High school football: Week 9 previews

Greenwood (2-6) at Whiteland (6-2)

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

Radio: KORN Country (100.3 FM)

Recent history: The Woodmen have won the last two meetings, including a 41-25 win last year. Whiteland had won the previous four clashes.

Last week: Greenwood beat Franklin, 31-28; Whiteland beat Plainfield, 35-27

Sagarin ratings: Greenwood 54.34 (125th), Whiteland 78.63 (36th)

Players to watch: Greenwood — QB Oliver Rau, RB Nick Willham, WR Luke Raker, LB Dillon Cloyd, LB Bryce Taylor; Whiteland — QB Austin Kirkman, RB Jake Perry, DL Alex Reed, LB Jacob Schultz, DB Trevor Larence

What to look for: The Woodmen got a much-needed momentum boost with their comeback victory last week. Can it carry them past another county rival? Both teams lean heavily on their ground games, with a 1,000-yard rusher on each side. Whichever squad can establish physical superiority in the trenches will likely control the evening.

Cathedral (4-4) at Center Grove (5-3)

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

Webcast: centergrovefootball.com

Recent history: The Trojans had won three straight before the Fighting Irish pulled out a 21-14 victory a year ago. All four games were decided by seven points or fewer.

Last week: Cathedral lost at Lake St. Edward (Ohio), 39-14; Center Grove won at Lawrence North, 38-17

Sagarin ratings: Cathedral 90.96 (11th), Center Grove 97.91 (fourth)

Players to watch: Cathedral — QB Orin Edwards, RB Chon’dre Cissell, WR Bo Sanders, DB Shiloh Means, DB Quinton Cannon; Center Grove — QB Jackson Moore, RB Carson Steele, RB Gavin Matheson, DL Lucas Hunter, DB Matt Pence

What to look for: Two teams that have played brutally tough regular-season schedules look to build some momentum heading into the tournament. The Trojans’ secondary will be tested by Sanders (49 catches, 11 TD), who accounts for nearly half of Edwards’ completions this season. Center Grove is averaging 397 yards rushing over the last three weeks.

Franklin (2-6) at Decatur Central (7-1)

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

Recent history: The Hawks have won the last seven in the series, including last year’s 41-16 victory in Franklin.

Last week: Franklin lost at Greenwood, 31-28; Decatur Central beat Perry Meridian, 48-18

Sagarin ratings: Franklin 54.08 (126th), Decatur Central 84.51 (15th)

Players to watch: Franklin — QB Drew Byerly,WR Cory Richards, WR Peyton Ruble, LB/RB Clayton Coll, DB/KR Tyce Miller; Decatur Central — QB Parker Harrington, RB/DB Kenneth Tracy, WR/DB Jason Allen Jr., DL Jordan Miles, DB Larry Tracy

What to look for: After a pair of last-minute defeats, the Grizzly Cubs face a daunting challenge in the Hawks, the second-ranked team in Class 5A. Decatur Central’s athletic secondary could be a tough matchup for Franklin’s potent passing game; can Byerly and Coll, who has been seeing some time on offense the last couple of weeks, make some headway on the ground if the aerial attack isn’t producing?

Indian Creek (5-3) at Northview (8-0)

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

Recent history: This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Last week: Indian Creek beat Cloverdale, 41-0; Northview defeated South Putnam, 63-8

Sagarin ratings: Indian Creek 55.77 (117th), Northview 73.15 (55th)

Players to watch: Indian Creek — QB/DB Isaiah Lacey, RB Avery Welch, OL/DL Kenny Edwards, LB Tony Hall, LB Bryce Smith; Northview — QB Trey Shaw, RB/DB M.J. Shelton, WR/DB Trevor Cook, OL/DL Zack Calandrilla, DL Ilias Gordon

What to look for: For the third straight year, the Braves go into the Western Indiana Conference championship game as a decided underdog. The unbeaten Knights have the top scoring offense in Class 4A (48 ppg) and allow just over 12 points per week. Shaw, who is nearing 1,000 yards passing and rushing, is a multitalented threat in the mold of Lacey. An Indian Creek line that has bullied its WIC foes thus far faces a stern test; Calandrilla and Gordon have a combined 38.5 tackles for loss.

Roncalli (2-6) at Guerin Catholic (5-3)

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

Webcast: rebelmedianetwork.com

Recent history: The Rebels have won both previous meetings between the two squads, but both games were close (24-14 last year, 28-21 in 2016).

Last week: Roncalli lost to Bloomington South, 36-21; Guerin Catholic lost to Brebeuf, 41-10

Sagarin ratings: Roncalli 69.91 (60th), Guerin Catholic 71.13 (59th)

Players to watch: Roncalli — QB Aidan Leffler, RB Elijah Mahan, WR Luke Dill, DL John Harris, DB Jacob Denney; Guerin Catholic — QB Christian Gelov, RB Dylan Crossen, LB Charles Bock, LB Hank Bates, DB Roc Ricker

What to look for: The Golden Eagles have been stingy defensively, with last week’s loss the first time the team has given up more than 21 points. Can the Rebels, who have used three different quarterbacks this year, establish some continuity and crack it? With a likely sectional matchup against Cathedral looming in two weeks, this game feels like a must-win for Roncalli in terms of generating some positive vibes before the tournament.

NOTE: Edinburgh does not play this week. Its originally scheduled opponent, Trinity Lutheran, canceled the rest of its season last month.