IHSAA 6A Semi-State Preview & Players to Watch

<p>This week, we will send 12 teams to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the State Championship games. We are down to 24, and juggernauts and Cinderella teams are still left. This article will set the scene for the 6A Semi-State games and highlight uncommitted prospects on all four teams left.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Westfield (11-1) @ Crown Point (12-0)</h2>   <p>Undefeated Crown Point will host Westfield this Friday for a regional title. These two have not met this season or in last season's playoffs. Crown Point will be looking to win its first Semi-State title and reach the State Championship game for the first time in school history. Westfield will look to claim their 6th Semi-State title on Friday. Let's discuss some of the key players for each team below.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Westfield Shamrocks</h3>   <p>Westfield won the Regional Championship against Hamilton Southeastern on Friday, 24-21. Westfield has a great senior class, and they all can play somewhere at the next level. Below are five uncommitted 2024s for Westfield and what they bring to the table.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='956088' first='Jackson' last='Gilbert'] leads the Westfield offense at quarterback. Jackson has shown to be accurate when throwing the deep ball and hitting his wide receivers in stride. He has a great touch on the ball and only puts it where his receiver can come down with it. Gilbert is poised in the pocket and can deliver the ball accurately with pressure in his face. Lastly, he has proven he can get the job done on the ground when needed and is not afraid to put a shoulder down and pick up the extra yards.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='925586' first='Jacob' last='Braun'] is a speedy slot receiver for the Westfield offense. The one thing college coaches will love about this young man is his willingness to block on the perimeter. Jacob has prominent speed and turns the burners on after the catch. He is a reliable target that catches anything thrown in his direction and immediately gets north and south. Braun will be a great slot playmaker at the next level and ready to help his team make it to Lucas Oil this weekend.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='382745' first='Anthony' last='Feltrinelli'] is the 6'1', 225-pound physical linebacker in the middle for Westfield's defense. Anthony plays with a high motor and has excellent play recognition. He never looks lost out there, understands his assignment, and executes at a high level. Feltrinelli is always seen making plays at and behind the line scrimmage. The senior linebacker does excellent in coverage and does a great job keeping his leverage and making the tackle.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='322421' first='Andrew' last='Lieske'] is an excellent defensive back for the Westfield defense. Andrew is a ball hawk in the secondary and has created numerous turnovers in his career. He has shown to be an excellent returner for Westfield and shows off the incredible speed that he plays with in all phases of the game. Lieske has been solid in the deep part of the field and can lock up receivers one-on-one all night. The senior defensive back continues to make big plays in big-time games for this Westfield defense.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='956143' first='Brock' last='Stewart'] is the 5'11, 175-pound ball hawk corner for Westfield's defense. Brock has proven that he can run with anyone on the field and compete for any ball thrown in his direction. He has come up with game-changing INTs this season and throughout his career at Westfield. Stewart may not be the biggest guy on the field, but he packs a punch when he gets a hit on a ball carrier. The senior corner will be ready to lock down anyone in front of him this weekend and at the next level.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Crown Point Bulldogs</h3>   <p>Crown Point won a close one against Penn for their 2nd Regional Championship in school history, 34-33. Crown Point has an excellent group of upperclassmen who continue to play excellently on both sides of the ball. Below are five uncommitted seniors and juniors who have significantly impacted this team's success.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='189130' first='Jacob' last='Jones'] is the 5'10", 180-pound two-way playmaker for Crown Point. The senior athlete plays with tremendous speed and athleticism. On offense, when Jacob gets the edge, you should meet him in the endzone because no one is catching him. He has come up with numerous INTs and pass breakups all season on defense. Jones does a great job closing space between him and the wideout, and it is a challenge to catch anything thrown at him. Look out for the senior to give it all he has in this one and on Saturdays in the future.</p>   <p>Elias Paviadakis is the 6'4", 230-pound offensive tackle for Crown Point. Elias has a great frame with the potential to grow for the next level. He shows to be a good runner blocker and creates huge gaps for his ball carrier. Paviadakis continues to improve throughout the season and is playing his best late in the year. Keep an eye out for the senior lineman to make some excellent blocks in the run game this weekend.</p>   <p>Jeffery Meschede is a senior interior lineman for Crown Point. Jeffery plays with a high motor and never gives up on a block. He moves effectively when pulling and going out for screens. Meschede is a solid pass blocker, playing with a great base, and redirects excellently on pass rush moves and blitzing linebackers. The senior lineman has a bright future ahead of him and will continue to make huge blocks up front this weekend.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='243219' first='Noah' last='Ehrlich'] has been leading the Crown Point offense at quarterback this season. Noah continues to slice and dice this season and has shown up big in the playoffs. He has great accuracy when throwing the ball deep and on the run. Ehrlich is a strong runner when he pulls it and is not afraid to lower his shoulder and pick up the extra yard. The junior quarterback has a bright future ahead of him and will be a playmaker on Friday this week.</p>   <p>Niko Pavlou is an outside linebacker for the Crown Point defense. Niko has been excellent, containing runs on the outside and making excellent, strong tackles in the open field. He has been active in pass coverage, coming up with INTs and multiple pass deflections. Pavlou continues to improve each week at the position and is a prominent piece for this defense. The junior linebacker will look to come up big in this matchup and help his team win on Friday.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Center Grove (11-1) @ Ben Davis (11-1)</h2>   <p>Center Grove will travel to Ben Davis for their Semi-State Championship matchup. This will be the first time these two have met this season. Center Grove will look to win their 9th Semi-State title, and with a win Friday, they would win their 5th straight Semi-State title. Ben Davis is seeking to win their 12th Semi-State title. This game is full of big playmakers; let's check them out below.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Center Grove</h3>   <p>Center Grove shut out Warren Central 14-0 to win their Regional Championship title on Friday. The defending state champs have an excellent group of upperclassmen, leading them to wins. Below are five uncommitted seniors and juniors who all can play at the next level.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1072010' first='Brevin' last='Holubar'] is the speedy junior wideout for Center Grove's offense. Brevin has shown up in the playoffs so far and continues to be impressive. He has made incredible catches all season and in the playoffs. Holubar is a track athlete, and his speed is the real deal on the turf. This young man will be a tough matchup for anyone across from him on Friday and a tough one to contain at the next level.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='381431' first='Tristan' last='Baxter'] is the shifty junior slot receiver for Center Grove. Tristan has excellent speed and acceleration that most defenses can not keep up with. He has tremendous change of direction and is tough to bring down in the open field. Baxter understands how to create space between him and the defenders and shows elite route-running abilities. The junior wideout will be looking to make a game-changing play on Friday night.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='986476' first='Nate' last='Johnson'] is the 6'3", 265-pound DT for Center Grove's defense. Nate has been an absolute load for opposing teams in the trenches. He has an excellent get-off and does a great job getting leverage on blockers. Johnson continues to cause havoc in the backfield, coming up with numerous TFLs and bringing down the QB multiple times this season. The senior defensive tackle is a monster up front and will be ready to win in the trenches this weekend and at the next level.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='322439' first='Owen' last='Bright'] is the terrorizing senior linebacker for Center Grove's defense. Owen is so good at flying around and obliterating the opposing teams. This young man plays with a high motor and is intelligent in approaching everything on the field. Bright reads the offense so well that when the play starts to develop, he is shot out of a cannon on his way to the ball to make the play. [player_tooltip player_id='322439' first='Owen' last='Bright'] will be a terror on Friday night and a playmaker at the next level.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='762094' first='Michael' last='Soderdahl'] is a 5'11, 175-pound safety for Center Grove. Michael is a voracious tackler from the secondary. He does a great job playing the deep part of the field and keeping everything in front of him. Soderdahl has come up with game-changing INTs this season and does an excellent job going up and high-pointing the ball. The senior safety is an exciting player to watch in the secondary and will be ready to make a game-changing play on Friday night.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Ben Davis</h3>   <p>Ben Davis beat Cathedral by a field goal, 27-24, in their win for a regional title. The Ben Davis senior class has been stellar all season and will look to pull off the big win on Friday. Below are five uncommitted 2024s who have proven they will be impactful players at the next level.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='322412' first='Anthony' last='Boswell'] is the 6'4", 260-pound offensive tackle for Ben Davis. Anthony does an excellent job keeping a good base and driving the guy across from him 10-15 yards down the field. He redirects very well in pass protection and helps maintain a clean pocket for his QB. Boswell has done a great job sealing the edge for his backs this season. The senior lineman is a great prospect and will be an impactful player for this Ben Davis offense on Friday.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='698255' first='Cameron' last='Morrison'] is an explosive back for the Ben Davis offense. Cameron has not gotten the majority of the carries this season, but he takes advantage of every carry he gets. He has had numerous explosive runs this season and has been good at catching out of the backfield. Morrison is shifty, quick, and plays with excellent balance when running the football. This young man has proven himself to deserve a spot on a college roster next fall.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='290334' first='Nehemiah' last='Dau'] is a 6'0", 215-pound edge linebacker for the Ben Davis defense. Nehemiah has been exceptional all season, sealing the edge and being disruptive in the backfield. He has savvy pass-rush moves and excellent technique on his stunts. Dau's speed off the edge is troublesome for opposing teams and puts pressure on the quarterback all night. The senior will look to be disruptive on Friday night and continue to showcase his skills.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='706612' first='Yassine' last='Falke'] is a 6'2", 165-pound corner for Ben Davis' defense. Yassine is long, rangy, and plays with tremendous speed on the perimeter. He has proven to be a lockdown corner and continues to come up with crucial pass breakups and INTs. Falke can run with anyone on the field and understands how to play zone coverage defense. This young man has the potential to be a great corner at the next level and will be ready for the challenge this Friday.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='367702' first='Alvin' last='Contreras'] is the 6'0", 205-pound DB for this Ben Davis defense. Alvin creates a "no fly zone" for the Ben Davis secondary. He plays lockdown defense in the deep part of the field and has come up with a few acrobatic INTs this season. Contreras is a strong, reliable tackler for this defense and does not shy away from contact. This young man has tremendous upside and will play a crucial role in stopping Center Grove's offense on Friday.</p>

This week, we will send 12 teams to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the State Championship games. We are down to 24, and juggernauts and Cinderella teams are still left. This article will set the scene for the 6A Semi-State games and highlight uncommitted prospects on all four teams left.