About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Pioneer football team has been scary good of late and the Class 1A, No. 1-ranked Panthers hope to continue that on Halloween Eve tonight when they travel to Sheridan for a sectional semifinal game.
The Panthers (10-0) and the Blackhawks (6-4) square off at 7 p.m. at Bud Wright Stadium.
The unbeaten Panthers are ranked No. 1 in the final coaches' poll and No. 2 in the Sagarin Ratings. Even though the Blackhawks have four losses they are ranked 16th in the Sagarin Ratings, a spot ahead of Caston, so they look to be a formidable foe.
The Panthers are hoping Bud Wright Stadium isn't a house of horrors for them. They are 0-2 all-time in the tournament against Sheridan.
Sheridan won 40-6 in 2006 in a regional game at the Pit that was a nightmarish game for the Panthers in a game they had five turnovers. The contest included high winds and torrential rainfall in the second half and a 35-minute lightning delay after the Blackhawks built a 21-0 lead at halftime. Sophomore quarterback Nick Zachery run, passed, tackled and kicked Sheridan to victory en route to a Class 1A state championship, the second of three in a row for the Blackhawks.
The Panthers outgained the Blackhawks 176-156 in total yardage but the turnovers were too much to overcome. David Gregorich led the Panthers with 91 rushing yards. JD Bridge added 51 yards and a TD.
The teams met two years later again at the Pit with a regional championship on the line. This time the game was closer but the Blackhawks again prevailed 21-19. At the time Sheridan was the team to beat in Class 1A. It might have been the Blackhawks' best team with Zachery being a senior and they had a huge offensive line.
But the Panthers played right with them. They ran 60 plays from scrimmage to Sheridan's 38, outgained the 'Hawks in yardage on the ground 207-105, through the air 58-9 and had 15 first downs to Sheridan's eight. But the Blackhawks had a 7-0 lead before they even ran a play from scrimmage thanks to a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown by Zachery. And Zachery had a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown to give them a 21-7 lead with 9:02 remaining in the second quarter.
The Panthers later had a blocked PAT kick and failed 2-point pass that cost them. Highlights for the Panthers were a 10-yard TD pass from Tyler Miller to Logan Brock, a 37-yard TD pass from Tyler Miller to Nate Grigsby and a 2-yard TD run by Grigsby. Bryce Kiser had a game-high 90 yards rushing. Other key players for the Panthers were Mitchell Petrie, Aron Holcomb and Steven Miller.
Sheridan's run of state titles later ended with a 34-27 loss to Indianapolis Ritter in the title game. Zachery would go on to play wide receiver and DB at IU and Marian.
Sheridan has won nine state championships, the last coming in 2007. Wright, the state's all-time winningest coach, is now the coach at Southwood. Sheridan is now coached by Jake Chesney, who is 14-7 in his second year at the helm.
The Panthers are looking to add to their three state championships (1997, 2017, 2018) this year after a state runner-up finish a year ago. They have reloaded after losing a strong senior class to graduation. They might not have as lethal of a running game this year, but they've made up for it with a better passing attack.
They are led by senior wingback Shiloh Rine, who has rushed for 862 yards and 13 touchdowns and has 24 catches for 677 yards and 14 TDs. Junior wingback Phillip McFatridge has 767 rushing yards and 14 TDs and 214 receiving yards and a TD. Freshman Colton Popejoy pilots the ship and has passed for 1,214 yards and 19 TDs with just four interceptions.
Senior defensive lineman Mikaden Tolosa is the leading tackler with 82 tackles, which includes 23 tackles for a loss and five sacks. Senior Mason Shaver and junior Gage Lakes have three interceptions apiece.
Senior Hayden Alexander has rushed for 1,093 yards and 14 TDs to lead Sheridan. Senior Brock Hagan has passed for 1,528 yards and 15 TDs against six INTs. Senior Landon Moffitt is his top target with 40 catches for 631 yards and seven TDs.
On the opposite side of the Sectional 43 bracket, the Comets host the Bulldogs for a semifinal game.
Caston has a chance to get nine wins for the first time since 2003 with a win.
Caston is 2-0 all-time against Clinton Central. The Comets defeated the Bulldogs 42-7 in a 2012 sectional game in which Jeremy Gonzalez rushed for 232 yards and four TDs in the win. Josh Andrade had a blocked punt that led to a score by Corey Moss.
One year earlier Caston beat an eight-win Clinton Central team 38-13 in sectional play. Trevor Hoover rushed for 123 yards and two TDs to lead the Comets, who also got a rushing TD from quarterback Quentin Douglass.
Senior Ashton Bowyer is leading the 2026 Comets with 693 yards rushing and 10 TDs. Junior Logan Mollenkopf has passed for 528 yards and three TDs and rushed for 409 yards and 12 TDs. Junior Tucker Woolever adds 401 yards on the ground and four TDs.
Junior Kaleb Griffy leads the Bulldogs with 750 yards rushing and eight TDs. Senior Luke Shelley has 678 yards and 10 TDs. Senior Kaleb Robinson has passed for 337 yards and seven TDs.
The former Hoosier Conference rivals meet in a Class 2A sectional game at Owens Memorial Field.
The Kings, now in the TRC, seem to be peaking at the right time as evidenced by turning a 19-0 loss to Peru in Week 3 into a 63-42 win in Week 10.
The offense is firing on all cylinders and is led by senior Connyr Mack's 909 rushing yards and 14 TDs. Senior Cole Rush has passed for 694 yards and 10 TDs. Nate Packard is the leading receiver with 15 caches for 284 yards and two TDs.
The Blue Devils also have a high-octane offense, led by junior fullback Zane Durham, who has rushed for 1,578 yards and 24 TDs.
Junior Quinn Tolle returned from injury and was 11 of 18 passing for 131 yards and two TDs in the Blue Devils' 35-28 win over previously unbeaten Eastern last week. Durham rushed for 148 yards and two TDs.
Tipton leads the all-time series 7-5. In tournament play the teams are tied at 2-apiece.
The last tourney meeting was 2014, a sectional game the Kings won 35-26. Jake Wilburn rushed for 136 yards and a TD for the Kings. Leland Bowling and Owen Ohman had two TDs apiece. Conner Zeck had a key interception.
Oak Hill (5-5) hosts Delphi (5-5) in the other Sectional 35 semifinal tonight.
The Class 4A No. 10 Berries are set to make a two-hour trek to Portland in the eastern part of the state near the Ohio border for a semifinal game. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
The Berries were in a dogfight with Delta for one half of play last week before pulling away for a 41-14 win. Jay County defeated Marion 47-0.
The Berries are led by senior Elliot Baldini's 1,177 yards and 13 TDs. Sophomore Karsen Jackson has rushed for 811 yards and 16 TDs. Senior Quincy Jackson has 598 yards and six TDs. Senior Jaxsyn Walker has 331 yards and eight TDs. Junior Kuper Jones has passed for 816 yards and 12 TDs.
All eight Hoosier Conference teams are in action tonight.
Senior Leighton Brown has rushed for 1,585 yards and 19 TDs to lead the Patriots. Sophomore Brady Millspaugh has passed for 849 yards and 11 TDs.
The teams have met one previous time, a 2017 sectional game when the Berries committed three second-half turnovers and had botched a game-winning field goal attempt to fall on the road, 22-21. It was Mike Johnson's first year at the helm at Logansport. Mario Perez lined up for a 32-yard field with 5 seconds left but the snap was high.
Oscar Grimaldo had a kickoff return for a score, Myles Dungey had a TD run and Grimaldo hauled in a 43-yard TD pass from Elijah Crowe to highlight the Berries' night. Tucker Platt had 14 tackles.
Yorktown (6-4) travels to Muncie Central (7-3) in tonight's other Sectional 20 semifinal.
Winamac gets a rematch at No. 4 North Judson in a Class 1A, Sectional 41 semifinal.
North Judson won the Week 7 battle 35-0. The Warriors held the Bluejays to 180 yards rushing and 106 passing but were unable to counter with much offense at all in Xavier Adriano's first game out with a broken leg.
Two weeks later the Warriors played Caston close after the Comets took the Bluejays to the wire the previous week. Winamac is looking to play Judson much closer tonight.
Senior Louis Rugg III has rushed for 1,033 yards and 13 TDs to lead the Warriors. Senior Tearson Wolford has 656 yards and eight TDs. Senior Ivan Cardenas adds 356 yards and 11 TDs.
North Judson leads the tournament series between the rivals 5-3.
West Central (9-1) hosts North Newton (7-3) in tonight's other semifinal.
Source: Sports
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