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Class 3A Sectional 26
Tippecanoe Valley (7-2) at Angola (4-5)
When: 7 p.m., Angola Stadium
Series: First ever meeting
John Harrell’s prediction: Tippecanoe Valley 24-17
Opponents Records: Tippecanoe Valley 44-37, Angola 54-27
About Tippecanoe Valley: The Vikings are playing some of their best football of the season as the team enters sectional play. Tippy Valley has won its last five games, giving up seven points or less in the last four while out scoring opponents 144-21. Defense has been a story for the Vikings all season long, as the team held their opponents to seven points or less in six of nine games. Last week’s 31-7 win over Bremen earned a second place finish for the team in the Indiana Northern State Conference behind champion Knox. The team has put together just over 3,000 yards of offense this season, with over 2,500 of those yards coming on the ground. In last week’s game, Wes Parker reached the 1,000 yard total for the season to go with eleven touchdowns. He leads the team in both categories. Grady Moriarty is second in the team in rushing with 750 yards to go with 69 tackles on defense, tied with Diego Gonsalez for the team high. Quarterback Hunter Stage has completed 34 passes for 421 yards this season. Owen Omondi is the team’s leading receiver on both sides of the ball. He has a team-high 200 receiving yards this season as well as sharing the team lead in interceptions (5) with Hudson Shepherd. Valley’s last loss came on September 12 to Knox. Last season, The Vikings won their playoff opener 51-25 over Woodlan before falling to eventual sectional champion Garrett 42-13 in the semifinals.
About Angola: Don’t let the Hornets’ 4-5 record fool you. Angola has spent its season playing some incredibly tough competition to prepare for a tough sectional draw. The Hornets have faced four teams from the sectional in the regular season, going 2-2 in that stretch. The most recent game against a potential playoff opponent came in Week 8 when the team defeated Garrett 14-11. Last time out, the Hornets fell 33-28 in a high-scoring loss to Eastside. Leading rusher Hawk Hasselman had 166 yards and three scores in the loss. The senior averages just north of 109 yards a game on the ground and has scored 16 touchdowns. Quarterback Brady Ravis has completed 65 of his passes this season for 711 yards and seven touchdowns. On 102 pass attempts, he’s thrown just five interceptions. His leading receiver is tight end Alex Thomas, who has a team-high 234 receiving yards this fall to go with three touchdowns. Hasselman is second on the team with 200 yards receiving. Angola has not won a playoff game since winning their 4A sectional back in 2018. The Hornets defeated Culver Academy, Northridge and NorthWood before falling to Dwenger in the regional.
Tippecanoe Valley head coach Steve Moriarty:
On his team’s play - We’ve tried to build for this all season long and give ourselves the chance to be successful. In the past, it’s been hard to peak at the right time, and hopefully we’re doing so this year.
On Angola - There’s some worry there because they’re definitely better than their record indicates. They’ve played some really good teams. If we can make sure to pick up their blitzing linebackers and have the mental focus to stick to our blocks, I think our run game can get going. We’re going to need to match their physicality. They’re about a 60-40 run team with one of the more talented backs we’re going to be seeing all season long. We understand that it’s going to be a tough task, but we need to keep him contained while still respecting their passing game.
On his seniors - This is a group that has been through a lot with this program. They’ve seen a lot of good teams and they’ve contributed to them too. They’re going to use all of their past experience to pour all of their focus into one run. I think they’ve done a great job of leading this group on and off the field. They know football is more of a mental game than a physical game and they’ve used that in teaching our younger guys and preparing them for their turn.
Class 4A Sectional 18
Wawasee (1-8) at Northridge (2-7)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Interra Field, Middlebury.
Series (last 40 years): Northridge, 24-20.
John Harrell’s prediction: Northridge, 31-17.
Last meeting: Oct. 3, 2025, Northridge, 42-7.
About Wawasee: Coach Matt Thacker’s Warriors lost 36-14 at Mishawaka in Week 9 … Junior Kaden Andrew and senior Benjamin Brace ran for second-half touchdowns … On the season, junior Johnny Zachary is 18-of-38 passing for 267 yards and three TD’s … Rushing yardage leaders are senior Cameron Senter (314 and two TD’s), freshman Mason McKibben (276 and one TD), sophomore Mark Haynes (212 and three TD’s), Andrew (187), junior J’Ceon Evans (149 and one TD) and junior Luke Lehman (139 and one TD) … Receiving yardage leaders are Senter (170 and two TD’s), Andrew (132 and two TD’s), sophomore Luke Nettrouer (93) and junior Jaylen Lowery (87 and one TD) … Total tackle leaders are junior Max Pena (54), Andrew (40), junior Jaxon Brown (35) and Senter (34) … Wawasee has an offensive average of 13.3 points per game and yields 32.6 ... The Warriors finished 0-7 in Northern Lakes Conference play … Since 1973, Wawasee is 22-41 in IHSAA tournament games with two sectional titles — the last in 2004.
About Northridge: Coach Chad Eppley’s Raiders lost 34-19 at Warsaw in Week 9 … senior Austin Horn (run), junior Hayden Gorball (reception) and junior Keivontre Copeland (reception) scored TD’s … On the season, junior Karsyn Rumflet is 115-of-201 passing for 1,329 yards and 11 TD’s and freshman Jake Scholl is 35-of-72 for 459 yards and nine TD’s … Rushing yardages leaders are Horn (319 and three TD’s), Rumfelt (244), junior Adam Sloop (237 and three TD’s), senior Parker Janes (197) and Scholl (108 and one TD) … Receiving yardage leaders are Copeland (617 and seven TD’s), Gorball (287 and six TD’s), Horn (283 and one TD), junior Aveary Johnson (226 and three TD’s), freshman Myhles Norman (130 and two TD’s) and Janes (115 and one TD) … Total tackle leaders are junior Colt Granberg (110), senior Evan Wagner (68), senior Tucker Baber (64), Gorball (42) and Copeland (41) ... Northridge carries norms of 22.2 on offense and 22.4 on defense … The Raiders finished 2-5 in NLC games … Since 1985, Northridge is 28-40 in IHSAA tournament games with three sectional titles — the last in 2022 … The Raiders have won in 11 straight meetings with the Warriors … If Wawasee wins Friday, it will play at South Riley or play host to South Bend Saint Joseph in the sectional semifinals.
Per Coach Matt Thacker:
Northridge — I can’t remember playing a team twice in a season so this is new territory for me as a coach … They have two quarterbacks and wide receivers who can stretch the field … They do a great job of running the ball, too. With our linebackers, we’ve got to hit the open window and hit it hard.
The Process — We’ve done a good job of moving the ball against people, but it’s (not) finishing drives (that’s been an issue). It’s the little things like turning not the ball over, fumbling the pitch or the snap or being able to toss the ball like have done countless times in practice … If we can figure out the little things, we can take the next step. It’s a part of the process.
On Mishawaka game — Mishawaka is a very good football team. They do things really, really well, especially running midline triple option and everything that we aspire to … The first play of the game, the ball pops up in the air and the (Mishawaka) receiver picks it up and run it into the end zone. It’s been that type of year … Andrew is a big and fast kid. He keeps getting better, especially running the ball and we’ve also got him playing middle linebacker. It’s kind of difficult to keep him off the field.
Class 2A Sectional 35
Prairie Heights (0-9) at Manchester (6-3)
When: 7 p.m., Burk Field
Series: First ever meeting
John Harrell’s prediction: Manchester 38-17
Opponent’s Records: Prairie Heights 36-36, Manchester 36-45
About Prairie Heights: It’s been a rough season for the Panthers, who will have gone 364 days since their last win when this game is played on Friday night. Of the team’s nine losses this season, only one, a week one 30-22 loss to 1-8 Whitko, was by one score. A 35-26 loss to Central Noble on September 12 was the last, and only other, time the Panthers lost by single digits. Over the last four weeks, Prairie Heights has failed to score more than six points in a game, being out scored by a total of 159-18. Junior David Mason leads the team with 25 rushing yards a game, while sophomore Joel Graber leads the team with five total touchdowns.
About Manchester: Manchester’s six wins this season are already the most in a single campaign since the 2009 Squire team won eight games. All six of the team’s wins came in Three Rivers Conference play, as Manchester finished tied for third. The Squires won four of their final five games of the regular season, with the lone loss coming after the team took a 28-0 halftime lead over Maconaquah before eventually falling 29-28. Most recently, the team got back into the win column last Friday night with a 35-21 win over Peru. Quarterback Dallas Martin continued his strong stretch of play by totaling over 200 yards (96 passing, 106 rushing) and three total touchdowns. Reiss Gaerte ran for 78 yards in the win, while Cody Carroll caught a 52-yard touchdown pass. Martin leads the team this season with nearly 85 rushing yards a game and 14 total touchdowns. Three players, Martin, Gaerte and Maddux Greer, have all rushed for over 500 yards this season, while a total of five players have rushed for at least 100. Eli Metzger leads the team with 313 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 13 catches.
Manchester head coach Brian Enyeart:
On last week - I thought our execution was there in the first half, but our effort level wasn’t. I thought it could have been a hangover from the Maconaquah game. But I thought in the fourth quarter we really took it to them and played some of our best football of the season. I told the boys after the game that every quarter they play from now on needs to be like that one.
On the mindset this week - On Monday, half of the teams in the state will be turning in their gear and the other will keep practicing. We’ve been asking the team which half they want to be in. We’re preparing for Prairie Heights but also beyond because you have to be prepared for everything and get better each week. We know [the Panthers] don’t have a win this season but they play some good teams. They don’t want to turn their gear in either, so they’re going to give us their best shot.
On Dallas Martin - He’s come a long way. He’s a very dynamic player and when he’s playing well, he’s the perfect guy to lead our offense. We ask a lot from him and we hope he can keep delivering for us in some big moments.
Whitko (1-8) at Eastside (7-2)
When: 7 pm ET, Eastside.
Coaches: Thomas Tyree, 1-8 in 1st year at Whitko, 1-18 in 2nd year overall. Alyx Brandewie, 20-12 in 3rd year at Eastside, 28-34 in 6th year overall.
Last Outing: Whitko lost to Wabash, 36-35. Eastside defeated Angola, 33-28.
Series: Eastside, 1-0.
Last Meeting: Eastside, 35-7, Oct. 25, 2024, sectional.
John Harrell’s prediction: Eastside, 52-7.
About Whitko – The Wildcats had a tough pill to swallow Friday night, leading 28-6 at one point and 35-14 in the middle of the third quarter before Wabash mounted a comeback and snatched the victory away from host Whitko. Sophomore Tripper Schnepp exploded for 273 yards rushing on 29 carries and a pair of touchdowns. Freshman quarterback Cooper Laukhuf went 11 for 19 passing for 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns, one each to sophomore Hunter Long and senior Landon Smith. Long and senior Ethan Yates had identical stats; two catches for 31 yards each. Sophomore Crew Ebbinghouse added a trio od receptions for 23 yards. The 35 points the Wildcats scored was a season high, and the most points in a game since a 53-24 victory at North Miami Sept. 18, 2020. It was the most points scored in a loss since Sept. 23, 2016, a 52-35 defeat at the hands of Southwood. The Wildcats are looking for their first postseason victory since beating Central Noble 28-24 on Oct. 21, 2016.
About Eastside – The Blazers finished second in the Northeast Corner Conference’s small-school division to Churubusco. Eastside’s offense is led by junior quarterback Job Richman, who runs the ball a little more than three times as often as he attempts a pass. Richman has rushed for 1,406 yards on 174 carries, averaging 156 yards a game on the ground, and 17 touchdowns. Sophomore Noah Dove adds 77 yards a contest and has found the end zone nine times. Richman has completed 55 percent of his passes for 945 yards and 13 touchdowns. His favorite target is senior Jake Warstler, with 21 receptions for 559 yards and eight scores. Defensively, the Blazers have given up 15 points a game.
Head Coach Thomas Tyree
On the Wabash loss – “That was a hard one and I told the boys that after the game, mainly just because it's about all the things I preach every day. I think that was the first time that we had the opportunity to be in that position, meaning we were up 35-14 with seven minutes to go in the third-quarter ball and we had the ball within the 5-yard line and we fumble and we give up a score. Now it’s 35-21 and then we drive all the way down on the two-yard line don't capitalize That one was tough. And then we basically were on defense again until the last two minutes of the game, and then that's hard. Our inexperienced showed. From there they got the ball back and they scored again. They’ve been in some more dog fight games than we have; our games we haven't been in any fight games since week two. We really don't know how to handle being up. We only know how to handle being down and then in that crunch time moment, we don't know how to dig deep and just say’ OK no you're not gonna do anything.’ So we're in that process of learning and fixing those things and I think that it was a great lesson to be had going into the sectional to be honest.”
On learning and moving forward – “I would say that Friday night there was a lot of devastation because it was like ‘dang, this is the stuff that coach has been talking about.’ However, I think since then it was ‘let’s find out the negatives but in a positive way.’ This isn’t them beating us, this is us beating us. This isn't them beating us. Is us beating us like you can't have the ball with inside the 10-yard line and inside the five-yard line three times and walk away with zero points. It just can't happen. And so I think that they've been they kind of learned this year I lease this is my opinion how to I always say intellectualize what goes on and what happens in and understand Why things like this happen.”
On Eastside – “I believe Eastside is a great matchup for us. I think you know a lot of teams we played this year, they’re had an advantage of the athletes and when we were healthy we had an advantage. Yes they're gonna run the football and they have some pretty good athletes. Their best athlete is their quarterback so that kind of helps a little bit. We just have to make sure as coaches were putting our kids in the best position. If you go down the roster, athlete for athlete, I think that we're pretty much the same team but we just have to go about things in a different way.”
Class 1A Sectional 43
Southern Wells (2-7) at Triton (6-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m., Trojan Field, Bourbon.
Series (last 40 years): Southern Wells, 4-1.
John Harrell’s prediction: Triton, 31-17.
Last meeting: Nov. 1, 2024, Triton, 61-6 (sectional).
About Southern Wells: Coach Blake Blaker’s Raiders lost 42-7 at South Adams in Week 9 … On the season, Senior Trey Slusher is 57-of-129 passing for 1,061 yards and nine TD’s … Rushing yardage leaders are Slusher (937 and six TD’s) and senior Levon Goodnight (124) … Receiving yardage leaders are junior Joshua Aulbach (368 and two TD’s), sophomore Adam Aulbach (309 and five TD’s), senior Levi Blake (138 and one TD), junior Ryker Dollar (110) and senior Alden Dollar (110 and one TD) … Total tackle leaders are senior Leeland Goodnight (49), A. Dollar (41), R. Dollar (39), Slusher (39) and J. Aulbach (35) … Southern Wells scores at a 13.8 clip and gives up 31.0 … The Raiders finished 2-4 in Allen County Conference play … Since 1985, Southern Wells is 38-38 in IHSAA tournament games with three sectional titles — the last in 2009.
About Triton: Coach Andy Barker’s Trojans beat visiting North Miami 27-24 in Week 9 … Triton led 20-0 at halftime … Senior Jayden Overmyer ran for 178 yards and two TD’s (including an 84-yarder) ... Senior Gage Riffle ran for 26 yards and one TD … Junior Preston Brookins returned a fumble 94 yards for a TD … Total tackle leaders were senior Colton Reynolds (9), Overmyer (8), senior Vinnie Prater (7), senior Brady Schuh (6) and junior Ryder Gayheart (6) … On the season, Gage Riffle is 42-of-92 passing for 644 yards and seven TD’s … Rushing yardage leaders are Overmyer (1,414 and 13 TD’s), Gage Riffle (284 and five TD’s), Gayheart (133 and three TD’s) and freshman Tyler Painton (110 and one TD) … Receiving yardage leaders are senior Isaac Quintana (206 and two TD’s), junior Cayden Bradley (140 and two TD’s), Gayheart (117 and two TD’s) and senior Maddox Dennie (86 and two TD’s) … Total tackle leaders are Reynolds (101), Prater (77), Brookins (58), Quintana (54), Gage Riffle (46) and Overmyer (44) … Triton has averages of 24.7 on offense and 14.9 on defense … The Trojans finished 5-2 in Hoosier North Athletic Conference play and in third place … Since 1985, Triton is 29-40 in IHSAA tournament games with three sectional titles — the last in 2018 … If the Trojans win Friday, they will play at Fremont or Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian in the sectional semifinals.
Per Coach Andy Barker:
Southern Wells — They’re an up-and-coming program, but they’ve got like 14 seniors. It’s one of those games where we can’t look past them … You have to be laser-focused every week when you lose and go home … (Southern Wells) runs a lot of (offensive and defensive) formations so our defense and offense is going to have to be super sound fundamentally.
Playoff time — The goal long before we got here, especially with the senior group, was to make a deep (postseason) run. With the leadership from our seniors, they’re locked in.
On North Miami game — Gage (Riffle) had one of the best quarterback performances I’ve seen in a long time. Jayden (Overmyer) had a really good night. Defensively, it was an all-around effort but (Colton) Reynolds had another big night … We had a 7 1/2-minute drive at the end to lock it up … They were a good team. I fully expect to see them again in a few weeks if we handle our business.
