Indiana 3A Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season kicks off this Friday and we're heading to the 3A class to preview the top 5 teams from last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Indianapolis Bishop Chatard</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The reigning 3A state champs are going to look a bit different this fall, but they still should have plenty of talent to make another run. With Aidan Arteaga gone, they'll need a new QB to step up to the plate. Incoming junior, Jack Harrington could be ready to roll. He got some work last season and is a 6'0" 200lbs passer who throws a very accurate ball. Colin Guy is gone out wide for the offense and his leadership and big-play ability will be hard to replace. Defensively, they'll have to find a way to replace Sam Feeney who is off to Ball State. There's no doubt that the 2024 class had some big names for Chatard, but they're one of the best smaller school programs for a reason, so it'll be key to see who steps up for them and how this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Heritage Hills</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't think last year was a fluke that they made the run they did. The talent they have is real and most of them were younger players. Their core is young, talented, and growing together which should help them grow together. [player_tooltip player_id='533140' first='Jett' last='Goldsberry'] is the straw that stirs the drink over there. He's got his hands in a little bit of everything. On offense, Defense, and Special Teams he's able to make plays and simply be consistent. He's got great instincts and ideal size. Then, they have their speedy receiver in [player_tooltip player_id='1178520' first='Tyler' last='Ruxer'] who is only a Junior. [player_tooltip player_id='553032' first='Hunter' last='Meredith'] is a 2-way player for them who is only going to take another step this fall. 2 of their 3 leading rushers, tacklers, and receivers are back along with Goldsberry, their QB. I think there's a chance this team is better than last year's if they play together and stay humble, which could be a big problem for anyone in their way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Knox</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Redskins head into the season as somehow quietly one of the teams to watch out for, yet nobody wants to mention could be right back in the mix of things at the end. Their core is returning and they're versatile players who have very good football awareness. [player_tooltip player_id='553071' first='Jake' last='Conroy'], their Senior back is coming off of a 1400+ yard and 20 TD season. He's got good vision, doesn't waste time dancing in the backfield, and lets his blocks develop. I appreciate his patient, yet explosive running style. Then, we have to talk about the oil to this engine, [player_tooltip player_id='1396139' first='Myles' last='Mclaughlin']. This offense is built perfectly for his playstyle and he doesn't let them down. He's got a decent arm and can make most throws, but he's virtually unstoppable on the ground. He always knows when to pull it or when to give it. He doesn't go down on the first tackler attempt and will drag defenders with him. He's shifty enough to make them go sliding by, and honestly, he was just fun to watch. With just under 2600 rushing yards and 35 TDs last season, it'll be hard to improve upon those historic numbers, but it's certainly possible!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Gibson Southern</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gibson Southern has regularly been one of the more consistent teams and with the way they're built, are the one team you don't want to face in the playoffs right away. They're gritty, they'll run the ball, play hard-nosed defense, and hit you with waves of talent. I love how defense and hitting hard is an emphasis for their program. However, they're going to be without a few key pieces this fall so there might a be bump or 2 in the road to start the year. Sean DeLong, Michael Herren, Tanner Boyd, and Jack Rose are all gone. The top 3 leading offensive pieces are going to be hard to replace. However, defensively their core is young and will be a problem to deal with. [player_tooltip player_id='560131' first='Brody' last='Klem'], the incoming Junior leader put up 10 sacks and 73 tackles last year. [player_tooltip player_id='1308906' first='Zach' last='Foster'] had 5 interceptions on the backend and Beau Rose had 130 tackles and 6 sacks last year. The defense will get after the quarterback and slow offenses down while the offense finds itself as a new era begins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Guerin Catholic</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It will be a mostly new look for the Guerin Catholic offense and defense this year. Their leading passer, rusher, receiver, tackle, and sack leaders are all gone. The 2024 class was a very big piece of the run Guerin Catholic made last year, but that's not to say they can't be right back. They've got some young talent which was key last year as well. [player_tooltip player_id='1396161' first='Jack' last='Linden'] is back at RB and he proved to be fairly explosive last year. With just under 500 yards and 5 TDs last year, when he got his opportunity he produced and gained confidence. Then on the defensive side of the ball, [player_tooltip player_id='1396162' first='Dylan' last='Vargas'] is back. He had just under 100 tackles last year and 10 TFLs. He should be called on to be a leader of the defense and his play last year certainly showed he could. I'm curious to see how this team looks this year and how they respond once the bullets start flying.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->