FISHERS, Ind. — The fourth week of Dave's final season of Operation Football takes the 13Sports crew to Hamilton County for the annual Mudsock rivalry game between Class 6A No. 5 Hamilton Southeastern and unranked Fishers.
Oh, and it's also the Game of the Week!
There's a lot riding on this game for both teams this week. The Fishers Tigers might not have made the IFCA rankings on Monday, but they can move into one of the top spots in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference standings with a win on Friday.
Meanwhile, the HSE Royals fell in the IFCA rankings from fourth to fifth despite a 28-10 win over Avon last week.
The Tigers have by all means had a relatively good season so far despite a narrow 35-34 loss to Pike in Week 2. But that appears to be the norm for Fishers so far in this young football season. Last week, the Tigers narrowly defeated conference rival Noblesville with a game-winning field goal by senior kicker Jon Tangara.
According to MaxPreps, Fishers junior quarterback Gage Sturgill is averaging 227 yards per game passing and has already racked up 11 passing touchdowns. Meanwhile, HSE senior quarterback Chandler Weston only has an average of 87 passing yards per game, according to MaxPreps.
On paper, this might look bad for HSE, but their rushing offense is where the team shines. Sophomore running back Carter Reed is averaging 6.3 yards per carry through three games while the quarterback, Weston, has been able to use his legs to get big yards. He's averaging 8.8 yards per carry and has racked up 202 rushing yards.
Don't count out Fishers' run game, though. Sturgill has already posted 91 total rushing yards this the season. He's got a pair of backs that can keep a defense on their toes with junior Ryan Thembulembu and senior Brady Griffitts.
If you can't make it to Friday night's game, make sure you tune in for highlights on Operation Football during 13News at 11.
