Week Five of high school football in Indiana saw an Indiana University football commit get his offense back on track before coming up just short, Center Grove continue to dominate and several big performances for several Indiana prep players with ties to Indiana University, both as current commits or as IU targets in future classes.
Here is a look at how some of them fared.
After a disappointing setback last week against North Central High School, the Lawrence North Wildcats and quarterback Donaven McCulley, who has committed to Indiana, looked to turn things around against Carmel on Sept. 18.
And for the most part, the Wildcats bounced back, especially on the offensive side of the football. However, when the dust settled, it was Carmel handing Lawrence North its second loss in a row as Spencer Hanna hit a 34 yard field goal to lift the Greyhounds 36-34.
McCulley opened the scoring attack with a 41-yard strike to wide receiver and Indiana recruit Omar Cooper. The two would connect in the fourth quarter on a 71-yard bomb as well. In the game, McCulley finished with eight yards on 11 carries on the ground and was 16-of-23 for 386 yards. Cooper, who was back after sustaining an injury last week, finished the game with six receptions for 194 yards.
The Class 6A top ranked Center Grove Trojans rolled again behind the play of Indiana recruits Tayven Jackson and Caden Curry, thumping North Central 47-0.
Curry and Center Grove's defense was lights out, holding North Central without a first down until 3:30 left in the third quarter and keeping them away from midfield. In addition, Center Grove held North Central to only 26 yards of total offense and watched them punt it away 11 times, while going 0-for-14 on third down.
Meanwhile, Jackson had the Center Grove offense going from his quarterback position, as the Trojans picked up 26 first downs, rushed for 348 yards and finished with 483 yards of total offense.
Jackson rushed 1 time for 13 yards and was 9-of-19 for 135 yards through the air, including a 55-yard touchdown pass to Connor Delp.
Aaron Steinfeldt caught six passes for 83 yards for Bloomington North, who knocked off Terre Haute North 24-21.
Indiana commit Cooper Jones and Valparaiso High School knocked off Chesterton 30-21. With the win, the Class 5A powerhouse Vikings improved to 3-0.
When the Vikings needed him most, Jones stepped up and made several plays to stop Chesterton and its hopes of securing a win. Jones and his teammates accounted for three consecutive sacks.
Jones told the Times of Northwest Indiana after the game that it was a team effort.
“Dylan and I, as the defensive leaders, we looked at the whole team and knew ‘this was the game boys,’” Cooper Jones said. “Offensive picked it up and now it was our turn. The sacks just weren’t on the defensive line, that was an entire defensive effort. Those were team sacks.”
Ben Davis and recruit Keylen Davis knocked off Warren Central 21-14.
Brownsburg and Josh Sales dismantled Fishers 42-6 as the Bulldogs improved to 5-0 and 3-0 in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference. Brownsburg is ranked second in Class 6A.
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