The Indiana high school football playoffs delivered another loaded weekend on Nov. 6, and the sectional championship round produced a stack of performances that were impossible to ignore.
The list of candidates spans the state and covers every kind of impact you can ask for. There were huge nights from quarterbacks, running backs and receivers.
There were game-changing defensive plays. There was even a kickoff return that flipped a game instantly.
Twelve players made the cut for this week’s poll, and the numbers behind their cases are loud.
One of the most eye-popping stat lines came from Warren Central quarterback Dennison, who carved up Franklin Central in a 49-20 win for the Class 6A Sectional 7 title. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 291 yards and five touchdowns, leading the Warriors with a clean, explosive outing through the air.
Another quarterback turned in a monster night in a losing effort. Whitaker piled up 358 yards of total offense in a 34-28 sectional championship loss to West Lafayette, completing 22 of 27 passes for 250 yards while also rushing for 108 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
On the ground, Moore powered Lawrence North past North Central 45-13 in a Class 6A sectional championship game. The senior carried the Wildcats with 234 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 43 attempts.
Minges was just as efficient for East Central, helping the Trojans roll past Columbus East 63-30 for a Class 4A sectional title. He needed only 17 carries to reach 201 yards and three touchdowns, averaging nearly 12 yards per attempt.
Archer also put together a huge rushing performance in Oak Hill’s 49-33 win over Lewis Cass in a Class 2A sectional championship game. The senior finished with 175 yards and five touchdowns on 34 carries, and he added seven tackles on defense.
Patterson made an immediate impact for South Adams in a 42-15 victory over Fremont in a Class 1A sectional championship game. He opened the night by taking the kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, then added 115 rushing yards and another score on 14 carries.
The receiving group is just as strong. Sharpe kept building on an already impressive résumé in Brownsburg’s 42-7 win over Ben Davis in a Class 6A sectional championship game. The Indiana recruit caught eight passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns, and he became the program’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Butler did everything he could in New Palestine’s 24-21 sectional championship loss to Cathedral. In his final high school game, he caught nine passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding five tackles and a pass breakup on defense.
Echols was a force on both sides of the ball in Muncie Central’s 31-27 win over Logansport in a Class 4A sectional championship game. The junior had five catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns, then chipped in five tackles, an interception and a forced fumble defensively.
Odom delivered a sharp passing performance for Bishop Chatard in a 41-8 win over Danville in a Class 4A sectional championship game. He went 14 of 17 for 271 yards and four touchdowns as the Trojans claimed another sectional crown.
Defense made its own case for attention, too. Emberton was a difference-maker for Indian Creek in a 37-7 win over Sullivan that secured a Class 3A sectional championship. He finished with eight tackles, including three tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.
King produced one of the weekend’s biggest defensive moments in Clinton Prairie’s 27-21 win over Lafayette Central Catholic in a Class 1A sectional championship game. He returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown, and he also caught five passes for 48 yards and made nine tackles.
That gives the poll a little bit of everything: five-touchdown nights, 200-yard rushing performances, a pick-six, and a defensive stat line that jumps off the page. Now it’s up to fans to decide who deserves the spotlight.
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