Franklin (8-2) at
New Palestine (10-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Chris Coll, 11-19 in 3rd year at Franklin, 90-62 in 14th year overall. Kyle Ralph, 84-4 in 7th year at New Palestine.
Recent history: The Dragons have won both previous meetings against Franklin, but the two teams haven’t played one another since 1990.
Sagarin ratings: New Palestine, 98.05, 8th overall, 2nd in 5A. Franklin, 76.54, 41st overall, 9th in 5A.
Players to watch: New Palestine — QB Lincoln Roth, RB Charlie Spegal, OL/DL Kyle King, OL/DL Matt Brown, LB Aven Jones, DB/WR Maxen Hook; Franklin — QB Drew Byerly, RB Jalen Ward, WR Christian McClure, ILB Brendan Couch, S Brodie Rinehold
What to look for: Expect a lot of points. This is a battle between Class 5A’s No. 1 (New Palestine) and No. 3 (Franklin) scoring teams, with both teams averaging more than 40 points per game. The key matchup will be New Palestine’s Red Rage defense against Franklin quarterback Drew Byerly. Byerly has had an impressive senior season, finding himself in the Mr. Football talks as a dual-threat QB. He may be the best all-around talent the Dragons have faced at quarterback in at least several years. The 6-foot-4, 222-pounder has thrown for 1,686 yards, 19 TDs and 2 INTs while rushing for 1,151 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. Franklin isn’t likely to have as much success slowing the Dragons offense as Whiteland did, though, giving the hosts a significant edge in this one. Look for Charlie Spegal to break 200 yards again and find the endzone multiple times. Byerly will probably have some success both in the air and on the ground, but this could turn into a rough game for the QB against a fantastic New Palestine defense. The Dragons should win more comfortably than they did a week ago — the 28-point margin was deceiving for how close that game was — and advance to a huge regional against either Decatur Central or Cathedral.
Pendleton Heights (7-4) at Mt. Vernon (8-2)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Coaches: Jed Richman, 24-19 in 4th year at Pendleton Heights, 59-49 in 10th year overall. Mike Kirschner, 16-6 in 2nd year at Mt. Vernon, 125-68 in 17th year overall.
Recent history: Mt. Vernon leads the all-time series, 22-19. They’ve won the past two years against the Arabians, a 28-14 win a year ago and an 18-14 win on Sept. 27.
Sagarin ratings: Mt. Vernon, 64.02, 74th overall, 17th in 4A. Pendleton Heights, 61.16, 86th overall, 19th in 4A.
Players to watch: Mt. Vernon — QB Gehrig Slunaker, RB/FS Rylan Cole, OL/LB Charlie Moore, WR Ashden Gentry, WR Dawan Langston, RB/DB Keagan LaBelle; Pendleton Heights — QB Kirby Hess, RB Kamden Earley, RB/LB Joseph Rios, LB Luke Bays, WR/DB Clay Britt
What to look for: This should be a slugfest. The Marauders and Arabians have battled closely the past three years, with the games decided by 4, 14 and 2 points. This one hinges on turnovers and penalties, something Mt. Vernon has struggled with at times this season. The Marauders have won six straight games, while the Arabians have had three blowouts in a row after a shocking loss to Yorktown. Momentum favors the Marauders, as does home field advantage. In the Sept. 27 matchup this year, both teams ran the ball effectively, but Mt. Vernon had more success through the air, as Pendleton Heights QB Kirby Hess had one of his worst outings of the year, completing just 7 of his 24 attempts for 100 yards. Hess should be better tonight, but it may not be enough. Home field makes Mt. Vernon the favorite, slightly, to bring home the first sectional title for either of these teams since 2012.
