Impact Players To Watch: Week 8 Indiana
Things should continue to heat up as we push closer to playoff season. Here are this weeks impact players and matchups to watch… Noblesville OL — Ben Decker, Evan Augspurger, Andrew Page Andrew Page 6'4" | 320 lbs | OL…
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Continue ReadingThings should continue to heat up as we push closer to playoff season. Here are this weeks impact players and matchups to watch…
- Noblesville OL — Ben Decker, Evan Augspurger, Andrew Page Andrew Page 6'4" | 320 lbs | OL Noblesville | 2023 State IN , Dylan Ray, Jacob Long, Nathaniel Hamm, Nolan Pointer
These teams are polar opposites on paper. Brownsburg comes into this game as one of the top teams in the state, has a coach that has been there for years, and a passing game that can rival any team in Indiana. Noblesville comes into this game at 2-5, they have a coach in his first year, and only pass out of necessity. When looking at this matchup from that standpoint, it would appear to be an easy victory for Bulldogs. That is until you look at the offense Coach Sharpe and Co run. Noblesville runs an old school, full house backfield, option style attack. Opposing teams don’t see this type of offense often, so it can be extremely hard to prepare for in a single week. That is why the option can often be the ultimate equalizer in big games. Noblesville makes opponents play in a phone booth, and will try to dictate the pace of the game with their downhill running style. It is important for Noblesville to get yardage on early downs in order for their formula to work, so that is why I have chosen the entire Noblesville OL as impact players. In order for Noblesville to come out on top, the OL will have to make their presence felt from the first whistle, and they will need to win the physical battle in the trenches. They have a mix of bigger OT types like 2022 Ben Decker, 2023 Andrew Page Andrew Page 6'4" | 320 lbs | OL Noblesville | 2023 State IN , and 2021 Dylan Ray that will need to assert their physical dominance in this game. Then they have some smaller/agile types like 2021 Evan Augsburger that will need to use their athleticism and scheme to create running lanes for their backs. If the Noblesville OL plays like they are capable of playing, the team can limit turnovers, and they can control the clock… This game could get interesting!!
- RB Hayden Kermode, Triton Central
5-1 Triton Central comes into this matchup against 5-2 Beech Grove, playing lights out on defense. They have only given up 64 total points on the season, and are riding a 3 game winning streak. One would probably predict that Triton Central would try to win this game with defense, but I am going contrarian with my pick of Sr RB Hayden Kermode as the impact player to watch. The reasoning behind this pick is simply the fact that Beech Grove is 5-0 when holding opponents to 14 points or less, and 0-2 when the opponent scores more than 14. Central will obviously rely on their strong defense throughout the game, but this is a spot where putting up some points could go a long way. Kermode is coming off his best game of the year last week. He handled the majority of the carries in the backfield, while rushing for 126 yards and 3 TD’s on 25 carries. He is a big/physical back that can get yards the hard way, but also has the athleticism to create issues for opponents when he gets in the open field. If Kermode can hit a couple big plays, and lead the offense to score more than 14 points, they will put themselves in a great position to come out with a win here.
- RB Robby Taylor, Western Boone
Undefeated Danville has been flat out dominating teams this season with their closest game being a 21-7 victory week 1. Western Boone is getting hot at the right time, and comes into this game riding a 3 game winning streak. With Danville only giving up 33 points the entire season, it will be important for Western Boone to score points if they are going to have a chance at victory here. That is where Robby Taylor becomes a very important part of this matchup. The Sr RB is coming off a 1,200+ yard rushing season as a Jr. He has not disappointed as a Sr, by rushing for 748 yards/ 7 TD’s, along with 5 games of over 100 yards on the ground. Listed at 5’6″ 185, Taylor plays much bigger than his size would indicate. Taylor is quick and has a a great burst like you would expect for a back his size. But, the thing that really impresses me when watching the film, is his ability to get yards after contact. He runs strong, has great balance, and is also extremely reliable with only one fumble on the year. If Taylor can protect the football, consistently pick up yardage on early downs, and get in the end zone a couple of times… Western Boone will put themselves in position for the upset.
- QB Aiden Moyers, Plainfield
The game between Whiteland and Plainfield will be a battle of two teams that love to score, but do so with contrasting styles of play. 6-1 Whiteland prefers to keep the ball on the ground while averaging an impressive 345.7 rushing yards a game. 4-3 Plainfield on the other hand is not afraid to air it out behind their Sr QB, Aiden Moyers. You wouldn’t expect Whiteland to put up a ton of points due to their run first style of play. In reality, they are capable of scoring with the best of them, and have rarely been stopped on the season. I see this as a game with shootout potential. A big performance out of Plainfield’s Sr leader under center, would go a long ways towards a Plainfield upset victory. On the year, Moyers has completed 100 of 153 passes for 1309 yards and 9 TD’s. He is coming off arguably his best performance of the year, where he was 11 of 16 for 229 yards / 4 TD’s, and no interceptions last week. He sees the field well, has a big arm, great accuracy, and protects the football. Accuracy and protecting the football is very important when playing a team like Whiteland, because if they steal possessions by forcing turnovers… they have the running game that can drain the clock if they wish. One thing I really like about Moyers in this game, is the fact that his dad is the offensive coordinator. Aiden has been around this offense since he was a little kid, and has a great understanding of the scheme. Equally important, Coach Moyers knows his QB’s strengths more than just about any offensive coordinator in the state. If the father son combo and the rest of Plainfield offense are able to score points and protect the football, they will be in a great position to win this game in the 4th quarter.