By CRAIG ADKINS
For The Reporter
6A No. 14 Carmel (2-3) at North Central (0-5)
The Greyhounds look to hit the road to face a familiar former Metropolitan Conference foe North Central, a team they’ve faced 70 times in the past. Carmel is 42-28 in those contests. Head Coach John Hebert’s squad has won four in a row in the series.
North Central was dominated last Friday in its game with Cathedral at Butler University’s Butler Bowl, 53-13. The Panthers have lost 32 games in a row and 34 of its last 35. Their last win over was on Oct. 8, 2021.
Carmel was in a tight battle with 4A Brebeuf Jesuit and wound up on the short end, 28-27.
The Hounds got out to a 14-0 lead through the air. Anthony Coellner threw two touchdown passes, one each to Jacob Bellin and Dominic Shockley. Bellin scored again in the second with a 14-yard touchdown catch for a 21-7 lead.
Brebeuf then found ways to tie it up 21-21 at halftime with three second-quarter touchdown passes from all-state candidate Maverick Geske.
A stalemate in the third with a few punts and a turnover on downs by the Greyhounds, the game would come down to the final quarter.
Carmel took the lead 27-21 on a Liam Mann touchdown grab from 25 yards. After an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty whistled against them, the ‘Hounds were marked by 15 yards. Lukas Krishtanmoorthy’s extra point attempt would sail left of the left upright and no good.
The Braves took very little time to get down the field. Geske completed a jump pass to Taylor Clark on a short slant that proved to be the deciding score.
Krishtanmoorthy missed a 37-yard field goal midway through the fourth and then Carmel’s final drive that started with 2:02 left stalled on downs back to Brebeuf with no timeouts left.
Anthony Coellner had another great night passing, going 33 of 49 for 401 yards and four TDs. Dominic Shockley caught eight for 134 yards and a score. Jacob Bellin grabbed nine for 103 with Liam Mann also catching eight for 81.
Taylor (2-3, 0-3) at Sheridan (3-2, 3-0)
The Blackhawks will host Taylor for the 10th meeting all-time. Sheridan is 9-0 against the Titans, winning by an average of 44 points and while outscoring them by an astounding 396-107.
Taylor lost its third in a row last week at Clinton Central, 48-6.
Sheridan was on the road for the second week in a row in Clinton County and took down the Clinton Prairie Gophers, 24-6.
Just three minutes in, Alex Cravens ran in from six yards out and Owen Bell made a 32-yard field goal to put the Blackhawks up 10-0 after one.
Jacob Hall scored the lone touchdown in the second for a 17-0 halftime score.
The Blackhawks scored one more in the third when Brock Hagan threw a TD pass to Chance Spencer. The Gophers only put up six in the fourth to give Sheridan their third win in a row and a 3-0 start in Hoosier Heartland Conference play.
Cravens rushed for 147 on 31 carries and Chance Spender caught three passes for 37. Clinton Prairie passed for 174 yards but was held to just 37 rushing yards on 18 attempts.
Hamilton Heights (1-4, 1-0) at 4A No. 15 Logansport (4-1, 1-0)
The Huskies will head northwest to Logansport to face the Berries, a team they have never faced in football.
The Berries are tied for 15th in this week’s Class 4A coaches’ poll and have won two in a row over Benton Central and Twin Lakes by a combined 94-13.
The Huskies got their elusive first win of the season last week at home against Western, 21-6.
Western scored early on for a 6-0 lead, which wound up as the halftime score.
Heights busted the door open in the third and shut it on the Panthers. Just into the third, Drew Woodruff connected with Tyler Champion for a 76-yard touchdown pass for a 7-6 lead.
Swarming defense and a great run game the rest of the way aided the Huskies to victory.
The combination of Nathan Flanders, Logan Hickman and Joey Sigler that would help eat the clock on the ground. The trio put together 96 yards rushing and Sigler had a pair of two-yard TD runs in the 21-point third that became Western’s demise.
Woodruff threw for 219 yards, with six going to Champion for 132 yards.
6A No. 17 Zionsville (3-2, 2-1) at 6A No. 8 Hamilton Southeastern (3-2, 1-2)
The Eagles and Royals have quite a history on the gridiron. They’ve played 28 games as Hoosier Crossroads Conference opponents with HSE having a stronghold on the series with a 23-5 record. Currently Southeastern has a six-game winning streak against Zionsville.
Week 5 saw the Eagles winning a back-and-forth battle with Noblesville at home, 35-28.
HSE got down 7-0 in the first half when Westfield’s Deacon King scored the only TD of the first two quarters.
The Royals tied it 7-7 in the third when Chandler Weston found Kendrick Pennybaker for a 46-yard touchdown pass.
Westfield got back in front just into the fourth on a 59-yard King run.
Southeastern made it interesting late in the fourth. According to Reporter Sports Editor Richie Hall, Weston and Pennybaker teamed up again for a 52-yard reception to get the ball to the 15. Carter Reed took over from there, grinding out five carries to the end zone; scoring on a one-yard run. Hugo Belmonte kicked the extra point and that sent the game to overtime.
Unfortunately for HSE, King scored on Westfield’s OT possession to grab the 21-14 advantage. The Shamrock defense forced and recovered a fumble by the Royals to secure the win.
Carter Reed muscled out 80 yards on 26 carries. Weston passed for 128 yards, going 8-for-14. Four of those completions were caught by Pennybaker for 110 yards.