FISHERS, Ind. — Week four of Operation Football has finally arrived! This week's game is set to be one of the most intense matchups of the season. It's the annual "Mudsock" rivalry game between the Hamilton Southeaster Royals (3-0) and the Fishers Tigers (3-0).
Fishers enters the game on the heels of a hard-fought 48-22 win over Noblesville. In that game, senior quarterback Bennett Gorak completed 23 out of 27 of his pass attempts for 289 yards and three touchdowns. Senior running back and Miami of Ohio commit Khobie Martin rushed 17 times for 164 yards and three touchdowns, while junior wide receiver JonAnthony Hall made 10 catches for 98 yards.
The Tigers opened their season with back-to-back blowout victories over Pike and North Central. The victory over Noblesville was Fishers' first big test this season, and it moved the team up from seventh to sixth in the Associated Press rankings.
Hamilton Southeastern enters week four following a 42-23 win over Avon, in which junior quarterback Chandler Weston completed 6 out of 9 of his passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back and Ball State commit Jalen Alexander added to the score with 14 running attempts for 164 yards and two touchdowns.
Analyzing these two teams is interesting because of how each team has performed so far against common opponent North Central. While the Panthers have had a rough start to the season, posting three straight losses, Hamilton Southeastern allowed one touchdown and scored 35 points, whereas Fishers shut out the Panthers while scoring 44 points.
Both teams have high-powered offenses and have victories over teams with at least two wins this season. The Royals won their opening matchup against Fort Wayne Carroll, who are 2-1 heading into week four, while the Tigers handed Noblesville their first loss of the season last week.
Intensity and school spirit will be on full display Friday night. Whomever wins this game will have to do it on both the ground and the air while having an air-tight defense. Both teams will be ready to exploit every weakness available in order to be called Mudsock champions.
Other sites with game coverage
13News Operation Football will also be covering several other big games Friday night including:
- Bishop Chatard at Cathedral, 7 p.m.
- IMG Academy at Ben Davis, 7 p.m.
- Martinsville at Decatur Central, 7 p.m.
Spirit Award
WTHR will select a Game of the Week based on quality of match-up and potential storylines.
The host school is automatically entered into the contest for the Operation Football Spirit Award. The contest ends with the final Operation Football regular season game on Oct. 13.
A panel of judges will select a winning school based on participation, amount of school spirit, energy and effort during 13News' coverage of the school.
Grand Prize: The 2023 Spirit Award Trophy (estimated retail value of $270.) Winner will be notified by Dec. 1, 2023. Odds of winning are 9:1 if your school is selected.
No purchases are necessary to enter or win.
