 in regular-season games since the start of the 2021 season, trailing only Indianapolis Lutheran (27-0) among Indiana schools.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty:
On last week — “That was a tough, winged, wishbone, option-type offense to have to prepare for, especially in a Week 1, so we just worked on assignment football all week. I was very happy with how our players played. They did a good job with something we haven’t seen much over the years other than when we scrimmage Warsaw. Nash Miller and Asher McGriff had nice games (on the line) and we had very good linebacker play (from Derf, Grady Moriarty and Brandon Stiles).”
On Rochester — “This is a good Rochester team. They played great in Week 1. I’d say they’re better than last year and they had a great team last year (7-3). They have a lot back. Beck is very talented, their line is huge and they’re well-coached. Hopefully, we can play that same strong assignment football to cut down on their big-play potential.”
On Bell Game significance — “I think it’s the fact we’re so close mileage-wise. It’s a lot of the same kids who go to church together, do 4-H together. It’s a good opportunity for both communities to kind of have a season within a season. It’s bragging rights and you don’t want to be that team to give away the Bell.”

West Noble (1-0) at Wawasee (0-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Stadium, Syracuse.
Series (last 35 years): West Noble, 6-4.
John Harrell’s prediction: West Noble, 49-10.
Last meeting: Aug. 25, 2023, West Noble, 20-12.
About West Noble: Coach Monte Mawhorter’s 3A Chargers beat visiting 2A Central Noble 55-7 in Week 1 … Of West Noble’s 343 rushing yards, Seth Pruitt had 15 caries for 150 yards and two touchdowns, Dustin Richardson two carries for 45 yards and one TD and Fernando Macias three carries for 37 yards and one TD … The Chargers held the Cougars for minus-7 yards on the ground … West Noble’s 2023 Sagarin Rating is 67.19, 72nd overall, 13th in 3A.
About Wawasee: Coach Matt Thacker’s 4A Warriors lost 44-0 at IFCA 3A No. 15 Tippecanoe Valley in Week 1 … Cameron Senter ran 14 times for 49 yards and completed his only pass to Dallas Miller for 11 yards … Derek Morrison (7) and Kassidy Carter led Wawasee in total tackles … Valley outgained the Warriors 259-138 including 212-127 rushing … Wawasee was 4-of-12 on third down and 0-of-4 on fourth down … Wawasee’s 2023 Sagarin Rating is 54.68, 122nd overall, 33rd in 4A.
Per Coach Matt Thacker:
On West Noble — They have athletes all over the field. They’re going to get after it. They’re going to play hard and execute … We’ve got to match their intensity. We’ve got to match their physicality. If we don’t, it’s going to be a long night … We’ve got to understand how to play football correctly to win football games.
Next play — We were celebrating after our first two plays on defense and Valley was moving on to the next play. That next-play mentality that Valley displayed is what we’re searching for … Winning isn’t easy. You’ve got to learn how to win. We are in that process.
On Tippecanoe Valley game — (A few big plays were part of Valley’s rushing total). We’ve got to focus on those positives and not give up on the kids. There are other positives in the game. Many times we could have folded and not played hard and made things worse for ourselves and we didn’t.

Bluffton (1-0) at Manchester (0-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Burk Field, North Manchester
Series: Bluffton 15-4
John Harrell’s prediction: Bluffton 63-0
Last meeting: Aug. 25, 2023, Bluffton 56-14
About Bluffton: Ranked the 12th 2A team in the state by the USA Today media poll, the Tigers put together a dominant performance in week one, dismantling Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian 39-6 in a game that saw a running clock for the entirety of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Axton Beste was incredibly efficient in the win, going 9-11 passing for 188 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with six different receivers. He was flanked by junior back Khamel Moore, who ran for 89 yards at just under 10 a carry and two scores of his own. Sophomore Cooper Craig added a touchdown on the ground as well. Craig tallied 151 all purpose yards in the win. The Bluffton defense forced two turnovers, both coming on interceptions.
About Manchester: The Squires got out to an early lead in their season opener against Northwestern, leading 7-0 after a quarter, but only scored once the rest of the game, falling 19-14 in head coach Brian Enyeart’s first game in control of his alma mater. Quarterback Logan Eastgate completed two of his five passes for 80 yards, all of them going to junior standout Reiss Gaerte. The big connection for the two resulted in a 65-yard touchdown. Gaerte also added 30 yards rushing and 25 on kick returns to reach 135 in the game. Maddux Greer led the team in rushing with 46 yards, while Eastgate ran for 42 and the team’s other touchdown. Mason Rooney and Eli Metzger both had big days for the defense, totalling 12 and eleven tackles. Metzger also recorded an interception.
Manchester head coach Brian Enyeart:
On last week - We gave 100% effort and I was proud of how hard we worked on the field. We had a couple of execution errors and a couple of costly penalties at the wrong time. With everything being changed within the program offensively and defensively, I was happy with where we were at Week 1. We did some things well but it also gave us some things we know we have to work on this week.
On the offense - On some plays we have two or three different options on who is going to run the ball and whatever the defense gives you is going to dictate who gets the ball. We want to spread it around a bit so the defense has to focus on as many guys as possible. We want to make sure they can’t just go after Garete or [Mason] Rooney.
On early adversity - Our problem this week is we have to replace a couple of key players. Kaleb Kline has a knee injury and he’s getting an MRI done. Devin Hendrix ended up in the hospital after Friday’s game and he’s probably done for the year. Those are two big blows to our team so we have to have guys step up and fill those roles.
On Bluffton - They are always a good team, they’ve got a lot of talent over there. We’ve got guys locking in on what their assignments are. Already having played a game against a spread team, they kind of understand what it’s going to take.

Peru (0-1, 0-0 TRC) at Whitko (0-1, 0-0)
When: Friday: 7 p.m., Huff Stadium, South Whitley.
Series: Peru leads 7-0.
Last meeting: Peru won 42-6 on Aug. 25, 2023.
John Harrell’s prediction: Peru, 84-0.
About Peru: The defending Three Rivers Conference champion Tigers — coming off a 9-1 season that was led by several senior standouts — were blitzed 49-7 by visiting Logansport to open this year. … Peru scored on its first play from scrimmage, a 74-yard touchdown run by junior fullback Isaiah Korba, to knot the game 7-7, but managed just three more first downs the rest of the way. The Berries led 28-7 at halftime and triggered a running clock at 10:30 remaining in the game upon going up 42-7. … Korba led the Tigers with 100 yards on 10 carries. Senior Tanner Boggs added 34 on eight. Despite playing from behind most of the evening, Peru attempted just two passes, completing neither. … Senior lineman Trevi Hillman-Conley and sophomore safety Lukas Ulery got in on 14 tackles each for the Tiger defense.
About Whitko: The Wildcats opened with a 56-14 loss to Prairie Heights — the same opponent they beat 20-0 a year earlier for their lone win of 2023. … Senior tailback Trevor Freel bolted up the middle for a 57-yard touchdown on Whitko’s first play from scrimmage to knot the game 6-6, and the Cats closed to 28-14 late in the second quarter on Riley Harman’s spectacular, one-handed catch that he turned into a 75-yard TD, but the Panthers outscored the hosts 28-0 the rest of the way. … Sophomore QB Crew Ebbinghouse finished 2-of-9 passing for 115 yards, including a 40-yard completion to Freel, while senior fullback Landon Smith gained 39 yards on five carries. Whitko, though, lost four fumbles to one turnover by Prairie Heights, which had 415 total yards. … Junior Lincoln Koser notched two of the Cats’ seven tackles for loss. Harman punted four times for a 37.3 average.
Whitko coach Brad Sprunger:
On last week — “The defense didn’t play very well. The offense played well at times, but we had five fumbles, lost four. We gave them short fields two or three times and they capitalized, and we had eight penalties for 90-something yards. Those things make it hard to win.”
On moving onward — “I think the kids know they’re better than what they showed. They didn’t quite play as hard as they can all the way through. Had to get on them some at halftime, but overall, I thought we got out and played hard. You just can’t put the ball on the ground.”
On Peru — “It’s a tough offense to go against. They move everybody around and make it hard to pick up the ball, but I thought we really responded well in practice (Tuesday) to what we’re trying to do. The comment was made that if we had played like that Friday, things might’ve been very different. I think it was our best practice in two or three weeks.”

Triton (1-0) at Bremen (0-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Don J. Bunge Field, Bremen.
Series (last 30 years): Bremen, 27-3.
John Harrell’s prediction: Triton, 52-0.
Last meeting: Sept. 8, 2023, Bremen, 28-21.
About Triton: Coach Zach Whittaker’s 1A Trojans 27-6 against visiting IFCA 1A No. 7 LaVille in Week 1 … Jayden Overmyer scored three touchdowns (11-yard run, 40-yard punt return and 52-yard run) and Dante’ Workman one (46-yard pass from Ben McFarland) … Overmyer rushed 20 times for 132 yards and Vinnie Prater 17 for 88 … McFarland completed his lone pass … Total tackle leaders for the Trojans were Colton Reynolds (10), Workman (7), Esai Lemler (6) and McFarland (5) … Triton converted 6-of-9 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth down … The Trojans held the Lancers to 2-of-12 on third down conversions … Triton has won seven straight season openers … Triton’s 2023 Sagarin Rating is 48.38, 139th overall, 7th in 1A.
About Bremen: Coach Jordan Leeper’s 2A Lions lost 42-6 at 4A East Noble in Week 1 … Silas Laidig completed 9-of-17 passes for 94 yards … Carson Anderson carried 19 times for 95 yards and one touchdown … Tyrus Graverson caught four passes for 62 yards and Braeden Pearish three for 36. Pearish also intercepted a pass … Bremen’s 2023 Sagarin Rating is 42.46,184th overall, 34th in 2A.
Per Coach Zach Whittaker:
On Bremen — We two really tough back-to-back opponents. (QB Laidig and wideout Graverson) are going to be a our two big focuses. We have to be fundamental on the back side of our defense. Offensively, we want to continue to be physical upfront and stick to what we do.
Defense — We played fundamentally sound (against LaVille). We gave up some big plays, that first drive especially but we adjusted well. We talk about bending and not breaking. You can give up ground on defense, but when push comes to shove in the ‘red zone,’ you have to make sure you don’t break … We were staying to our keys and being physical all game … Overall, we did really well, especially containing the running game.
On LaVille game — We executed upfront the way we wanted to execute. Our effort and physicality was key to that win.