Tonight’s prep football capsules

Friday, September 9, 2016

North Putnam (3-0, 1-0) at Sullivan (2-1, 1-0)

Game time: 7 p.m.

The coaches: Greg Barrett is in his eighth year at North Putnam. Trent Olson is in his 10th year at Sullivan.

Last week: North Putnam remained undefeated by defeating South Putnam 40-19 for its third straight road win, while Sullivan recovered from a 48-7 loss in Week 2 to Linton-Stockton by beating Northview 35-12.

History: Sullivan won 27-14 last year in the only recent meeting between the teams.

Key players: North Putnam senior running back Solomon Gross had 197 rushing yards last week and has 281 for the season. Ethan Christy has 204 yards, and Gage Bell has 171 yards. Quarterback Hayden Rudes has completed 60.7 percent of his passes this season. On defense, Christy leads the Cougars with 31 tackles and Gross has 30. Duke Duff has made three fumble recoveries.

Sullivan quarterback Trey Powell ranks 20th in the state with 666 passing yards. He has eight touchdowns and three interceptions. Dakota Caton leads the Golden Arrows with 365 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Coach Barrett on his team: “We saw a lot last week from our offensive line. We did a really good job of getting on the edge, and our running backs did a great job of following the blocks. Hayden did a nice job last week. We are going to have to have good play from our quarterback from here on out. People are going to load the box on us, and we have to keep them honest. We just have to keep taking care of business.”

Coach Barrett on Sullivan: “We are definitely going up against a different kind of team than normal, and we’re going to see lot of passing. They have a good quarterback, probably one of the best in the state, and good receivers. The have good speed.”

South Putnam (2-1, 0-1) at Greencastle (3-0, 1-0)

Game time: 7 p.m.

Media coverage: WREB-FM 94.3 will broadcast the game.

Special events: Homecoming.

The coaches: Nathan Aker is in his third year at South Putnam. Mike Meyer is in his seventh year at Greencastle.

Last week: South Putnam lost its first game of the season, falling 40-19 to North Putnam. Greencastle stayed undefeated by defeating West Vigo 30-27.

History: South Putnam has won the last three meetings. Greencastle’s last victory was a 20-0 win on Sept. 14, 2012.

WIC impact: Greencastle is involved in a three-way tie for first place, while the Eagles are looking for their first conference win of the season.

Key players: Devin Clar of Greencastle ranks 12th in the state in rushing with 546 yards, and has scored nine touchdowns. He averages 7.9 yards per carry. Quarterback Nick Costin has completed 32 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns. South Putnam’s Kyle Shaffer ranks 18th in the state in rushing with 490 yards, and has scored seven touchdowns. He averages 7.1 yards per carry, and has also thrown one touchdown pass.

Elijah Williams leads the Greencastle defense with 27 tackles and 2.5 quarterback sacks, while Cade Winslow has 22 tackles and Gavin Bollman has 21 tackles and a team-high two fumble recoveries.

Shaffer leads the Eagle defense in tackles with 36, while sophomore Dalton Scott ranks second with 24. Kody Britton has three quarterback sacks, while Christian Zeffel has one interception and two fumble recoveries.

Coach Aker on his team: “I like the attitude of our team this week. They were quick to change gears and focus on the task ahead while stepping up and moving on from last week’s game. They’ve done just that. We’ve had a good week of preparation and are looking forward to getting back on the field. To have success we must continue to limit penalties and mistakes. We must continue to work to make the play when the opportunity rises. Defensively, we must slow down their rushing attack while keeping their receivers contained. This should be an outstanding rivalry football game. The level of competition in the WIC this season is top notch.”

Coach Aker on Greencastle: “Coach Meyer’s team is much improved, they’ve got a very talented running back in addition to a physical line of scrimmage and a very strong defense. They are off to a fantastic start.”

Coach Meyer on his team: “Everything is going well. We have had a good week of practice so far, and we’re confident and feeling pretty good about things. We are fine injury wise, but obviously it’s that time of year when you start to get some nicks and bruises. Devin [Clar] has been very consistent and is obviously a key factor for us. Our offensive line is blocking very well and playing very well. Nick [Costin] had a good game at West Vigo as well. Our passing game is getting better.”

Coach Meyer on playing South Putnam: “Both teams have the same job – trying to stop each other’s running game. They are a good, well-coached team both offensively and defensively. They have an established player in Shaffer, and some other very good skill players. The quarterback (Allen Plunkett) is only a sophomore, but he’s a good player. They have a lot of weapons we are going to have to work on stopping. We have been worrying the most about Greencastle and doing the best we can do.”

Cascade (1-2, 1-0) at Cloverdale (2-0)

Game time: 7 p.m.

Media coverage: The game is being live-streamed by Endeavor Communications at mtcsport.net.

Special events: Homecoming.

The coaches: Tony Meyer is in his second year at Cloverdale. Steve Spinks is in his first year at Cascade.

Last week: The Clovers won their first game on the field since Aug. 22, 2015, with a 20-18 win over Edgewood. Cascade also won its first game of the season, defeating Brown County 21-6.

History: The Cadets have won the last eight meetings. Cloverdale’s last win was a 32-20 victory on Sept. 19, 2008.

WIC impact: The teams are both in a three-way tie for first place with Indian Creek.

Key players: Tyce Jackson took over at quarterback for the Clovers last week when starter Drew Boyette was injured. Wingbacks Haiden Davis and Tyler Kaeff, along with receiver Nick Winders, lead the offense.

Grid notes

• North Putnam is one of only two teams in the state to start the season with three straight road wins.

The other is Indianapolis Cathedral, which has won at East Noble, Indianapolis Tech and Mishawaka.

Like the Cougars, Cathedral plays a fourth straight road game tonight when the Irish make a short trip to play Indianapolis Chatard at Lawrence Central.

• Tonight’s Greencastle-South Putnam game is the only one in the state among nearly 200 contests that features two of the top 20 rushing leaders in the state.

Greencastle’s Devin Clar ranks 12th with 546 yards in three games, which puts him 56 yards ahead of South Putnam’s Kyle Shaffer.

Shaffer is 18th in rushing in the state with 490 yards.

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