INDIANAPOLIS — Don't let the No. 3 ranking fool you, the Warren Central Warriors might be the scariest team in all of IHSAA football. That's why they're being featured during the Operation Football Game of the Week!
On Friday, the Warriors host MIC rival Ben Davis as the Giants look to turn their season around after a miserable 1-3 start to the season. This, however, might be a difficult task as Warren's defense has yet to allow a single touchdown this season.
Yes, you read that right. The Warriors have blown out every single opponent they've faced so far. They began the season with a 15-0 thumping of Fort Wayne Snider before continuing to wreak havoc on northeast Indiana teams by rolling over Warsaw 34-0.
Warren Central then brought their reign of terror to the northeast side of Indianapolis, defeating North Central 30-0 and Lawrence Central 35-0 in back-to-back weeks.
The start to the Warriors' 2024 season has been an insane contrast compared to the team's last four years. Since 2020, Warren Central has only posted one winning season. The Warriors finished the 2021 season 5-4 but lost in the first round of sectional play. Now the team is 4-0 and is looking unstoppable.
However, you can't count out Ben Davis. Even though the defending Class 6A champions have only one win so far this season, they haven't been rolled over like Warren Central's opponents. A crushing 29-28 loss to Avon in Week 2 motivated the team enough to defeat MIC rival Pike 38-14 the very next week.
The Giants also held their own last week against then-sixth-ranked Center Grove, but fell 42-19. During that game, Ben Davis fell behind 28-13 at halftime, but only allowed the Trojans to score twice more in the second half. If they can get their offense rolling, they might have a chance at an upset victory.
Looking at the quarterback matchup, Ben Davis sophomore Joe Goss made a case last week for a starting position. Starting in place of senior Isaiah Rogers, Goss tossed three touchdowns and had 194 total passing yards but also struggled, throwing four picks. Despite the turnovers, Goss completed 62% of his passes, according to MaxPreps.
Warren Central's junior quarterback Jaydin Rivers has already racked up 468 total passing yards, four touchdowns and a 50% completion percentage through the team's first four games. Additionally, Rivers doesn't turn the ball over much. He's only thrown three picks over four games, compared to Goss' four interceptions in one game last week.
The Warriors' ground game should be a point of emphasis for Ben Davis' defense. So far this year, the team has totaled 622 rushing yards, eight touchdowns and is averaging 155.5 yards per game, according to MaxPreps. The Giants must bring a "bend, don't break" mentality if they want to keep the score close.
Make sure to watch highlights on Friday night during Operation Football on 13News at 11 p.m.