IHSAA 6A Sectional Championship Previews
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This week, more teams get closer to playing at Lucas Oil Stadium, and others clean out their lockers on Saturday. 6A had their first round of the playoffs on Friday, and we saw a lot of great talent out there.…
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Continue ReadingThis week, more teams get closer to playing at Lucas Oil Stadium, and others clean out their lockers on Saturday. 6A had their first round of the playoffs on Friday, and we saw a lot of great talent out there. This article will give you an idea of the matchups this Friday and some players to keep an eye out for when watching these games.
Sectional 1: Lake Central (5-5) @ Crown Point (10-0)
Lake Central will travel and play undefeated Crown Point in the Sectional 1 Championship game. Lake Central will be playing for its 6th sectional title, and Crown Point will be playing for its 8th. Crown Point defeated Lake Central 38-12 in their first meeting this season. Let’s highlight key players in this matchup.
Lake Central shut out Portage 23-0 in the first round. Lake Central has one of the best RBs in the state. Xavier Williams Xavier Williams 5'11" | 215 lbs | RB Lake Central | 2024 State IN (Sr.) RB is committed to Iowa and is on a tear this season. He can turn any play into a game-changing play for Lake Central. Williams will be fun to watch in this one. Amarion Brooks (Sr.) ATH is another playmaker to watch for Lake Central. Brooks plays with tremendous athleticism and plays everyone on the field. He has excellent speed and is another playmaker for Lake Central. Lake Central will look to lean on these guys to win a sectional title on Friday.
Crown Point scored 42 unanswered in Round 1 to beat Lafayette Jefferson 42-10. Larry Ellison (Jr.) RB was a highlight reel in the first round. Larry had 283 yards and 1 rushing TD in Round 1. Noah Ehrlich Noah Ehrlich 6'2" | 195 lbs | QB Crown Point | 2025 State IN (Jr.) QB got it done on the ground and through the air. In the first round, Noah went 9/14, 134 yards, 1 passing TD, and 3 rushing TDs. Crown Point’s defense was stifling in Round 1. The defense held Lafayette Jeff to 9 total yards rushing on 23 attempts! One of the leaders who is fun to watch on defense is LB Buffalo commit Will Clark Will Clark 6'5" | 230 lbs | LB Crown Point | 2024 State IN . Crown Point is ready to continue their undefeated season with a big sectional title win on Friday.
Sectional 2: Warsaw (9-1) @ Penn (9-1)
Warsaw will be on the road in the Sectional 2 title game against Penn. Warsaw will fight to win their 2nd sectional title, and Penn will be their 26th. This will be the first time these two have played this season, and they did not see each other in last year’s playoffs. Let’s highlight some players in this matchup.
Warsaw beat last season’s 6A runner-up, Carroll, 31-17. Warsaw is winning by playing tough defense and the wishbone ground-and-pound offense. Reed Zollinger (Sr.) RB had himself a game in Round 1. Zollinger ran for 168 yards and 2 rushing TDs against Carroll’s defense. Reed is a gritty RB who fights for every yard and will not go down without a fight. This young man is fun to watch and root for in the playoffs. Warsaw will look to grind out this game and look to advance to regionals for just the second time in school history.
Penn shut out Elkhart 35-0 at home in Round 1. Penn’s offense is led by Nolan McCullough Nolan McCullough 6'2" | 205 lbs | QB Penn | 2024 State IN (Sr.) QB. He was the player of the game in the first round. He went 9/17, with 167 passing yards, 8 carries, 86 rushing yards, and 3 rushing TDs. The senior QB plays with a chip on his shoulder and looks to take his team far in the tournament. On defense, Tommy Powlus (Sr.) LB had an excellent game in the first round. Tommy had 5 tackles and 2 TFLs against Elkhart. Penn will look to wear down Warsaw and make another appearance at a regional championship.
Sectional 3: Fishers (7-3) @ Hamilton Southeastern (8-2)
Hamilton Southeastern will host Fishers in the Sectional 3 Championship game. Fishers will play for their 4th sectional title, and Hamilton Southeastern their 12th. Fishers will look to redeem themselves in this matchup as they lost earlier in the season to Hamilton Southeastern in OT 35-34. Let’s highlight key players in this matchup below.
In the first round, Fishers picked up a huge road win against Homestead 42-14. Bennett Gorak (Sr.) QB leads the aerial attack for Fishers. Gorak went 105/167, 1,499 yards, 13 TDs, and 5 INTs in the regular season. His favorite target and one of the biggest playmakers on the team, JonAnthony Hall JonAnthony Hall 6'1" | 170 lbs | WR Fishers | 2025 State IN (Jr.) WR. Hall had 59 receptions, 950 yards, and 5 TDs in the regular season. Fishers’ defense is led by their two senior LBs, Carter Imes and Jake Prewitt. In the regular season, Imes had 57 solos, 11 assists, 68 total, 12 TFLs, 6 sacks, and 1 INT. Prewitt had 50 solos, 22 assists, 72 total, 8 TFLs, 1 sack, and 2 INTs in the regular season. Fishers are ready for vengeance and will be fighting to take the sectional title home with them.
Hamilton Southeastern dominated in Round 1 against Fort Wayne Northrop 56-7. Hamilton’s offense is full of explosive weapons! Donovan Hamilton Donovan Hamilton 6'4" | 190 lbs | WR Hamilton Southeastern | 2024 State IN (Sr.) WR is a certified D1 WR and had 40 receptions, 793 yards, and 9 TDs in 8 games in the regular season. Chandler Weston (Jr.) QB is the guy feeding Hamilton the ball all season. Chandler went 83/138, 1,227 yards, 15 TDs, and 4 INTs in the regular season. The ground attack is led by Jalen Alexander Jalen Alexander 6'0" | 185 lbs | RB Hamilton Southeastern | 2024 State IN (Sr.) RB. In the regular season, Jalen had 156 carries, 1,088 yards, and 11 TDs. Hamilton’s defense is also led by their senior LBs, Jack Osiecki Jack Osiecki 6'0" | 200 lbs | LB Hamilton Southeastern | 2024 State IN and Judah Parker Judah Parker 6'0" | 225 lbs | LB Hamilton Southeastern | 2024 State IN . Osiecki’s regular season stats include 30 solos, 55 assists, 85 total, 9 TFLs, 8 sacks, and 1 INT. Judah had 18 solos, 69 assists, 87 total, and 5 TFLs. Hamilton Southeastern has the firepower to make a run in the playoffs this year.
Sectional 4: Westfield (9-1) @ Noblesville (4-6)
Westfield will be on the road at Noblesville for the Sectional 4 Championship game. Westfield will look to win their 13th sectional title, and Noblesville their 4th. These two played earlier in the season in a close one, Westfield won 28-21. It is time to highlight key players from each team in this matchup.
Westfield beat Carmel 37-21 in the first round. Jackson Gilbert Jackson Gilbert 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Westfield | 2024 State IN (Sr.) QB will lead Westfield in the Sectional title game. He went 8/9, 87 yards, 2 passing TD, and 1 rushing TD in the first round. Kendall Garnett Kendall Garnett 5'7" | 175 lbs | RB Westfield | 2025 State IN III (Jr.) RB led the team on the ground in Round 1. Garnett had 20 carries for 102 yards. Andrew Lieske Andrew Lieske 6'0" | 195 lbs | DB Westfield | 2024 State IN (Sr.) DB will be the man to watch on defense. Lieske had 3 solos, 3 assists, 6 total, and an INT in Round 1. Westfield will be ready to continue their playoff run on Friday.
In Round 1, Noblesville beat Zionsville 31-24. The workhorse for this Noblesville’s offense is (Sr.) RB Logan Shoffner Logan Shoffner 5'7" | 160 lbs | RB Noblesville | 2024 State IN . In the regular season, Shoffner had 152 carries, 1,127 yards, 8 rushing TDs, 304 receiving yards, and 2 receiving TDs. Jacob Baker (Sr.) QB has gotten it done for Noblesville through the air. He went 48/99, 870 yards, 7 TDs, and 3 INTs in the regular season. The stud on defense is (Sr.) LB Austin Hastings Austin Hastings 6'0" | 220 lbs | LB Noblesville | 2024 State IN . He had a tremendous regular season with 43 solos, 56 assists, 99 total, and 3 sacks. Noblesville will make this a great game and will be fun to watch.
Sectional 5: Ben Davis (9-1) @ Pike (3-7)
Ben Davis will travel to Pike for the Sectional 5 Championship game. Ben Davis will look to win their 26th sectional championship, and Pike is looking for their 4th. These two teams played earlier in the season, and Ben Davis won big 62-0. Let’s take a look at who to keep an eye on for this matchup.
Ben Davis had a close game in Round 1 against Brownsburg 28-25. Ben Davis is led by Miami (OH) QB commit Thomas Gotkowski Thomas Gotkowski 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB Ben Davis | 2024 State IN . Thomas went 18/41, 216 yards, 1 INT, 19 carries, 60 yards, and 2 rushing TDs in Round 1. Alijah Price Alijah Price 5'7" | 165 lbs | RB Ben Davis | 2025 State IN (Jr.) RB had 10 carries and 105 yards in the win against Brownsburg. The guy to watch on both sides of the ball is (Jr.) ATH Mark Zackery. Mark will be a future Power 5 player who gets it done on both sides of the ball for Ben Davis. In the first round, he had 5 receptions for 59 yards and an INT for a TD on defense. Ben Davis has dudes to take them far in the playoffs this year.
Pike is coming off a close win against Avon 42-41 in the first round. Pike has two players as key factors in their matchup against Ben Davis. Juju Rodriguez Juju Rodriguez 5'7" | 145 lbs | QB Ben Davis | 2025 State IN (Jr.) QB is a dual-threat guy with tremendous athleticism. Rodriguez is a playmaker for Pike’s offense and has excellent mobility to make plays on the fly. He is a guy who must be contained, or he will hurt his opponents all night long. On the defense, Ifeoluwa Adeoba Ifeoluwa Adeoba 6'0" | 210 lbs | DL Pike | 2025 State IN (Jr.) DL is on a tear and will be a big-time recruit in next year’s recruiting class. He broke the sack record at Pike in the regular season with 13 sacks. His official stats in the regular season were 85 tackles, 13.5 sacks, and 9 TFLs. Ifeoluwa strikes fear in offensive linemen and is an absolute beast on the edge. Pike will be gearing up for a great battle on Friday.
Sectional 6: Cathedral (7-3) @ Lawrence North (7-3)
Cathedral will be on the road in the Sectional 6 Championship game against Lawrence North. Cathedral will look to claim their 28th sectional championship, and Lawrence North their 5th. Cathedral won 44-35 against Lawrence North in last season’s Round 1 matchup. Let’s preview the key players from each team below.
Cathedral was home in Round 1 against North Central and cruised to a 42-2 victory. There are no official individual stats yet from Round 1. Danny O’Neil Danny O’Neil 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB Cathedral | 2024 State IN (Sr.) QB is the offense’s leader and has had an impressive year. The Colorado commit went 143/234, 1,703 yards, 27 TDs, and 5 INTs in the regular season. O’Neil has dominated on the ground with 80 carries, 613 yards, and 8 rushing TDs. He shares the carries with (Jr.) RB Jalen Bonds Jalen Bonds 6'0" | 205 lbs | RB Cathedral | 2025 IN . Bonds is another future FBS guy; this season, he has 123 carries, 795 yards, and 5 TDs. Keith Long (Sr.) WR and Zach Meeks Zach Meeks 6'6" | 220 lbs | TE Cathedral | 2024 State IN (Sr.) TE will be the receiving targets to keep an eye out for in this one. Keith had 35 receptions, 443 yards, and 5 TDs in 8 regular season games. Meeks is committed to Miami (OH) and had 34 receptions, 380 yards, and 6 TDs in 8 regular season games. Defensively, (Sr.) Captain LB Oscar Kirch is my player to watch for Cathedral. Kirch had 42 solos, 27 assists, 69 total, 8 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks in 9 regular season games. Cathedral will be primed and ready to continue their journey to Lucas Oil Stadium.
Lawrence North started their playoff run with a win against Lawrence Central 38-16 at home. The player of the game for Lawrence North was (Sr.) QB Montez Jones Montez Jones 5'11" | 175 lbs | QB Lawrence North | 2024 State IN . The senior QB dominated through the air and on the ground. He went 19/23, 159 yards, and 3 TDs through the air. On the ground, Jones had 10 carries for 125 yards and 1 TD. Izayveon Moore Izayveon Moore 5'8" | 165 lbs | RB Lawrence North | 2027 State IN (Fr.) RB had a great game on the ground with 16 carries, 118 yards, and 1 TD. Davion Chandler Davion Chandler 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Lawrence North | 2025 State IN (Jr.) WR was the favorite target on Friday, with 6 receptions and 84 yards. Lawrence North has the offense to carry them to a victory when they click on all cylinders.
Sectional 7: Warren Central (4-6) @ Southport (2-8)
Southport will host Warren Central for the Sectional 7 Championship on Friday. Warren Central will be looking to claim their 22nd sectional championship, and Southport is looking to win their 5th. These two played last season in the sectional semi-finals, and Warren Central won 58-0. Let’s look at both sides and their key players for the game.
Warren Central is coming off a dominant Round 1 win against Perry Meridian 49-0. There are no official individual stats yet from the Round 1 game for Warren Central. Warren Central is starting (Fr.) QB Anthony Dennison. Dennison played in five games in the regular season and went 38/94, 341 yards, 1 TD, and 3 INTs. Warren Central had 317 rushing yards in the first-round victory. Their rushing attack is led by Jaylan McMoore (Jr.) RB and James Clark (Jr.) RB. McMoore had 80 carries, 578 yards, and 3 TDs in 6 regular season games. Clark had 115 carries, 498 yards, and 2 TDs in 9 regular season games. Warren Central is determined to win the trenches on defense. They have two Junior DLs that are FBS talent caliber. Damien Shanklin Damien Shanklin 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Warren Central | 2025 State IN and Tyrone Burrus Jr Tyrone Burrus Jr 6'3" | 205 lbs | DL Warren Central | 2025 State IN are the dominant duo for Warren Central. Shanklin has 39 solos, 12 assists, 51 total, 14 TFLs, and 3 sacks on the season. Tyrone has 27 solos, 7 assists, 34 total, 15 TFLs, and 5 sacks on the year. Warren Central is set up to have another dominant performance in Round 2.
Southport came up big in Round 1 against Indianapolis Arsenal 41-12. Riley Matlock (So.) RB led the team in rushing yards in Round 1 with 90 yards on 16 carries and 1 TD. Tony Taylor (Jr.) RB had 12 carries, 64 yards, and 3 TDs in an impressive performance in the first round. Southport will be looking to rely on these guys to make some big runs and find the endzone on Friday.
Sectional 8: Center Grove (9-1) @ Columbus North (5-5)
Columbus North is at home against one of the best programs in the nation, Center Grove, for the Sectional 8 Championship. Center Grove is going for their 19th sectional championship, and Columbus North is going for their 5th. This is a rematch from last season’s Sectional 8 Championship game; Center Grove won handsomely 49-14 at Columbus North. Let’s highlight some players from each team below.
Center Grove is the reigning 6A state champions, and they are still rolling. Most recently, defeating Franklin Central 40-14 in the first round. They are a senior-led group on offense, starting with Duke commit QB Tyler Cherry Tyler Cherry 6'5" | 210 lbs | QB Center Grove | 2024 State IN . The senior QB went 17/27, 261 yards, and 5 TDs in Round 1. Notre Dame baseball commit Noah Coy Noah Coy 5'10" | 175 lbs | WR Center Grove | 2024 State IN (Sr.) WR led the team with 8 receptions in last Friday’s game with 84 yards and 3 TDs. (Jr.) WR Brevin Holubar Brevin Holubar WR Center Grove | 2025 State IN led the team in receiving yards in Round 1 with 146 on 5 receptions and 2 TDs. Center Grove is dangerous on the ground as well with (Sr.) RB Matthew Yoder. Yoder had 20 carries for 93 yards in Round 1. Center Grove has some scary individuals on defense. It starts in the middle with (Sr.) LB Owen Bright Owen Bright 6'0" | 200 lbs | LB Center Grove | 2024 State IN . In Round 1, Bright had 10 solos, 1 assist, and 11 total tackles. There is a “No Fly Zone” that comes with CG’s defense. (Sr.) DB Brody Boswell and (Jr.) SAF Luke Barrett had two INTs each in Friday’s win. It will take a lot to bring this team down in the playoffs, but they will be a fun team to watch!
Columbus North is coming off a great win, shutting out Jeffersonville 58-0 in Round 1. Columbus North is the opposite of a veteran team. They are led on offense by (So.) QB Asher Ratliff. The official stats from Round 1 have not been submitted yet for Columbus North. The team recognized Asher Ratliff because he tied the single-game passing TD record on Friday (5). The sophomore QB has been connecting with (Jr.) WR Braylon Thoman all season. In the regular season, Thoman had 44 receptions, 577 yards, averaging 64.1 per game, and 5 TDs. Ratliff had 505 yards rushing and 6 TDs in the regular season, so expect him to use his legs in this one. He shared carries with his (Jr.) RB Gino Prescott. Gino had 96 carries, 632 yards, 70.2 per game, and 5 TDs. Their defense is carried by (Jr.) LB Luke Russell Luke Russell 6'2" | 205 lbs | LB Columbus North | 2024 State IN . In the regular season, Luke had 48 solos, 33 assists, 81 total, 7.5 TFLs, and 2 sacks. Luke and the Columbus North defense will have a challenging task ahead of them on Friday, but no one is ever out of a game before it starts.