Hamilton Heights’ Drew Woodruff threw for three touchdowns during the Huskies’ win over Tippecanoe Valley last week. (Bob Cross)
By CRAIG ADKINS
For The Reporter
In the blink of an eye and we are one-third of the way through the regular season of high school football. Five of the eight Hamilton County teams are making their presence known in their respective classes’ rankings.
Carmel (No. 3) has emerged back toward the top of Class 6A. Hamilton Southeastern is close behind at No. 5 with Westfield climbing back up to No. 6. Fishers is holding tight at 11th. Guerin Catholic is also holding steady in Class 3A at No. 9.
Noblesville Millers (1-2) at No. 6 Westfield Shamrocks (2-1)
The Millers and Shamrocks will meet up for the Midland Rail trophy for the 68th time tonight at Riverview Health Stadium. Noblesville has an edge in the series with a 38-27-2 record. The ‘Rocks have won 10 straight meetings since 2019, including six Midland Rail games.
Last season’s game was a 38-18 Westfield win. Noblesville kept the trophy last in 2018 when they won a low-scoring home game, 10-2.
Last week the Millers got behind early and could not stop the high-powered Fishers offense that kept piling it on in a 42-17 loss.
Getting outscored in the first half 35-3, Noblesville is still searching for continuity on both sides of the football.
Noah Shinkle scored his first TD midway through the fourth. Shinkle found the end zone for the second time on a five-yard touchdown run, but their push was not enough to come back.
Noblesville’s rushing game averaged 3.2 yards per carry, led by Shinkle’s 66 on 15 carries. Ethan Clark complimented well with 15 rushes for 46. Windsor Hutchins passed 8 of 15 for 73 yards.
Westfield got back to winning after a Week 2 loss at Carmel. Heading to Boone County to open Hoosier Crossroads Conference action got the Shamrocks back to offensive dominance.
That dominance didn’t occur until the second half at Zionsville. The Eagles kicked a field goal in the second for a narrow 3-0 lead through two periods. After that, it was all Westfield.
A couple of minutes into the third, quarterback Aiden Grabowski scored on a 16-yard run for a 7-3 lead that the ‘Rocks wouldn’t give back.
Just over two minutes later, Deacon King ran in from four yards out to make it 14-3. King scored a second TD in the final seconds of the third for a 20-3 lead.
Early in the fourth, Grabowski connected with Andrew Noble on a 68-yard pass play for the final score of 27-3.
King rushed 17 times for 65 and his two scores. Grabowski 41 on five. Noble highlighted the receivers with three for 83.
Danville (1-2) at Hamilton Heights (1-2)
Tonight’s matchup between the Warriors and Huskies at Husky Stadium is just the second. Last year, Danville won on their turf, 38-7.
Danville got its first win of the season last week at Anderson, 49-6. They lost their season-opener at 3A No. 4 Gibson Southern (35-28) and two weeks ago to 3A No. 3 Cascade (41-25).
The Huskies also won their home opener over Tippecanoe Valley, 35-19.
After a scoreless first, 28 points in the second equaled a 15-13 halftime lead for Heights.
The Vikings scored first with a TD in the second. The Huskies answered with a Dre Chandler 31-yard TD catch from Drew Woodruff. Landon Hickman ran in the two-point conversion for an 8-7 lead.
Late in the second, Tippy Valley scored their second touchdown. Once again, Heights scored immediately after with 2:50 left in the first half. Woodruff found Cam Fleming for a 68-yard TD for the 15-13 lead after two.
Woodruff threw another TD pass just into the third to Nick Bichey, a 33-yarder. A 30-yard rushing score from Josh Getchell stretched the lead to 28-13.
The Vikings scored one more time early in the fourth. Heights put the nail in the coffin when AJ Flannagan ran for a 58-yard TD for the 35-19 final.
Woodruff was 12 of 16 for 208 yards and three TDs. Flannagan ran eight times for 92 and Getchell five for 71. Fleming had 82 yards and Chandler 76 yards receiving.
