INDIANAPOLIS — It's an old-fashioned east side-west side showdown on Operation Football! The Warren Central Warriors (2-2) head across town to face the Class 6A No. 2 Ben Davis Giants (3-1).
Ben Davis enters Week 5 after suffering their first loss of the season last week to IMG Academy from Florida. The Giants entered Week 4 No. 1 in Class 6A, but have since fallen to second in 6A, tied with former Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference rival Center Grove.
The loss to IMG Academy might have ended any chance of an undefeated season, but if there was ever a "good" loss to have, one to the fourth-ranked team in the nation isn't bad.
Giants quarterback Thomas Gotkowski completed 32 out of 51 pass attempts last week, racking up 232 passing yards and two touchdowns. However, the senior QB also threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.
Looking ahead, Ben Davis, despite their ranking in-state and nationally, is behind Warren Central in the MIC standings. The Warriors have won both of their conference games so far this year, posting wins over North Central and Lawrence Central. Meanwhile, Ben Davis' 62-0 rout of Pike in Week 3 is the team's only conference win this season.
Offensively, Warren Central is averaging more rushing yards per game than Ben Davis, according to statistics on MaxPreps. However, Ben Davis is averaging over 150 passing yards more than the Warriors. The two teams, at least statistically, showcase different offensive strategies, which could make for an interesting game.
Warren Central's junior quarterback Keith Jackson has had a solid season so far under center. He has some solid weapons around him and can rely on his rushing attack in a pinch.
Ben Davis junior running backs Isaac White and Alijah Price have been tearing up defenses all season. The two players have racked up 478 total rushing yards and five touchdowns between the two in just the first five games of the season. White is averaging 7.2 yards per carry, while Price is currently averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
Overall, this week's Operation Football Game of the Week should be an interesting matchup that could have implications in the conference standings later in the season.