The second round of the IHSAA football sectionals are Friday. North Montgomery is the only county team to advance. However, there are two Sagamore Conference teams and three Wabash River Conference teams still battling to earn a chance to play in the Nov. 8 sectional championships.
North Montgomery will face Lewis Cass at Charger Field in the local 2A sectional. The Chargers defeated Southmont 24-21 Friday to stay alive in the tournament. Lewis Cass came from behind with 21 fourth-quarter points to win at Seeger 42-28 on Friday.
Lewis Cass is from Walton, which is near Logansport. The Kings play in the Three Rivers Conference.
Lewis Cass (5-5) has a potent ground attack. The Kings have grounded out 3,103 yards rushing.
Playing the Wing-T offense, the Kings are led by two senior running backs Trevor Rowe and Jonathan Mack. Rowe has rushed for 1,108 yards and has found the end zone 14 times. Mack has 934 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.
Passing the ball has not been a major factor in the King’s offense. Two quarterbacks, sophomore Cole Rush and senior Griffin Wolf combined for 31-of-64 passes for 391 yards and two touchdown.
Defensively the Kings are led by junior linebacker Brody Hillis who averages nine tackles per game.
North Montgomery (4-5) has a more balanced offensive attack. The Chargers have racked up 1,102 yards on the ground and 855 yards through the air.
North Montgomery’s rushing leaders are senior running back Jayden Thompson with 474 yards and junior running back Jack Warren with 336 yards. The Chargers have rushed for 14 scores.
The passing attack is led by senior wide receiver Kelby Harwood who has gained 496 yards and 10 scores. Warren has completed 84-of-175 (46%) and 13 touchdowns.
Defensively the Chargers leading tackler is sophomore Dakota Glasson who plays free safety. Thompson, Warren, Harwood and senior lineman Andy Veselji are also defensive leaders for North Montgomery.
The winner at North Montgomery will play the winner of Western Boone (8-2) and Lafayette Central Catholic (10-0).
Other games with local interests include:
• 4A Logansport (9-1) at Lebanon (8-2).
• 3A Cascade (10-0) at Tri-West (6-4).
• 2A Greencastle (4-6) at Brown County (6-4).
• 2A South Vermillion (10-0) at Linton Stockton (8-2).
• 1A South Putnam (8-2) at Covington (6-4).
• 1A Riverton Parke (7-3) at North Vermillion (9-1).