IHSAA 4A Regional Championship Matchups & Players to Watch

The 4A Regional Championship games are set, and they are going to be entertaining to watch. There is tremendous talent on display Friday night, and we are here to cover those athletes. These young men have fought all season to be in these types of games. Friday night will be another test for these great athletes. Let's dive into the matchups and highlight key players for all of the teams.     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">New Prairie (10-2) @ NorthWood (10-2)</h2>     NorthWood will host New Prairie for a 4A regional championship game this Friday. These two have not met this season or in last season's playoffs. New Prairie will seek to win their 3rd straight regional title and their 5th in school history. NorthWood will seek to win their 12th regional title on Friday. The matchup is set; it is time to highlight key players in this great matchup below.     New Prairie beat Culver Academy 43-13 in the Sectional 17 championship game. New Prairie had great performances from both sides of the ball. Senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='347021' first='Marshall' last='Kmiecik'] had 14 carries for 236 yards and 1 TD. Marshall was stellar when running the read option and was a strong runner for New Prairie. Sophomore RB Reed Robinson carried the ball 14 times for 127 yards and 2 TDs. Reed is another strong runner for New Prairie and was shifty all night while making defenders miss on his way to the endzone. Junior LB Harrison Groves ended up with 11 tackles and 1 sack. Harrison continues to be a force on defense and has made tremendous plays on defense this season. New Prairie has the talent to win another regional title and continue their run in the playoffs.     In the Sectional 18 title game, NorthWood won in a close one against Northridge, 17-14. NorthWood has tremendous talent on both sides of the ball. Senior QB Owen Roeder went 13/25 for 157 yards, 1 passing TD, 16 carries, 70 yards, and 1 rushing TD. Owen is a dual-threat QB and has been exceptional in the RPO game. Junior RB Landon Perry had 18 carries for 74 yards. Landon is an elusive back with great vision of the field in front of him. Senior LB Keith Miller had 10 solos, 2 assists, and 12 total. Keith has been a great LB for NorthWood all season and has been a tough one to block for opposing teams. NorthWood will look to claim a regional title on Friday and celebrate with the home crowd.     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Leo (10-2) @ Mississinewa (12-0)</h2>     Leo will be on the road at Mississinewa for their regional championship game on Friday. These two have not played each other this season or in last season's playoffs. Leo will look to win their 3rd regional title, and Mississinewa will look to win their 2nd. Let's take a look at the matchup and the impact players for this matchup.     Leo won at home against Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger in their sectional title game, 31-13. Leo will look to the following players to step up and have great performances on Friday night. Senior QB Kylar Decker went 12/18 for 234 yards and 2 TDs. Kylar has a great pocket presence and delivers accurate passes from all different ranges down the field. Senior WR [player_tooltip player_id='693249' first='Kaden' last='Hurst'] had 8 receptions for 175 yards, 1 receiving TD, and an INT on defense. The Ohio WR commit has been an absolute playmaker for Leo and continues to impress each week. Junior LB [player_tooltip player_id='366867' first='Brock' last='Schott'] ended up with 5 solos, 3 assists, 8 total, 2 TFLs, and 1 sack. Brock has been lethal on the edge, uses excellent technique, and plays relentlessly on every play. Leo will look to ruin their opponent's perfect record and take a regional title back home with them.     Mississinewa won on the road against Kokomo in the Sectional 20 title game, 31-24. Mississinewa has playmakers on both sides of the field and will look to show out on Friday. Senior QB Nolan Quaderer went 10/18 for 264 yards and 3 TDs. Nolan has shown to be a crafty QB, making plays out of the pocket and on the run all season. Junior WR Andrew Monday brought in 4 receptions for 132 yards and 2 TDs. Andrew has not only been impressive in the throw game but also has shown up, making crucial blocks to open huge gaps for his backs. Senior DB Prince Fortney had 7 solos, 3 assists, and 10 total. Prince has done a great job being disruptive in the secondary and making crucial stops for the defense all season. Mississinewa will look to continue their streak this season with a win on Friday.     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mooresville (7-5) @ New Palestine (10-2)</h2>     Mooresville will travel to New Palestine for their regional championship matchup on Friday. These two have not played each other this season or in last season's playoffs. With a win Friday, Mooresville would claim their 3rd regional title, and New Palestine would claim their 8th. Let's look at key players for both teams in this matchup.     Mooresville took home a sectional title against Brebeuf, 40-39, on Friday. Mooresville will look to their senior class to make big plays again this week. Senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='997870' first='Hogan' last='Denny'] went 17/31, 237 yards, 2 passing TDs, 2 INTs, 24 carries, 239 yards, and 2 rushing TDs. Hogan made huge plays through the air and on the ground last Friday and will be looking to replicate those same plays in the regional game. Senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='541860' first='Landon' last='Clements'] had 26 carries, 114 yards, 1 rushing TD, 3 receptions, 52 yards, and 1 receiving TD. Landon is a bruising back, unafraid to run right through everyone on defense. Senior WR [player_tooltip player_id='997855' first='Levi' last='Dorn'] caught 6 passes for 43 yards and 1 TD. Levi is the leading receiver for Mooresville this season and continues to catch anything thrown in his direction. Mooresville will look to pull off the upset on the road this week and continue their playoff journey.     New Palestine cruised to a 42-6 win over Mt. Vernon in the Sectional 22 championship game. New Palestine continues to dominate in the playoffs with the help of a handful of players. Senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='109631' first='Grayson' last='Thomas'] carried the ball 20 times for 116 yards and 2 TDs. Grayson is one of the best backs in the state and continues to put this team on his back and give it all he has every week. Senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='956089' first='Kyler' last='Kropp'] had 7 carries, 74 yards, 1 rushing TD, 3 receptions, 73 yards, and 2 receiving TDs. Kyler has playmaking abilities that make him dangerous every time he has the football. Sophomore LB [player_tooltip player_id='1178518' first='Josh' last='Ranes'] ended up with 6 solos, 3 assists, 9 total, and 1.5 TFLs. Josh has been great playing within the tackle box and rushing the passer on blitzes all season. New Palestine has the playmakers to win on Friday and celebrate a regional championship win in front of the home crowd.     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">East Central (12-0) @ Evansville Memorial (9-3)</h2>     The defending 4A state champions, East Central, will be on the road against Evansville Memorial for a regional championship matchup. This a rematch from last season's regional title game, where East Central beat Memorial 35-21. East Central will be after their 10th regional title, and Memorial will be after their 12th. This matchup is set up to be a fantastic game, so let's check out the key players for both sides.     East Central shut out Greenwood on Friday in their sectional title game, 47-0. East Central is a seasoned team with players who understand how to play in these intense games. Senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='541783' first='Cole' last='Burton'] went 4/5 for 59 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT. Cole's role has been limited, but he is still slinging it when his number is called and is a proven winner. Senior WR [player_tooltip player_id='541853' first='Ryan' last='Brotherton'] had 2 receptions for 33 yards. The Western Michigan WR commit continues to come up with impressive catches every game and help his team win football games. Junior LB Alex Kuhn ended up with 4 solos, 2 assists, 6 total, and 1 sack. Alex has been relentless on defense, playing with his hair on fire, and lays the hammer down on his opponents every chance he gets. [player_tooltip player_id='189083' first='Josh' last='Ringer'] has been the star of this team and continues to lead the country in several categories. East Central and these seniors want to be back-to-back state champions and will take it one game at a time.     Evansville Memorial upset FJ Reitz, 21-16, on Friday to win the Sectional 24 title. Memorial continued their playoff journey with the help of some great playmakers on both sides. Junior ATH Luke Ellspermann went 3/6 for 76 yards, 1 passing TD, 14 rushes, 78 yards, and 1 TD. Luke continues to step up on offense and makes defenders look foolish every time he has the ball. Sophomore RB Dylen Kendrick had 27 carries, 106 yards, and 1 TD. Dylen is a speedster and showed Friday he is a big-time playmaker for this offense. Junior LB [player_tooltip player_id='553142' first='Alex' last='Broshears'] had 10 solos, 7 assists, 17 total, and 1 TFL. Alex is all over the field consistently and continues to play relentlessly on defense, trying to make every tackle. Senior DL [player_tooltip player_id='539949' first='Donavan' last='Baker'] had 4 solos, 3 assists, 7 total, 2 TFLs, and 1 sack. Donavan is a menace off the edge and has shown to be tough to contain in pass protection. Memorial knocked off an undefeated team last week and will look to do it again this week.