There’s no question that this is one of the better matchups in the area. Going into tonight, both teams are coming in with a strong 2020 season.
For the Leo Lions (8-1), they’re coming off their first ever outright championship in the NE8 and have dominated their competition throughout the season. Leo is currently averaging 30.1 points a game, which is their 10th best in program history, while their 6.9 points against is not only one of the best in all of Indiana, but it’s the 4th best in program history behind the 1974, 2013, and 1977 teams.
Leo is led by one of the best offensive and defensive lines in all of the northern part of the state with a great prospect in junior Landen Livingston, who’s brother is currently at Valparaiso for football. Leo’s offense is typically a power run offense where Jackson Barbour calls the shots at QB and a running back tandem led by Jaeden Miller and Ethan Crawford continues to crush opposing defenses, and again it’s the defense that keeps teams from having a legit shot at swinging the course of games. And of course you can’t ignore just how good their kicker, Carson McCauley, has been for Leo.
If the Leo Lions can establish their game early, be aggressive, and take the home crowd out of the game as early as possible, they do have a shot at winning this game. But it comes down to how well they handle the emotions and stress of playoff football.
As for the Northridge Raiders, they’re having one of the best seasons in their history going 6-2. Their 28.9 points a game is currently the best offensive performance all-time at Northridge, while their 13.1 points against is the best since 2014 and the 4th best in program history.
Northridge does play a similar style to Leo, except they have a QB in Logan Hooley who has passed for 851 yards with 6 TD passes and ran for 567 with 7 scores. In the running game, Dominic Crowder leads the way with 653 yards and 11 scores. On defense, Northridge has recorded 10 sacks a game forced 4 picks and recovered 8 fumbles. And they also have a kicker in Carter Stoltzfus that’s not as good as Leo’s but is very efficient. For Northridge to have a shot, they must keep this game low scoring and keep the Leo Lions from controlling the clock, and that means they’ll have to persevere against an elite offensive line. Northridge is 6-0 when they hold their opponents to 20 points or less and 4-1 when the Raiders score 20 or more points. But that’s easier said than done.
This is the 2nd meeting all-time and the first since 2014 when Northridge won 9-7 @ Leo to win their only sectional championship. All-time, Northridge has won just 18 playoff games, but 7 of those have come in the last 6 years. Northridge is 6-17 at home. Leo is 31-36 lifetime in the postseason and haven’t lost a first round sectional game in 3 years. Leo is 15-24 on the road in the postseason, but they’ve lost 5 of their last 6 postseason road games dating back to 2015.
When games are decided by 2 scores or less, Leo is 13-16, while Northridge is 9-9.
Other NE8 Sectional Games to Watch?
4A 19: Columbia City @ East Noble
Also going into that neighboring sectional, the Knights and Eagles meet again in the first round of sectionals in a rematch from EN’s 27-10 win.
Since Rowan Zolman’s return, the Knights have looked much like their old selves. Look for him to have a huge game on both sides of the ball as can be said for Chris Hood as a lineman. Justin Marcellus is a guy they should rely on the ground, while Nick Munson should get plenty of looks as a receiver. The defense of the Knights is what will make them a dangerous team come postseason.
Columbia City will have to get some production from Greg Bolt and TJ Beadwell against EN if they’re going to hang around in this game. They have the talent to compete with them and the defense to hang in there, but they can’t make too many costly mistakes. It’s been 10 years since the Knights have lost to Columbia City and 11 years since losing to them in sectionals.
All-time in sectionals, Columbia City is 28-36 and 15-23 on the road (6-game postseason losing streak 3 of them on the road). Meanwhile, East Noble is 32-34 all-time in the postseason and 19-13 at home. This is the 5th meeting in the playoffs where the Eagles hold a 3-1 lead, and the first meeting since 2009 where Columbia City won 17-13. East Noble’s lone playoff win against the Eagles came way back in 1987 when EN won 17-14 in the sectional semifinals.
4A 20 Huntington North @ Wayne
The Vikings will make their first ever trip to Wayne in the postseason and it’s the 2nd year in a row playing an SAC school. The Vikings are 4-18 lifetime against SAC opponents in the sectional.
This is a Wayne team that definitely has the athletic raw talent to score quite a few points led by Chris Thomas and his 1,051 yards rushing. But can they slow down this tough minded offensive mind and the running game of Coach Prescott’s team? Look for Aden Dennis to have a big game for the Vikings.
Huntington North is just 15-35 all-time in the playoffs, including a stretch of 11 losses in the last 13 playoff games. The Vikings are 6-18 all-time on the road. Wayne comes in at 45-34 in the playoffs and have won 4 of their previous 7 playoff games. Wayne is 17-10 all-time at home.
4A 20: New Haven @ South Side
New Haven will play South Side for the first time in 4 years as they look to build on the momentum from snapping their 3 game losing skid earlier in the season.
For the Bulldogs, this is a very talented and fast team led by QB Jakar Williams and his 1100 yards passing and Lane Woodson III’s 439 receiving yards. Look for De’Andre Wright to have a big impact on this game especially on defense who has shown to be a game changer on that side of the field. For South Side, they are a sneaky team led by QB Roosevelt Norfleet III and Matthew Morris. They’re not a team to overlook.
New Haven comes in even at 39-39 in the playoffs and have won 6 of their last 10 playoff games. For the Bulldogs, they are 15-23 all-time on the road and hold a perfect 6-0 record against the Archers (New Haven’s first ever playoff road win came at South Side in 1986).
For the Archers, they come in at 30-35 in the playoffs and losses in 12 of their last 16 playoff games. All-time, they’re 16-13 at home in the playoffs but have won just 2 of these games since 2012. South Side is 9-13 all-time against teams that are from the NEIAC/NHC/NE8 with their last playoff win coming in a surprising 33-9 upset home win over Leo back in 2016.
Around the NorthEast Corner 