Indiana high school football preview Class 6A predictions, top players

One. Two. Three. Can Center Grove make it a fourth consecutive Class 6A state championship in 2023?

There are contenders out there, including Hamilton Southeastern on the north side of the bracket, a stacked Ben Davis team and Cathedral, which ended Center Grove’s 35-game winning streak over in-state opponents in last year’s regular-season finale before the Trojans returned the favor in the semistate.

IHSAA football preview:Everything you need to know for 2023 season

(In order of projected finish; records from 2022)

Hamilton Southeastern (12-1): One of the biggest storylines of the season is how the Royals build off last year’s breakthrough season. HSE was undefeated and ranked No. 1 going into the second-to-last weekend of the season, but came up a bit short in a 21-15 loss to Fort Wayne Carroll in the semistate. Michael Kelly goes into his fourth season as coach with a talented and experienced team. The offense is led up front by 6-6, 280-pound Notre Dame recruit Styles Prescod at offensive tackle. Running behind him is senior running back Jalen Alexander (1,533 yards, 15 TDs) and junior Azariah Wallace (515 yards, eight TDs). Senior Donovan Hamilton (50 catches, 814 yards, 10 TDs) is one of the state’s top receivers. Junior Chandler Weston will be a first-year starter at quarterback and junior Brennan Baker will also be a contributor at running back and receiver. The defense is similarly talented with senior defensive end Jack Seyferth (67 tackles, 10 ½ tackles for loss), senior linebacker Judah Parker (54 tackles, 6 ½ tackles for loss), senior cornerback Donovan Rhodes (42 tackles, three interceptions) and junior cornerback Mason Alexander (21 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries) leading the way. This team is poised to do some damage.

Fishers (7-4): Curt Funk enters his fourth season as coach with a strong senior class looking to build off back-to-back winning seasons. The offense will be led by senior running back and Miami of Ohio commit Khobie Martin (1,194 yards, 16 TDs), who will run behind an offensive line led by senior tackle Grant Haworth. Junior receiver JonAnthony Hall (11 catches, 262 yards, five TDs; 35.7 yards per kickoff return) is a game-breaker. The defense will be especially strong at linebacker with senior captain Carter Imes, senior Jake Prewitt (49 tackles) and junior Leo Morrow (59 tackles, five tackles for loss). Senior defensive end and Ball State commit Brady Wolf (47 tackles, 21 ½ tackles for loss, 14 sacks) is coming off a big junior season. Bennett Gorak (8-for-16 passing for 123 yards and 88 rushing yards, two TDs) played some quarterback last season. Senior receiver Joe Syrus (17 catches, 285 yards, one TD) should also play a key role.

Homestead (5-5)

Fort Wayne Northrop (1-9)

Westfield (8-4): The Shamrocks won a third consecutive sectional championship last season, but were unable to make it back to Lucas Oil Stadium for a third time. But the baseline of a sectional championship shows how far the program has come in Jake Gilbert’s time as coach (92-52 in 12 seasons). This team is relatively young but has talent. Starting on the defensive side, Westfield returns junior linebackers Lennox Williams (90 tackles, 4 ½ tackles for loss, three caused fumbles) and Mikeah Webster (28 tackles), senior defensive tackle and Miami of Ohio recruit William Goodvine (59 tackles, five tackles for loss), senior linebacker Anthony Feltrinelli (80 tackles), senior defensive backs Andrew Lieske (87 tackles, three interceptions) and Jake Good (27 tackles) and senior defensive end Coleton Vondersaar (44 tackles, four sacks). The offense has some key skill position players back with junior running back Kendall Garnett (835 yards, 12 TDs), junior receiver Gabe Aramboles (35 catches, 500 yards, three TDs) and senior tight end Max Nosler (27 catches, 454 yards, four TDs) coming back. Senior Ryan Barker and junior Avery Huggins return on the offensive line.

Carmel (6-4): After winning eight consecutive sectional championships, the Greyhounds have not advanced out of the sectional the past two seasons, which included a 28-9 loss to Westfield last year in the first round. John Hebert, going into his ninth season with a 74-27 record, has some strong building blocks in place with senior Indiana recruit Christian Peterson (35 tackles, three interceptions) anchoring the secondary and possibly playing some quarterback. The offensive line has some experience and size with seniors Trent Fisher (6-2, 305) and Spencer Barrett (6-3, 280) and junior Evan Parker (6-4, 320). Running behind them is one of the area’s best running backs in senior Alijah Alfayyad (603 yards, two TDs). Junior tight end Ozzy Pollard will be a major factor in the passing game with senior receiver Nate Rodgers (19 catches, 190 yards). Sophomore Anthony Coellner is the likely starter at quarterback. The defense lost a lot of talent to graduation, though Peterson, senior defensive end Artemas Bryant (45 tackles, four sacks), senior safety Hunter Snow (77 tackles) and junior strong safety Drew Cannon (24 tackles) return as leaders.

Noblesville (4-7): The Millers continue to make steady progress under coach Dave Sharpe, winning a sectional game last year for the first time in a decade. Can Noblesville take another step forward in 2023? This is a strong senior group. On offense, senior running back Logan Shoffner (1,414 yards, nine TDs in 2022) is poised to become the school’s all-time leading rusher and will be running behind senior tackle and Louisville recruit Ransom McDermott. Senior Gage Gulley (611 rushing yards, eight rushing TDs; eight catches, 196 yards) does a little bit of everything and junior tight end Aiden Brewer (15 catches, 267 yards, three TDs) is one of the area’s best at his position. Austin Hastings, a senior inside linebacker who made 138 tackles and three sacks last season, is one of the conference’s best players. The defensive line is a strength with junior Israel Oladipupo and senior Grayson Owens (43 tackles, two sacks) among the key players. Senior linebacker Gavin Kinyon (97 tackles, 5 ½ tackles for loss) and senior defensive backs Cam Wilson (52 tackles), Carter Richardson (34 tackles) and Cole Richardson (21 tackles) are all three-year starters.

Zionsville (4-6): Zionsville started fast last year, but finished with a five-game losing streak, including a 35-10 loss to Noblesville in the sectional. Coach Scott Turnquist goes into his fifth season (25-25 record) excited about the leadership potential of his senior class. There is experience on offense as senior Luke Murphy (1,421 passing yards, 13 TDs as sophomore; 318 passing yards as junior) returns to the starting job and has three experienced receivers in junior Eugene Hilton (49 catches, 598 yards, five TDs) and seniors Wrigley Bumgardner (38 catches, 486 yards, four TDs) and Ryan Skura (25 catches, 370 yards, two TDs) and senior tight end Mason Riggins (11 catches, 127 yards, one TD) as targets. Senior Case Anderson is projected to start at running back. The defense struggled late in the season last year, but there is reason for optimism there with senior defensive ends Fin Essley (31 tackles) and Grant Coleman (22 tackles, three sacks), senior linebacker Luke Penola (57 tackles, seven tackles for loss), senior defensive back Cameron Mullens (42 tackles) and junior defensive back Max Phenicie (50 tackles, four tackles for loss) returning.

Ben Davis (6-4): After three consecutive semistate appearances, the Giants lost in the first round of the sectional last season to Brownsburg. New coach Russ Mann takes over a program that appears poised to be among the best in the state. The offense returns senior quarterback and Miami of Ohio recruit Thomas Gotkowski (62.9% passer, 2,341 yards, 24 TDs; 107 rushing yards, four TDs), junior running back Alijah Price (968 rushing yards, 12 TDs), junior running back Isaac White (246 yards, three TDs) and senior receiver Zane Skibinski (29 catches, 308 yards, two TDs) on offense. The defense will be led by senior linebacker and Kent State recruit Nylan Brown (109 tackles, eight tackles for loss), senior defensive back Elijah Hurns (65 tackles), senior outside linebacker Toreeq Oyesigi (57 tackles, seven tackles for loss), senior defensive back Alvin Contreras (42 solo tackles), senior defensive end Chris Green (38 tackles, 4 ½ sacks) and junior defensive back Mark Zackery, who will also likely play offense.

Brownsburg (10-2): The Bulldogs were undefeated and ranked No. 1 through eight weeks of last season before losing 31-28 to Hamilton Southeastern. Though the Bulldogs recovered and won the sectional for the second consecutive year, Cathedral ended Brownsburg’s season, 14-7, in the regional. Coach John Hart goes into his eighth season (60-17 overall record) with a team that lacks experience in some key spots, but does bring back senior running backs Garrett Sherrell (1,086 yards, 17 TDs; 18 catches, 242 yards, two TDs) and Ariyan Ballance (436 yards, six TDs; 15 catches, 162 yards), senior receiver and Minnesota recruit Corey Smith (40 catches, 811 yards, six TDs), senior receiver Cayden Olinger (27 catches, 294 yards, three TDs), senior Cameron Edwards (nine catches, 83 yards) and senior lineman and Western Michigan recruit Josh Thoman on offense. Hart expects senior safety Griffin Simpson (48 tackles, one interception), junior linemen Mason Keifer (43 tackles, 5 ½ tackles for loss) and Jackson Sarjent (37 tackles, 5 ½ tackles for loss) and senior outside linebacker/safety Best Dare (31 tackles) to lead the defense. Senior Jake Dunn is projected to start at quarterback.

Avon (2-9):First-year coach Rob Gibson looks to translate the success he had in two years at Owen Valley (22-3 with two sectional titles) to his new job at Avon. Senior quarterback and Western Michigan commit Mason Reynolds (2,111 passing yards, 16 TDs; 267 rushing yards, four TDs) leads the offense and will be protected by senior offensive lineman and Ball State recruit Zach Bandy. Senior receivers Noah Washington (10 catches, 191 yards, two TDs) and Jace Hurd (nine catches, 109 yards) return. Senior linebackers Carson Foxen (144 tackles, 13 tackles for loss) and Eli Peters (76 tackles, 12 tackles for loss) return to lead the defense.

Pike (1-9): Second-year coach Mike Brevard has a younger team than he did a year ago, especially on defense. But he is also excited coming off an offseason that was better than his first and believe his Red Devils could surprise some opponents. Leading the offense will be senior quarterback Lakendrick Suttles (1,213 passing yards, seven TDs; 120 rushing yards, one TD), senior receiver Bryce Hughes (five catches, 88 yards in three games) and junior running back Miles Perkins (133 yards, one TD). The defense has a lot of holes to fill, but senior safety Tony Akinbobola, junior cornerback Dyreese Elliott and junior defensive lineman Ife Adeoba are talented players. Senior safeties Kyran Hawkins and Josh McGuire, senior lineman KJ Seymour and senior tackle Enson Billings and senior offensive lineman Daniel Dodd are also players to watch.

Cathedral (10-2): Cathedral was one win away from Class 6A state finals appearance, but came up short in the semistate against Center Grove. The Irish graduated several key players from that group, but return a talented group led on offense by Colorado commit and senior quarterback Danny O’Neil (62.9% passer, 2,654 yards, 32 TDs; 293 rushing yards, nine TDs). His top returning target is senior tight end Zach Meeks (35 catches, 412 yards, three TDs). Others expected to shine on offense are senior tight end/receiver Keith Long (nine catches, 117 yards, two TDs), senior receiver Devaughn Slaughter, junior running back Desare’ Thomas and junior running back Jalen Bonds, who rushed for 579 yards and six TDs in five games last year at Heritage Christian. Seniors Evan Triggs and Billy Neale lead the offensive line. On defense, the Irish return senior defensive lineman DeVaughn Perkins, senior defensive end/linebacker and Army commit Jackson Weingart (54 tackles, 11 ½ tackles for loss, 6 ½ sacks), senior defensive lineman Hosia Smith (34 tackles, four sacks), junior free safety Jack Lockhart (40 tackles), junior linebacker Aiden Hughes and senior linebacker Oscar Kirch (77 tackles, six tackles for loss).

Lawrence Central (5-6): The Bears have made progress in Will Patterson’s first three seasons, improving from 0-10 in 2020 to 4-7 in 2021 to 5-6 last season. The goal this year? Championships. There are is experience coming back on both sides of the ball. On offense, senior quarterback Bryson Luter (1,415 passing yards, 11 TDs; 491 rushing yards, six TDs in eight games) is joined by senior receiver Ahmaad Duff (48 catches, 1,000 yards, nine TDs; 272 rushing yards, one TD), senior receiver Desmond Coleman, sophomore running back Caron Parks and senior receiver Demarcus Cole. Sophomore Albert Gooden III will also be a contributor on offense. The defense loses some high-end talent, but also returns senior linebacker Mataio Russell (139 tackles, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions), senior free safety D.J. Morton (61 tackles, two interceptions), junior defensive lineman Bryan Robertson (27 tackles, four sacks), senior defensive and Reid Hardin (53 tackles, 10 ½ tackles for loss), junior defensive tackle Robert Beasley (26 tackles) and sophomore linebacker Sean Fox.

Lawrence North (4-6): After back-to-back 7-4 seasons and a sectional title in 2021, the Wildcats slipped back under .500 last season. But coach Pat Mallory goes into his 11th season with a team he believes can take a step up. The offense brings back a couple of talented quarterbacks in senior Montez Jones (1,583 passing yards, 12 TDs; 611 rushing yards, 11 TDs) and junior Tanner Aspeslet (300 passing yards, two TDs), though it appears likely Jones could move into a more do-it-all role. The wide receiver position is stacked with senior Israel Jackson (24 catches, 401 yards, two TDs) and juniors Demario Moore (22 catches, 254 yards, two TDs) and Davion Chandler (22 catches, 289 yards, one TD) returning. Juniors Marcus Jackson and Jalen Goldsmith bring experience to the offense line. Junior D’Marco Moore and freshman Izayveon Moore are expected to step in at running back. The defense will be led by senior defensive lineman and Ball State commit Dantu Gardner (100 tackles, seven sacks), junior lineman Anthony Ludington (62 tackles, six tackles for loss), senior linebackers Carter McKinstry (101 tackles, 10 tackles for loss) and TyShawn Woodson (78 tackles) and junior linebacker Caleb Beeler (45 tackles). In the secondary, seniors Kameron Armstrong (60 tackles), Greg Holmes and junior Daione Lunsford (52 tackles) return.

North Central (0-10): First-year coach Derek Hart has been on the job since January and looks to rebuild a program that has posted just one win in its past 22 games. The Panthers do have some good pieces in place on offense in senior quarterback Heath Kizer (194 passing yards and 101 rushing yards in four games last season), senior running back Jimmel Perryman, senior receiver Shaun Gupton (eight catches, 103 yards) and senior center Leo Ochs. The defense will be led by junior defensive ends Elijah Johnson (27 tackles, five tackles for loss) and Solomon Massela (16 tackles in five games), junior outside linebacker Cion Waters and junior defensive back Sherman Wills. North Central will be a relatively young team.

Warren Central (6-6): Warren Central was up and down last season, but coach Mike Kirschner goes into his third year as coach with a team that could be poised to make a big jump if the Warriors can develop depth at receiver and in the secondary. Junior quarterback Keith Jackson (643 passing yards, eight TDs; 479 rushing yards, four TDs) showed promise last season in nine games and will be joined by returners Braylon Maddox and Michael McDowell — both seniors — on the offensive line. Running backs will be junior James Clark, senior J’Shon McCullough and junior Jaylan McMoore. The defense loses its top six tacklers to graduation, but should be strong up front with junior ends Damien Shanklin (31 tackles, five tackles for loss) and Tyrone Burrus (31 tackles, 6 ½ tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries), sophomore tackle Jerimy Finch Jr. and senior tackle Perris Green returning. Other defensive players to watch are junior end Jevon Guess, senior defensive back Sean Pennington (30 tackles) and junior linebacker Donovan Dungy.

Perry Meridian (4-7): The Falcons look to continue in a positive direction in Brett Cooper’s fourth season as coach after doubling their 2021 win total in 2022. Several players with starting experience return. On offense, junior Allen Zupan showed promise at quarterback, completing 53.8% of his passes for 771 yards and four TDs in seven games. Senior running back Josiah Ottinger transfers in from Southport after rushing for 707 yards and five touchdowns last season and will be joined by sophomore Tristan Ling at running back. Junior Byron Hon (15 catches, 296 yards, one TD) and senior tight end Jaylen Young (seven catches, 73 yards, two TDs) are also back, along with seniors Brycen Richer and Garrett Eagan on the offensive line. Linebacker is a position of strength with junior Andy Warren (98 tackles), senior Zach Huckaby (55 tackles), junior Isaac Williams (50 tackles) and senior Jacob McClure (28 tackles) returning. Senior cornerback Isaiah Needam (26 tackles) might be the team’s most talented player and is joined in the secondary by Jonathan Hunter (35 tackles). Senior Jordan Stinson (26 tackles) anchors the defensive line.

Southport (0-10): Southport has lost 22 consecutive games going back to the 2020 season, but third-year coach Alex Bettag believes his “most talented and deepest team” has a chance to break through and have success on Friday nights. Expected leaders on offense will be senior quarterback Bryce Calvert (744 passing yards, four TDs in seven games), junior running back Tony Taylor (220 rushing yards), senior tight end Uriah Stearman (14 catches, 150 yards, one TD), senior tackle Carter Hartman and junior receivers Nilyn Compton and Braylon Koenig (five catches, 64 yards, one TD). The defensive leaders are senior defensive end Addison Meredith (47 tackles, six tackles for loss), junior tackle Dominique Shanklin (37 tackles, six tackles for loss), junior cornerbacks Ricky Sanders (38 tackles) and Malachi Kennedy (40 tackles, two interceptions) and senior outside linebacker Calvin Miller (23 tackles).

Tech (1-9): Jerdson Gamble takes over a program that appeared to make strides with a 6-5 season in 2021 before falling back to a one-win season last year under Craig Chambers, who returned to Marion. In his first year, Gamble, a former Ben Davis assistant, is more focused on building culture and discipline than a specific record. His top players on offense will be senior quarterback Malachi Allen and senior receiver Tre’Von Oakley. Kourtny Jordan will be a key player along the defensive line for the Titans.

Center Grove (12-2): The Trojans’ quest for a fourth consecutive 6A state championship is one of the biggest storylines going into the season. Center Grove will open with five consecutive out-of-state opponents, though only the first of those games (vs. St. Edward, Ohio, in Canton, Ohio) will be played away from home. Returning on offense is senior quarterback and Duke recruit Tyler Cherry (65.1% passer, 2,269 yards, 22 TDs) and senior receiver Noah Coy (61 catches, 1,147 yards, 13 TDs), along with junior tight end T.J. Williams (10 catches, 121 yards, one TD in seven games). There are several key players coming back on defense, too, including senior linebacker Owen Bright (91 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks), senior Kaden McConnell (61 tackles, three caused fumble), junior Ryder Woolwine (46 tackles, 10 tackles for loss) and senior Michael Soderdahl (40 tackles, two interceptions), among others.

Franklin Central (3-7): The Flashes look like a candidate for a breakout team going into Jayson West’s third season as coach. Franklin Central was on the doorstep of a major upset in last year’s sectional, leading Center Grove in the fourth quarter in the first round before losing 14-10. The offense has plenty of experience with junior quarterback Nevan Tutterow (53.6% completion rate, 1,303 yards, eight TDs), senior running back Braylen Gillard (600 rushing yards, four TDs; 16 catches, 143 yards, one TD), senior running back/receiver Jayon Harvey (25 catches, 359 yards, four TDs), junior receiver Damir Swanigan (15 catches, 230 yards, one TD) and senior receiver Will McKinley (12 catches, 143 yards). The defense has senior Purdue recruit and defensive back Hudauri Hines (25 tackles), senior Ball State recruit and defensive back Lauron Johnson (21 tackles, two interceptions) and senior defensive lineman Elijah Shankle, among others. Harvey was one of the defensive leaders last season with 66 tackles.

Columbus North (5-6)

Jeffersonville (1-8)

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.