Top standouts, best performances in Week 11 of the Indiana high school football season

By Kevin Messenger

Listed below are some of the top standouts and performances from Week 11 high school football games throughout the Hoosier State: 

Evan Barker, QB, Kokomo

Barker fueled the Wildkats' offense with 20 carries for 150 yards and three of Kokomo’s four touchdowns in a 28-8 sectional win over Western.

Brebeuf Jesuit Defense

The first of two defenses nominated for stellar play in sectional semifinal play. Brebeuf forced four turnovers in its 4A matchup with Mooresville. The Braves got picks from Merrick Macaluso, Javawn Brooks and Ryan Joyce, and a strip sack by Cole Williams kept Mooresville on its heels to begin the fourth quarter.

Brownsburg Defense

The No. 2 Bulldogs scattered three touchdowns to No. 9-ranked Ben Davis, but they also forced four turnovers and scored twice on interception returns by Griffin Simpson and Nick Cloyd. Once the Bulldogs led 24-0, it was time for the defense to turn up its pressure and force Ben Davis to play from behind.

Clay Conner, QB, Boonville

Conner helped orchestrate one of the week’s biggest upsets as Boonville controlled the ball and knocked off previously unbeaten Evansville Reitz. Besides 157 passing yards and a 60-yard touchdown strike, Conner racked up 172 rushing yards on 26 carries. He scored twice on the ground, including a 57-yard score. The Pioneers ran nearly twice as many plays as Reitz (78 to 45), helped by generating 21 first downs.

Tyler Dollar, RB, Lapel

The senior running back posted 191 rushing yards in the first half, 256 total, to lead the Bulldogs past Eastern Hancock in Friday’s sectional tournament. After spotting the Royals a 6-0 lead on the game’s first possession, Dollar took Lapel’s first snap for a 71-yard jaunt and the first of his four touchdowns. Lapel won 41-13.

Brady Fisher, QB, Mishawaka

Brady Fisher had two touchdown runs, including a 59-yarder, and passed for another as Mishawaka rolled past South Bend Adams, 35-6, in a Class 5A sectional semifinal. His 59-yard run put the Cavemen ahead 28-0.

Kendall Garnett, RB, Westfield

Garnett finished with 143 rushing yards and two TDs as the Shamrocks beat Carmel on the gridiron for the first time since 1956! He averaged 5.7 yards over 25 carries.

Zac Horn, QB, Columbus North

Horn was an efficient 14 of 19 passing for 158 yards and three TDs while leading Columbus North past Jeffersonville, 41-14.

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Grant Irwin, WR, Plainfield

Irwin’s receiving exploits helped spark Plainfield’s sectional upset of highly regarded Lafayette Harrison. Irwin grabbed just four receptions – but three of the four ended in the end zone from distances of 48, 39 and 38 yards.

Carson Johnson, RB, Cathedral

Johnson helped Cathedral into the sectional championship with 226 rushing yards and two touchdowns as part of 33 carries. His 25-yard scamper just before halftime was the go-ahead TD for the Irish.

JJ Johnson, QB, Crown Point

The Bulldogs’ offense was slow to get started, but Johnson scored on four TD runs in the second half and finished with 184 yards on the ground to send No. 10 Crown Point to the sectional final.

Marshall Kmiecik, QB, New Prairie

Junior Marshall Kmiecik threw five touchdown passes among his six completions in New Prairie’s sectional win over Lowell. He finished 6 of 7 passing for 189 yards.

Kyler Kropp, RB, New Palestine

Replacing injured starter Grayson Thomas, Kropp ran for 149 yards on 24 carries. He rushed for 104 yards in the first half, asserting the Dragons’ power run game even in Thomas’ absence. His 7-yard TD put the Dragons up 19-6 before halftime.

Jontae Lambert, RB, Fort Wayne North

North beat Anderson 49-9 behind 200 rushing yards and three TDs from Lambert. One of the state’s top ball carriers, he went over the 2,000-yard mark for the season.

Arik Moyers, QB, Roncalli

He only threw four times. His longest completion was for 45 yards. But all four of Moyers’ passes ended in the endzone as he completed his night 4-of-4 passing for 84 yards and four TDs. Great efficiency.

Owen Valley Defense

In a battle of 10-0 unbeatens, Owen Valley ended Gibson Southern’s 3A title defense by utilizing nine sacks in a 28-21 back-and-forth win. Nine sacks? The Patriots “D” deserves the recognition.

Josh Ringer, RB, East Central

Ringer and the Trojans led 42-0 by halftime, with the versatile running back accounting for four of six TDs in the first two quarters. By halftime, Ringer totaled 92 rushing yards and three scores on seven carries. He caught two passes for 52 yards and another score. 

Logan Shoffner, RB, Noblesville

Netted 149 yards on just 10 carries, but scored on TDs from 66 and 49 yards out. He was one of 11 ball carriers for the Millers who threw just one pass in the game. Noblesville beat Zionsville to advance to next week’s sectional final against Westfield.

Conner Soper, QB, Danville

In one of the best games of the sectional semis, Soper led Danville to an overtime win over Western Boone. His 1-yard keeper knotted the score at 28 to send the game to OT. Soper completed 11 of 14 passes for a whopping 277 yards, including passing scores of 64, 37 and 65 yards.

NiTareon Tuggle, WR, NorthWood

Tuggle had 80 yards rushing and two touchdowns, one on a 44-yard run and the other on a 91-yard kickoff return to help the unbeaten Panthers advance to next week’s sectional championship. Just for good measure, he added some trickery with a 44-yard touchdown pass on a sweep play.

Whiteland’s Run Game

The Warriors piled up 368 rushing yards, 277 in the first half. Slate Valentine and Maliik Perkins each scored two touchdowns on the ground, and Nyrius Moore-Smith, Devon Armstrong and Connor Grismer all added touchdown runs of their own. Three ball carriers finished with at least 60 yards: Moore-Smith lead the Warriors with 94 rushing yards on just three carries; Valentine added 76 yards and Peyton Emberton finished with 60.

Justin Zdobylak, RB, Guerin Catholic

For the second straight week, Zdobylak was the workhorse that helped Guerin Catholic advance in the sectional tournament. After 209 yards on 40 carries last week, he produced 241 yards on 23 carries this week, including touchdowns of 40 and 84 yards. Guerin Catholic got past Tippecanoe Valley 34-14.

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