SBLive Indiana Power 25 Week 7 High School Football Rankings: Top teams stay steady as Brownsburg takes top spot
By Kevin Messenger
Here is our breakdown of this week's SBLive Indiana Power 25 high school football rankings:
SBLIVE INDIANA POWER 25 FOOTBALL RANKINGS:
October 5, 2022
1. Brownsburg (7-0)
Last week: 2
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. Noblesville (2-5)
Ranking rationale: Forty-three consecutive points against No. 13 Zionsville trumps Center Grove’s 49 consecutive points against winless Pike last week, helping the juggernaut Bulldogs take over the top spot in the SBLive Power 25. Offensively and defensively, Brownsburg has dominated its opponents. Can the Bulldogs move to 8-0 without overlooking the Millers in advance of next week’s conference showdown at No. 5 Hamilton Southeastern?
2. Center Grove (Greenwood) (6-1)
Last week: 1
Next game: Oct. 7 at Lawrence North (3-4)
Ranking rationale: The Trojans battle a Lawrence North team this week that put down Warren Central 35-14 a week ago. Center Grove hopes to solidify its No. 2 spot this week ahead of a Week 9 showdown with No. 3 Cathedral.
3. Cathedral (Indianapolis) (5-1)
Last week: 3
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. Brebeuf Jesuit (4-2)
Ranking rationale: It’s the 6A Christian Brothers vs. the 4A Jesuits this week as the Irish host the Braves. Danny O’Neil and the Irish raced past Cincinnati LaSalle last week and have limited three straight opponents to a touchdown or less. A Brebeuf upset would move the Braves back into the rankings.
4. Carmel (5-2)
Last week: 4
Next game: Oct. 7 at Warren Central (3-4)
Ranking rationale: The Greyhounds search for a sixth straight win against another traditional power. Using No. 12 Ben Davis as a barometer, Carmel beat the Giants by a touchdown while the Warriors lost to the Giants by two TDs. Does that make the Greyhounds a three-touchdown favorite? Not necessarily, but a favorite they are.
5. Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers) (7-0)
Last week: 5
Next game: Oct. 7 at Franklin Central (3-4)
Ranking rationale: Only two unbeatens remain among Indianapolis-area 6A schools, and the Royals host that matchup of unbeatens – next week. QB Ty Bradle has the luxury of managing the junior run-catch duo of Jalen Alexander and Donovan Hamilton, engineering at least four touchdowns in every game since Week 2. The Royals need to take care of business with Franklin Central this week before concerning themselves with that other unbeaten.
6. New Palestine (7-0)
Last week: 6
Next game: Oct. 7 at New Castle (2-5)
Ranking rationale: Danny Tippit throws it, Grayson Thomas runs it, and nobody in 4A, 5A or 6A has been able to stop them. The Dragons visit New Castle this week, having scored at least six touchdowns every week so far.
7. Fishers (5-2)
Last week: 7
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. No. 9 Westfield (4-3)
Ranking rationale: Fishers has won two straight and hopes to make it three against No. 9 Westfield. It is the lone showdown of Top 10 teams this week, with the Tigers and Shamrocks both looking for momentum in the deep and competitive Hoosier Crossroads Conference.
8. Carroll (Fort Wayne) (7-0)
Last week: 9
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. Fort Wayne Concordia (3-4)
Ranking rationale: The Cadets have won two of their past three, but can they keep up with the Chargers whose average margin of victory (31.0) is tops in the state?
9. Westfield (4-3)
Last week: 10
Next game: Oct. 7 at No. 7 Fishers (5-2)
Ranking rationale: The Shamrocks never trailed last week while getting back into the win column against Avon, but this week presents a tougher and more critical matchup of conference foes and Top 10 teams. Westfield has allowed at least three touchdowns in four straight weeks, and Fishers has never scored fewer than three TDs. If the Shamrocks are to win, it will likely be a high-scoring affair.
10. Roncalli (Indianapolis) (7-0)
Last week: 12
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. Cincinnati Elder (Ohio) (5-2)
Ranking rationale: It is going to take a team to stop Luke Hansen, to stop Roncalli from moving up the Power 25 rankings. It’s as simple as that. So long as Luke keeps running, Roncalli will keep winning. With an average of 279 yards per game and three 300-yard games under his belt, Hansen almost singlehandedly dictates the Rebels’ success. He puts points on the board and he keeps opposing offenses off the field.
Vote now: Who should be SBLive's Indiana High School Athlete of the Week (Sept. 26-Oct. 1)?
Jayden Whitaker, stingy defense lead visiting Brownsburg past Zionsville
Christian Brothers College rolls in road win at Bishop Chatard
Meet Indiana high school football's leading rusher: Luke Hansen is Roncalli's rough-housing running back
11. East Central (St. Leon) (6-1)
Last week: 11
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. Guerin Catholic (4-3)
Ranking rationale: The Trojans welcome a Central Indiana opponent this week as 3A Guerin Catholic tests itself on the Eastern Indiana border. Like Roncalli one spot above them in the Power 25, East Central relies on the capable running and weekly rushing touchdowns of Josh Ringer. Ringer, like Roncalli’s Hansen, rushed for four scores last week. Ringer will surely be the target for Guerin Catholic’s defense.
12. Ben Davis (4-3)
Last week: 8
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. No. 25 Lawrence Central (4-3)
Ranking rationale: Thomas Gotkowski and the Giants’ offense only needed more time last week to continue matching Carmel score-for-score. Each team even connected on matching 73-yard touchdown passes to knot the score at 7. This week, Ben Davis hopes to climb back into the Top 10 and No. 25 Lawrence Central looks for its fifth win in six games.
13. Crown Point (7-0)
Last week: 15
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. Chesterton (3-4)
Ranking rationale: The state’s fourth-highest scoring team, the 40-points-per-game Bulldogs, should manhandle yet another opponent in the Duneland Conference this week. Chesterton puts a modest two-game win streak on the line but will have to get past Crown Point’s bullish offensive line and run game.
14. Zionsville (4-3)
Last week: 13
Next game: Oct. 7 at Avon (0-7)
Ranking rationale: The Eagles won four of their first five and were climbing the rankings until they ran into a Brownsburg/HSE buzzsaw the past two weeks. Licking their wounds from 31-13 and 50-3 defeats, Zionsville needs a road win to get ready for next week’s matchup with Fishers and a looming sectional battle. Can the Orioles play spoiler?
15. West Lafayette (7-0)
Last week: 14
Next game: Oct. 7 at Twin Lakes (1-6)
Ranking rationale: In fairness, the Red Devils did nothing to drop from No. 14 last week to No. 15. Blame 6A Crown Point for jumping from No. 15 to No. 13. West Lafayette remains unbeaten and can stay that way again this week in a trip to Twin Lakes. While the Red Devils have lit up the scoreboard for at least 40 points in six straight weeks, the Indians have been beaten 43-0 and 49-7 the past two weeks.
16. Evansville Reitz (7-0)
Last week: 18
Next game: Oct. 7 at Evansville Bosse (1-6)
Ranking rationale: The Reitz defense holds opponents to just 13.3 points per game and the Panthers remain undefeated while earning seven wins by an average of 24 points. Last week, the Reitz defense had three second-half interceptions in its win over Memorial. The Panthers’ first touchdown came on a blocked punt and score. Bosse has its hands full.
17. NorthWood (7-0)
Last week: 19
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. Wawasee (1-6)
Ranking rationale: For six weeks, the NorthWood offense outscored its opponents and last week, when Mishawaka controlled tempo and pace all night, it was NorthWood’s “bend-but-don’t-break” defensive stands that earned their seventh win. Expect the Panthers’ offense to score more than 14 points this week.
18. Merrillville (6-1)
Last week: 20
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. Lake Central (4-3)
Ranking rationale: The Pirates have won four straight and their only blemish has been a 48-40 defeat at the hands of No. 13 Crown Point. Behind 149 rushing yards per game from Justin Marshall, Merrillville should roll this week.
19. Bishop Chatard (Indianapolis) (4-3)
Last week: 16
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. Terre Haute North (2-5)
Ranking rationale: Chatard drops three spots this week due to teams moving up behind them, not for sake of losing to the No. 1 team out of Missouri. This week presents another challenging matchup against the 5A Patriots. It is Chatard’s last bout against an Indiana school until sectionals begin in two weeks, as they face Cincinnati Elder next week.
20. Fort Wayne Snider (6-1)
Last week: 22
Next game: Oct. 7 at Fort Wayne Dwenger (5-2)
Ranking rationale: Snider moves up two spots this week after its shutout of Northrop but faces a daunting matchup while traveling to conference rival Dwenger. The Panthers have won five straight since their lone defeat against No. 8 Carroll. Similarly, the Saints have won four of five, with their only loss in that stretch also to the unbeaten Chargers.
21. Whiteland (6-1)
Last week: 23
Next game: Oct. 7 at Plainfield (3-4)
Ranking rationale: Upset by Martinsville in Week 6, the Warriors got back on track against then-No. 17 Mooresville for a Week 7 win. Mooresville led 10-7 early, but the Warriors responded with three straight touchdowns. Whiteland commanded a 41-22 lead after three periods and got touchdowns from seven different players.
22. Mishawaka (6-1)
Last week: 21
Next game: Oct. 7 at Concord (3-4)
Ranking rationale: The Cavemen still are licking their wounds after last week’s defeat in which Mishawaka kept NorthWood’s offense off the field for all but 12 snaps in the second half. A botched punt and turnovers stymied Mishawaka drives though, and the Cavemen had no points to show for the otherwise dominating effort. Against Concord this week, the Cavemen face a Minutemen club that has been shutout twice. Barring untimely turnovers again, Mishawaka should move to 7-1.
23. Gibson Southern (7-0)
Last week: 24
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. Princeton (0-7)
Ranking rationale: The Titans remain unbeaten in the 3A ranks after getting four touchdown carries from Devan Roberts last week. Princeton has been held under 10 points in four of its seven defeats.
24. Kokomo (7-0)
Last week: 25
Next game: Oct. 7 vs. Richmond (0-7)
Ranking rationale: The WildKats’ run game was punishing in its win last week over Anderson, but it’s the Kokomo defense making headlines. Opponents have failed to reach 10 points in five of seven wins, and twice have been shut out. The stingy WildKats lead the 4A ranks with just 8.4 points allowed per game, and trail only New Palestine (36.4) with a victory margin of 33.4 points per game.
25. Lawrence Central (4-3)
Last week: NR
Next game: Oct. 7 at No. 12 Ben Davis (4-3)
Ranking rationale: Since early losses to No. 5 Hamilton Southeastern and No. 9 Westfield, the Bears’ only loss in its last five contests has been to No. 2 Center Grove. Let’s do that math – three losses, all to Top 10 teams. LC’s challenge has been on defense, allowing 42 points to Westfield and 63 to Center Grove, but a 32-0 shutout of North Central last week has the Bears moving in a positive direction.
