By RYAN WALKER
This is what we’ve all been waiting for: postseason football.
It took a while for us to get into the thick of football weather, but the playoffs never fail to deliver with rain mixed and 50s to high 40s Friday night.
We’ve got three games that should be really exciting on the scoreboard, and I look forward to seeing how they all shape out. No team has an easy win, and no team realistically will get blown out.
Without further ado, I’ll share some thoughts and a preview of each game to begin the state tournament. We’ll go in alphabetical order.
Bluffton
Isn’t it time to make a change to the postseason format? The No. 7 Tigers (7-2) enter the sectional with one of their best seasons in school history. The reward couldn’t have gotten worse with a road game against No. 6 Alexandria-Monroe, the highest-rated team in the sectional.
Although the Jeff Sagarin ratings have Bluffton one spot higher, the two schools are the best in the eight-team field and won’t be meeting in the championship, but rather, the first round.
I’m sure the coaching staff has told its players that you have to beat the best to be the best, but come on, IHSAA.
The Alexandria Tigers are 8-1 on the season and reside in the Central Indiana Conference, finishing second behind unbeaten Mississinewa.
Like Bluffton, Alexandria has been tested with good opponents, beating the likes of Eastbrook and Oak Hill and falling to Mississinewa by 10 points.
They’re a fairly balanced offense led by sophomore quarterback Brady Gast, who has shown up in big games for his team. The one blemish was against Mississinewa, where he and the offense struggled with a tough Indian defense.
Bluffton, on the other hand, handled its business without its X-factor running back for the majority of the season. Khamel Moore returned two weeks ago in the Adams Central game and made an immediate impact, following it up with a big 149-yard day on nine carries over Lakeland.
The Tigers arguably would have beaten Heritage to go 8-1 on the season had they had Moore, but nonetheless, he adds to an already solid offense and a stellar and experienced offensive line.
Other than Alexandria being one of the top teams in 2A, a big concern is the hour-long road trip for Bluffton. A long bus ride against a good team isn’t going to help, but I believe the Tigers have what it takes to keep the season alive by the end of the night. Expect a very tight game that could go down to the final drive.
Norwell
Boy, have the Knights had a season?
It started with a quarterback competition between Drew Graft and Alex Fojtik, and a few weeks later, sophomore Cayden Cassel won the job due to injuries to both.
The Knights looked like they had a long season ahead of them, with players getting injured left and right and getting beat like a drum. But a rather stunning road upset over Columbia City gave the young, inexperienced group some life heading into this week and belief to make a run.
Norwell has already seen its opponent, Delta, on the road earlier in the year. The Eagles may have won handily on the scoreboard 34-16, but it didn’t tell the full story.
That was the game Graft got injured in the second quarter, holding on to a 16-14 lead when he hit the locker room. Backup Fojtik was also out, having the junior varsity guy in Cassel take over. Obviously, it’s not a knock on Cassel, who was thrown into the fire, but the offense took a hit in that second half.
Who knows what would have happened if Graft didn’t get hurt, but before he did, that two-point lead was on the road against a good team. Norwell has gained much-needed experience from that week three game, got Graft back, and got Delta at home.
Delta began the season red-hot, going 5-1, but since then has lost three straight to elite-caliber teams. The Eagles’ offense is also very good and tore up the Knights in that meeting with good quarterback play and two solid running backs.
Considering all the factors, though, I think Norwell has a chance to play spoiler if it plays its best ball, and perhaps with a revenge factor.
Southern Wells
The mighty Raiders got by far the best draw out of the three schools and has a chance to win its first sectional football game since 2015.
I was ecstatic when I saw the pairings for 1A and Southern Wells (1-8) matched up with North Miami (1-8). The two are a perfect match for one another, given the random draw format by the IHSAA. Both should probably be playing No. 2 Adams Central and No. 10 South Adams (who both hilariously play each other instead), but they’re not, so who cares?
Literally, the Raiders and Warriors are separated by eight schools in the entire state of Indiana, according to the Sagarin ratings.
Southern Wells gets them at home, and head coach Jeff Sprunger already has an advantage as his brother, Brad, played against them with Whitko. That means endless game tape, and he can help with a game plan.
North Miami has played a few good teams, but not like the Raiders, who have seen ranked matchups with Adams Central, South Adams, Madison-Grant, and Bluffton. The team has also faced a 7-2 Heritage squad and 3A and 4A schools like Jay County and Woodlan.
This will be the perfect opportunity for the Raiders to start running the ball again with opponents more their size, led by Case Boxell, Tucker Worster, and Brandon Enochs. North Miami hasn’t been particularly good against the run, boding in the Raiders favor.
The most important factor, in my opinion, is the fact that the Warriors don’t throw the ball hardly at all. This has been the kryptonite for the Southern Wells defensive unit all season, as it just hasn’t had the personnel to keep up with those sideline track meets.
According to MaxPreps, North Miami has thrown the ball five times on average per contest — and not well. The three combined throwers are under 30 percent in completion rate with only four touchdowns to four interceptions.
When I’ve watched the Raiders, though the stats might look inflated, I have had some good moments stopping the run. Better teams have had some pushback when trying to carry the rock, and opposing head coaches have all complimented that this is one of the most well-coached Southern Wells groups they’ve seen.
I’m hoping for the best for them this Friday, and they should have a chance to ring that bell at Carnes Field again.
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