By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
After a week off, the big schools are ready to take to the field.
Class 6A football teams join the post-season this week as the IHSAA’s state tournament reaches the sectional semi-final round. Two big rivalry games are on the schedule right here in Hamilton County on Friday. Carmel travels to Noblesville’s Hare Chevrolet Field, while Fishers will head across town to Reynolds Royals Stadium for another date with Hamilton Southeastern.
The Greyhounds and the Millers saw each other during Week 2 of the regular season. That game was played at Carmel Stadium, with the ‘Hounds winning 31-0. Since then, Carmel has played to a 5-4 regular season, while Noblesville finished 1-8.
It’s a rivalry game, and everybody is fired up since it’s the beginning of sectionals.
“The IHSAA tournament brings a great deal of emotion to any game,” said Millers coach Jason Simmons. “It is an exciting time of year for sure. We get the opportunity to play the defending 6A state champion at home. Our program is excited to host Carmel to get the tournament started.”
Greyhounds coach John Hebert said that playing a team that his squad has already seen during the regular season is a “double-edged sword.”
“We’ve played them already so we are familiar with them, but likewise, they are familiar with us and have an entire game to analyze and review to prepare,” said Hebert. “I think that situation tends to favor the team that lost the first meeting.”
Both teams took advantage of the bye week, which also coincided with Noblesville’s Fall Break. Although there were no classes, Simmons and has staff kept things business as usual.
“We had a normal game week the first week of Fall Break,” said Simmons. “We took some time to put together a game plan and get some players some healed up the second week.”
That was the plan for Carmel as well. The Greyhounds have dealt with some significant absences due to injuries, including starting quarterback Jake McDonald.
“Jake is practicing with the team and is still progressing toward a full recovery,” said Hebert. “We’ll know more about his availability for Friday as the week goes on. The same could be said about Joey Schmidt, Ben Leary, and Joe Conway. I think we are still a week away from Conner Coghlan being ready to play.”
McDonald was having a solid season before his injury, throwing for 879 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games, at a 68-of-135 rate. In McDonald’s absence, Gabe Quigley has stepped up for Carmel, and done well, with a 12-of-22 completion rate, including four touchdowns. Quigley has totaled 177 yards.
Noblesville quarterback Grant Gremel has also been playing well. Gremel has thrown for 1093 yards on 112-of-217 passing, including four touchdowns.
Camari Hunt is the Greyhounds’ top rusher with 617 yards and four touchdowns, followed by Dylan Downing’s 407 yards and three scores. Atticus Clouse leads the receivers with 37 catches and five TDs, followed by Jack Rodimel and Hunt with 10 catches each. Rodimel has four touchdowns.
Luke Blevins is at the top of Noblesville’s rushing chart with 299 yards and three touchdowns, while Gremel has gained 286 yards and reached the end zone five times. Christian Collier has 227 yards and two scores. Zach Gruver has the most Miller receptions with 23, including four TDs. Blevins has caught 21 passes.
MORE MUDSOCK
For the fifth time since 2010, Fishers and Hamilton Southeastern will meet each other in the sectional. This edition of post-season Mudsock football will take place at the Royals’ field.
The two teams played each other in Week 4 of the regular season at Reynolds Tigers Stadium, with Fishers holding off a furious HSE comeback to win 20-14. The Tigers led 20-0 in the fourth quarter before the Royals made a run.
Fishers finished the regular season 5-4 and were part of a three-way tie for the Hoosier Crossroads Conference championship. The Tigers tied with Avon and Brownsburg; all three schools had 5-1 league records. Southeastern was 3-6 in the regular season.
“I know our kids want to beat Fishers and won’t give up every time we play them,” said HSE coach Scott May. “This is a fresh start for us after a bye week and a chance to get our legs back from the end of the regular season. We will prepare hard like every week but our goal will be to get off to a faster start versus Fishers then finish.”
The Royals have been using two quarterbacks this season. Kody Sparks has thrown for 606 yards and two touchdowns, with Cody Huppenthal totaling 238 yards and a touchdown. Both have also scored on the ground, with Huppenthal rushing for four touchdowns and Sparks for two. Jackson Sweeney is HSE’s leading rusher with 391 yards and two scores. Ben Boysen has 19 catches, with Nick Mutchner getting three touchdown receptions.
The Tigers have also been using two quarterbacks. Matt Wolff has completed 44 of 78 passes for six touchdowns and 715 yards, while Jon Vore is 56 for 111, with 683 yards and seven scores.
HL Lewis is Fishers’ leading rusher with 437 yards, with Wolff right behind at 298 yards. Collin Statz has 34 catches to lead the Tiger receivers, while Isaiah Dunnuck has made for touchdown receptions. Will Syrus has the most receiving yards with 461.
‘ROCKS AT UNBEATEN BRONCHOS
Westfield will take a trip to Lafayette for its first-ever Class 6A sectional game to play the Jefferson Bronchos.
The Shamrocks will meet a Bronchos team that is undefeated at 9-0, the first time Jeff has been perfect in the regular season since 2003. The Bronchos went 7-0 to claim the North Central Conference championship, beating McCutcheon 28-10, Harrison 49-39, Kokomo 48-28, Marion 37-31, Richmond 63-6, Logansport 50-0 and Muncie Central 70-0.
But Jefferson snapped everyone to attention right in Week 1, when it pummeled powerhouse Lafayette Central Catholic 54-0. The Bronchos then beat Western 36-15 before they entered into NCC play.
“Jeff is exciting to watch,” said Westfield coach Jake Gilbert. “They have speed all over the place and play a spread offense. They can score in a hurry! I also think they have built their program the right way – with a strong offseason program and strong feeder. Now they are reaping the benefit.”
The Bronchos’ offense is led by quarterback Mathew Wilkerson, who has thrown 26 touchdown passes this season. Wilkerson has completed 151 of 220 attempts – 68.6 percent – and compiled 2241 yards.
Sophomore Marquis Munoz is the leading runner for Jeff, with 1004 yards and 16 scores to his credit. Latrell Brown has reached the end zone 11 times on 674 yards. Six Bronchos players have at least 13 catches, with Bishop Johnson making 41 catches and Jay Segal getting 40 receptions, including a team-leading nine touchdowns.
Westfield was on its Fall Break last week, practicing three times. Gilbert did make sure his team got to enjoy break as well, spending time on “mental training and fun,” – including a trip to a haunted house. After all that, the Shamrocks “should be refreshed and ready to go,” said the coach.
BACK TO MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Hamilton Heights picked up a win over North Montgomery last week in the first round of Class 3A Sectional 26. This week, the Huskies head back to Montgomery County to take on North’s rival: Southmont.
The Mounties are 6-4 for the season, and opened sectional play last week with a 49-7 win over Crawfordsville. Southmont finished 4-3 in the Sagamore Conference, beating North 34-20, Frankfort 28-7, Crawfordsville 41-14 and Lebanon 24-17.
The Mounties lost to Danville (the undefeated Sagamore champion) 48-7, Western Boone 21-7 and Tri-West 28-14. In its season opener, Southmont fell to Fountain Central, a very good 1A team, 18-14, then beat North Putnam 49-27.
Hunter Chadwick is the Mounties’ quarterback, and has thrown for eight touchdowns on 45-of-77 passing and 692 yards. Reese Vancleave has 728 yards on the ground and has scored 12 times., with Chadwick rushing for 511 yards. Kyle Nunemaker is Southmont’s leading receiver with 14 catches and three touchdowns; Ty Williams has the most catching scores with four.
‘HAWKS AT WES-DEL
Sheridan is also on the road for the semi-finals of Class 1A Sectional 44, as it travels to Wes-Del.
The Warriors have been up-and-down this season, but are currently in the upswing. Wes-Del began its year with a 19-6 loss to Alexandria, then won a double overtime game against Cambridge City Lincoln 36-28.
After that, the Warriors – who do not play in a conference – dropped four straight games. Wes-Del fell to Eastern 6-0, Tri 32-24, South Adams 30-0 and Monroe Central 29-0. The Warriors rebounded after that, however, and have won four in a row.
The streak started with an 8-6 victory over Tindley, then coasted to wins over Edinburgh 56-12 and Anderson Prep 72-14. Wes-Del then started sectional play with a 24-8 win over Union City.
“They got some good athletes,” said Sheridan coach Bud Wright of the Warriors. “They got some good size. The cornerback’s a really good athlete.”
A pair of senior twins lead the way for Wes-Del. Camden Townsend is the quarterback, and he is good, with 1056 passing yards for the year. Townsend is 103-of-175 through the air, including 12 touchdowns.
Camden’s favorite target has been his brother, Connor Townsend. Connor has 31 catches on the season, including three touchdowns. Jake Sutton has the most TD receptions with five.
Camden is also the Warriors’ leading rusher, with 263 yards and six scores. Next in line is his brother, Connor Townsend; he has 222 yards rushing for the season. Four other Wes-Del players have run for at least 100 yards.
“They run and pass about the same,” said Wright. “They’re a pretty balanced team.”
Noblesville’s Grant Gremel has passed for over 1000 yards during the Millers’ season, including four touchdowns. (Kent Graham/File photo)
Sheridan’s Brody Perry has 14 catches and four touchdowns for the season. The Blackhawks will travel to Wes-Del on Friday for their sectional semi-final game. (Kent Graham)