NORTHRIDGE (2-0) at GOSHEN (1-1)

Two programs in the midst of a rebound season. I don’t care what this matchup has been in the past, we’ve never seen both of these teams as optimistic as this week.

 

After putting up a school-record 62 points against West Noble in Week 1, Northridge needed a touchdown with less than two minutes remaining to beat Class 4A No. 10 Columbia City 35-34. Sophomore quarterback Jake Scholl and senior receiver Keivontre Copeland connected on the 40-yard touchdown that tied the game, Eli Stec hit the extra point, and Columbia City missed a 45-yard field goal that would have won it.

Now the Raiders get their first Northern Lakes game of the season, and it’s a rivalry that has been decidedly one-sided lately. Northridge has won nine straight against Goshen, including a 49-21 victory last October.

Goshen, however, is coming off the kind of response new head coach Griff Heckaman desperately wanted. After an 18-41 loss to Angola in Week 1, the RedHawks shut out South Bend Washington 59-0 and ran for 274 yards. Carter Diaz, Kerrington Lee, Bennett Short and company now get the chance to show that performance wasn’t simply a product of the opponent.

The stylistic matchup really is exciting. If you’re going to pay the Scholl Toll™ and look to contain the young QB, this Raiders offense might be balanced enough to still put up over 30 points a game all season. Goshen, meanwhile, has shown that it wants to establish the run and let Diaz and its veteran core control the game. If they can force a turnover or two, which Northridge did show a vulnerability in last week, Goshen might be able to control the clock and limit the possessions to give themselves a real shot at this.

Northridge is currently No. 17 in Class 4A and No. 12 in the South Bend area, while Goshen sits at No. 25 in Class 5A.

 

ELKHART (1-1) vs SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (0-2)

Elkhart doesn’t need to forget what happened against Warren Central. Coach Curry had great things to pull from the game and now is a chance to implement and galvanize these lessons.

 

The Lions opened the season with one of the most exciting wins in the state, beating Concord 22-20 behind three touchdown passes from Micah Jarrell and a 61-yard fourth-quarter touchdown from Ta’Michael Brown. Then came Warren Central.

The No. 4 Warriors were simply too much, rolling to a 49-10 victory while limiting Elkhart to just 11 total yards.

Sometimes you run into a buzzsaw.

The good news for Elkhart is that the buzzsaw is gone. South Bend Washington comes to Rice Field at 0-2 after losses to Jimtown and Goshen. The big question is whether Elkhart can get back to the offense we saw in Week 1. Warren Central held Jarrell and the Lions to almost nothing, but Washington presents a completely different matchup. If Elkhart can establish some consistency and get the passing game involved again, the Lions should have an opportunity to control this one.

Elkhart is still No. 26 in Class 6A and No. 7 in the South Bend area, and the 1-1 record doesn’t erase the fact that the Lions already have a win over one of the better 5A teams in the area.

This is less about proving what Elkhart is and more about showing how quickly this team can respond.

 

CONCORD (1-1) at WAWASEE (0-2)

Concord got its wake-up call in Week 1. It got its confidence back in Week 2. Now it’s time to start stacking wins.

 

The Minutemen nearly stole their opener against Elkhart before falling 22-20, but responded by absolutely hammering Jimtown 48-13. Concord scored 41 points before halftime and finished with 384 yards of offense. Braylon Monroe was the centerpiece of the offensive explosion, throwing four touchdown passes while adding a rushing score.

That’s much more like the Concord team that went 11-2 and reached the Class 5A semi-state last season. Now they get a Wawasee team that is 0-2 and has been outscored 89-34 through two games.

The history isn’t particularly kind to the Warriors, either. Concord has won the last five meetings, including a 49-21 victory last season.

What I’m looking for from Concord is what happens when Monroe, PJ LaRoche and the rest of this offense get into a CONSISTENT rhythm. The Minutemen have already demonstrated that they can score in bunches. Now they’re getting into the portion of the schedule where consistency matters more than proving their explosiveness.

A win puts Concord at 2-1 heading into a September stretch featuring Goshen, Northridge, Mishawaka, NorthWood and Warsaw. That schedule is a tough one and this could be their final tune up to remain in championship contention in the NLC.

 

JIMTOWN (1-1) at EDWARDSBURG (1-0)

The Jimmies are tough to place, and it might be a bit before we truly find out exactly what kind of team this is.

 

The Jimmies opened the year with a 41-21 win over Wawasee before running into a Concord team that scored 41 first-half points. Expected results given their opponents and personnel circumstances to most of the community, but now the Jimmies now leave Indiana for their first road game of the season against Edwardsburg.

Edwardsburg gives Jimtown something different than the first two weeks given that they are a Michigan opponent in a game that doesn’t carry the same familiarity as the Wawasee and Concord matchups.

Of note is the return of many impactful players. If Jimtown can get some of those missing pieces back, this should look considerably more like the team that beat Wawasee and considerably less like the team that got buried by Concord.

 

FAIRFIELD (2-0) vs. ANGOLA (1-1)

This is the game Fairfield has been waiting for.

 

The Falcons are 2-0 after opening the season with wins over Calumet New Tech and Glenn, and they’ve established a pretty clear identity in the process: run the football, run it again, and then see if you can stop Miguel Gutierrez and Kahler Maust.

Fairfield rushed for another 323 yards against Glenn, with Gutierrez and Maust once again leading the way. It’s the kind of physical football that can make a team miserable to play against once the weather gets cold and everybody is tired of tackling.

The Hornets beat Fairfield 35-8 last season, turning an early 8-0 Fairfield lead into a 27-point loss. Angola went on to finish 7-6 and won three playoff games, while Fairfield finished 3-7.

That’s why Friday feels like a measuring stick.

Angola is 1-1 this season after losing 40-26 to DeKalb, but that loss came against a 2-0 DeKalb team that has already beaten Garrett and Angola. Fairfield, meanwhile, is undefeated and coming off two convincing wins.

If Fairfield can keep Maust ahead of the chains, give Gutierrez room to work and force Angola to play their game, this could be a very different matchup than the one we saw a year ago.

Fairfield is currently No. 9 in Class 3A, according to MaxPreps, and the Falcons are one of just two Elkhart County teams still undefeated.

 

WEEK 3 — THE STORIES I’M WATCHING

Northridge: Two wins, 97 points and a ranked victory have certainly gotten everyone’s attention. Now the Raiders have to handle a rivalry game against a Goshen team coming off a 59-0 shutout. Win and the Raiders have a real chance to meet Concord in week 5 undefeated.

Goshen: The RedHawks got the bounce-back they needed. Can Griff Heckaman’s team carry that momentum into what might be the best passing attack and hottest team in the region?

Elkhart: What can this team take away from last week’s loss? What changes in attitude and development are going to transform this team to be the sectional championship contender they can be?

Concord: The Minutemen looked like last year’s playoff team against Jimtown. Now it’s about consistency before the schedule gets significantly more difficult. Less 3-and-outs on offense, give up less big plays on defense.

Jimtown: How much different does this team look if some of those missing starters return? Edwardsburg could give us a much clearer picture.

Fairfield: Two wins are nice. Beating the team that beat you 35-8 last year would be a statement.