High School Football Final 4

Yes, this is all about the Columbus North Bulldogs (Columbus, Indiana) playing Warren Central for the Semi-State title and the right to play for the 5A State Championship on Thanksgiving weekend in the RCA Dome.

Nobody around the state seems to believe the 'Dogs stand a chance against the perennial powerhouse Warren Central, who by the way is the defending state champion. Win or lose, our team has had a great, historic run, that has already made great memories for the players (including our own Tim).

Here's the game analysis for this Friday night:

Warren Central is a super-sized Indianapolis high school that has built a tradition of state champion football teams. They run a Wing-T Option offense that relies on speed and deception, with a gigantic offensive line and a group of 3 very talented speedy backs. They have one loss for the season, to Center Grove, a team that was beaten by Avon in the Sectional first round. Avon was defeated by Columbus North in a tough but convincing game in the Sectional Semifinal, where they were held to only 6 points. Warren Central and Columbus North have played and beaten three teams in common, with Warren Central owning the overall largest win margins. North beat one team by a wider margin, but Warren Central drubbed the other two with what look like running-up-the score games.

Warren Central got to this game by defeating fellow Indy powerhouse Ben Davis by two points with a late come-from-behind score. Columbus North comes off a convincing 24-0 shutout of Castle High School to earn the right to represent the southern half of the state in this semifinal matchup.

Game conditions are predicted to be wet and muddy, which many think slightly favors Columbus North. Apparently Warren Central has had some turnover and offensive production problems in wet and muddy conditions, while North's defense seems to thrive in those games.

To win, North must continue to play shut-down defense, as their run-oriented offense is unlikely to generate a lot of points. Offensively, if North cannot get their '3-headed monster' running backs going, they will have to be able to throw effectively. The expectation is that Warren Central has thoroughly scouted North's offense, and will probably pack 9 guys in the box on defense to stifle the run and dare them to throw down the field. That strategy was used to great effectiveness by Bloomington South last year in eliminating North from the playoffs, as well as by Columbus East in the second game of this season in handing the 'Dogs their only loss this year.

For Warren Central to win, they will have to first avoid overconfidence. It has been a very long time since a southern school has been competitive on a state level, and Warren Central doesn't appear to be giving Columbus North much respect. On the field, WC will probably find North to be much tougher on defense than they expect, just as their other playoff opponents have this post-season. WC will have to find a way to break some big plays with their running offense and rely on their defense to shut down North's offense, or they will have to throw the ball to win.

I won't make any predictions on the game, mainly because I haven't seen Warren Central play. I do expect it to be a close, hard-fought game, which will most likely be decided on one or two key big plays and/or turnovers.

Either way, it's fun and exciting, but what can be most fun and exciting is if North pulls out the victory and goes to the RCA Dome next weekend. What a great experience for the kids, and what fun for the parents!