SPORTS
Weekend, November 6 & 7, 2021 Warsaw, Indiana
TIMES-UNION
2B
Sectional Championships Class 6A Sectional 1 Merrillville 42, Lafayette Jeff 14 Sectional 2 Penn 10, Chesterton 7 Sectional 3 Carroll (Ft. Wayne) 36, Warsaw 0 Sectional 4 Westfield 24, Hamilton Southeastern 22 Sectional 5 Brownsburg 31, Carmel 7 Sectional 6 Indpls Ben Davis 49, Indpls Tech 20 Sectional 7 Lawrence North 28, Lawrence Central 20 Sectional 8 Center Grove 41, Columbus North 7 Class 5A Sectional 9 Valparaiso 42, Munster 0 Sectional 10 Michigan City 48, Mishawaka 25 Sectional 11 Ft. Wayne Dwenger 42, Ft. Wayne Snider 20 Sectional 12 Zionsville 42, Kokomo 17 Sectional 13 Indpls Cathedral 31, Decatur Central 7 Sectional 14 New Palestine 20, Whiteland 17 Sectional 15 Bloomington South 24, Bloomington North 17 Sectional 16 New Albany 34, Seymour 27 Class 4A Sectional 17 Lowell 38, Hobart 10 Sectional 18 New Prairie 35, S. Bend St. Joseph's 3 Sectional 19 Northridge 27, Leo 26, OT Sectional 20 Mississinewa 42, Ft. Wayne Wayne 6 Sectional 21 Mt. Vernon (Fortville) 70, Connersville 0 Sectional 22 Indpls Roncalli 35, Indpls Chatard 21 Sectional 23 E. Central 37, Martinsville 7 Sectional 24 Ev. Memorial 24, Northview 7 Class 3A Sectional 25 Hanover Central 26, Knox 14 Sectional 26 Mishawaka Marian 40, Jimtown 7 Sectional 27 Norwell 24, Peru 13 Sectional 28 Indpls Brebeuf 42, Western Boone 17 Sectional 29 Tri-West 18, Danville 13 Sectional 30 Owen Valley 14, Vincennes 0 Sectional 31 Lawrenceburg 35, Brownstown 14 Sectional 32 Gibson Southern 42, Heritage Hills 7 Class 2A Sectional 33 Andrean 49, Whiting 0 Sectional 34 LaVille 41, Pioneer 0 Sectional 35 Eastside 21, Ft. Wayne Luers 16 Sectional 36 Eastbrook 28, Tipton 21 Sectional 37 Lafayette Catholic 56, Speedway 35 Sectional 38 Indpls Scecina 21, Centerville 10 Sectional 39 Triton Central 37, Paoli 35 Sectional 40 Ev. Mater Dei 42, N. Posey 13 Class 1A Sectional 41 N. Judson 40, Culver 6 Sectional 42 Carroll (Flora) 16, Clinton Prairie 6 Sectional 43 S. Adams 41, Union City 7 Sectional 44 Adams Central 49, Triton 3 Sectional 45 Parke Heritage 34, Riverton Parke 16 Sectional 46 Indpls Lutheran 34, Covenant Christian 27 Sectional 47 Tri 20, N. Decatur 13 Sectional 48 N. Central (Farmersburg) 30, Springs Valley 14
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) - Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields describes a higher sense of confidence in his own game after a 33 22 loss to San Francisco when he produced several high light reel type plays. It doesn't hurt having sev eral key components rejoin the team to lend a hand. Bears coach Matt Nagy is back working at Halas Hall this week after being away and missing the last game because of COVID 19, while running back David Montgomery is practicing after four weeks away with a knee injury. Now it's possible Fields could settle in with all hands on deck Monday night at Pittsburgh. "I just feel like comfort able like all around, just more confident in myself, and just going out there and making plays and stuff like that," Fields said Thursday. "I'm not sure like one specific area. I'm hoping all the areas. "I just feel way better just in terms of my confidence and my command of the hud dle and of the offense and kind of telling those guys where to go." Fields turned a spinning, cutting fourth and 1 scram ble into a 22 yard touchdown and threw a pinpoint TD pass on the run to his left to diving tight end Jesse James. Yet he still couldn't help the Bears avoid a third straight loss. Watching the game on a television in a hotel room while quarantined from his team and family, Nagy saw a big play threat who can allow his struggling offense to overcome poor down and distance situations. "You know that fourth and 1, that great run, that's a special play; we'll always remember it," Nagy said. "He had fun in the moment, we all had fun in the moment when he scored that touchdown, but then he can reset and come back and be ready for the next play. "Same thing when it's a bad play. If something does n't happen the right way he doesn't let it affect him, and if you have that you want that, especially at the quarterback position." What Fields hasn't done yet to a real extent is start connecting with wide receiv er Allen Robinson, who had 200 receptions the past two seasons. Robinson has only one game with more than four receptions this year, and that was in the opener before Fields became the starter. Robinson has 26 catches for 271 yards and a touchdown, but thinks it's starting to become more instinctive between the two. "It's something that as you kind of progress and run cer tain routes or see certain things, they just start to become more of a feel rather than you seeing and react ing," Robinson said. 'You can kind of see it and feel it before it happens, and then it happens." The addition of Montgomery to face T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and the Pittsburgh defense would be huge if the team deems him ready. They activated his three week window to con sider his return this week from injured reserve. Khalil Herbert has gained the Bears rushing lead for the year with 351 yards on 81 carries, but Montgomery (69 carries, 309 yards) is the bet ter all around threat. Nagy said Montgomery would automatically become the starter if ready. "David's an offensive leader," Fields said. "He's a vocal leader. He's a hard worker. He's a hard runner, so of course we're glad to have him back this week, and I'm assuming that he's not going to skip a beat just based on how hard he works. So I know he was working hard to get back out there on the field and I'm excited for both of those guys." Herbert surprised with his hard running as a rookie in Montgomery's absence, and the Bears rank fifth in rushing. They'll need both to help avoid a fourth straight loss. "Both of those guys are weapons," Fields said. "They could both run the ball hard and they could both block and catch the ball out of the backfield, so I'm excited." NOTES: Outside line backer Khalil Mack (foot), safety Eddie Jackson (ham string), tight end J.P. Holtz (concussion), linebacker Alec Ogletree (ankle) and running back Damien Williams (knee) were held out of practice. ... Nagy actually returned to work on Tuesday. He said he watched the game in isola tion. He took part in practices and meetings during the week via Zoom, but is glad to be back. "I got Zoom and it's good, it saved me," he said. "But I'm kind of done with it." ... In the light of Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers contracting COVID 19 after failing to admit he hadn't been vacci nated, Fields volunteered the information that he has been vaccinated.
Fields Feeling More Confident As Other Bears Return
BY GENE CHAMBERLAIN
Associated Press Sports Writer
Photo by As ociated Pres
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields begins to celebrate his touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, in Chicago
Wentz Acquisition Paying Dividends With Indy In Playoff Hunt
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Indianapolis Colts took a calculated risk by trading for Carson Wentz in March. Halfway through the sea son, the move is paying big dividends. Wentz has helped the Colts navigate their way from a 1 4 start back into the play off picture with three wins in their last four games and his confidence appears to be growing by the week. "He's been playing a lot of good football," coach Frank Reich said after Indy steam rolled the New York Jets 45 30. "He had a couple things at the end of the last game but he was flawless (Thursday). He was stinkin' flawless - except for the pass to Nyheim (Hines), which he should have hit that one. That was a bad throw." Wentz hasn't been perfect, as two poor throws in the final 7 1/2 minutes against Tennessee attest. Those interceptions and that over time loss could cost the Colts (4 5) a shot at the AFC South title. There have been other bumps along the way. He was intercepted on a goal line shovel pass to Jack Doyle in Week 2, a potentially decisive play in what turned out to be a 27 24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He couldn't quite close out what looked like an almost certain victory at Baltimore, though that was not entirely his fault. But the stats and the game tape don't lie. Despite limited offseason work with his new team mates, missing most of train ing camp because of foot sur gery and spraining both ankles against the Rams, Wentz's completion percent age is back in the mid 60s. He's on pace for a career high 4,152 yards in the league's first 17 game season, and he's thrown 17 TDs with three interceptions. "I think we're making good progress, I think he's making great progress," Reich said. "I think if before the year started and we took a poll and said: 'Nine games into it Carson is going to have 17 TDs and three intercep tions, would you take that?' "I think we all would." Wentz also is throwing more deep balls, an indica tion he and his receivers are increasingly working from the same page. Playing behind an offensive line that has steadily become healthi er and stronger also has helped, and with Jonathan Taylor in contention for the league rushing title, Wentz has everything he needs to fulfill the potential scouts saw when he was the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2016. All he has to do now is cash in. "I am so encouraged by what I am seeing offensively and how we're able to move the ball in so many different ways," Wentz said Thursday night. "Coach (Reich) does a tremendous job keeping defenses on their toes, and I look forward to more of that the second half of the sea son." WHAT'S WORKING Running game. Indy fin ished with a league high 260 yards rushing against a run defense that was ranked No. 7. Taylor clearly has kicked it into high gear with four 100 yard games this season and a league best streak of six straight games with 100 or more yards from scrimmage and a TD. WHAT NEEDS HELP Pass rush. When the Colts struggle, it's largely because opposing quarterbacks have picked apart an injury depleted secondary. Yes, staying healthy would help. So would more consistent pressure. STOCK UP Hines. As Taylor delivers the highlights, Hines is the ideal complementary back. He had a nifty 34 yard TD run to start the scoring Thursday and finished with six carries for 74 yards while catching four passes for 34 yards. The Colts already rewarded Hines with a three year contract extension. STOCK DOWN Three time Pro Bowl CB Xavier Rhodes has struggled this season in part because of injuries. A blown coverage led to the Jets' first score Thursday and it's not the first time he's been beaten this season. Indy needs the 31 year old Rhodes to play bet ter. INJURIES While the injury news has improved since an early rash, the Colts continue to take hits. Starting safety Kahri Willis (calf) is now on injured reserve, RT Braden Smith (triceps) and Rhodes (calf) did not finish Thursday's game. Reich had no updates Friday. KEY NUMBER 7 - The Colts are one of seven AFC teams with four wins and might need seven more wins to make the play offs. NEXT STEPS A second straight victory would put Indianapolis at .500 for the first time this season. The Colts have been playing better since their brutal five game stretch to open the schedule. But to make the playoffs - and win in the postseason - they must start beating some playoff caliber teams.
BY MICHAEL MAROT
Associated Press Sports Writer
Photo by As ociated Pres
ndianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich talks with quarterback Carson Wentz (2) during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Thursday, in Indianapolis
Indiana HS Sectional Football Scores
first quarter. With the win, Adams Central (11 1) earned its 22nd sectional title, and gets a rematch with South Adams (10 2) in regional play Friday night at Berne. The Flying Jets won the first game 48 7 on Sept. 24. Adams Central won the Allen County Conference title by a game over South Adams. Triton, playing in its third sectional title game in the last five years, finished its season with a 4 7 record.
Continued from 1B
Trojans
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