Four Matchups You Should Be Following Closely In Week 2

<p>Week one of Indiana high school football lived up to the hype. We saw the usual high-flying offenses and stifling defenses show out but we also had a few surprises. That being said, week two is looking to be another great week of football with some intriguing matchups throughout each level. Check out these four matchups that you must keep an eye on come Friday night.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Penn vs. Mishawaka</h2>   <p>What is known as the "Backyard Brawl" returns after a brief, four-year hiatus. These two schools are only separated by three and a half miles and a 10-minute drive. We could very easily see a standing-room-only crowd at TCU Freed Field. Both squads proved to be victorious in week one. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='603981' first='Nolan' last='McCullough'] was uber-efficient a week ago, scoring three touchdowns with his legs, including an 80-yard house call. On top of that, he completed eight passes for 215 yards and one touchdown. The backfield duo of McCullough and running back Jake Balis is going to keep the Kingsmen marching through opponents week in and week out. </p>   <p>The Cavemen of Mishawaka High School exited week one with a blowout defeat of Mishawaka Marian, winning 44-12. They made their living by keeping the ball on the ground and they'll continue that strategy this week and beyond. Like Penn, they also have a dynamic duo in the backfield in [player_tooltip player_id='644330' first='Novell' last='Miller'] and [player_tooltip player_id='541839' first='Brady' last='Fisher']. They combined for 187 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns last week. This game is going to be a slugfest with plenty of fireworks. The series has historically been favorable to the Kingsmen but anything can happen in this battle. This is going to be a fun one.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">East Noble vs. Snider</h2>   <p>Never count out a Luke Amstutz-led East Noble Knights team. After having their first losing season in about two decades, the Knights made a statement in week one, dominating Bishop Luers 45-7. This certainly put the rest of the Northeast 8 on notice, proving that this team is for real. But the Knights must be careful to not lose focus, as they welcome a fierce Snider Panther team to Kendallville. East Noble is led by veteran quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='299879' first='Zander' last='Brazel'] but the focus is on the ground game. The Knights rushed for 325 yards as a group against Bishop Luers. They ran the ball early and often and they could not be stopped. [player_tooltip player_id='839020' first='Dylan' last='Krehl'], Michael Mosley, and Tyson Reinbold led the attack with 50, 84, and 120 rushing yards a piece. All eyes are on this East Noble squad heading into week two and if they can knock off a powerful Snider team, then oh boy. Steer clear of the Knights</p>   <p>How about the Fort Wayne Snider Panthers traveling down to Warren Central and making a STATEMENT? The theme of each team mentioned thus far has been the success experienced from running the ball. Snider is no different. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='608069' first='Uriah' last='Buchanan'] is a weapon and when pairing him with quarterback Ke'Ron Billingsley and you get a pair of playmakers combining for over 295 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. The matchup with East Noble is going to be quite an intriguing one and it would be wise to keep an eye on this game wherever you are tuning in from.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">LaVille vs. Triton</h2>   <p>Don't overlook the quality of football being played at the small schools in the state. This matchup between the LaVille Lancers and Triton Trojans has piqued my interest. The showdown between these two schools a year ago was far from competitive, but all signs point to a different outcome this year. Both LaVille and Triton entered the 2023 campaign with plenty of question marks and some may have been answered in week one, with both teams leaving with W's. LaVille is looking to prove that they should remain in consideration for the top team in the HNAC. Junior Cody Allen was the star last week, carrying the ball 27 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Running the ball is the Lancers' bread and butter and they'll lean on Allen to continue that momentum against Triton. LaVille squeaked out a win against a solid Bremen team a week ago so they'll be ready to make a statement against nearby Triton.</p>   <p>Triton may have gotten out of the gate slow against South Central but they flipped the switch to register a 30-6 victory. When talking about the Trojans, it's hard not to talk about do-it-all playmaker [player_tooltip player_id='541910' first='Cole' last='Shively']. A true dual-threat quarterback, Shively was busy with his legs, rushing for 157 yards and tallying three touchdowns. He also performed on defense, plus, knocked home a 39-yard field goal. What doesn't he do? It's going to take another great outing from Shively and the rest of the Trojans to take down a strong LaVille team. This matchup may be overlooked by many but that would be a mistake. Lakeville, Indiana is sure to be noisy when these two teams take the field on Friday night.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Heritage vs. Fairfield</h2>   <p>Heritage walked out of week one with a 34-0 victory over the struggling Bellmont Braves, and it is impossible to ignore what quarterback Kobe Meyer posted in the box score. Not only did he throw for 114 on 10 completions, but he tacked on an additional 213 rushing yards and scored all five Patriot touchdowns. That alone makes this matchup with Fairfield something to watch. Meyer entered the season near the top of the list in terms of quarterbacks in the ACAC and if week one was any indication, he may very solidify himself at the very top when all things are said and done. He's speedy, he's shifty, and he's everything you want to see in a veteran leader under center. </p>   <p>As for Fairfield, it was a true team win last week against Goshen. Winning 29-6, the Falcons are looking to keep that momentum up as they travel about an hour and a half to take on Heritage. Junior Breckan Maran stood out for the Falcons as he averaged 11 yards per carry, totaling 181 and 2 touchdowns. Fellow junior Blake Metzger also recorded a very respectable stat line, carrying the ball 4 times, tallying 75 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive side of the field, Sawyer Ernsberger was flying all over the field, making 7 tackles and intercepting two passes. He'll be key to their defense once again in week two as they look to contain a dual-threat QB on the other side of the ball. Both of these teams found great success in week one and are looking to build upon that a week later. This is a very underrated game on the card Friday night and it would be smart to tune in if at all possible.</p>

Week one of Indiana high school football lived up to the hype. We saw the usual high-flying offenses and stifling defenses show out but we also had a few surprises. That being said, week two is looking to be another great week of football with some intriguing matchups throughout each level. Check out these four matchups that you must keep an eye on come Friday night.