Goshen (0-2, 0-0 NLC) at Warsaw (1-1, 0-0 NLC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Fisher Field, Warsaw.
Series (last 35 years): Warsaw, 24-11.
John Harrell’s prediction: Warsaw, 45-7.
Last meeting: Oct. 6, 2023, Warsaw, 42-7.
About Warsaw: Coach Bart Curtis’ AP No. 4/IFCA 5A No. 5-ranked Tigers lost 34-0 at AP/IFCA 6A No. 4 Warren Central in Week 2 … Warsaw was held to 64 rushing yards and seven first downs while the Warriors got 230 of their 384 total yards on the ground … Warsaw’s Drew Sullivan ran 18 times for the team-best 16 yards … The Tigers committed five turnovers. This week, Warren Central is AP No. 4/IFCA No. 3 in 6A and Warsaw is AP No. 7 and IFCA No. 6 in 5A.
About Goshen: Coach Joey Heclinski’s 5A RedHawks lost 56-0 to visiting AP No. 3/IFCA No. 7 New Prairie in Week 2 … Goshen’s Carter Diaz completed 10-of-21 passes for 74 yards and with one interception. Jacob Duncan caught two passes for 45 yards … Jazic Clevenger and Nicholas Johnson both rushed for 13 yards … The RedHawks had 10 drives for 95 yards while giving up 426 yards and 18 first downs on the Cougars’ 10 drives … Goshen has been outscored 111-17 in 2024 … The RedHawks have lost 16 straight to Warsaw … This is Heclinski’s first season at GHS … This week, New Prairie is AP No. 4 and IFCA No. 5 in 4A.
Per Coach Bart Curtis:
On Goshen — You cannot take any opponent lightly … Guaranteed, (Goshen) is going to come down to our place and play their best game of the year and we need to match that in all avenues … I know my (staff) will put together an incredible game plan for Goshen.
Balance — The defense will tell if you’ll have a balanced offense by how they align. If they respect the possibility or the threat of (the run or pass). It’s got nothing to do with percentages.
On Warren Central game — That’s as good of a defense I’ve coached against in 34 years as a head coach and 40 years in this game. They use their hands so well. They get off blocks so well … We wanted to play the best and I’ll be shocked if they aren’t in the hunt for 6A in November … The only thing that was disappointing to me is that we didn’t play at top speed or hard all the time. We did a lot. We had too many missed assignments and execution errors on offense. The other thing that took me by surprise was our reaction when things went bad. Our body language was not great … We are better for having played that game. I can tell you that … We’re going to have to re-group mentally. We were a little shocked. I know I was … We had one bruised hand, a bruised neck, a bruised back and some bruised egos.

Hammond Morton (0-2) at Tippecanoe Valley (2-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Smith-Bibler Memorial Field, Akron.
Series: First meeting.
John Harrell’s prediction: Valley, 35-17.
About Morton: While the Class 5A Governors are 0-2, their losses are 41-17 at 6A No. 16 Portage and 36-23 against 5A No. 15 Chesterton. Both those teams are 2-0 and part of the power-packed Duneland Athletic Conference. … Morton features a handful of senior college prospects, including Purdue recruit Lebron Hill at wideout; third-year starting quarterback Holland Harris, who recently committed to the University of Indianapolis; and all-state Western Michigan commit Freddy Brown at linebacker/safety and halfback. … Hill caught 34 passes for 564 yards and eight touchdowns for the 5-5 Governors last fall. Harris threw for 1,588 yards and 17 TDs against six interceptions. Brown racked up 10 sacks and seven other tackles for loss among 81 stops overall. Additionally, linebacker Jalen Arnold made 84 tackles as a sophomore, including 11 for loss.
About Valley: This will be the Vikings’ first-ever meeting against any Lake County school. … Class 3A No. 8-ranked Valley is coming off its sixth straight Bell Game win, tying a record in that series, thanks to a script-flipping 22-12 comeback victory over visiting Rochester. The Vikings committed four straight turnovers to start the game, helping them fall into a quick 12-0 hole, and it could’ve been worse if not for Gage Overbey’s stop against the Zebras’ on fourth-and-goal at the Valley 1. A 99-yard touchdown drive against the clock followed that play, capped by Brandon Stiles’ 3-yard, fourth-down score with just four seconds left before halftime. Stiles later added another TD and a two-point conversion as the Vikings outscored Rochester 15-0 in the second half. … Valley starting quarterback Jamison Phillips is doubtful for Friday, per coach Steve Moriarty, due to an ankle injury suffered against the Zebras. Sophomore Hunter Stage would start in his place. … This week’s third straight home game for the Vikings precedes four straight road contests, beginning with next week’s visit to Knox for Valley’s first-ever Indiana Northern State Conference matchup.
Valley coach Steve Moriarty:
On last week — “We gave them some short fields, which was difficult to overcome, but that fourth-and-1 stop gave us a chance and got us going. (Being down 12-0) gave us an opportunity to be mentally tough. We could’ve collapsed a bit, but the players did a good job picking up their spirits, and that long drive set the tone for the second half.”
On retaining the Bell — “It’s a nice accomplishment for the program (to hold it a record seven years, including one year that the teams did not meet). Sometimes, it’s harder to keep it than get it, but the kids refusing to let it go feels good. They keep driving north, and winning that game checks one of our boxes for the season.”
On Morton — “They throw the ball quite a bit, about 60-40. Their receiver going to Purdue, he’ll obviously be a threat. We’ll have to figure out how to stop him, and their quarterback’s a good scrambler when nobody’s open. He’s disciplined, doesn’t throw interceptions. Containing him will be a major priority.”

Wawasee (0-2, 0-0 NLC) at NorthWood (1-1, 0-0 NLC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Andrews Field, Nappanee.
Series (last 35 years): NorthWood, 30-9.
John Harrell’s prediction: NorthWood, 35-14.
Last meeting: Oct. 6, 2023, NorthWood, 38-21.
About Wawasee: Coach Matt Thacker’s 4A Warriors lost 55-6 to visiting 3A West Noble in Week 2 … The game was stopped Friday because of storms and concluded Saturday … Wawasee’s Cameron Senter threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Konnor Sharp in the second quarter … Jayden Stahl had a team-best 64 rushing yards … The Warriors were 2-of-9 on third down and 3-of-4 on fourth down … There was 17-play a drive that took eight minutes in the second quarter … Total tackle leaders were Kassidy Carter (6), Barrett Kelly (6) and Bradyn Pike (5). Wawasee lost three fumbles … This week, West Noble is an AP/IFCA vote-getter in 3A.
About NorthWood: Coach Nate Andrews’ AP No. 7/IFCA 4A No. 4 Panthers lost 19-16 to visiting 6A Portage in Week 2 … NorthWood’s Micah Jarrell completed 11-of-23 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown. Landon Perry had 97 receiving yards. Deondray Monroe had 42 receiving yards and one TD. Dominic Freitas kicked field goals for 31, 42 and 27 yards with one extra point … The Panthers converted 3-of-10 on third down … Leading in total tackles were Hayden Lechlitner (9), Ethan Miller (7), Austin King (7) and Landon Zimmerman (6) … NorthWood averages 25.0 points per game on offense and yield 15.5 on defense … Andrews Field now has turf … The Panthers have an 11-game win streak against Wawasee … This is Andrews’ 11th season at NWHS …This week, NorthWood is AP No. 10 and IFCA No. 8 in 4A.
Per Coach Matt Thacker:
On NorthWood — NorthWood has a tradition-rich football program. I totally respect what they do … We’re going to have our hands full. But I don’t know if I’d want it any other way. If we’re going to get better, if we’re going to make strides, if we’re going to continue to develop in this process I’d much rather play our schedule and try to get that done that anyone else’s. There are things we can do. We have to have confidence in them … Every Friday night in the NLC is a great opportunity.
Fumble aftermath — (West Noble) scored on each one of those, but at the same time you’ve got to have pride in yourself and your teammates, stand up and fight for one another and get a stop … Mistakes and adversity are going to happen in a football game. Right now we don’t deal very well with adversity. That’s a maturation process we’re in the middle of right now. We will get it figured out.
On West Noble game — We learned that we can execute our offense and move the football when we commit to doing the little things right. We talk about having little victories. We can move the ball against a good team if we are disciplined and take care of the details and the football … We have to worry about the process of the play and execute that play to our highest ability. If we do that we can find success.

Manchester (0-2, 0-1 TRC) at Wabash (0-2, 0-1 TRC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Alumni Field, Wabash
Series: Manchester 14-8
John Harrell’s prediction: Manchester 24-21
Last meeting: Sep. 1, 2023, Manchester 27-21 (2OT)
About Manchester: While the Squires fell to 0-2 last week with a 28-14 loss to Bluffton, the game was not nearly as lopsided as John Harrell’s prediction. Manchester led 14-7 at one point and went into halftime tied 14-14 before the Tigers scored a touchdown in both the third and fourth quarters. Quarterback Logan Eastgate attempted 12 passes, completing five of them for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Both scores were long plays to junior receiver Eli Metzger, who caught four passes for 185 yards, including 81-yard and 65-yard touchdowns. Mason Rooney ran the ball eleven times for 21 yards, while Maddux Greer had three carries for 10. Rooney also had a huge game on the defensive side of the ball, making 15 tackles, two for a loss. The Squire defense forced four turnovers in the game, two interceptions by Reiss Gaerte, a pick by Metzger, and a fumble recovery for Landen Bean.
About Wabash: The Apaches were on the wrong end of a blowout last Friday, losing 39-6 to Alexandria-Monroe. Quarterback Haiden McWhirt completed 10 passes for 138 yards and the team’s lone touchdown. Four different Wabash players caught passes, with Korbin Brumley and DaVon Osborn each going above 40 yards receiving. Noah Baldwin ran the ball 12 times for 32 yards. Through two games, the Apaches have been outscored 81-6 through two weeks. Wabash has lost 12 of its last 12 games going back to last season.
Manchester head coach Brian Enyeart:
On last week - Their defense dictated what we did at the line of scrimmage and I was disappointed in that because we talked all week about what we needed to do in that situation. When we did things right we were able to pick up some decent yardage, but more times than not we were not doing what we were supposed to. We took steps forward in some areas and steps back in others. I was happy with how the defense performed for the most part. We had a few missed tackles, one of which turned into an 85-yard touchdown run that we had bottled up behind the line.
On Metzger’s big game - Eli had a great game. His two long touchdowns were a big boost for us in the first half. I would have liked to see the team ride the momentum he provided for us a bit more. He’s a very dynamic and skilled player. I tell Logan to just get him the ball and trust him from there.
On Wabash - We’ve gone through a lot of tackling drills this week. We have to go make the plays instead of waiting for them to come to us. Offensively we have to get to the right spots. Any time you go against an opponent you get excited, but we have to get on the same page to move forward. If we don’t get these things fixed now it could be a long season.


Whitko (0-2, 0-1 TRC) at Rochester (1-1, 1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Barnhart Field.
Series: Rochester leads 27-12.
Last meeting: Rochester won 42-0 on Sept. 1, 2023.
Last Whitko win: 28-7, Sept. 4, 2020.
John Harrell’s prediction: Rochester, 45-3.
About Whitko: The Wildcats hit the road for the first time this season on the heels of their weather-shortened 27-6 loss last week against Peru. …The game was delayed for a second time on the night midway through the second quarter due to storms and did not resume. It was initially postponed, with the possibility of being completed Saturday, but later canceled due in part to a lack of readily available officials. In all, about 50 games around the state were either halted or never got started Friday. Most were finished Saturday. … Senior Riley Harman’s 38-yard touchdown on a pass from sophomore quarterback Crew Ebbinghouse accounted for Whitko’s lone score against the Tigers, pulling the hosts to within 20-6 late in the first quarter.
About Rochester: The visiting Zebras jumped to a quick 12-0 lead last week at Tippecanoe Valley, benefiting from turnovers on each of the Vikings’ first four possessions, but eventually fell 22-12. They cruised by Wabash 42-0 in Week 1. … The Rochester defense has already secured eight takeaways this season, including a pair of interceptions by junior safety Zakk Parks. Sophomore linebacker Ethan Bailey has been in on 23 tackles and junior linebacker Brant Beck 17. … Beck also leads the run-oriented offense with 25 carries for 158 yards and three touchdowns. Junior quarterback Carson Paulik has attempted just 10 passes, completing four for 115 yards with one TD against one pick.
Whitko coach Brad Sprunger:
On last week — “We would’ve liked to (resume on Saturday), but we also knew it would be hard to get a crew, and we still had a JV game coming. We started pretty slow and Peru’s a hard offense to go against if you don’t have much depth. They kind of wear you out and make you guess. We played better as it went along, but the delays hurt.”
On shortened game — “Maybe (not getting game reps) hurts a little, but one thing we saw and one thing we’ve stressed is the need to work on how to come out ready to play off the bat. We did a lot of tackling (Tuesday in practice). That’s all we did. Sent the juniors on to the JV game and just had tackling drills with the seniors, and it was one of the better drill sessions we’ve had, so I said if we can tackle like that in a game, we’ll be a lot better off.”
On Rochester — “Rochester’s Rochester. It’ll be a physical game. They’ll come out and wanna hit. Their coaches always have them ready and it shows. They had some delays in that Bell Game, but before the delays they looked really good.”

Culver Community (1-1, 0-0 HNAC) at Triton (1-1, 0-0 HNAC)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m., Trojan Field, Bourbon.
Series (last 30 years): Culver, 17-14.
John Harrell’s prediction: Triton, 35-3.
Last meeting: Sept. 15, 2023, Triton, 58-6.
About Culver Community: Coach Austin Foust’s 1A Cavaliers lost 28-16 to visiting West Central in Week 2 … Culver gave up 197 yards on the ground and 88 through the air and had three turnovers (two fumbles) … The Cavaliers beat Attica 42-0 in Week 1. This is Foust’s second season at Culver … The Cavaliers have lost in their last five meetings against Triton.
About Triton: Coach Zach Whittaker’s AP No. 6/IFCA 1A No. 9 Trojans lost 21-3 at 2A Bremen in Week 2 … Triton’s Ben McFarland was 1-of-4 passing for three yards with two interceptions. Gavin Riffle threw three interceptions in the second half. Dante’ Workman caught the pass and kicked a 26-yard field goal. Jayden Overmyer had 18 carries 71 rushing yards … Total tackle leaders were Colton Reynolds (10), Cohen Stayton (9), Vinnie Prater (8), Overmyer (7), Workman (7) and Esai Lemler (7). Wayne Reichert produced six total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery … This week, Triton is AP No. 9 and an IFCA vote-getter in 1A.
Per Coach Zach Whittaker:
On Culver Community — This week is really going to be all about us. We have a lot of respect for Culver. It’s been a rivalry .., We want to get back to the fundamentals and the basics. The first week we executed. Last week we just kind of fell apart.
Progress report — We’ve learned a lot about ourselves the last three weeks (in a scrimmage with Jimtown and regular-season games with LaVille and Bremen). We’re about where we need to be. Our future is bright. Our goals are still in-tact. I’m happy that we are growing and learning from our mistakes early.
On Bremen game — We’ve definitely got to work on our passing game. We have to work at efficiency at quarterback when we do decide to throw the ball. Whether it’s ball placement, understanding routes, concepts or taking what the defense is giving you … Upfront, we did a decent job but we had timely penalties. We didn’t execute of third down when we needed to. When you give them five turnovers plus an onside kick, it’s tough to win a ball game. We’ve got to make sure we’re taking care of the football better and are efficient on offense … Our defense did a really job considering the position our offense kept putting them in.