By CRAIG ADKINS
For The Reporter
Sheridan (3-3, 3-1) at Delphi (4-2, 3-1)
The Blackhawks head north to Carroll County for a pivotal Hoosier Heartland Conference tilt with the Oracles this week. This will be the 17th meeting between Sheridan and Delphi with the Blackhawks going 12-4 in previous matchups.
Last week, Delphi won an overtime battle with Clinton Prairie, 14-8. The Blackhawks lost a close game at home to Taylor, 12-11.
Sheridan was one of two county games to play on Friday. Alex Cravens scored midway through the first with a six-yard touchdown run. In the second, Owen Bell was able to make a 34-yard field goal in the tough weather conditions, giving Sheridan a 9-0 halftime lead.
The defense came through in the third quarter, forcing the Titans to recover a ball in the end zone for safety with less than a minute left in the period to put Sheridan up 11-0.
Taylor scored their first points midway through the fourth on a TD run. They took the lead 12-11 on a fumble recovery in the end zone, snapping Sheridan’s nine-game win streak against the Titans.
Despite the 25-yard TD run from Taylor’s Keyshawn Galloway, the Blackhawk defense held the Titans to negative 24 yards on 34 carries for the game.
6A No. 8 Hamilton Southeastern (4-2, 2-2) at Noblesville (2-4, 0-4)
This week’s only all-county matchup with the Royals and Millers will be the 40th on the football field. HSE has a commanding 32-7 record in those games, including five wins in a row. Noblesville’s last win in the series was in 2018 (21-7), also at home.
Southeastern won at home against Zionsville 25-14 and Noblesville dropped its Homecoming game 35-28.
The Royals played a tight first half with Zionsville last Saturday, clinging to a 9-7 lead at halftime, thanks to Hugo Belmonte’s first field goal.
Belmonte was the x-factor for HSE. He booted two more field goals in the third for a 15-7 lead.
Chandler Weston threw a TD pass to Kendrick Pennybaker in the fourth that would push it to 22-7. The Eagles scored a touchdown in the fourth, but another Belmonte FG iced the game for HSE.
Noblesville lost its fourth game in a row last Saturday against Franklin Central on Homecoming, 35-28.
The Flashes got up 3-0 in the first. Noblesville grabbed the lead 8-3 on a Ty Holmes TD. That didn’t last long, as Franklin Central scored on a long TD pass for a 9-8 lead at the half.
FC scored 11 unanswered points in the third on a touchdown and a field goal to lead 20-8 through three.
Noblesville stormed back in the fourth, but so did the Flashes. Luke Hile and Israel Oladipupo scored consecutive touchdowns, minutes apart, boosting the Millers in front, 21-20.
A kickoff return and rushing TD got the Flashes back in front by a 35-21 count.
Max Miller threw an 81-yard touchdown to Aiden Brewer to make it 35-28, but that would be the closest Noblesville got and wound up as the final.
Pike (3-3) at 3A No. 8 Guerin Catholic (3-3)
Friday night at The Eagles’ Nest for Homecoming and Senior Night will be the first-ever meeting for the Red Devils and Golden Eagles.
Both teams are looking to rebound after losses on Saturday. Pike lost to Warren Central 18-7, and Guerin lost at 4A No. 3 Bishop Chatard, 48-13.
The Golden Eagles found themselves in a hole in the first, down 13-7 and it unfortunately got deeper.
Chatard would then score another two touchdowns in the second to lead 27-7 at halftime.
The Trojans outscored Guerin 21-6 in the second half to pull away for the 48-13 win and a 3-0 sweep in Circle City Conference action.
Guerin just couldn’t get into a rhythm offensively. The backfield handful totaled 205 yards on 42 carries (4.8 avg.). Aidan Horn and Malcolm Houze accounted for the two Golden Eagles touchdowns. Houze was limited in passing with 57 yards on 5 of 14 attempts.