Last week, we witnessed a ton of blowouts in Northeast Indiana. Going into Week 5, one of the programs being talked about to be concerned about was the Carroll Chargers, but they shut down all of their critics (myself included) and dominated the Snider Panthers with a 47-14 victory on the road. The Summit Athletic Conference also had two historic performances by two standout athletes.

To start off, North Side Legends junior wide receiver/defensive back Maalik Moore broke a school record in receiving yards with his 8 receptions for 189 yards, and 4 touchdowns performance in the Legends 31-28 2OT thriller last week against Bishop Luers. He also added 2 interceptions on defense. After this performance, Moore visited Notre Dame this past weekend.

Also in the SAC, South Side Archers running back Chris Mhoon broke Lamar Smith’s all-time single game rushing record with his 13 rushes for 307 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. Starting with the SAC, let’s take a look at Week 6, because there’s a few games on slate that will be some games to keep an eye on as we’ve quickly sneaked our way into the second half of the high school football season.

SAC Spotlight: Bishop Dwenger vs. Northrop

We’ve another showdown in the SAC this week as I will be on the sidelines to witness a battle between the highest-scoring offense in the conference versus the best defense in the conference. Dwenger’s defense has only allowed 27 points so far this season. This stingy defense has allowed just 12 points to in-state teams while the other 15 came from a team from Ohio. Led by AJ Shefferly, Houston Ellinger (just got his first D-1 offer from Valpo), Douglas Henry, and Carter Zent, this defense has made an argument for the best in the area. After speaking with Saints head coach Jason Garrett about this week’s game against Northrop, he doesn’t want to change much of their gameplan, but is fully aware of their offensive capabilities.

“They are very explosive on offense and in special teams. We have to be very disciplined in all facets. We must be efficient on offense, win the LOS and take care of the football. Defense must be sound in alignments and assignments,” coach Garrett replied.

While Dwenger’s defense has been tenacious this season, they’ve yet to face an offense like Northrop. With playmakers all across the offense led by Ohio State commit Quay Guilford, quarterback David Callison, Dee Hogue, Maddox Weil (just got an offer from Purdue),and running backs Jaelin Jackson, Kobe Reese and Robert Rembert IV, they’ve got playmakers all across the board offensively. Something to watch is how Dwenger’s struggling offense performs against Northrop’s defense that also has some talent as well. Nearly half of Dwenger’s 101 points scored so far this season came against a winless Wayne Generals team (46 points). I was able to speak with Northrop head coach Quentin Bowen about this week’s matchup against Dwenger and what he is expecting from the Saints.

“We expect Dwenger to come and be physical and disciplined like always. We also need to be disciplined and limit big plays on defense. On offense we need to be efficient with the ball while controlling the clock,” coach Bowen replied. It should be the best game in the SAC, but let’s make some picks for the other games in the conference this week.

Predictions

Northrop over Dwenger 21-14.

Luers over Concordia 28-0.

Homestead over Snider 35-14.

Carroll over South Side 41-21.

North Side over Wayne 45-0.

East Noble Withstands Shootout With Leo To Take Control of NE8

Going into Week 5 last week, it felt like a battle for who will win the NE8 (and most likely was). The East Noble Knights were able to prevail in a shootout over the Leo Lions with a 56-40 victory. For Leo, Nathan Foster ran for 252 yards rushing and 2 rushing touchdowns against a relentless East Noble defense. It ended up not being enough for the Lions, as the Knights were led to victory by freshman Austin Phillips (159 yards rushing, 3 TD’s), Rylee Biddle (304 yards passing, 2 TD’s), and Alex Scott (8 receptions for 224 yards and 1 TD).

NE8 Spotlight: DeKalb vs. Huntington North

This week, the game to watch in the NE8 will be DeKalb versus Huntington North. The DeKalb Barons come into this game with a 3-2 record and their defense has only allowed 8 points more than East Noble’s (69). After a two-game winning streak, the Huntington North Vikings find themselves with a 2-3 record and have a chance to reach .500 if they’re able to defeat DeKalb. Barons junior linebacker Eli Schwab leads the team in tackles with 54, but senior Brady Culler and junior Drake Hall have also accumulated 50-plus tackles this season. Hall also leads the team with two interceptions. Senior Austin Kirkpatrick (two-sport star) leads the team with four sacks.

While the defense has been solid, DeKalb’s passing attack is what Huntington North’s head coach Mike Eshbach is focused on for this match-up.

“They like to throw the ball around. Definitely more pass than run. We need to fly to the ball defensively. We need to be able to stay ahead of the sticks and run the ball. Play good sound defense and hopefully get a couple of turnovers,” coach Eshbach told us. The Vikings defense will be focused on DeKalb’s senior quarterback Eli McCormick and his primary targets Xavier Bell and Noah Spears. Huntington seniors Wyatt Shearer (4 sacks) and Mason Ptak (3 sacks) will need to provide some pressure on McCormick in order for the Vikings to extend their winning streak to three games.

Predictions

DeKalb over Huntington North 28-14.

Columbia City over New Haven 21-10.

Leo over Bellmont 41-0.

East Noble over Norwell 48-0.

ACAC Spotlight: South Adams vs. Adams Central

Last week, the Heritage Patriots almost pulled off the biggest upset in the area. The Adams Central Flying Jets were able to escape with a 14-7 victory to remain unbeaten. This week, the Jets welcome the South Adams Starfires for another battle of Adams County. South Adams senior quarterback Tytus Lehman continues to be one of the best QB’s in the area. He now has thrown for 1,173 yards for 15 touchdowns and three interceptions with a 126.8 QBR. This team is capable of scoring in high volumes, especially if Lehman is able to find his primary targets in Derek McKean (417 rec. yds, 4 TDs) and junior Wesley Summersett (495 rec. yds 6 TD’s).

Of course, Adams Central is another level above anyone the Starfires have played this season. Led by quarterback Jamison Roach, the Flying Jets are a favorite to go down to Lucas Oil Stadium once again. South Adams hasn’t been able to defeat them since the 2020 season, but Starfires head coach Grant Moser knows what it will take to compete with the number one ranked team in 2A.

“They are ranked number in 2A for a reason. They are fundamental and well-coached. They have some flat out studs on both sides of the ball. We have to slow down their blitz to be able to stop Reber and Roach defensively,” coach Moser said.

For the Flying Jets, the gameplan may be as simple as slowing down Lehman and forcing him into mistakes. I was able to catch up with Adams Central head coach Michael Mosser and talk about what his gameplan is this week for South Adams.

“They are very good at what they do. We must put pressure on their quarterback and get him off his game. We must be able to move the ball and score points. Which is something we have struggled with as of late,” coach Mosser replied. Who wins the battle this year?

Predictions

Adams Central over South Adams 17-10.

Woodlan over Jay County 21-14.

Bluffton over Southern Wells 35-7.

Heritage over Tipton 21-7.

NECC Spotlight: West Noble vs. Garrett

The West Noble Chargers still have control of the Big Division in the NECC with a 4-1 record. The Garrett Railroaders are coming off a tough, shutout loss to Eastside and will be looking to bounce back with a huge victory over the Chargers this week. Garrett’s offense has struggled to score points all season under first year head coach Chris Albertin and have the lowest-scoring offense in both the Big and Small Divisions in the conference (52 points scored). Their defense has been their strength and how they’ve won their games this season. Last season, Garrett defeated West Noble 17-6 and the Chargers haven’t forgot that and look to get some revenge this season. Chargers head coach Monte Mawhorter is aware of Garrett’s defense and told me about their keys to victory this week.

“Their front 7 is really good and they force you to find ways to move the ball. They have several good athletes who all make plays. We must limit turnovers and penalties and have consistent drives in which we score at the end,” coach Mawhorter replied. It’ll be a better game than people anticipate and will be one to watch this week.

Predictions

West Noble over Garrett 24-7.

Angola over Fairfield 21-14.

Lakeland over Central Noble 35-14.

Eastside over Prairie Heights 28-0.

Churubusco over Fremont 35-28.