SOUTH WHITLEY – Wayne Swender doesn’t consider the Jimtown Jimmies to be fancy. Whitko High School’s football coach, however, did say that what the Jimmies do, they do very well. Swender and his Wildcats (4-6) will see the Class 3A No. 1 Jimmies (10-0) up close and personal Friday night, as they travel to Baugo Township in Elkhart County for a 7 p.m. Sectional 18 semifinal game. The winner will face either Tippecanoe Valley (8-2) or No. 9 Heritage (8-2) in next week’s sectional final. “The biggest challenge that we’ll face going over there is that the speed of the game will be a little faster than we’re used to,” said Swender. “They’re the fastest team we’ve seen all year, and they’re going to be fundamentally sound. They’re not fancy, but what they do, they do very well.” Jimtown has shutout half of its opponents this season and outscored the opposition 396-59. Among the Jimmies’ impressive wins are victories against Northern Lakes Conference powers Concord and NorthWood. Jimtown beat NorthWood 27-0 in the season opener, and beat Concord 48-0 on Sept. 21. “Offensively, they get after you,” Swender said of the Jimmies, who average 40 points per game. “They line up, and they come right at you.” Jimtown averages 352 yards of offense per game – 278 of them coming on the ground. Devan Emerson leads the Jimmies in rushing this season with 830 yards and 12 touchdowns on 97 carries. Tanner Adams has rushed 90 times for 632 yards and 12 touchdowns. Tyler Lundy and Nik Olson have rushed for 356 and 326 yards, respectively. Casey Adams and Brody Olson have rushed for 271 and 261 yards, respectively. “Offensively, they get off the ball fast,” Swender said of the Jimmies. “(Devan) Emerson and the other backs, even their subs, are very quick. They run the ball very well.” Because its running game has been so effective, Jimtown has attempted just 55 passes all season. Brody Olson has completed 30 of 49 attempts for 729 yards and 13 touchdowns with two interceptions. Carter Gill leads Jimtown’s receiving corps with 12 catches for 366 yards and eight touchdowns, while Evan Oblinger has caught 11 passes for 308 yards and four scores. Much like the Jimmies, the Wildcats also employ a run-heavy offense. Of Whitko’s 497 offensive plays, 405 have been rushes. Led by sophomore running backs Devin Gerding and Tanner Hughes, the Wildcats have gained 2,096 yards on the ground. Gerding leads the team with 752 yards and seven touchdowns on 88 carries, while Hughes has tallied 694 yards and six scores on 147 attempts. “We want to sustain drives and keep their offense off the field,” said Swender. “We’re not gonna do anything special, we just need to play hard and believe we can win. We can’t go over there with the attitude that we’re already beat.” Alex Stoddard (222 yds, 4 TDs), Trace Killian (176 yds, 1 TD) and Connor Stouder (171 yds, 3 TDs) have also been a key part of Whitko’s ground game this season. The Wildcats average just under 210 rushing yards and 61 passing yards per game. Stoddard, a three-year starter at quarterback and four-year starter in the defensive secondary, has completed 36 of 88 passes for 587 yards and four touchdowns. Stouder leads Whitko in receiving with 11 catches for 266 yards and four touchdowns. The Wildcats opened sectional play last week with a thrilling 21-16 come-from-behind win over Garrett. Jimtown beat Fort Wayne Concordia 42-20. Whitko is trying to advance to the sectional final for the first time since 2003, and win its first sectional title since 1986. The Jimmies have won sectional titles in five of the past seven seasons. “We’re excited about the challenge of playing the No. 1 team in the state,” said Swender. “We can’t take the approach that we’ve already lost. We’ve got to believe we can win. Whether it’s good or bad, we have to get up after every play and be ready for the next one.”
