Breaking Down The 1A State Championship

<p>The 1A Championship is in the books and it was a great one! With a 35-28 final, Indianapolis Lutheran pulled out the win to complete the 3-peat.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Indianapolis Lutheran</h2>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='553015' first='Jackson' last='Willis'] - Indianapolis Lutheran - QB - 6'2" 195lbs - 2025</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='553015' first='Jackson' last='Willis'] was robotic today. We knew coming in he's hard to slow down, but today, it was impossible to stop. He's so poised for a young QB and he always has been. Nothing rattles him and he doesn't make the same mistake twice. He was throwing guys open, throwing with anticipation, and made every throw. The first half only saw 1 incompletion from Willis, and it was a dropped pass that hit the receiver right in his hands. 3 Passing TDs in the first half gave them a comfortable lead. After a long drive to start the 3rd, Willis delivered a beautiful ball to Jones for his 4th TD of the day. A corner route which saw Willis throw it well before Jones was out of his break. At that point in the game, it made the game 35-14 with the offense cruising as they finished the game off 35-28. 3 years starting, 3 years winning the state championship at QB is quite the resume heading into year 4 for Willis, who should be one of the top QBs schools target next fall.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@JWillis2025</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">LJ Ward - Indianapolis Lutheran - WR - 5'9" 145lbs - 2025</h2>   <p>LJ Ward has been the number 1 target today and he's open even when he's not. Willis made a few incredible throws, but Ward was also on fire. He got behind the defense twice in the first half for 2 TDs. He's quick, has good hands, and is going to make defenders miss in the open field. He's the downfield threat as well and has Lutheran firing on all cylinders. Ward then made the game sealing interception late in the 4th QTR. Ward laid out and made the grab right on the 50 yard line. The interception all but sealed the deal being up 14 with 3 and a half minutes to go. A stellar performance to say the least by Ward.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@LonteWard</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Devuan Jones - Indianapolis Lutheran - WR - 5'9" 160lbs - 2025</h2>   <p>Devaun Jones was on the receiving end of 2 TDs today, including the 64 yard bomb which got the offense going. He caught the ball in stride, turned the corner, and was gone. His 2nd TD was equally impressive as he got behind the D, went up, and made a fantastic catch. Willis put it right on him and Jones delivered. Not to mention, Jones was huge in returning punts. With multiple long returns and giving the offense short fields, Jones showed why he's so versatile and important to this offense.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@DevuanJones</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Braydon Hall - Indianapolis Lutheran - RB - 5'10" 170lbs - 2024</h2>   <p>Braydon Hall, their Senior back has also had a good day, and he took over a few drives and really gave the defense fits. The passing game and play action had Adams Central on its heels and reeling. Hall capped off a drive with a 1-yard TD run, but had over 40 yards on the first drive in the 2nd half alone. Later in the game when they wanted to kill the clock, Hall ran it nearly every down and moved the chains. Down and down again, the same consistency from Hall really helped keep the offense on track. Hall had one of the more impressive breakouts this season rushing for 1965 yards and 31 TDs as the lead back for Lutheran.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@Braydon_Hall33</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Raishaun McHaney - Indianapolis Lutheran - OL - 6'7" 255lbs - 2026</h2>   <p>It doesn't take long to see why McHaney might stand out, and his performance matched that first look. He's an incredible and lengthy athlete who anchored the offensive line all day. He helped create plenty or room to run and kept Willis upright all day. He's got sound feet and does a good job staying off of his heels. He drives with power and while he's not up to weight yet, he's more than capable of holding his own upfront. A big day from McHaney kept the offense on the field and scoring TDs, which all helps lead to a state championship.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@Rai_Mchaney</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Adams Central</h2>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jack Hamlton - Adams Central - QB - 5'10" 170lbs - 2024</h2>   <p>Hamilton had a solid day overall. While they run mostly a triple option, they mix in play action more than most teams who run that kind of offense. He's was efficient, finding the open man when available, and making plays with his legs when needed. He's got a good arm and that's what forces them to throw more. Hamilton had a few TD passes on the day, but the most impressive was the TD late in the 4th to get them back within 1 score. The ball landed in the hands of Tester who just turned his head in time and raced up the sideline for 6. It was a gritty game by Adams Central until the very end, but they were 1 big play short of overcoming the machine.</p>   <p>Twitter: @N/A</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='541895' first='Trevor' last='Currie'] - Adams Central - TE/DE - 6'2" 200lbs - 2024</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='541895' first='Trevor' last='Currie'] made multiple big plays today. He was their most reliable option, especially on 3rd down. They went to him everytime they needed a play and he delivered. 2 really nice TD grabs on the day, but it was the way he made those plays. Phyiscal and the heart and soul of the passing game. Currie's first TD he went up and over a defender, brought down a contested ball in the endzone, and kept Adams Central in the game with that catch. I was really impressed with him and felt like he left it all on the field.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@TrevoeJoeCurrie</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ryan Tester - Adams Central - WR - 5'11" 180lbs - 2024</h2>   <p>Ryan Tester made 2 of the biggest plays late in the game. He had been quiet until then, but he made a 1 handed grab over the middle which shouldn't have been possible. The very next play, Hamilton hit Tester up the sideline and he walked in for 6. The catch made the game 35-28 and with 1:24 left, and gave them a shot at the onside kick. Adams Central never quit fighting, and Tester was the guy who came through on the last drive of the game.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@RyanTester_10</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='826052' first='Jamison' last='Roach'] - Adams Central - ATH - 5'10" 160lbs - 2027</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='826052' first='Jamison' last='Roach'], the freshman QB who has rotated in this year and while playing both Special Teams and Defense returned a kickoff to the 40 of Indianapolis Lutheran. He broke the return to the outside, made a man miss, tiptoed the sideline, and got brought down after a 50+ yard return. He should be the starting QB next year, but some promise and flash as a freshman waiting in the wings is always a good thing.</p>   <p>Twitter:<strong> @J_Roach12</strong></p>

The 1A Championship is in the books and it was a great one! With a 35-28 final, Indianapolis Lutheran pulled out the win to complete the 3-peat.