IHSAA football Regional Championships

Eight teams left in each of the five classes. Eight matchups feature teams that have never met on the gridiron before this weekend, in their respective storied histories. Eight teams left that are still undefeated this season (12-0 records). Seven have one-loss and eight have just two losses on the season. The Regional Championships really get us down to the time of the 40th Annual IHSAA football state tournament when it's the "survival of the fittest" and if you don't bring your "A game," your dreams for a journey to a state championship are dashed in a heartbeat.

CLASS 5A
Carroll (Allen) (10-2) at Merrillville (10-2) [Demaree Stadium]
Carroll's football program is in a revitatalization stage and they've made great strides the past two seasons to get the Chargers back on track. Finished 8-4 last season, prior to having six consecutive losing seasons. Merrillville head coach Zac Wells just won his 4th sectional title in his 7th year with the Pirates. This should be a great matchup and probably a high-scoring affair.
My pick: Merrillville

Fishers (9-3) at Fort Wayne Snider (12-0) [Spuller Stadium]
Fishers surprised some, but not a lot of folks by winning Sectional 4. They had tough regular season losses to Hamilton SE, Zionsville and Brownsburg, but got their revenge on rival HSE in the sectional semifinals. Snider plays a tough schedule in the Summit Athletic Conference with wins over Fort Wayne Luers, Fort Wayne North (2 wins) and Fort Wayne Dwenger, along with big wins over Penn and Homestead. Fishers won this 2010 Regional matchup at Snider (47-34) en route to their 2010 5A State Championship
My pick: Fort Wayne Snider

Pike (9-3) at Lawrence Central (12-0) [Smysor Field]
Red Devils head coach Derek Moyers and Bears head coach Jayson West gather the troops for a rematch of their Week 4 meeting that was at Pike. LC won that matchup 34-23. Lawrence Central has won 10 of the last 16 in this series. Pike just has losses to Ben Davis, these LC Bears and were tripped up in Week 8 against Perry Meridian.
My pick: Lawrence Central

Castle (12-0) at Center Grove (11-1) [Trojan Field]
Castle is a team that always seems to fly "under the radar" down in the southern part of the state near Evansville. This may be the year that the Knights get over the hump and continue on in the playoffs. It'll be a tough task playing at Center Grove. The Trojans, on the other hand, have that upper hand tonight playing at home. They did take Castle by surprise in 2008 on the road, beating the Knights on their home turf, 49-7 in their last meeting.
My pick: Center Grove

CLASS 4A
Hammond Morton (7-5) at Mishawaka (9-3) [Steele Stadium]
After going just 4-5 during their regular season, the Hammond Morton Governors have righted their ship and have since won four in a row by a combined 182-50, two of those being shutouts. The host Mishawaka Cavemen have won 7 games in a row. In just their second season in Class 4A, Mishawaka is seeking its first Regional Championship. This is the first meeting between Hammond Morton and Mishawaka. Previously a Class 5A membered school, they struggled for years to advance in the playoffs because of yearly sectional matchups with the powerhouse Penn Kingsmen.
My pick: Mishawaka

Concord (10-2) at Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger (6-6) [Zollner Stadium]
The Concord Minutemen know they have a tough task ahead of them tonight when they head to Fort Wayne to face a scrappy Bishop Dwenger squad that has had an up-and-down year. The Saints have had two separate three-game losing streaks to their discredit, the first against FW North, FW Northrop and Cathedral and the other streak losing three in a row to Chatard, FW Snider and FW Luers. Playing a brutal schedule turns out to be a good thing for both of these teams. Dwenger put together three wins in a row  over Jay County, Columbia City and Norwell to take Sectional 12. The Minutemen have two five-game winning streaks that opened them at 5-0 and now have them on another five-game winning streak. In the middle of their season in Weeks 6 and 7, Concord hit a snag in their stride, losing two in a row to then-3A #1 Jimtown and then-4A ranked Plymouth by a combined 79-28, a shutout coming at Jimtown (48-0). The Minutemen win tonight, there's no stopping them en route to Indianapolis.
My pick: Concord

Mount Vernon (Fortville) (11-1) vs. Indianapolis Cathedral (7-5) [at Indianapolis Tech]
After an season-opening loss in overtime (28-21) to Kokomo, the Marauders of Mount Vernon have been virtually unstoppable in running off 11 consecutive wins heading into tonight's Regional vs. Cathedral at Indianapolis Tech. Cathedral always plays a tough regular season, because they have the freedom to play whomever, whenever and wherever to make the Irish as competitive as they are year in and year out in the 4A playoffs.
My pick: Mount Vernon (Fortville)

Columbus East (12-0) at Evansville Reitz (9-3) [The Reitz Bowl]
People may have expected the Columbus East Olympians to be a little down after having Gunner Kiel as their QB the past few years, but that hasn't happened in the least bit. The Olympians have tweaked their offense somewhat, but bring their 12-game winning streak on the line when they head to The Reitz Bowl on Saturday to face Reitz. The Panthers were considered written off, to an extent, when they started the season 1-3. Winning at Henderson County (Kentucky), then losing three in a row at Louisville Central and at home to Castle and Evansville Central, Reitz has completely turned its season around by rattling off eight wins, including their latest, a thriller for the 4A Sectional 16 title over #2 Jasper, 31-30.
My pick: Columbus East

CLASS 3A
Heritage (10-2) at Mishawaka Marian (9-3) [Otolski Field]
Heritage shocked #1 Jimtown 40-29 at home for the Sectional 18 Championship. They also have to their credit four and six-game winning streaks. The host Knights are on a four-game winning streak, outscoring those opponents 154-56.
My pick: Mishawaka Marian

Hamilton Heights (11-1) at Eastbrook (9-3) [George Freck Field]
Hamilton Heights lost their season-opener to Tipton (19-14) at Lucas Oil Stadium, but has ran the table from Week 2 with 11 straight wins. Look out for the Huskies. Eastbrook is now on its second four-game winning streak and looks to knock off this hot Hamilton Heights group, but it will be the toughest of tasks.
My pick: Hamilton Heights

Greensburg (10-2) vs. Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (10-2) [at Lawrence North]
The Greensburg Pirates won their first Sectional title since 1989 with their 3A Sectional 22 win over Indian Creek last week. Scott Moore's Pirates are a three-headed monster in the backfield with Derek Chambers, Elliott Green and Ryan Martin all sharing carries and look to catch Chatard's defense. Chatard started out 4-0, then lost two straight to Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter and Cincinnati Elder, combining to double-up the Trojans in those two 80-40. Since then, head coach Vince Lorenzano's Trojans have won six in a row, by an astounding 236-28.
My pick: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard

Gibson Southern (10-2) at Charlestown (12-0) [Dutch Reis Field]
Gibson Southern head coach Nick Hart has his Titans playing a dream season, aside from regular season losses coming at the hands of North Posey and Southridge. Charlestown is fully having that dream season with their 12-0 mark. The Pirates have only allowed 79 points (6.6 avg.) all season while scoring 720 (60 avg.), with four shutouts and only three opponents have scored in double digits. They may be unstoppable.
My pick: Charlestown

CLASS 2A
Andrean (10-2) at Lewis Cass (11-1) [Owens Field]
This is the first meeting ever between the Fighting 59ers and the Kings, and what better atmosphere to play at than Owens Field and its stories history. Andrean has only losses to Merrillville and Hobart, both on the road. Cass lost its lone game in Week 4 in a Mid-Indiana Conference game at Hamilton Heights. Since then, Scott Mannering's Kings have taken control of their season with eight wins in a row.
My pick: Lewis Cass

Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (8-4) at Tipton (11-1) [Tipton Field]
Luers has a two, three and now a four-game winning streak so far this season. The Knights will for sure be tested when they play at Tipton tonight. The Blue Devils have only been tripped up once this season and that was in Week 6 at Lafayette Central Catholic, 24-13. Other than that, Tipton has been in a complete business mode, starting out 5-0 and have won six straight since that Week 6 blemish at Lafayette Central Catholic.
My pick: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers

Shenandoah (9-3) vs. Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter (12-0) [Knights Stadium, Marian University]
Saying Shenandoah has their work cut out for them, is a big understatement. But, they did knock off high-scoring Heritage Christian at home for the sectional title last week, 41-35. Cardinal Ritter has overwhelmed its opponents 620 (51.7) to 221 (18.4).
My pick: Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter

Evansville Mater Dei (10-2) at Lawrenceburg (11-1) [Neary Memorial Field]
Defending 2A State Runners-up Mater Dei looks to get back to Lucas Oil Stadium on Thanksgiving Friday, but the high scoring Lawrenceburg Bears are standing in their way in this week's Regional. Mater Dei started their season out 7-0 before two losses in a row to a couple bigger school in Castle and Evansville Reitz. Lawrenceburg lost their only regular season game to a 4A ranked East Central team in Week 7. Since that loss, the Tigers have scored at least 50 points per game and allowed just 68 in their five wins since Week 7.
My pick: Lawrenceburg

CLASS 1A
Lafayette Central Catholic (11-1) at Winamac (9-3) [Roudebush Field]
The Knights and Warriors have never met on the football field. Lafayette Central Catholic is gunning for their fourth straight 1A State Championship. Winamac will be a tough road game for LCC.
My pick: Lafayette Central Catholic

Sheridan (8-4) at North Miami (9-3) [North Miami Field]
This game is almost a toss-up. Sheridan has had an odd season in that they've had two four-game winning streaks, but have legit losses to Western Boone, Hamilton Heights, Tipton and Culver Academy. You never know what a Bud Wright team will do in the playoffs though. North Miami has separate streaks of four and three wins to get them to Regionals.
My pick: Sheridan

Indianapolis Scecina (9-3) at North  Vermillion (12-0) [Gibson Field]
Scecina might be the defending 1A State Runners-up, but they're ironically the same, record-wise, as they were a year ago on their way to Lucas Oil Stadium. North Vermillion is in a lot better position than they were for last year's Regional. They were 6-6 heading into last year's Regional vs. Scecina, losing that game 35-8. Now undefeated, the Falcons look to avenge that loss in 2011.
My pick: North Vermillion

Linton-Stockton (12-0) at West Washington (9-3) [Art Sanders Field]
These two haven't squared off in the playoffs since 2008 in Sectional play (a 20-8 Linton-Stockton win), but this time its at West Washington. The host Senators are riding high off a big road win last week for a sectional title at Milan, their first since 1994, but West Washington hasn't won a Regional since 1993. Linton-Stockton might turn this game into a runaway, right away. The Miners have outscored their 12 opponents 639 (53.3 avg.) to 63 (5.3 avg.) and have only allowed two opponents to score in double digits.
My pick: Linton-Stockton

It's going to be a fun night of high school football Regional action! I will be at Lawrence North High School for the Greensburg (10-2) vs. Indianapolis Chatard (10-2) matchup in 3A with Matt Scheidler on seilocalsports.com calling the game.