(LEFT) Fishers’ Ryan Thembulembu has rushed for 724 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. (RIGHT) Hamilton Southeastern’s Kendrick Pennybaker has 41 catches for the season, totaling 859 yards and seven touchdowns.
By CRAIG ADKINS
For The Reporter
No. 13 Hamilton Southeastern Royals (6-4) at No. 9 Fishers Tigers (7-3)
The two schools in the same district have been split since 2006 and this will be the 33rd meeting in 20 seasons. HSE has a narrow 17-14 record, but Fishers leads 7-4 in playoff matchups.
Fishers took the regular season meeting (28-16) in Week 4 and also last year’s sectional championship at HSE, 44-41.
Head coach Michael Kelly is in his sixth season at Hamilton Southeastern with a 48-18 record. The Royals won the 2023 sectional, their second in a row. HSE advanced to semi-state in 2022.
Last week’s semifinal took the Royals to Fort Wayne and they came back with a 24-10 win over Homestead.
Southeastern got down 10-0 in the first and cut it to 10-7 after one.
It was the Kelly show. Kian caught the first Deaken Johnson touchdown pass in the first. Karson Kelly gave HSE the lead at 17-10 that they wouldn’t give back.
With Kian Kelly’s second receiving score, an 83-yarder on the final play of the third, the Royals scored their 24th unanswered point en route to the win by two touchdowns.
Deaken Johnson continues to improve in his freshman seasons. He completed 18 of 30 for 341 yards and three touchdowns. Kian had 139 yards on four grabs, while Kendrick Pennybaker caught seven for 136.
Johnson is up to 57 percent passing with 1,261 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Carter Reed leads the run game with 586 yards and seven touchdowns.
Kendrick Pennybaker is one of the top receivers around with 41 catches, 859 yards and seven TDs. Graham Toner has 30 receptions for 352 and Collin Walls 27 for 292.
Adam Hoog leads the defense with 100 tackles. Matthew Ruiz has nine sacks, good for 18th in the state, along with 76 stops. Kian Kelly is fourth in the state with seven interceptions and five pass deflections. Kicker Luke Marchionni is second in the state with 10 field goals made.
Curt Funk (37-28) is also making his mark in his sixth season with the Tigers. Funk hopes for a second consecutive sectional trophy tomorrow night, but it won’t be easy.
The Tigers’ semifinal win at Noblesville one was that they were in cruise control for a majority. They had a 21-0 lead with three scores to put the Millers back on their heels.
Gage Sturgill threw a 24-yard TD pass to Tommy Williams. That was followed up by two rushing touchdowns from Ryan Thembulembu.
Sturgill threw three more in the second to really bust the game wide open. Darian Girton caught the first from 41, then Vincent Rozzi the other two (7, 34) for a commanding 41-6 lead at halftime.
Thembulembu carried just 10 times for 89 yards, giving him 724 yards and 11 touchdowns in eight games.
Sturgill completed 10 of 16 for 195. Those numbers put him at 2,239 yards, 24 touchdowns and just four interceptions, 138 of 231 passing for 59 percent. Gage also has 385 rushing yards and two scores.
Vincent Rozzi is fourth in the state with 1,216 yards and 16 TDs.
Emmanuel Cowherd is the top tackler with 68 and also has an interception and four pass deflections. Tyler Maynard has 65 tackles and four sacks. Atticus Finley, Kayden Myers and Jayden Bogan each have two interceptions.
Potential Regional scenarios
Sectional 3: If Westfield wins, the Shamrocks host regardless of who wins between HSE/Fishers. If Carmel wins, the Greyhounds either visit Southeastern or host Fishers
Sectional 4: If Fishers wins, the Tigers are on the road regardless. If HSE wins, the Royals would either host Carmel or be on the road at Westfield.
