Greenfield-Central (0-0) at Eastern Hancock (0-0)
GAME TIME: 7 p.m. at Knarr Field.
COACHES: Adam Sherman, 0-0 in 1st year at Greenfield-Central. Jim O’Hara, 20-4 in 3rd year at Eastern Hancock, 107-52 in 15th year overall.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Eastern Hancock, 57.22, 103rd overall, 6th in Class 2A. Greenfield-Central, 46.35, 152nd overall, 38th in Class 4A.
SERIES LAST 30 YEARS: No meetings.
NOTES: For the first time in school history the Eastern Hancock Royals and the Greenfield-Central Cougars will meet on the gridiron. … The Royals are coming off their second perfect regular-season in three years, finishing the 2015 campaign at 10-1 overall. … Eastern Hancock lost to Indianapolis Howe 34-13 in the Class 2A Sectional 38 semifinals. … The Royals are ranked eighth in the 2016 Associated Press preseason football poll. … And they welcome back leading rushing Devin Denny, who ran for 1,321 yards and 13 touchdowns. … Jarett Lewis passed for 1,750 yards and 19 TDs. … The Roger Dodson era is over in Greenfield as former Marian University and Wabash University offensive coordinator Adam Sherman takes over this season. … Sherman helped Marian University win an NAIA National Championship in 2012. … The Cougars haven’t had a winning season since 2011. … Sherman is implementing two-platoon system at Greenfield-Central this year. … Michael Sosnowski was the second-leading rusher for the Cougars in 2015 with 426 yards and four TDs. … Spencer Hert, a standout baseball player, is moving from backup to starting quarterback this fall.
Mount Vernon (0-0) at Hamilton Heights (0-0)
GAME TIME: 7 p.m. at Huskie Stadium.
COACHES: Doug Armstrong, 37-19 in sixth year at Mount Vernon, 89-75 in 16th year overall. Mitch Street, 46-15 in sixth year at Hamilton Heights.
SAGARIN RATINGS: Hamilton Heights, 59.09, 94th overall, 16th in Class 3A. Mount Vernon (Fortville), 52.59, 121st overall, 30th in Class 4A.
SERIES LAST 30 YEARS: Mount Vernon (Fortville), 3-2.
LAST MEETING: Hamilton Heights, 21-6, Aug. 21, 2015.
NOTES: The Mt. Vernon Marauders and Hamilton Heights Huskies have played three times since 2000. … The Marauders defeated the Huskies in the 2000 sectional semifinals 21-12. … The Huskies have won the past two meetings, including last year’s season opener 21-6. … From 1999 to 2000, the Marauders won three straight meetings. … The Marauders have eight returning starters on offense and nine on defense. … Ten seniors will see time in the lineup, including leading rusher Nathan Seifert. The bruising back rumbled to 940 yards and nine TDs last year. … Seifert paced the defense with 150 total tackles while fellow senior Mitch McCarthy had 137. … Zac Montgomery, a move-in from Tennessee, will start at quarterback. … The Huskies have won seven or more games per season since 2009… Running back Clayton Cowan rushed for 1,311 yards and 13 TDs for the Huskies last year.
Whiteland (0-0) vs. New Palestine (0-0)
GAME TIME: 8:30 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium.
COACHES: Darrin Fisher, 81-45 in 12th year at Whiteland, 142-117 in 26th year overall. Kyle Ralph, 41-2 in fourth year at New Palestine.
SAGARIN RATINGS: New Palestine, 97.41, eighth overall, first in Class 5A. Whiteland, 79.09, 34th overall, ninth in Class 5A.
SERIES LAST 30 YEARS: Whiteland, 7-6.
LAST MEETING: New Palestine, 35-10, Sept. 20, 2013.
NOTES: The New Palestine Dragons are coming off their fourth perfect regular season in five years. … The Dragons won 28 straight games before losing to Fort Wayne Snider, 64-61, in the Class 5A state finals last November. … New Palestine enters the year ranked second in the AP Preseason poll. … IFCA Junior All-State selection Adam Kincaid will move into the starting running back position for New Palestine after rushing for 378 yards and nine TDs in 2015. … Senior Gunnar Large is the team’s starting quarterback. … Whiteland and New Palestine are both in Sectional 14… The teams last met in 2013 with the Dragons winning 35-10. … New Palestine has won four of the past 10 meetings… The last time the two teams played at Lucas Oil Stadium was in 2008 when the venue was first opened. Whiteland won 33-12. It was the first outdoor game in the stadium’s history. … Whiteland was 7-3 last year. … The Warriors rushed for 2,697 yards last season with 28 touchdowns. … Returnee Anthony Schantz ran for 524 yards and seven TDs for the Warriors.
