Local High School Football Previews For Week 5
September 14, 2022 at 10:22 p.m.
By Anthony Anderson & Steve Krah-
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Andrews Field, Nappanee.
Series (last 35 years): NorthWood, 23-12.
John Harrell’s prediction: NorthWood, 24-23.
Last meeting: Oct. 8, 2021, Warsaw, 42-24.
About Warsaw: Coach Bart Curtis’ 6A Associated Press No. 11/Indiana Football Coaches Association No.12-ranked Tigers won 19-0 at Concord in Week 4 … Junior Grady Nolin (5-of-14 for 75 yards and two touchdowns) leads Warsaw in passing, senior German Flores-Ortega (62 carries for 367 yards and five TDs) and senior Bryson Brown (32 carries for 321 yards and one TD) in rushing, senior Bryce Duncan (one catch for 32 yards) and Flores-Ortega (one catch for 15 yards and one TD) in receiving. Total tackle leaders are seniors Theo Katris (24.5), Nick Katris (22), Jonn Burritt (22) and Dimitri Chandler (20) and junior Eric Pohl (17.5) … The “D” has 11 takeaways (four interceptions and seven fumbles) … The “O” has five giveaways (all fumbles) … The last time the Tigers were 5-0 was 2001 when Warsaw went 10-1 … Warsaw and NorthWood have split their last 10 meetings. The Tigers’ last two trips to Nappanee resulted in one-point losses — 14-13 in 2018 and 22-21 in 2020 … Including 70-0 against Plymouth in Week 3, Warsaw has posted shutouts in the last two games. The last time the Tigers had two white-washings in a season was 2014 … Warsaw has beaten Michigan City (1-3), Chesterton (1-3), Plymouth (0-4) and Concord (1-3) … The Tigers have outscored four opponents 148-14 with only seven points coming against the No. 1 defensive unit … Bart Curtis is a 1981 NorthWood graduate.
About NorthWood: Coach Nate Andrews’ 4A AP No. 5/IFCA No.6-ranked Panthers won 42-7 at Northridge in Week 4 … Junior Owen Roeder rushed for 67 yards and connected on 15-of-19 passes for 189 yards with TD tosses to juniors NiTareon Tuggle and Wes Yoder and Parker Filley. Senior Ethan Evers added a TD run. Seniors J.J. Payne and Kaden Lone both returned fumbles for TDs … NorthWood has outscored opponents 149-41. The Panthers have beaten Jimtown (2-2), East Noble (3-1), Concord (1-3) and Northridge (1-3) … The last time NorthWood was 5-0 was 2018 when the Panthers went 11-1.
Per Warsaw coach Bart Curtis:
On NorthWood — Warsaw has not won in Nappanee since 2012 (with losses in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020) … (The 2022 Panthers) are an athletic group that does a real nice job of getting the ball to the guys who can make plays — not only in the flat but deep. They’ve got some serious, serious playmakers … They’re going to play at a feverish tempo in all phases of the game … They aren’t afraid to take deep shots … They play quite a few kids on both sides of the ball and it doesn’t seem to faze them … Holding onto the ball is key (for our offense). We need to be better at ball security.
Season so far — I think our kids are still excited to play football. Hopefully they’re coming together a little bit as a team. We’re playing awfully confident on the defensive side of the ball. We’ve had our moments of building confidence on offense.
On Concord game — We played well enough to come away with a win and those wins don’t come very often in Dunlap (Warsaw’s previous win at Concord was in 2009 after six straight losses at Jake Field)
Both defenses played really, really well … We did miss three field goals and an extra points. Those are things we’ve got to get better at.
Rochester (4-0 overall, 3-0 TRC) at Tippecanoe Valley (4-0, 3-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Smith-Bibler Memorial Field.
Series: Valley leads 26-19.
Last meeting: Valley won 54-0, Sept. 18, 2020.
Last Rochester win: 28-14, Sept. 29, 2017.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 35-34.
About Rochester: After last year’s Bell Trophy battle was canceled due to COVID-related issues at Rochester, the Class 2A No. 11-ranked Zebras storm into this one 4-0, marking the first time since 2007 that they and Valley both enter the matchup undefeated. Each club stood 6-0 in ‘07, with host Rochester winning that one 14-13. … Led by punishing junior fullback Alex Deming, the Zebras are averaging 51.3 points per game, sixth in the state. … Deming’s at 588 yards and nine TDs on 83 carries, good for 7.1 per carry and 147.0 per game. His numbers are actually down from his 7.5 per carry and 198.6 per game during a spectacular sophomore season, but it hasn’t mattered, as the cast around him has become more potent. As a team, Rochester is at 358 ground yards per game and 8.0 per ground play to go with 26 rushing touchdowns. Four backs not named Deming in the Zebras’ winged attack have combined for 651 yards and 9.9 per carry. … Following a wild 48-46 win at Knox in Week 2, Rochester has rolled by Whitko and Wabash the last two weeks. … A balanced Zebra defense has notched 24 tackles for loss to go with eight sacks.
About Valley: The 3A No. 15-rated Vikings are seeking a fourth straight win over Rochester, which would be their best run in the rivalry since taking five straight from 1992 to ’96. … Nate Parker leads the Valley running attack with 333 yards and five TDs on 57 carries, some of that as quarterback. Fellow junior Wade Jones has added 191 yards and four touchdowns on just 14 carries, while sophomore Brandon Stiles is at 161 yards and two TDs across 23 tries. … Junior QB Cody Eastgate is 19-of-26 throwing for 386 yards and four touchdowns against one interception while handling most of the aerial duties. Jones, Parker and junior Landon Durkes have combined for 17 catches, 406 yards and four scores. … The Vikings rolled to a 36-0 lead by halftime in their 43-13 win last week at Manchester, setting off a running clock for the duration of the second half, and have scored at least 41 points three straight weeks. … Juniors Kyler Johnson and Cameron Mason remain out due to injuries suffered two weeks ago. … The balanced Valley defense has uncorked 27 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty:
On last week — “I thought we came out well offensively. We got to where our blocks needed to be and moved our feet. Wade Jones was big early and Nate Parker contributed quite a bit. Cody threw the ball pretty effectively. Then, 36-nothing at halftime, I just wanted to make sure we got out without any new injuries, which we were able to do. We got a lot of kids playing time. I was pleased we didn’t have as many penalties as the (previous) two weeks.”
On Rochester — “They have a lot of weapons, Deming being No. 1 of course. It’s a very big offensive line and they move well, so I think controlling the line of scrimmage is going to be key for us. … (Deming) does a good job of keeping his feet moving. He has such strong legs and is so hard to tackle. He’s a big, strong back who can turn 2-yard runs into 15-yard bursts.”
On Bell game significance — “It’s like a season within a season because it’s such a special game for both sides (the huge traveling trophy was added to the series in 1987). Memories are made that you never forget. It’s such a big deal for both communities. It’s kind of like a big family picnic. It’s one where everyone comes out. They’re predicting some historical numbers for this one with both teams unbeaten, so we’re adding some extra bleachers.”
Concord (1-3, 0-2 Northern Lakes Conference) at Wawasee (1-3, 1-1 NLC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Stadium, Syracuse.
Series (last 35 years): Concord, 36-5.
John Harrell’s prediction: Concord, 35-10.
Last meeting: Sept. 10, 2021, Concord, 44-0.
About Concord: Coach Craig Koehler’s 5A Minutemen lost 19-0 to visiting Warsaw in Week 4 … Concord has been using sophomore Hudson Glantz at quarterback, senior Titus Hackworth at running back and seniors Armen Koltookian and Juan Ross are part of the receiving corps … The Minutemen also lost 33-0 to Elkhart in Week 1 and has been blanked twice in 2022. Prior to that, the last shutout loss came in 2014 … Opponents have outscored the Minutemen 93-27 … Concord has won the last 20 meetings with Wawasee.
About Wawasee: Coach Jon Reutebuch’s 4A Warriors won 45-28 at Plymouth in Week 4 … Wawasee won for the first time since Week 6 in 2021 … Junior Brandon Kelly ran 20 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Hunter Tinkey had eight carries for 64 yards and one TD and one reception for 54 yards and one TD. Senior Jaxon Brown ran nine times for 10 yards and one TD and completed 3-of-5 passes for 65 yards and one TD … Opponents have outscored the Warriors 117-87.
Per Wawasee coach Jon Reutebuch:
On Concord — They’ve got a huge offensive line and the quarterback (Hudson Glantz) has a strong arm. They have some good athletes we have to take care of in space. They’ve got a strong, sound running back (Titus Hackworth) … On defense, they swarm to the ball and are pretty stout upfront. They’re always strong on special teams. We’re going to have to executive in all three phases of the game to win.
Four weeks in — We seem to be improving each game. We didn’t turn the ball over as many times against Plymouth, which is a positive. We only turned it over once and we’ve been averaging about three times a game … I feel like we’re making progress. Hopefully we can keep climbing that ladder all the way to the end of the season.
On Plymouth game — We were able to establish the running game which helped us out in all kinds of areas. We were able to pass when we wanted to and keep their offense off the field.
Manchester (0-4 overall, 0-3 TRC) at Northfield (1-3, 0-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Dawes Field.
Series: Manchester leads 38-21.
Last meeting: Northfield won 35-12, Sept. 17, 2021.
Last Manchester win: 23-20, Oct. 18, 2013.
John Harrell’s prediction: Northfield, 38-17.
About Manchester: The Squires, after experiencing victory by Week 3 or sooner in each of the previous five seasons, including in openers the last two years, head into Week 5 still seeking their first win of 2022. Their most recent outing was a 43-13 loss to unbeaten Tippecanoe Valley, but they’ve also endured narrow losses of 14-12 to North Miami and 28-27 at Wabash. … Quarterback Brock Casper has completed 47-of-99 passes for 575 yards and five touchdowns against four interceptions. Fellow senior Memphis Wood has been the prime target on the season with 18 catches for 286 yards and three TDs, while freshman Reiss Gaerte struck for five receptions, 58 yards and a TD against Valley. … Junior running back Garrett Sites was held to just 6 yards on 10 carries against the vaunted Vikings, but is nonetheless at 343 yards on 66 attempts for the year. … Manchester could get a boost from junior linebacker/offensive lineman Preston Duffy, who’s been cleared to return and is expected to see his first action of the season Friday. Duffy was fourth on the team in tackles last year as a sophomore with 56.
About Northfield: A series long controlled by Manchester has shifted sharply in favor of the Norsemen in recent years with eight straight wins (seven of those by at least 20 points, the exception a 49-48 OT thriller in 2019). … Northfield’s led by senior option QB Mason Fisher, who’s at 305 yards on 58 keepers to go with seven touchdowns, although through the air, he’s just 18-of-48 for 292 yards with two TDs and three picks. The versatile Fisher is also averaging 24.7 yards on six kick returns and 10.0 on six punt returns. … Seniors Jaxton Peas and Jordan Kinsey have paired for 384 ground yards on 58 attempts with three TDs. Peas and fellow senior Eli Kroh have combined for 14 catches, 223 yards and two TDs. … The Norse opened with a 21-0 win over Bluffton (the same team that the Squires lost to 42-14 the following week), but have since dropped three straight, one of those barely with a 27-26 decision at Maconaquah.
Manchester coach Alyx Brandewie:
On last week — “(Valley’s) a darn good football team. We knew we were probably going to have our hands full, and it played out that way. The thing I like is our kids fought for four quarters. It was 36-nothing at halftime, and that can go a lot of ways from there, but I was proud of our guys’ heart and fight.”
On Northfield — The Fisher kid is a heck of a football player, outstanding athlete and does a great job leading. The quarterback has to be a darn good player when you run the offense they run with as much triple option in their playbook as they do. We’re keenly aware that if we're going to have success, we have to limit his impact on the game.”
On handling 0-4 — “It’s frustrating, no doubt. We can’t act like it’s all hunky-dory, because it’s not. I just had a conversation with one of our players, and he said everybody’s frustrated, but that’s what you would expect. From where I sit, we’ve got six more games. We’re going to prepare and attack this week. We’re not going to worry about the previous four weeks. We, and we alone, have the ability to change what the record looks like. We need to worry about the next one, not the last one.”
Whitko (0-4, 0-3) at North Miami (2-2, 1-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., North Miami HS, Denver.
Series: Whitko leads 31-15.
Last meeting: Whitko won, 21-14, Sept. 17, 2021.
Last North Miami win: 53-22, Sept. 20, 2019.
John Harrell’s prediction: North Miami, 45-3.
About Whitko: In their first game since the mid-season firing of head coach Chip Coldiron four days earlier, the Wildcats lost 53-8 to visiting Maconaquah last Friday, but they also scored their first points of the season. That came midway through the fourth quarter on a 50-yard pass hookup between junior quarterback Jack Hill and sophomore Trevor Freel. Hill added the two-point conversion run. Mac led at halftime 46-0, triggering a running clock during the second half. … As of early Wednesday afternoon, Whitko had not yet announced the program’s interim head coach. Assistants JD Maurer, Tom Ganz, Nate Ganz and Sean Ream handled coaching duties last week.
About North Miami: The Warriors already own twice as many wins this year as they recorded over the previous two seasons combined, a period in which they went 1-19. … Through three games (full stats not available for North Miami’s 19-8 Week 4 loss to Peru), Austin Smith had already rushed for 404 yards and four touchdowns on 58 carries, good for a 7.0 average, while fellow senior Bradyn Fennell was at 213 yards on 55 tries with a pair of TDs, the duo powering the Warriors to 261.3 ground yards per outing. … Smith and Fennell were also pacing the defense with a hand in 29 tackles apiece.
Editor’s Note: Late Wednesday afternoon, Whitko issued a press release naming Brad Sprunger the interim football coach. Sprunger also coaches the track team.
Culver (2-2, 0-2 Hoosier North Athletic Conference) at Triton (3-1, 1-1 HNAC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Trojan Field, Bourbon.
Series (last 35 years): Culver, 24-15.
John Harrell’s prediction: Triton, 45-14.
Last meeting: Sept. 17, 2021, Triton, 35-24.
About Culver: Coach Mike Zehner’s 1A Cavaliers won 18-0 against visiting West Central in Week 4 … Culver has been led by senior Jason Cadle in passing, senior Shane Shuman in rushing and sophomore Ethan Binion in receiving. Shuman is also a standout on defense … Opponents have outscored the Cavaliers 120-76.
About Triton: Coach Rodney Younis’ 1A AP No. 11/IFCA No.11-ranked Trojans won 51-10 at Bremen in Week 4 … Triton scoring leaders are junior Anthony Schuh (86 points on 14 TDs and two conversions) and junior Cole Shively (66 on seven TDs, 10 conversions and 14 PATs) … Schuh has 53 carries for 811 rushing yards and averages 202.8 ground yards per game …
Senior Reilley Wood (28), senior Brayden Cunningham (23), Shively (23) and sophomore Esai Lemler (19) lead the Trojans in total tackles … Triton is 5-1 in the last six meetings with Culver … The Trojans have outscored foes 160-72.
Per Triton coach Rodney Younis:
On Culver — This is a rivalry game. Over the years we’ve had some really good games. I expect nothing less this year … We have mutual respect for one another. It’s one of those teams we enjoy playing … We need to do our responsibilities and control the football because they have a good offense that can keep the ball away from you and just bleed that clock … They run a similar offense to us — a shotgun wing-T and they will also go under-center with double tight ends in a T-formation. It’s power football.
Defense — Friday night was all about the defense. They set the tone for us. They kept (Bremen) out of the end zone early on. They played sound. We talk each week about making we’re doing our assignments. Friday night, our kids did their assignments well. The secondary did an excellent job. They struggled the week before (at Caston).
On Bremen game — It started off rough, but our boys battled back … The first two (offensive) series were ugly (lost fumble inside the 20 and blocked punt inside the 10, resulting in a 3-0 Bremen lead) … Once we got the ball rolling our kids were growing with confidence.
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Andrews Field, Nappanee.
Series (last 35 years): NorthWood, 23-12.
John Harrell’s prediction: NorthWood, 24-23.
Last meeting: Oct. 8, 2021, Warsaw, 42-24.
About Warsaw: Coach Bart Curtis’ 6A Associated Press No. 11/Indiana Football Coaches Association No.12-ranked Tigers won 19-0 at Concord in Week 4 … Junior Grady Nolin (5-of-14 for 75 yards and two touchdowns) leads Warsaw in passing, senior German Flores-Ortega (62 carries for 367 yards and five TDs) and senior Bryson Brown (32 carries for 321 yards and one TD) in rushing, senior Bryce Duncan (one catch for 32 yards) and Flores-Ortega (one catch for 15 yards and one TD) in receiving. Total tackle leaders are seniors Theo Katris (24.5), Nick Katris (22), Jonn Burritt (22) and Dimitri Chandler (20) and junior Eric Pohl (17.5) … The “D” has 11 takeaways (four interceptions and seven fumbles) … The “O” has five giveaways (all fumbles) … The last time the Tigers were 5-0 was 2001 when Warsaw went 10-1 … Warsaw and NorthWood have split their last 10 meetings. The Tigers’ last two trips to Nappanee resulted in one-point losses — 14-13 in 2018 and 22-21 in 2020 … Including 70-0 against Plymouth in Week 3, Warsaw has posted shutouts in the last two games. The last time the Tigers had two white-washings in a season was 2014 … Warsaw has beaten Michigan City (1-3), Chesterton (1-3), Plymouth (0-4) and Concord (1-3) … The Tigers have outscored four opponents 148-14 with only seven points coming against the No. 1 defensive unit … Bart Curtis is a 1981 NorthWood graduate.
About NorthWood: Coach Nate Andrews’ 4A AP No. 5/IFCA No.6-ranked Panthers won 42-7 at Northridge in Week 4 … Junior Owen Roeder rushed for 67 yards and connected on 15-of-19 passes for 189 yards with TD tosses to juniors NiTareon Tuggle and Wes Yoder and Parker Filley. Senior Ethan Evers added a TD run. Seniors J.J. Payne and Kaden Lone both returned fumbles for TDs … NorthWood has outscored opponents 149-41. The Panthers have beaten Jimtown (2-2), East Noble (3-1), Concord (1-3) and Northridge (1-3) … The last time NorthWood was 5-0 was 2018 when the Panthers went 11-1.
Per Warsaw coach Bart Curtis:
On NorthWood — Warsaw has not won in Nappanee since 2012 (with losses in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020) … (The 2022 Panthers) are an athletic group that does a real nice job of getting the ball to the guys who can make plays — not only in the flat but deep. They’ve got some serious, serious playmakers … They’re going to play at a feverish tempo in all phases of the game … They aren’t afraid to take deep shots … They play quite a few kids on both sides of the ball and it doesn’t seem to faze them … Holding onto the ball is key (for our offense). We need to be better at ball security.
Season so far — I think our kids are still excited to play football. Hopefully they’re coming together a little bit as a team. We’re playing awfully confident on the defensive side of the ball. We’ve had our moments of building confidence on offense.
On Concord game — We played well enough to come away with a win and those wins don’t come very often in Dunlap (Warsaw’s previous win at Concord was in 2009 after six straight losses at Jake Field)
Both defenses played really, really well … We did miss three field goals and an extra points. Those are things we’ve got to get better at.
Rochester (4-0 overall, 3-0 TRC) at Tippecanoe Valley (4-0, 3-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Smith-Bibler Memorial Field.
Series: Valley leads 26-19.
Last meeting: Valley won 54-0, Sept. 18, 2020.
Last Rochester win: 28-14, Sept. 29, 2017.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 35-34.
About Rochester: After last year’s Bell Trophy battle was canceled due to COVID-related issues at Rochester, the Class 2A No. 11-ranked Zebras storm into this one 4-0, marking the first time since 2007 that they and Valley both enter the matchup undefeated. Each club stood 6-0 in ‘07, with host Rochester winning that one 14-13. … Led by punishing junior fullback Alex Deming, the Zebras are averaging 51.3 points per game, sixth in the state. … Deming’s at 588 yards and nine TDs on 83 carries, good for 7.1 per carry and 147.0 per game. His numbers are actually down from his 7.5 per carry and 198.6 per game during a spectacular sophomore season, but it hasn’t mattered, as the cast around him has become more potent. As a team, Rochester is at 358 ground yards per game and 8.0 per ground play to go with 26 rushing touchdowns. Four backs not named Deming in the Zebras’ winged attack have combined for 651 yards and 9.9 per carry. … Following a wild 48-46 win at Knox in Week 2, Rochester has rolled by Whitko and Wabash the last two weeks. … A balanced Zebra defense has notched 24 tackles for loss to go with eight sacks.
About Valley: The 3A No. 15-rated Vikings are seeking a fourth straight win over Rochester, which would be their best run in the rivalry since taking five straight from 1992 to ’96. … Nate Parker leads the Valley running attack with 333 yards and five TDs on 57 carries, some of that as quarterback. Fellow junior Wade Jones has added 191 yards and four touchdowns on just 14 carries, while sophomore Brandon Stiles is at 161 yards and two TDs across 23 tries. … Junior QB Cody Eastgate is 19-of-26 throwing for 386 yards and four touchdowns against one interception while handling most of the aerial duties. Jones, Parker and junior Landon Durkes have combined for 17 catches, 406 yards and four scores. … The Vikings rolled to a 36-0 lead by halftime in their 43-13 win last week at Manchester, setting off a running clock for the duration of the second half, and have scored at least 41 points three straight weeks. … Juniors Kyler Johnson and Cameron Mason remain out due to injuries suffered two weeks ago. … The balanced Valley defense has uncorked 27 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty:
On last week — “I thought we came out well offensively. We got to where our blocks needed to be and moved our feet. Wade Jones was big early and Nate Parker contributed quite a bit. Cody threw the ball pretty effectively. Then, 36-nothing at halftime, I just wanted to make sure we got out without any new injuries, which we were able to do. We got a lot of kids playing time. I was pleased we didn’t have as many penalties as the (previous) two weeks.”
On Rochester — “They have a lot of weapons, Deming being No. 1 of course. It’s a very big offensive line and they move well, so I think controlling the line of scrimmage is going to be key for us. … (Deming) does a good job of keeping his feet moving. He has such strong legs and is so hard to tackle. He’s a big, strong back who can turn 2-yard runs into 15-yard bursts.”
On Bell game significance — “It’s like a season within a season because it’s such a special game for both sides (the huge traveling trophy was added to the series in 1987). Memories are made that you never forget. It’s such a big deal for both communities. It’s kind of like a big family picnic. It’s one where everyone comes out. They’re predicting some historical numbers for this one with both teams unbeaten, so we’re adding some extra bleachers.”
Concord (1-3, 0-2 Northern Lakes Conference) at Wawasee (1-3, 1-1 NLC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Stadium, Syracuse.
Series (last 35 years): Concord, 36-5.
John Harrell’s prediction: Concord, 35-10.
Last meeting: Sept. 10, 2021, Concord, 44-0.
About Concord: Coach Craig Koehler’s 5A Minutemen lost 19-0 to visiting Warsaw in Week 4 … Concord has been using sophomore Hudson Glantz at quarterback, senior Titus Hackworth at running back and seniors Armen Koltookian and Juan Ross are part of the receiving corps … The Minutemen also lost 33-0 to Elkhart in Week 1 and has been blanked twice in 2022. Prior to that, the last shutout loss came in 2014 … Opponents have outscored the Minutemen 93-27 … Concord has won the last 20 meetings with Wawasee.
About Wawasee: Coach Jon Reutebuch’s 4A Warriors won 45-28 at Plymouth in Week 4 … Wawasee won for the first time since Week 6 in 2021 … Junior Brandon Kelly ran 20 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Hunter Tinkey had eight carries for 64 yards and one TD and one reception for 54 yards and one TD. Senior Jaxon Brown ran nine times for 10 yards and one TD and completed 3-of-5 passes for 65 yards and one TD … Opponents have outscored the Warriors 117-87.
Per Wawasee coach Jon Reutebuch:
On Concord — They’ve got a huge offensive line and the quarterback (Hudson Glantz) has a strong arm. They have some good athletes we have to take care of in space. They’ve got a strong, sound running back (Titus Hackworth) … On defense, they swarm to the ball and are pretty stout upfront. They’re always strong on special teams. We’re going to have to executive in all three phases of the game to win.
Four weeks in — We seem to be improving each game. We didn’t turn the ball over as many times against Plymouth, which is a positive. We only turned it over once and we’ve been averaging about three times a game … I feel like we’re making progress. Hopefully we can keep climbing that ladder all the way to the end of the season.
On Plymouth game — We were able to establish the running game which helped us out in all kinds of areas. We were able to pass when we wanted to and keep their offense off the field.
Manchester (0-4 overall, 0-3 TRC) at Northfield (1-3, 0-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Dawes Field.
Series: Manchester leads 38-21.
Last meeting: Northfield won 35-12, Sept. 17, 2021.
Last Manchester win: 23-20, Oct. 18, 2013.
John Harrell’s prediction: Northfield, 38-17.
About Manchester: The Squires, after experiencing victory by Week 3 or sooner in each of the previous five seasons, including in openers the last two years, head into Week 5 still seeking their first win of 2022. Their most recent outing was a 43-13 loss to unbeaten Tippecanoe Valley, but they’ve also endured narrow losses of 14-12 to North Miami and 28-27 at Wabash. … Quarterback Brock Casper has completed 47-of-99 passes for 575 yards and five touchdowns against four interceptions. Fellow senior Memphis Wood has been the prime target on the season with 18 catches for 286 yards and three TDs, while freshman Reiss Gaerte struck for five receptions, 58 yards and a TD against Valley. … Junior running back Garrett Sites was held to just 6 yards on 10 carries against the vaunted Vikings, but is nonetheless at 343 yards on 66 attempts for the year. … Manchester could get a boost from junior linebacker/offensive lineman Preston Duffy, who’s been cleared to return and is expected to see his first action of the season Friday. Duffy was fourth on the team in tackles last year as a sophomore with 56.
About Northfield: A series long controlled by Manchester has shifted sharply in favor of the Norsemen in recent years with eight straight wins (seven of those by at least 20 points, the exception a 49-48 OT thriller in 2019). … Northfield’s led by senior option QB Mason Fisher, who’s at 305 yards on 58 keepers to go with seven touchdowns, although through the air, he’s just 18-of-48 for 292 yards with two TDs and three picks. The versatile Fisher is also averaging 24.7 yards on six kick returns and 10.0 on six punt returns. … Seniors Jaxton Peas and Jordan Kinsey have paired for 384 ground yards on 58 attempts with three TDs. Peas and fellow senior Eli Kroh have combined for 14 catches, 223 yards and two TDs. … The Norse opened with a 21-0 win over Bluffton (the same team that the Squires lost to 42-14 the following week), but have since dropped three straight, one of those barely with a 27-26 decision at Maconaquah.
Manchester coach Alyx Brandewie:
On last week — “(Valley’s) a darn good football team. We knew we were probably going to have our hands full, and it played out that way. The thing I like is our kids fought for four quarters. It was 36-nothing at halftime, and that can go a lot of ways from there, but I was proud of our guys’ heart and fight.”
On Northfield — The Fisher kid is a heck of a football player, outstanding athlete and does a great job leading. The quarterback has to be a darn good player when you run the offense they run with as much triple option in their playbook as they do. We’re keenly aware that if we're going to have success, we have to limit his impact on the game.”
On handling 0-4 — “It’s frustrating, no doubt. We can’t act like it’s all hunky-dory, because it’s not. I just had a conversation with one of our players, and he said everybody’s frustrated, but that’s what you would expect. From where I sit, we’ve got six more games. We’re going to prepare and attack this week. We’re not going to worry about the previous four weeks. We, and we alone, have the ability to change what the record looks like. We need to worry about the next one, not the last one.”
Whitko (0-4, 0-3) at North Miami (2-2, 1-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., North Miami HS, Denver.
Series: Whitko leads 31-15.
Last meeting: Whitko won, 21-14, Sept. 17, 2021.
Last North Miami win: 53-22, Sept. 20, 2019.
John Harrell’s prediction: North Miami, 45-3.
About Whitko: In their first game since the mid-season firing of head coach Chip Coldiron four days earlier, the Wildcats lost 53-8 to visiting Maconaquah last Friday, but they also scored their first points of the season. That came midway through the fourth quarter on a 50-yard pass hookup between junior quarterback Jack Hill and sophomore Trevor Freel. Hill added the two-point conversion run. Mac led at halftime 46-0, triggering a running clock during the second half. … As of early Wednesday afternoon, Whitko had not yet announced the program’s interim head coach. Assistants JD Maurer, Tom Ganz, Nate Ganz and Sean Ream handled coaching duties last week.
About North Miami: The Warriors already own twice as many wins this year as they recorded over the previous two seasons combined, a period in which they went 1-19. … Through three games (full stats not available for North Miami’s 19-8 Week 4 loss to Peru), Austin Smith had already rushed for 404 yards and four touchdowns on 58 carries, good for a 7.0 average, while fellow senior Bradyn Fennell was at 213 yards on 55 tries with a pair of TDs, the duo powering the Warriors to 261.3 ground yards per outing. … Smith and Fennell were also pacing the defense with a hand in 29 tackles apiece.
Editor’s Note: Late Wednesday afternoon, Whitko issued a press release naming Brad Sprunger the interim football coach. Sprunger also coaches the track team.
Culver (2-2, 0-2 Hoosier North Athletic Conference) at Triton (3-1, 1-1 HNAC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Trojan Field, Bourbon.
Series (last 35 years): Culver, 24-15.
John Harrell’s prediction: Triton, 45-14.
Last meeting: Sept. 17, 2021, Triton, 35-24.
About Culver: Coach Mike Zehner’s 1A Cavaliers won 18-0 against visiting West Central in Week 4 … Culver has been led by senior Jason Cadle in passing, senior Shane Shuman in rushing and sophomore Ethan Binion in receiving. Shuman is also a standout on defense … Opponents have outscored the Cavaliers 120-76.
About Triton: Coach Rodney Younis’ 1A AP No. 11/IFCA No.11-ranked Trojans won 51-10 at Bremen in Week 4 … Triton scoring leaders are junior Anthony Schuh (86 points on 14 TDs and two conversions) and junior Cole Shively (66 on seven TDs, 10 conversions and 14 PATs) … Schuh has 53 carries for 811 rushing yards and averages 202.8 ground yards per game …
Senior Reilley Wood (28), senior Brayden Cunningham (23), Shively (23) and sophomore Esai Lemler (19) lead the Trojans in total tackles … Triton is 5-1 in the last six meetings with Culver … The Trojans have outscored foes 160-72.
Per Triton coach Rodney Younis:
On Culver — This is a rivalry game. Over the years we’ve had some really good games. I expect nothing less this year … We have mutual respect for one another. It’s one of those teams we enjoy playing … We need to do our responsibilities and control the football because they have a good offense that can keep the ball away from you and just bleed that clock … They run a similar offense to us — a shotgun wing-T and they will also go under-center with double tight ends in a T-formation. It’s power football.
Defense — Friday night was all about the defense. They set the tone for us. They kept (Bremen) out of the end zone early on. They played sound. We talk each week about making we’re doing our assignments. Friday night, our kids did their assignments well. The secondary did an excellent job. They struggled the week before (at Caston).
On Bremen game — It started off rough, but our boys battled back … The first two (offensive) series were ugly (lost fumble inside the 20 and blocked punt inside the 10, resulting in a 3-0 Bremen lead) … Once we got the ball rolling our kids were growing with confidence.
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