Westfield vs. Carmel: Star Prospects to Watch For

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>By the end of the evening on Friday, all of Indiana's High School Football teams will have begun their playoff journeys. For many squads throughout the state, that journey came to an end a week ago. For those who do not fall into that category, the dream of going to Lucas Oil Stadium is still alive. Sectional play continues this week with a number of mouth-watering contests on the docket. Today, we preview the Class 6A showdown in suburban Indianapolis between Westfield and Carmel.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Westfield Shamrocks</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Westfield will be looking to make a return trip to the Class 6A State title game. The first hurdle to clear, will be an opening-round matchup against neighboring Carmel. In spite of the roster turn over they have experienced in recent seasons, the Shamrocks have maintained a high standard. Westfield enters the tournament on the back of 6-3 regular season. Their experience in big games will certainly be beneficial.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Offense</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pulling the strings for the Westfield offense is Senior Corey Ballard. Ballard has registered 1,430 yards spread over 107 completions on 179 attempts. He has thrown ten touchdown passes and six interceptions. Ballard possesses the crucial ability to make plays with his legs. He has racked up nearly 500 rushing yards on 79 carries. 11 of his carries have resulted in touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pacing the team's running-game is Kendall Garnett. The Sophomore has tallied 535 rushing yards on 121 carries. Seven of his totes have led him to the promised land for touchdowns. Garnett can help take a lot of pressure off Ballard. If Westfield can establish the run, they could wear-down the Carmel defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the passing-game, the Shamrocks are led by the combination of Gabriel Aramboles and Maximus Nosler. Aramboles, a sophomore, has posted 417 receiving yards on 27 receptions. Aramboles has reeled in a pair of touchdown receptions. The Junior Nosler sits just under 400 receiving yards with four touchdowns. Having more than one reliable target will give the Carmel defense more to think about throughout the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defense</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior [player_tooltip player_id='397267' first='Tyler' last='Dikos'] leads the way for the Westfield defense. The Middle Linebacker is always around the football. Dikos has surpassed the 100-tackle mark with 32 of his stops being solo. Dikos has forced four fumbles. On the back end, Samuel Toney has snatched a pair of interceptions. But the Defensive Back is not afraid to embrace the physicality. Toney has 72 tackles with four-and-a-half tackles-for-loss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Carmel Greyhounds</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Offense</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quarterback Jackson Kazmierczak has put together an outstanding senior season. Kazmierczak has surpassed 1,400 yards on 105/133 passing. Kazmierczak tossed 14 touchdowns. Kazmierczak has been outstanding at protecting the football, having only thrown two picks. If he can take care of possession, then Carmel could have every chance to get the win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leading the team in rushing is Alijah Alfayyad. The Junior Running Back has carried 97 times, gaining 532 yards in the process. He has added four receptions for 46 yards. Reece Bellin has been the go-to target for Kazmierczak. Bellin finished the regular season with just under 900 yards on 58 catches. Bellin has caught nine touchdowns this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defense</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The heart-and-soul of the Carmel defense is Senior Outside Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='226338' first='Will' last='Heldt']. Heldt has been responsible for 82 tackles with seven tackles-for-loss. Heldt has notched half-a-dozen sacks and the same amount of quarterback hurries. Heldt can make an impact on special teams as well, having blocked one field goal. Safety [player_tooltip player_id='107288' first='Winston' last='Berglund'] can shut down the opposing passing-game. He has snagged three interceptions with one going back the other way for a touchdown. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->