Warsaw (6-1, 4-1 NLC) at Goshen (1-6, 1-4 NLC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Foreman Field, Goshen.
Series (last 35 years): Warsaw, 23-11.
John Harrell’s prediction: Warsaw, 35-10.
Last meeting: Oct. 7, 2022, Warsaw, 43-7.
About Warsaw: Bart Curtis’ 6A Associated Press vote-getter/Indiana Football Coaches Association No. 12 Tigers beat Wawasee 22-15 in Week 7 … Warsaw trailed 15-7 in the third quarter … The Tigers got touchdown runs by Robbie Hoffert, Reed Zollinger and Luke Ransbottom and a field goal and extra point by Mason Smythe … Of 290 rushing yards, 168 on 27 carries came from Zollinger, 67 on six totes from Ransbottom and 46 yards for 12 rushes from Hoffert … Quinton Brock was 1-of-2 passing for 23 yards. Daylor Vilmaa also took snaps at quarterback and is expected to do the same against Goshen … Warsaw intercepted four passes and pounced on two fumbles while losing five fumbles … There’s a three-way tie atop the Northern Lakes Conference standings. Warsaw, Northridge and Mishawaka are all 4-1 with two games left in the regular season.
About Goshen: Tom Wogomon’s 5A RedHawks beat Plymouth 24-21 in Week 7 … Aaron Mounsithiraj’s 23-yard field goal as time expired lifted Goshen … Drew Elliott rushed for two TDs and Evan Wagner caught a TD pass from Elliot Frey for the RedHawks … Through seven games, Frey is 23-of-43 passing for 177 yards and one TD with three interceptions … Elliott has 70 carries for 557 yards and six TDs and nine receptions for 78 yards … Total tackle leaders are Elliott (54), Jace Hershberger (38) and Hampton Rivera (29) … Goshen has lost 15 straight against Warsaw, the last win coming in 2007.
Per Coach Bart Curtis:
On Goshen — I know they’re young and (low) numbers are an issue. They’re very well-coached … Monday through Thursday this week we’ve got to get better as a team and a program … On paper, we look like the team that should come out on top. It was that way last week and we barely won.
So far — We’re good enough defensively most of the time to merit the record we have … We’re struggling in some areas and doing well in some others. We just need to be more vigilant with the football … We’ve got to be able to run something other than “zone dive.” We need to be able to run the entire package.
On Wawasee game — It was a hard-fought win for the Tigers that was in the balance until the bitter end … Wawasee played extremely hard and extremely well. They’re not a 1-6 team. They can do some things that can cause you some issues … Wawasee stopped us on fourth-and-2 inside their 10-yard line when we were ready to go up 14-0. That play changed the dynamic of the game.

Tippecanoe Valley (7-0) at Glenn (4-3)
When: Saturday, 7 p.m., Hostrawser Field, Walkerton.
Series: First meeting.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 35-21.
About Valley: The Vikings will play on a day other than a Friday for the second time in the last nine seasons, the other occasion being a 42-0 win over visiting Whitko in September 2019. … Valley commanded further attention from the state pollsters with its 35-13 road whipping of 3A then-No. 2 West Lafayette last week. Senior Nate Parker rushed for a season-high 236 yards on a season-high 40 carries (career-wise, he has exceeded each of those totals once) to go with three touchdowns. Brandon Stiles added 72 yards on 10 tries and Cody Eastgate went 8-of-9 passing for 70 yards. Defensive end Dalton Alber had a scoop-and-score TD off a hit by teammate Kyler Johnson, Parker picked off a pass and the Viking defense collectively stymied the Red Devil offense, allowing just two first downs. West Lafayette did notch a defensive TD. … The Vikings have moved up to No. 5 from No. 7 in this week’s 3A AP poll and to No. 8 from No. 11 in the coaches’. The Devils plunged from No. 2 to No. 11 in the AP and from No. 3 to not receiving votes from the coaches. … For the season, Parker has scored 20 touchdowns, tied for fifth in Indiana, and rushed for 1,155 yards, 12th in the state. … The Valley defense has racked up 18 takeaways, including four by Wade Jones. … The Vikings, who will be playing their fourth first-time opponent of the year, are seeking to start at least 8-0 for the third straight season. They began 10-0 in 2021 and 8-0 last fall.
About Glenn: The Falcons were nipped 31-27 last week by visiting 2A No. 4 LaVille. Glenn’s three losses have come against teams that are a combined 19-2 in the Lancers (6-1), South Bend Riley (6-1) and 3A No. 10 Knox (7-0). Riley blanked the Falcons 20-0 in Week 2, while host Knox rolled 37-8 in Week 5. … Glenn’s led by dual-threat QB and two-way standout Chase Miller. The senior has netted 520 ground yards on 70 keepers with seven touchdowns to go with 57-of-121 throwing for 549 yards. Miller has been intercepted six times while hitting on four TDs. On the defensive side, he’s picked off six passes, part of the Falcons’ 14 as a team. … Senior fullback Mason Kobelt has powered for 671 yards and four scores on 126 carries. Wideout Ty’ronn Larkin owns 18 catches for 223 yards and two TDs. … On defense, the Falcons have registered 27 tackles for loss, paced by senior defensive end Caleb Spodnick at six. Junior linebacker Eli Beeney leads in tackles overall with 64, including five TFLs, while sophomore safety Brayden Bennett’s intercepted three passes. … Glenn, like Valley, will be part of the new Indiana Northern State Conference next fall, along with Bremen, Knox, Jimtown and LaVille. … The Falcons and Vikings have one common opponent so far this year, Glenn having beaten host Jimtown 12-7 in Week 4 and Valley taking down the visiting Jimmies 35-14 in Week 6.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty:
On last week — “I thought we played very well. I’m proud of the way our players went against a bit of adversity. It was, I don’t want to say a hostile environment, but definitely a new and uncomfortable one against a well-ranked opponent, and we stayed focused.”
On O-line’s performance — “They were great. (West Lafayette) slanted quite a bit, gave us a different look, but our line picked it up well and adapted. They had a great week of practice leading up to it. The thing with them is they communicate so well.”
On Glenn — “They’re well-coached. There’s a reason John Barron (is 136-78 in his 19th year overall, including 10-8 in his second at Glenn). He’s been successful, and the kids there are doing a great job buying in. It’s been tremendous. They’ll be tough. Offensively, they’re kind of similar to us. Defensively, they play hard and physical. … (Miler’s) good. LaVille put a lot of attention on him. The thing about him is any time he’s under duress, he takes off, and is usually successful.”

NorthWood (5-2, 3-2 NLC) at Wawasee (1-6, 1-4 NLC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Stadium, Syracuse.
Series (last 35 years): NorthWood, 29-9.
John Harrell’s prediction: NorthWood, 38-17.
Last meeting: Oct. 7, 2022, NorthWood, 57-0.
About NorthWood: Nate Andrews’ 4A vote-getter Panthers beat Mishawaka 43-42 in overtime in Week 7 … Touchdowns were scored by Owen Roeder (2), NiTareon Tuggle (2), Keith Miller (1) and Trey Woods (1) … Roeder completed 19-of-25 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns (one each to Tuggle, Miller and Woods) with one interception … JoZiah Edmond caught seven passes for 95 yards, Tuggle four for 37 and Seth Russell four for 30 … Perry ran 16 times for 72 yards and Roeder nine for 53 and two TDs … Total tackle leaders were Miller (13), Austin King (11), Edmond (7), Michael Anderson (7), Brady King (7), Beau Patterson (7) … Through seven games, Roeder is 103-of-145 passing for 1,480 yards and 14 TDs with four interceptions … Perry has 42 carries for 191 yards and three TDs … Tuggle has 45 catches for 619 yards and nine TDs and Edmond 30 grabs for 430 yards and three TDs.
About Wawasee: Jon Reutebuch’s 4A Warriors lost 22-15 to Warsaw in Week 7 … A Payton Sewell fumble return, Reed Reidenbach field goal and Dallas Miller TD reception from Mason Shoemaker accounted for Wawasee’s points … Shoemaker completed 23-of-42 passes for 192 yards and one TD with three interceptions … Derek Bontrager caught seven passes for 78 yards and Bradyn Pike six for 69 … Total tackle leaders were Brandon Kelly (13), Sewell (12), Reidenbach (11) and Bontrager (7) and Dawson Schmucker (7) … Sewell recovered three fumbles, Brandon Kelly one and Bontrager one … Through seven game, Shoemaker is 68-of-119 passing for 866 yards and eight TDs with nine interceptions … Hunter Tinkey has 54 carries for 374 yards and two TDs, Brandon Kelly 47 totes for 246 yards and one TD and Barrett Kelly 46 rushes for 200 yards and one TD … Bontrager has 33 catches for 324 yards and four TDs, Tinkey 22 receptions for 318 yards and two TDs, Donovan Blair 10 grabs for 153 yards and Pike 10 catches for 142 yards and one TD … Sewell (5) and Bontrager (3) lead in fumble recoveries … Friday will be Senior Night at Wawasee.
Per Coach Jon Reutebuch:
On NorthWood — It presents a different kind of challenge. You have a team that has a lot of dynamic receivers and a quarterback that can throw the ball pretty well and runs well … The tempo is a lot different.
Passing game — We have good receivers. Those kids are dynamic. They can turn a short pass into a big gain. (Shoemaker) throws a good ball and usually makes good decisions … By formation (spread and wing-T concepts), routes that we run and good receivers that gives us an opportunity to move the ball.
On Warsaw game — We had a hard time finishing off drives in the second half which ultimately cost us the ball game. We had too many turnovers, a couple of them in the scoring zone … Our defense played very well.

Lewis Cass (3-4, 3-3 TRC) at Manchester (3-4, 3-3 TRC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Burk Field, North Manchester
Series: Lewis Cass 2-1
John Harrell’s prediction: Lewis Cass 35-21
Last Meeting: Nov. 2, 2007, Lewis Cass 42-14 (sectional)
About Lewis Cass: Lewis Cass comes into this one having alternated wins and loses through seven games this season. The Kings last game was a 43-26 loss to Maconaquah, a game that was close for three quarters until the Braves exploded for 27 points in the fourth. Cass almost doubled up the time of possession in that one, totaling 30 minutes to Maconaquah’s 17. Running back Trevor Rowe had 117 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. Rowe’s 62 yards a game put him second on the team to Cooper Frey, who averages just under 75 and also leads the team in receiving yards at 28.3 a contest. Frey had 13 touchdowns (eight rushing, five receiving) in seven games this season.
About Manchester: The Squires snapped a three-game skid with a 21-0 victory over Whitko last week, spoiling homecoming for the Wildcats in the process. All three Manchester touchdowns came in the second half, as the team did well to shake off some sloppiness that cost them in the first. Reiss Gaerte was incredible once again, running for 128 yards, almost exclusively in the second half, and two touchdowns. Gaerte also made a difference on defense, coming up with an interception in the red zone. Quarterback Logan Eastgate completed just two passes for 764 yards, but carried the ball 16 times for 58 yards and a score, absorbing a ton of punishing hits in the process. Preston Duffy also had a ton of opportunities to carry the ball, finishing with 78 yards on 17 carries. A win here would give the Squires back to back wins for the first time since the 2021 season (three straight wins over Southwood, Whitko and Maconaquah).
Manchester head coach Eddie Fields:
On Whitko game - We made some mistakes early, played poorly in the first half but were still able to move the ball pretty well, which we’re trying to be more consistent at. We’re so improved on defense which is nice to see. It was a nice win for us and one I think we can build off of. We want to be able to compete with the big dogs in the conference too.
On Logan Eastgate’s toughness - We’ve got guys that might have a bit more natural talent than him, but he doesn’t care. He goes out there and leads by example every day. He’s as tough as they come and the type of guy you want under center for your team.
On Lewis Cass - They run the ball extremely well, scheme-wise they’re very similar to Triton, who we scrimmaged. This is a big game for us to showcase growth in the program. We’ve stopped the run for three weeks now and this is a huge opportunity to try and do it again against a team that does it really well.

Whitko (1-6, 0-6 TRC) at Northfield (2-5, 2-4)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Dawes Field, Wabash.
Series: Whitko leads 31-13.
Last meeting: Northfield won 34-7, Oct. 9, 2020.
Last Whitko win: 19-7, Oct. 9, 2015.
John Harrell’s prediction: Northfield, 28-17.
About Whitko: Northfield rotates back onto the Wildcats’ schedule after the two Three Rivers Conference teams did not meet in either of the last two years. … Following a scoreless deadlock in the first half, host Whitko fell 21-0 last week to Manchester. Nevertheless, it was the second-fewest points the Cats have allowed in their last 18 games dating back to their 2021 finale. … Whitko was done in by a trio of first-half turnovers, including fumbling on first-and-goal at the Squire 1 to end its first drive of the game and giving up another fumble at the visitors’ 35. … The Cats’ Riley Harman caught three passes for 77 yards, while Easton Grable recovered a Manchester fumble.
About Northfield: The Norsemen have outscored Whitko 187-33 during their five straight wins in the series, spanning 2016-20, with the closest margin 22 points. … Northfield senior fullback Turner Stephens has rushed for 419 yards and three touchdowns on 99 carries. A pair of sophomores have shared quarterback duties in Jake Perney and Brayden Rice. They’ve combined to complete 12-of-42 passes for 293 yards and 3 TDs against one pick, while Perney’s also been effective on the ground, netting 280 yards and a pair of scores. … On defense, senior linebacker Kody Stambaugh leads the way in both tackles for loss with seven and overall tackles with 63. Junior end Jax Martin is second in each category at six and 49.
Whitko coach Brad Sprunger:
On last week — “I thought the kids played pretty well the first half. We’re driving on that first (possession) and try to reach out to get the ball in and it gets knocked out. It was kind of demoralizing. Little things here and there kind of wore the kids down in a big rivalry game. … I thought our defense played very well. We had a freshman, Haddyn Reed, who started at safety for the first time all year. Coach (Eddie) Fields (of Manchester) texted me at 2:30 in the morning while watching the film and said to check out (Reed on a particular open-field tackle). He said he’s going to be a heck of a player.”
On ball security — “We have to get the kids’ confidence up. We’ve had problems because of our low numbers. You’re trying to find the best fits, and sometimes it’s kids who have never played the position. We’re working on a different way of holding the ball, running with the ball, taking care of the ball.”
On Northfield — “They run triple option. Their kids run hard and get off the ball well. Defensively, they’ve got some speed. We’ve got to get off the ball well and play soundly throughout the game.”

Triton (5-2, 4-1 HNAC) at Knox (7-0, 5-0 HNAC)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m., Community Field, Knox.
Series (last 35 years): Knox, 26-8.
John Harrell’s prediction: Knox, 35-21.
Last meeting: Oct. 7, 2022, Knox, 38-32.
About Triton: Zach Whittaker’s 1A AP No. 10/IFCA No. 10 Trojans beat North Judson 40-7 in Week 7 … Cole Shively completed 7-of-8 passes for 260 yards and four TDs (three to Javen May and one to Dante’ Workman) and ran 14 times for 96 yards and one TD … May caught four passes for 162 yards and Workman two for 87 … Total tackle leaders were Evan Renforth (12), Colton Reynolds (9), May (7), Shively (7) and Workman (7) … Shively intercepted two passes … At 4-1, Triton is tied with LaVille for second place in the Hoosier North Athletic Conference with two games left in the regular season. Front-runner Knox is 5-0.
About Knox: Russ Radtke’s 3A AP No. 10/IFCA No. 12 Redskins beat Pioneer 50-8 in Week 7 … Running backs Myles McLaughlin, Jake Conroy and Camden Garner and quarterback Rowen Jordan are rushing threats. Defensive back Logan Taylor has helped a team that’s held opponents to 13.0 points per game … Knox has won its last four games against Triton. The last Trojan win against the Redskins came in 2018.
Per Coach Zach Whittaker:
On Knox — They’re such a quality opponent. They’re always somebody who’s physical and strong. Their (single-wing) offense is so unique and hard to stop. We know it’s going to be a battle … We have to do a good job of bringing the physicality.
HNAC race — We wanted to be able to compete for a conference championship this year. We’ve set ourselves up into the position to at least get a share. We understand how important this game is.
On North Judson game — We executed our passing game so efficiently. We were able to hit some big plays for touchdowns and in timely moments … We did a good job of tackling (Brock) Benson. We did a good job of sticking to our keys and fundamentals on their option plays … We bent but we didn’t break on defense. When it came down on third and fourth downs we were able to make stops.