Area High School Football Previews For Week 6
September 24, 2020 at 2:50 a.m.
By Anthony Anderson & Steve Krah-
at Warsaw (4-1, 3-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Fisher Field, Warsaw.
Series (last 35 years): Warsaw, 22-13.
John Harrell’s prediction: Warsaw, 38-17.
Last meeting: Sept. 18, 2019, Warsw 48-10.
Last time Goshen won: Sept. 21, 2007, 14-7.
About Goshen: Coach Kyle Park’s RedHawks lost 33-0 to Concord Sept. 18 … Drew Worthman (23 carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns) is Goshen’s top rusher. Colin Turner (22-of-42 for 208 yards and two TD’s) is the top passer. Liam Deegan (seven catches for 55 yards and one TD) and Brayden Hinkel (two receptions for 38 yards and one TD) are the leading receivers … Pacing the team in total tackles are Roman Schrock (21), Duncan Green (16), Isaac Sawatzky (14) and Isaiah Park (13) … Goshen averages 21.5 points per game on offense and 19.5 on defense.
About Warsaw: Coach Bart Curtis’ Tigers topped Northridge 27-14 Sept. 18 … Warsaw had a 19-play drive that took 9:58 off the clock in the second half against Northridge … The Tigers have won 12 straight against Goshen … It’s homecoming week at Warsaw … Leading rushers were the Tigers are Aaron Greene (91 carries for 477 yards and eight TD’s), Julius Jones (38 attempts for 441 yards and two TD’s), Juan Jaramillo (73 totes for 315 yards and five TD’s) and Colton Wampler (56 runs for 204 yards and three TD’s. Greene (8-of-15 for 185 yards and two TD’s) is the top passer and Luke Adamiec (two catches of 54 yards and one TD) is the leading receiver … Pacing the team is total tackles are Mason Martz (26), Theo Katris (20), Zach DeFord (18.5) and Zackary Diecks (17.5) … The Tigers are 35-of-62 on third-down conversions and 12-of-17 on fourth-down conversions … Warsaw averages 31.6 points per game on offense and 27.2. on defense.
Warsaw coach Curtis:
On Goshen: “We’re approaching Goshen like they’re 5-0. They’ve only played two games, one of which they won by a lot of points, the other which they lost by several points. They’re kind of a mystery as far as what we’re going to see out of them all the way around … No disrespect to Goshen, but we’re not going approach this any differently. We’re going to worry about Warsaw.”
Season to date: “It’s like that old REO Speedwagon song from the ‘70s — ‘Roll With the Changes.’ That’s us. The lineup we had yesterday may not be the lineup we have today. We just kind of roll with the changes and put the pieces of the puzzle together. We’ve had to be extremely open-minded on positions.”
Northridge game: There were times we looked effective. There were other times that we looked lost. We were effective enough against a quality program and team that we came out on top … We continue to try to build from the pieces we have a competitive football team.
Tippecanoe Valley (3-2 overall, 3-1 TRC) at Whitko (3-2, 2-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Huff Stadium.
Series: Valley leads 28-19.
Last meeting: Valley won 42-0, Sept. 28, 2019.
Last Whitko win: 44-20, Sept. 16, 2016.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 35-17.
About Valley: The Vikings’ 60-0 and 54-0 wins the last two weeks over North Miami and Rochester mark the first time the program’s cracked 50 points in back-to-back games since 57-0 wins in 1981 over both Rochester and Northfield. The only other occasion of at least back-to-back 50s came from Valley’s 1979 state title team that won 81-0, 67-0 and 63-6 in consecutive weeks over North Miami, Central Noble and North Judson, the latter two of those games in postseason. … Viking quarterback Branson McBrier is an outrageous 12-of-12 passing for 430 yards and six touchdowns over the last two weeks. … Running back Alex Craft has 369 yards on 46 carries with six TDs for the season. >From his outside linebacker spot, he’s added five of his team’s 11 sacks on defense. … Middle linebacker Johnny Gonsalez has racked up 48 solo tackles to decisively lead Valley (Craft’s second at 25), including five for loss. Hunter Eherenman snatched a pair of picks last week, pushing his season total to four.
About Whitko: The Wildcats whipped North Miami 53-24 last week for their highest output and top margin of victory since a 57-14 win over Rochester early in the 2016 season. Whitko trailed 16-15 after one quarter, then scored 24 unanswered points in the second period. … The Cats’ 3-2 record comes on the heels of going 1-29 over the previous three years combined. … Quarterback Ethan Schuh completed 7-of-8 passes against North Miami for 131 yards and three touchdowns. Cade Berg scored four TDs in the game, two by rush and two by reception. He finished at 123 yards on 16 carries, while Isaiah Kyles had 84 on just six attempts to go with a TD. .. Berg, who has manned multiple defensive spots, is also at 32 solo tackles to pace the Cats, followed by Tyler Veach at 29.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty:
On last week — “The kids came fired up. They did a good job with their responsibilities. They did their homework and came prepared. And then they played emotional, because it was Bell week.”
On Whitko — “I think Coach Jensen’s been there long enough that they’re starting to adapt to his style of football. They’re very well-coached, and they have some athletes on the field now. They do a good job spreading the ball around, and they run a lot of formations you have to adjust to. They spread you out and try to find your weak areas.”
On injuries — “We’re doing OK. (Braden) Shepherd’s still out (with a Week 1 shoulder injury). We’ve got some bumps and bruises, but hopefully we’ll have everybody.”
Whitko coach Phil Jensen:
On last week — “As we’ve talked about, we’re responding to adversity better. We gave up the lead twice (in the first quarter), then got a big pick from (safety) Kyler Bryant, a senior basketball player who’s out for football for the first time since I believe his freshman year, and it really got us going. The big thing was we seized the moment. We made a good adjustment on defense (about halfway through the second quarter) to No. 7 (running back Darian Hanley) and the kids responded. Not being great students of the game yet, it’s hard to change things mid-flow, but they did it, so some really good growing.”
On Valley — “Not to play a pun on our own name, but that’s a whole different breed of cat. They’re big and physical and well-coached. Not that our other (opponents) weren’t well-coached, but they’ve got it rocking. They’re playing Valley football. We’ll go in probably with 27 in pads, which at least that’s up. We’ve been dressing 25 from a roster of 30.”
On injuries — “We’re still missing (Grayson) Ulshafer, our middle linebacker — just had his MRI (Tuesday) — and Blayne Stump, a starting safety, has been out. Can’t say for sure whether we’ll have him Friday.”
Wawasee (2-3 overall, 0-3 NLC) at Plymouth (0-5, 0-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., The Rock Pile, Plymouth.
Series (last 35 years): Plymouth, 24-17.
John Harrell’s prediction: Wawasee. 24-21.
Last meeting: Sept. 28, 2019, Plymouth 35-0.
Last time Wawasee won: Sept. 27, 2013, 52-35.
About Wawasee: Coach Jon Reutebuch’s Warriors lost 39-0 to NorthWood Sept. 18 … Wawasee had 124 yards of total offense — minus-9 rushing — against NorthWood. Parker Young completed 20-of-31 passes for 133 yards and one TD (50-yarder to Lucas Ringler) … Wawasee averages 16.0 points per game on offense and 17.4 on defense.
About Plymouth: Coach Jon Barron’s Rockies lost 39-30 to Mishawaka Sept. 18 … Plymouth has won seven straight against Wawasee … Jake Reichard (58 carries for 483 yards and four TD’s) is the top rusher … The team gained 245 yards and 42 runs against Mishawaka. Zach Masterson (22-of-35 for 205 yards and three TD’s) is the leading passer. Devante Garcia (21 catches for 207 yards) and Reichard (12 receptions for 168 yards and one TD) are the top receivers … Total tackle leaders are Daniel Bacon (63), Quentin Crawford (57), Reichard (32) and Isaac Navejar (32) … Plymouth averages 12.4 points per game on offense and 35.2 on defense.
Wawasee coach Jon Reutebuch:
On Plymouth: “Each week presents another opportunity to get a win. The competition will be tough. We’ve got to look to improve in our offensive production if we’re going to have a chance to win that ball game.”
Offensive keys: “It’s everybody’s execution of the offense. It’s never one person. It’s all over. We’ve had personnel changes. We’ve changed some schematic ideas. We feel like it’s a matter of focus and effort. We’ve had too many penalties, too many turnovers, too many missed assignments … It’s when those penalties happen, too — at the start of a drive or we’ve just got a first down and it comes back. The same thing with turnovers. They kill your opportunities to score … This week we’re focusing on being more focused and disciplined and reinforcing effort through the play.”
NorthWood game: “We started off just like we wanted to do. We stopped them on defense and had a nice drive going, penetrated deep into their territory then threw a pick. The bottom dropped out at that point. Our kids dropped their heads and did not play well until halftime. We dug ourselves a deep hole.”
Pioneer (4-1 overall, 1-0 HNAC) at Triton (3-1, 2-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Triton High School, Bourbon.
Series (last 35 years): Pioneer, 6-0.
John Harrell’s prediction: Pioneer, 35-17.
Last meeting: Sept. 27, 2019, Pioneer 60-0.
About Pioneer: Coach Adam Berry’s Panthers defeated Indianapolis Crispus Attucks 48-12 Sept. 18 … Brock Robinson (60 carried for 585 yards and nine TD’s), Ezra Lewellen (46 totes of 514 yards and seven TD’s), Cayden Hill (39 attempts for 130 yards and four TD’s) and Addai Lewellen (23 runs for 119 yards and one TD) are Pioneer’s top rushers.. Hill (9-of-23 for 125 yards and two TD’s) is the top passer. Ezra Lewellen (four catches for 53 yards and one TD) is the leading receiver … Total tackle leaders are Logan Smith (38), Tyler Gaumer (37), Caleb Sweet (28), Derrick LeGrand (24) and Zac Taylor (24) … Class 2A Associated Press No. 4/Indiana Football Coaches Association No. 4 Pioneer averages 38.4 points per game on offense and 13.2 on defense.
About Triton: Coach Rodney Younis’ Trojans beat Culver 48-8 Sept. 18 … Hunter McIntyre (48 carries for 265 yards and two TD’s), Trace Schuh (31 attempts for 178 yards) and Anthony Schuh (18 runs for 113 yards) leads Triton in rushing. Cole Shivley (17-of-37 for 37 yards and one TD) is the top passer. Lucas Cabrera (two catches for 30 yards and one TD) is the leading receiver … Jeremiah Farrell (27), Nate Amsden (17), Caleb Lemler (16) and Cabrera (16) pace the team total tackles … Triton averages 21.3 points per game on offense and 20.3 on defense.
Triton coach Rodney Younis:
On Pioneer: “We have to play another complete game. This is going to be a big challenge. We’re excited about facing such a quality opponent. We understand that we need to play near perfection to have an opportunity to play with them … We run very similar offenses. They have four guys who can run the ball (out of the wing-T). It’s going be important defensively that we read our keys and do our responsibilities. They have great team speed — not just with their skill players but with their line. That’s what makes them so dangerous.”
Getting better: “Our complete team blocking offensively is improved big time.”
Culver Community game: “I felt like our kids put a complete game together. Coach Whitaker had a great game plan for us to prepare for Culver because they ran such a unique offense. Our defense did an outstanding job of slowing them down and getting them off the field on third down conversions.”
Southwood (5-0, 3-0 TRC) at Manchester (2-3, 2-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Burk Field.
Series: Southwood leads 32-16.
Last meeting: Southwood won 41-6, Sept. 27, 2019.
Last Manchester win: 30-27, Sept. 28, 2012.
John Harrell’s prediction: Southwood, 42-17.
About Southwood: The Class 1A No. 3-ranked Knights own the state’s longest active regular-season winning streak at 28 games, spanning more than three years. They’re also 26-2 overall since the start of 2018, second-best in the state, and 37-4 since the start of 2017, third-best. … Southwood’s averages of 35.8 points scored and 9.4 allowed are each best in the Three Rivers Conference. … Dual-threat QB Alex Farr is 69-of-118 passing for 1,133 yards with 13 touchdowns against four picks to go with 290 rushing yards on 41 keepers and four TDs. He has not fumbled. Receiver Carson Rich has 22 catches for 440 yards and four TDs. Safety Elijah Sutton’s been in on 51 tackles.
About Manchester: The Squires will be without star running back Braxton Ream after the junior was sidelined by a shoulder injury in the opening quarter of last week’s 55-18 loss at Northfield. Manchester trailed 21-12 when Ream went out. Two-way starter Seth Gaerte was also injured, suffering a broken thumb. … Ream entered the night with 888 net yards rushing this season. Nobody else on the team has more than 50. Gaerte is the Squires’ leading receiver (21 catches, 424 yards, five TDs). … Sophomore quarterback Brock Casper is 52-of-95 through the air for 872 yards and nine TDs against four picks. Safety Dylan Stroud’s been in on 49 tackles.
Manchester coach Alyx Brandewie:
On the injuries — “(Ream’s) out at least this week. His timeline beyond that is yet to be determined (as of Tuesday evening). … Seth broke a bone in his thumb. We think he’ll be available defensively, but probably will not be in on offense.”
On last week — “Obviously, our game plan was changed quite a bit (upon losing Ream), but we felt like we still had some opportunities to make plays. We weren’t quite as physical as we needed to be. … We weren’t as ready as we needed to be, and that’s on me. I’m the adult. I’m certainly not going to blame a bunch of 16-year-olds who were giving their all.”
On Southwood — “They’re a heck of a program. Coach (Dave) Snyder does a fantastic job. They’ve got a bunch of athletes who believe in what they’re doing and it shows on film. They’re fairly balanced, a spread offense, with many athletes in space whether they’re throwing or running, so defensively, it will be a challenge to match the athleticism, but more than that we have to be disciplined when they’re faking something.”
at Warsaw (4-1, 3-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Fisher Field, Warsaw.
Series (last 35 years): Warsaw, 22-13.
John Harrell’s prediction: Warsaw, 38-17.
Last meeting: Sept. 18, 2019, Warsw 48-10.
Last time Goshen won: Sept. 21, 2007, 14-7.
About Goshen: Coach Kyle Park’s RedHawks lost 33-0 to Concord Sept. 18 … Drew Worthman (23 carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns) is Goshen’s top rusher. Colin Turner (22-of-42 for 208 yards and two TD’s) is the top passer. Liam Deegan (seven catches for 55 yards and one TD) and Brayden Hinkel (two receptions for 38 yards and one TD) are the leading receivers … Pacing the team in total tackles are Roman Schrock (21), Duncan Green (16), Isaac Sawatzky (14) and Isaiah Park (13) … Goshen averages 21.5 points per game on offense and 19.5 on defense.
About Warsaw: Coach Bart Curtis’ Tigers topped Northridge 27-14 Sept. 18 … Warsaw had a 19-play drive that took 9:58 off the clock in the second half against Northridge … The Tigers have won 12 straight against Goshen … It’s homecoming week at Warsaw … Leading rushers were the Tigers are Aaron Greene (91 carries for 477 yards and eight TD’s), Julius Jones (38 attempts for 441 yards and two TD’s), Juan Jaramillo (73 totes for 315 yards and five TD’s) and Colton Wampler (56 runs for 204 yards and three TD’s. Greene (8-of-15 for 185 yards and two TD’s) is the top passer and Luke Adamiec (two catches of 54 yards and one TD) is the leading receiver … Pacing the team is total tackles are Mason Martz (26), Theo Katris (20), Zach DeFord (18.5) and Zackary Diecks (17.5) … The Tigers are 35-of-62 on third-down conversions and 12-of-17 on fourth-down conversions … Warsaw averages 31.6 points per game on offense and 27.2. on defense.
Warsaw coach Curtis:
On Goshen: “We’re approaching Goshen like they’re 5-0. They’ve only played two games, one of which they won by a lot of points, the other which they lost by several points. They’re kind of a mystery as far as what we’re going to see out of them all the way around … No disrespect to Goshen, but we’re not going approach this any differently. We’re going to worry about Warsaw.”
Season to date: “It’s like that old REO Speedwagon song from the ‘70s — ‘Roll With the Changes.’ That’s us. The lineup we had yesterday may not be the lineup we have today. We just kind of roll with the changes and put the pieces of the puzzle together. We’ve had to be extremely open-minded on positions.”
Northridge game: There were times we looked effective. There were other times that we looked lost. We were effective enough against a quality program and team that we came out on top … We continue to try to build from the pieces we have a competitive football team.
Tippecanoe Valley (3-2 overall, 3-1 TRC) at Whitko (3-2, 2-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Huff Stadium.
Series: Valley leads 28-19.
Last meeting: Valley won 42-0, Sept. 28, 2019.
Last Whitko win: 44-20, Sept. 16, 2016.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 35-17.
About Valley: The Vikings’ 60-0 and 54-0 wins the last two weeks over North Miami and Rochester mark the first time the program’s cracked 50 points in back-to-back games since 57-0 wins in 1981 over both Rochester and Northfield. The only other occasion of at least back-to-back 50s came from Valley’s 1979 state title team that won 81-0, 67-0 and 63-6 in consecutive weeks over North Miami, Central Noble and North Judson, the latter two of those games in postseason. … Viking quarterback Branson McBrier is an outrageous 12-of-12 passing for 430 yards and six touchdowns over the last two weeks. … Running back Alex Craft has 369 yards on 46 carries with six TDs for the season. >From his outside linebacker spot, he’s added five of his team’s 11 sacks on defense. … Middle linebacker Johnny Gonsalez has racked up 48 solo tackles to decisively lead Valley (Craft’s second at 25), including five for loss. Hunter Eherenman snatched a pair of picks last week, pushing his season total to four.
About Whitko: The Wildcats whipped North Miami 53-24 last week for their highest output and top margin of victory since a 57-14 win over Rochester early in the 2016 season. Whitko trailed 16-15 after one quarter, then scored 24 unanswered points in the second period. … The Cats’ 3-2 record comes on the heels of going 1-29 over the previous three years combined. … Quarterback Ethan Schuh completed 7-of-8 passes against North Miami for 131 yards and three touchdowns. Cade Berg scored four TDs in the game, two by rush and two by reception. He finished at 123 yards on 16 carries, while Isaiah Kyles had 84 on just six attempts to go with a TD. .. Berg, who has manned multiple defensive spots, is also at 32 solo tackles to pace the Cats, followed by Tyler Veach at 29.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty:
On last week — “The kids came fired up. They did a good job with their responsibilities. They did their homework and came prepared. And then they played emotional, because it was Bell week.”
On Whitko — “I think Coach Jensen’s been there long enough that they’re starting to adapt to his style of football. They’re very well-coached, and they have some athletes on the field now. They do a good job spreading the ball around, and they run a lot of formations you have to adjust to. They spread you out and try to find your weak areas.”
On injuries — “We’re doing OK. (Braden) Shepherd’s still out (with a Week 1 shoulder injury). We’ve got some bumps and bruises, but hopefully we’ll have everybody.”
Whitko coach Phil Jensen:
On last week — “As we’ve talked about, we’re responding to adversity better. We gave up the lead twice (in the first quarter), then got a big pick from (safety) Kyler Bryant, a senior basketball player who’s out for football for the first time since I believe his freshman year, and it really got us going. The big thing was we seized the moment. We made a good adjustment on defense (about halfway through the second quarter) to No. 7 (running back Darian Hanley) and the kids responded. Not being great students of the game yet, it’s hard to change things mid-flow, but they did it, so some really good growing.”
On Valley — “Not to play a pun on our own name, but that’s a whole different breed of cat. They’re big and physical and well-coached. Not that our other (opponents) weren’t well-coached, but they’ve got it rocking. They’re playing Valley football. We’ll go in probably with 27 in pads, which at least that’s up. We’ve been dressing 25 from a roster of 30.”
On injuries — “We’re still missing (Grayson) Ulshafer, our middle linebacker — just had his MRI (Tuesday) — and Blayne Stump, a starting safety, has been out. Can’t say for sure whether we’ll have him Friday.”
Wawasee (2-3 overall, 0-3 NLC) at Plymouth (0-5, 0-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., The Rock Pile, Plymouth.
Series (last 35 years): Plymouth, 24-17.
John Harrell’s prediction: Wawasee. 24-21.
Last meeting: Sept. 28, 2019, Plymouth 35-0.
Last time Wawasee won: Sept. 27, 2013, 52-35.
About Wawasee: Coach Jon Reutebuch’s Warriors lost 39-0 to NorthWood Sept. 18 … Wawasee had 124 yards of total offense — minus-9 rushing — against NorthWood. Parker Young completed 20-of-31 passes for 133 yards and one TD (50-yarder to Lucas Ringler) … Wawasee averages 16.0 points per game on offense and 17.4 on defense.
About Plymouth: Coach Jon Barron’s Rockies lost 39-30 to Mishawaka Sept. 18 … Plymouth has won seven straight against Wawasee … Jake Reichard (58 carries for 483 yards and four TD’s) is the top rusher … The team gained 245 yards and 42 runs against Mishawaka. Zach Masterson (22-of-35 for 205 yards and three TD’s) is the leading passer. Devante Garcia (21 catches for 207 yards) and Reichard (12 receptions for 168 yards and one TD) are the top receivers … Total tackle leaders are Daniel Bacon (63), Quentin Crawford (57), Reichard (32) and Isaac Navejar (32) … Plymouth averages 12.4 points per game on offense and 35.2 on defense.
Wawasee coach Jon Reutebuch:
On Plymouth: “Each week presents another opportunity to get a win. The competition will be tough. We’ve got to look to improve in our offensive production if we’re going to have a chance to win that ball game.”
Offensive keys: “It’s everybody’s execution of the offense. It’s never one person. It’s all over. We’ve had personnel changes. We’ve changed some schematic ideas. We feel like it’s a matter of focus and effort. We’ve had too many penalties, too many turnovers, too many missed assignments … It’s when those penalties happen, too — at the start of a drive or we’ve just got a first down and it comes back. The same thing with turnovers. They kill your opportunities to score … This week we’re focusing on being more focused and disciplined and reinforcing effort through the play.”
NorthWood game: “We started off just like we wanted to do. We stopped them on defense and had a nice drive going, penetrated deep into their territory then threw a pick. The bottom dropped out at that point. Our kids dropped their heads and did not play well until halftime. We dug ourselves a deep hole.”
Pioneer (4-1 overall, 1-0 HNAC) at Triton (3-1, 2-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Triton High School, Bourbon.
Series (last 35 years): Pioneer, 6-0.
John Harrell’s prediction: Pioneer, 35-17.
Last meeting: Sept. 27, 2019, Pioneer 60-0.
About Pioneer: Coach Adam Berry’s Panthers defeated Indianapolis Crispus Attucks 48-12 Sept. 18 … Brock Robinson (60 carried for 585 yards and nine TD’s), Ezra Lewellen (46 totes of 514 yards and seven TD’s), Cayden Hill (39 attempts for 130 yards and four TD’s) and Addai Lewellen (23 runs for 119 yards and one TD) are Pioneer’s top rushers.. Hill (9-of-23 for 125 yards and two TD’s) is the top passer. Ezra Lewellen (four catches for 53 yards and one TD) is the leading receiver … Total tackle leaders are Logan Smith (38), Tyler Gaumer (37), Caleb Sweet (28), Derrick LeGrand (24) and Zac Taylor (24) … Class 2A Associated Press No. 4/Indiana Football Coaches Association No. 4 Pioneer averages 38.4 points per game on offense and 13.2 on defense.
About Triton: Coach Rodney Younis’ Trojans beat Culver 48-8 Sept. 18 … Hunter McIntyre (48 carries for 265 yards and two TD’s), Trace Schuh (31 attempts for 178 yards) and Anthony Schuh (18 runs for 113 yards) leads Triton in rushing. Cole Shivley (17-of-37 for 37 yards and one TD) is the top passer. Lucas Cabrera (two catches for 30 yards and one TD) is the leading receiver … Jeremiah Farrell (27), Nate Amsden (17), Caleb Lemler (16) and Cabrera (16) pace the team total tackles … Triton averages 21.3 points per game on offense and 20.3 on defense.
Triton coach Rodney Younis:
On Pioneer: “We have to play another complete game. This is going to be a big challenge. We’re excited about facing such a quality opponent. We understand that we need to play near perfection to have an opportunity to play with them … We run very similar offenses. They have four guys who can run the ball (out of the wing-T). It’s going be important defensively that we read our keys and do our responsibilities. They have great team speed — not just with their skill players but with their line. That’s what makes them so dangerous.”
Getting better: “Our complete team blocking offensively is improved big time.”
Culver Community game: “I felt like our kids put a complete game together. Coach Whitaker had a great game plan for us to prepare for Culver because they ran such a unique offense. Our defense did an outstanding job of slowing them down and getting them off the field on third down conversions.”
Southwood (5-0, 3-0 TRC) at Manchester (2-3, 2-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Burk Field.
Series: Southwood leads 32-16.
Last meeting: Southwood won 41-6, Sept. 27, 2019.
Last Manchester win: 30-27, Sept. 28, 2012.
John Harrell’s prediction: Southwood, 42-17.
About Southwood: The Class 1A No. 3-ranked Knights own the state’s longest active regular-season winning streak at 28 games, spanning more than three years. They’re also 26-2 overall since the start of 2018, second-best in the state, and 37-4 since the start of 2017, third-best. … Southwood’s averages of 35.8 points scored and 9.4 allowed are each best in the Three Rivers Conference. … Dual-threat QB Alex Farr is 69-of-118 passing for 1,133 yards with 13 touchdowns against four picks to go with 290 rushing yards on 41 keepers and four TDs. He has not fumbled. Receiver Carson Rich has 22 catches for 440 yards and four TDs. Safety Elijah Sutton’s been in on 51 tackles.
About Manchester: The Squires will be without star running back Braxton Ream after the junior was sidelined by a shoulder injury in the opening quarter of last week’s 55-18 loss at Northfield. Manchester trailed 21-12 when Ream went out. Two-way starter Seth Gaerte was also injured, suffering a broken thumb. … Ream entered the night with 888 net yards rushing this season. Nobody else on the team has more than 50. Gaerte is the Squires’ leading receiver (21 catches, 424 yards, five TDs). … Sophomore quarterback Brock Casper is 52-of-95 through the air for 872 yards and nine TDs against four picks. Safety Dylan Stroud’s been in on 49 tackles.
Manchester coach Alyx Brandewie:
On the injuries — “(Ream’s) out at least this week. His timeline beyond that is yet to be determined (as of Tuesday evening). … Seth broke a bone in his thumb. We think he’ll be available defensively, but probably will not be in on offense.”
On last week — “Obviously, our game plan was changed quite a bit (upon losing Ream), but we felt like we still had some opportunities to make plays. We weren’t quite as physical as we needed to be. … We weren’t as ready as we needed to be, and that’s on me. I’m the adult. I’m certainly not going to blame a bunch of 16-year-olds who were giving their all.”
On Southwood — “They’re a heck of a program. Coach (Dave) Snyder does a fantastic job. They’ve got a bunch of athletes who believe in what they’re doing and it shows on film. They’re fairly balanced, a spread offense, with many athletes in space whether they’re throwing or running, so defensively, it will be a challenge to match the athleticism, but more than that we have to be disciplined when they’re faking something.”
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