Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Concord (3-1, 1-1 NLC) at Warsaw (3-1, 2-0 NLC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Fisher Field, Warsaw.
Series (last 40 years): Concord, 22-19.
John Harrell’s prediction: Warsaw, 31-28.
Last meeting: Sept. 20, 2024, Concord, 28-24.
About Concord: Coach Craig Koehler’s Indiana Football Coaches Association No. 9 Minutemen beat Northridge 21-14 at Mishawaka in Week 4 … Concord led 21-0 at halftime … Senior Reese Breveard ran for two touchdowns and senior Bo Brunner one ... On the season, Brunner is 50-of-65 passing for 713 yards and six TD’s … Rushing yardage leaders are Breveard (483 and nine TD’s), senior Derek Gomez (212 and two TD’s) and Brunner (95 and two TD’s) … Tops in receiving yards are Gomez (243 and one TD), Breveard (156), senior Mark Herman (120 and two TD’s) and junior Chase Thompson (89 and two TD’s) … Total tackle leaders are Breveard (43), junior Zack Myers (38), Gomez (31), senior Camari Jackson (30), junior Fernando Elene’s (26) and senior Parker Shaffer (25) … The Minutemen have averages of 32.8 points scored on offense and 23.5 points allowed on defense.
About Warsaw: Coach Bart Curtis’ IFCA No. 8 Tigers won 41-7 against visiting Wawasee in Week 4 … Warsaw, which led 34-7 at halftime, rushed for 279 yards and passed for 69 … Rushing yardage leaders were senior Quinton Brock (69 and one TD), junior Tucker Reed (47), junior Wyatt Harman (41), senior Daylon Fitzpatrick (37 and two TD’s) and senior Brody Duncan (31 and two TD’s) … Brock was 3-of-4 passing for 69 yards and one TD … Harman (29 yards) and Reed (22), junior Grady Nelson (18 and one TD) each caught a pass … The Tigers lost two varsity fumbles … The first-string defense did not give up any points for the second straight game … On the season, Brock is 6-of-12 pass for 144 yards and one TD … Rushing yardage leaders are Reed (329 with one TD), Harman (207 and one TD), junior Michael Schenk (171 and three TD’s), Brock (168 with four TD’s) and Duncan (168 with four TD’s) … Receiving yardage leaders are Reed (60), Duncan (37) and Harman (29) … Tops in total tackles are sophomore Ty Martin (41), senior Matthew Flores-Ortega (33), junior Nathan Villa (28) and Nelson (27) … The Tigers hold averages of 32.5 on offense and 18.0 on defense … It’s also homecoming at Warsaw.
Per Coach Bart Curtis:
On Concord — They have some serious weapons … They’re pretty big up front and they really present schematically and personnel-wise several issues … They move the ball and score a lot of points.
Defense — We need to do a better job in our rush lanes and rushing the quarterback. We need to do a better job of not chasing dumb (pass) routes that don’t matter. We need to play the ball and not be satisfied tackling somebody after they catch it. We’ve got to tackle better in open space. (Concord’s) got some guys that can give you a hip, give you a leg, and then take it away to leave you grasping for air.
On Wawasee game — I should be happier than I am. I mean, we won … We scored six out of the first seven times we had the ball, but we turned it over too much … Our varsity kids were able to play a half and one series. I was really pleased with our JV effort for the most part … (Wawasee) is a much-improved team. They presented some problems. I thought we responded pretty well.
LaVille (2-2, 0-1 INSC) at Tippecanoe Valley (2-2, 0-1 INSC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Smith-Bibler Field, Akron
Series: Tippecanoe Valley 1-0
John Harrell’s prediction: Tippecanoe Valley 21-14
Last Meeting: Sep. 20, 2024, Tippecanoe Valley 32-21
About LaVille: The Lancers are looking to get going offensively after scoring just six points in last week’s loss to Bremen (7-6) in the team’s Indiana Northern State Conference opener. Quarterback Jack Wildauer completed six of eleven passes for 65 yards and the team’s lone touchdown. Catching the TD was Jace Pippenger, who had two catches for 40 yards. Running back Brayden Pearish cleared the century mark with 106 rushing yards on 34 carries. Cole Stafford is the team’s usual leading rusher with 57.3 yards a game. Leading the defense is Braedyn Foster, who makes an eye-popping 16 tackles a night.
About Valley: The Vikings dropped their second straight game last Friday night, falling 36-21 to Knox to fall to .500. Wes Parker continued his fantastic senior season with 161 yards on the ground and two touchdowns on just eight carries. Grady Moriarty also added a score and reached 60 rushing yards on three touches. Quarterback Hunter Stage completed two passes for just six yards. Owen Omondi made 17 tackles defensively. Taking on Mr. Football candidate Myles McLaughlin, the Vikings held him to 320 yards and five touchdowns, both somehow below his season average. Friday night’s game will be the second four straight road games for Valley, all of which are conference games. In last year’s win over LaVille, Moriarty and Parker combined for 310 rushing yards and four touchdowns. As a team, Valley outrushed the Lancers 436 to 46.
Tippecanoe Valley head coach Steve Moriarty
On last week - I was very proud of the way the kids played. They went hard the whole game and gave our chance to win the game but just couldn’t stop McLaughlin when it mattered. We put them in a lot of long yardage situations which I was very pleased with. I thought the offense played well, we broke three long runs. It was a hard-fought game, just not our night.
On LaVille - With them being able to hurt you with both the run in the pass, this is a big week to stay disciplined and read your keys. We’ve worked a lot this week on our fundamentals and so far I like what I’ve seen. We’re going to need to keep that up all week long to stop them.
On Parker - The thing about Wes is that if you give him any space, he just explodes. As a coach, you love to have a kid with that kind of ability. His speed and his vision have grown game by game. I’m excited to see what he’ll do these next few weeks.
Plymouth (2-2, 2-0 NLC) at Wawasee (1-3, 0-2 NLC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Field, Syracuse.
Series (last 40 years): Plymouth, 28-19.
John Harrell’s prediction: Plymouth, 28-17.
Last meeting: Sept. 20, 2024, Plymouth, 30-0.
About Plymouth: Coach Adam Handley’s Rockies beat visiting Goshen 44-7 in Week 4 … Plymouth scored 23 points in the second quarter and led 30-7 at halftime … Senior Finn Holm ran for 141 yards and three TD’s … The defense held Goshen to minus-36 yards rushing and gave up 151 passing yards … On the season, junior Ben Shively is 32-of-47 passing for 317 yards and two TD’s … Rushing yardage leaders are Holm (458 and five TD’s) and Shively (254 and four TD’s) … Senior Jose Fernando has caught 13 passes for 84 yards and one TD and junior Davis Jones five for 103 … Total tackle leaders are seniors Ethan Hall (30), Lathan Cotton (30), Brady Coffin (24) and Andres Medrano (20) … Plymouth has won its last three meetings against Wawasee … The Rockies have averages of 21.0 on offense and 20.8 on defense.
About Wawasee: Coach Matt Thacker’s Warriors lost 41-7 at Warsaw in Week 4 … Wawasee rushed for 116 yards and passed for 47 … Sophomore Mark Haynes (37) and senior Cameron Senter (24) were rushing yardage leaders … Haynes was 3-of-7 passing for 47 yards … Freshman Mason McKibben caught two passes … The Warriors' TD came on Cameron Senter’s fumble return in the second quarter … On the season, Haynes is 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and one TD … Rushing yardage leaders are Haynes (212 and two TD’s), junior J’Ceon Evans (81), McKibben (77), Cameron Senter (73) and senior Kaden Carter (59) … Junior Kaden Andrew (85 and one TD), sophomore Luke Nettrouer (66) and Cameron Senter (58) pace in receiving yardage … Total tackle leaders are junior Max Pena (31), Cameron Senter (26) and Andrew (21) … Cameron Senter and sophomore Dirk Miller have both recovered two fumbles … The Warriors average 10.8 on offense and 30.3 on defense.
Per Coach Matt Thacker:
On Plymouth — They’re a very good football team. They’ve got some speed. They’ve got some size. They want to enforce their will with their inside running game with their quarterback (Shively) and fullback (Holm). We’re going to have to be prepared for them. They also like to get some stuff on the edges … Execution is huge in any offense, but it’s magnified when you run triple option (and reading is key).
Offense — When you have a young quarterback, young fullback and some young guys overall, you expect to struggle and have some setbacks. You expect some mistakes you wouldn’t get from a junior and a senior. It’s one of those things you have to go through in order to get where you want to be. Sometimes you have to have a little patience.
On Warsaw game — In order to beat Warsaw, you have to match their physicality. You have to match their execution on offense and we didn’t do that … We did a good job of not turning the ball over on the ground. We threw an interception early. But that’ll happen.
Northfield (0-4, 0-3 TRC) at Manchester (2-2, 2-1 TRC)
When: 7 p.m., Burk Field, North Manchester
Series: Manchester 27-13
John Harrell’s prediction: Manchester 35-21
Last Meeting: Sep, 20, 2024, Manchester 20-14 (OT)
About Northfield: The Norsemen are still searching for their first win of the season after falling to 0-4 last week in a 27-12 loss to Southwood. Quarterback Jake Perney threw for 93 yards and a touchdown pass in the loss. He also led the team in rushing with 66 yards. Luke Eviston is the team’s usual leader in rushing, averaging 84 yards a game. Northfield’s highest point total this season is 15, and the team has been held to single digits twice.
About Manchester: The Squires were bested in Three Rivers Conference play for the first time last week, losing 18-14 to Lewis Cass. After falling behind 12-0 early, the team rallied and briefly led 14-12 in the third quarter before a long touchdown run gave the Kings the lead for the final time in the fourth. Quarterback Dallas Martin threw for 46 yards and a score, ran for 97 more and added another touchdown. Caden Young added 79 yards on the ground while Reiss Gaerte ran for 60. Eli Metzger was the team’s leading receiver with 27 yards and a TD.
Manchester head coach Brian Enyeart:
On last week - We didn’t begin the game with any intensity and failed to capitalize on some plays we could have scored on. We talked about it at halftime and came out playing better in the second half and took the lead. Then we kind of went back into coast mode and gave the game right back to them. We had our chances to take the lead back but just couldn’t do it.
On his team’s inconsistency - If I knew how to fix it with the snap of a finger I wouldn’t be coaching anymore. I’d be touring the world telling other programs how to do it. I challenged them this week. It’s to a point where they know their assignments and what they’re supposed to do. The coaches and the fans can’t want it more than these guys want it.
On Northfield - We have to play a good 48 minutes of football. We run pretty much the same offense and they’ve been running it longer so they’ve got that advantage on us. I know they haven’t won a game yet but they’re a tough team that’s going to give us everything they’ve got.
Northwestern (2-2) at Whitko (1-3)
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Huff Stadium
Coaches: Shane Turnipseed, 2-2 in 1st year at Northwestern. Thomas Tyree, 1-3 in 1st year at Whitko, 1-13 in 2nd year overall.
Series: Northwestern 1-0
Last meeting: Northwestern 47-16, Sept. 20, 2024.
John Harrell Prediction: Northwestern 38-24
About Northwestern: The Trojans have about a 55-45 mix in their play calling, leaning toward the passing game. Sophomore quarterback Colin Cook has completed 55 percent of his passes for 977 yards and six touchdowns. A trio of juniors, DeWayne Perrigan, Jayden West and Brayden Wilson, have the lion’s share of receiving yards. A pair of senior running backs, Sam Jones and Michael Arrick, have combined for all but 29 of the teams’ 624 rushing yards. They are 2-1 in the Three Rivers Conference, with wins over Southwood and Peru, and the loss to Manchester.
About Whitko: The 6th-ranked Maconaquah Braves (Class 3A) were able to pass the ball at will against the visiting Wildcats. The home team amassed 391 yards in the air while rushing for 80 in its 62-0 win. Meanwhile, the Wildcats managed just 69 yards of total offense. The ‘Cats have been outscored 109-0 in their last two games.
Head Coach Thomas Tyree
On the Maconaquah game: “It was a slow starting game. We came out with a four-and-out, but we stopped them all fourth down. We got the ball back we for five and out then we had to punt. The punt wasn't so good. They had a kid that they threw the ball to that they really hadn't thrown the ball to all year. But it was just that they better they executed better than we did.”
On the difficulty of keeping spirits high: “With high school kids, when things don't go right, after years of things not go right they just tend to kind of shut it down. All of our kids are the same because they all have to play because we're a small school. It's the same kids enduring that entire emotional roller coaster.”
On making corrections: “We watch film on Saturday mornings, like most teams do, and we’ve addressed some of the errors we saw. We’re still working to replace our quarterback. Crew (Ebbinghouse) was back there last year and he’s still learning, plus he’s had a foot injury. When things aren't going well and you know you're not playing well, things just tend to spiral. But I think that we're making some changes to what we do to kind of fit Crew a little bit more and help our kids know what's going on at all times. I think we will be all right.”
Winamac (1-3, 1-1 HNAC) at Triton (3-1, 2-0 HNAC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Trojan Field, Bourbon.
Series (last 40 years): Triton, 8-5.
John Harrell’s prediction: Triton, 38-14.
Last meeting: Sept. 20, 2024, Triton, 28-0.
About Winamac: Coach John Burgess’ Warriors won 30-22 at Culver Community in Week 4 … Culver led 22-14 at halftime … The decisive points came on a 16-yard TD run by senior Ethan Burgess and two-point run by junior Tearson Wolford early in the fourth quarter … Wolford rushed for 171 yards, two TD’s and a pair of two-point conversions. Burgess gained 63 yards with one TD. Sophomore Xavier Adriano threw a 55-yard TD pass to junior Louis Rugg … Junior Michael Shidler (10 with a fumble recovery) was the total tackles leader … The Warriors average 14.8 on offense and 37.5 on defense.
About Triton: Coach Andy Barker’s Trojans won 63-0 against visiting South Central in Week 4 … Triton led 49-0 at halftime … Senior Jayden Overmyer rushed for 176 yards and two TD’s … Senior Isaac Quintana had 126 receiving yards and two TD’s … There was 587 yards of total offense (384 rushing) … The Trojan defense held the Satellites to 93 yards (28 rushing) … On the season, senior Gage Riffle is 15-of-33 passing for 285 yards and four TD’s … Tops in rushing yardage are Overmyer (611 and five TD’s), Gage Riffle (191 and four TD’s), junior Ryder Gayheart (113 and two TD’s) and freshman Tyler Painton (110 and one TD) … Quintana (124) and Gayheart (115) are receiving yardage leaders … Total tackle leaders are senior Colton Reynolds (40), senior Vinnie Prater (30), Quintana (23) and junior Preston Brookins (22) … Senior Cam Callahan has two interceptions ... The Trojans have averages of 31.3 on offense and 9.0 on defense.
Per Coach Andy Barker:
On Winamac — It’s one of those programs with tradition. When I was growing up, they were a powerhouse. So they know how to win over there. It’s one of those scary moments where we’re doing well here and we have to stay focused and get better. (Winamac and its flexbone attack) has some kids that are strong and we certainly don’t want to overlook them.
Defense — We probably spend over half the (practice) time on defense. With that in-mind, the boys are playing amazing … We found our identity for the four(-man) front and that’s what we’re comfortable in. The more comfortable they can be, the faster they can play … Game prep for the defensive coordinator (Cord Atkinson) is harder. You’ve got to worry about what (the opponent’s offensive) schemes are and how they’re blocking. Within our conference, there are so many schemes and that’s tough week in and week out.
On South Central game — We accomplished what we wanted to accomplish. My mission on the offensive side was to be a little more balanced than we had been the last couple of weeks. We found our identity in the read option and that’s great, but we’ve still got to have some balance.
