SPORTS

High school football quick reads: Adams snaps 5-game slide with sectional win over Goshen

South Bend Tribune

Adams; Jeremiah Love celebrates scoring during the Adams vs. Goshen sectional football game Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 at Goshen High School.

The playoffs are underway as the opening week of Indiana high school sectionals kicked off Friday night. In Michigan it was the final week of the regular season as District playoffs begin next week.

Here are takeaways from local games covered by the Tribune:

Adams 35, Goshen 14

PLAY OF THE GAME: Adams' Jeremiah Love busted free for a 78-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to put the Eagles up 21-0 late in the opening quarter.

Adams' Gavin Pulling runs the ball during the Adams vs. Goshen sectional football game Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 at Goshen High School.

TURNING POINT: Adams scored a touchdown late in the opening half to take a 28-7 lead. The Eagles score, on a 39-yard touchdown pass, came after Goshen took advantage of an Adams fumble to score to make it 21-7.

STANDOUT PERFORMER: Jeremiah Love. The Adams junior had a huge night. He ran for touchdowns of 24 and 78 yards in the first half. Love also fired a 39-yard touchdown toss to Bradon Godette in the opening half as Adams led 28-7. Love finished the night with 13 carries for 177 yards.

UP NEXT: Adams will host No. 10 Michigan City (6-3) next Friday night in Class 5A sectional action. Michigan City had a bye Friday night in the first round.

— Scott Davidson

Marian 49, South Bend Washington 14

Marian began its defense of its Class 3A, Sectional 26 title with a 49-14 decision over Washington.

A host of Marian defenders make the tackle on Washington's Ty'shaun Grundy during the Marian-Washington high school football game on Friday, October 22, 2021, at TCU School Field in South Bend, Indiana.

PLAY OF THE GAME: The entire first half for Marian, as the Knights scored touchdowns on all six offensive possessions in the first two quarters. There was an interception returned for a touchdown thrown in too, as the Knights led 49-0 at halftime.

Marian's Greg Atkinson runs with the ball as Washington's Mekhi Wilson pursues uring the Marian-Washington high school football game on Friday, October 22, 2021, at TCU School Field in South Bend, Indiana.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS: Marian running back Kapafule Lusanga had 143 yards rushing on 14 carries and two touchdowns. Greg Atkinson had a monster second quarter, as he had an 11-yard touchdown run, a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown, and a 46-yard touchdown reception, all in the span of 7 plays.

— Adam Kroemer

Northridge 28, NorthWood 7

PLAY OF THE GAME:

With NorthWood trailing 15-7 in the third quarter and having just completed a 63-yard pass for a first down at the Raider 17, Panther quarterback Owen Roeder fumbled and Eric Jennings pounced on it for Northridge. The Raiders turned that into a 12-play, 78-yard TD drive for a 21-7 fourth-quarter lead.

KEY GAME NOTES: Northridge, which lost 42-8 to the Panthers just four weeks earlier, beat NorthWood for the first time ever in postseason, spanning eight tries. The Panthers lost in the opening round of the sectional for just the second time in the last 38 years.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCE: Raider quarterback Tagg Gott passed for 225 yards and a touchdown, rushed for Northridge’s other three TDs and added a two-point conversion.

— Anthony Anderson

Glenn 41, Lakeland 13

WALKERTON — The John Glenn Falcons moved to 5-4 behind five touchdown passes by freshman Austin White, three to senior Chase Howe, and 150 rushing yards from senior Nathan Creed.

TOP PERFORMER: Freshman quarterback Austin White, who threw for 123 yards on 7-of-10 passing and five touchdowns — 30, 14 and 26 yards to Chase Howe, 15 yards to Creed and 7 yards to Dom Jolley. White also picked up 31 yards on 11 carries.

PLAY OF THE GAME: On fourth-and-6 from the Lakeland 30, White threw a pass to Chase Howe, who spun away from a defender and took it to the end zone to put the Falcons up 7-0 with 8:43 left in the first quarter.

TURNING POINT: Lakeland was trailing 7-0 and had a fourth-and-2 play at the John Glenn 32 but a host of Falcons tackled Caleb Sellers for a loss of one yard, ending a 12-play, 50-yard drive which took 6:25 off the clock. The Falcons then went 67 yards to its second touchdown, a 14-yard scoring run by Creed to make it 14-0.

KEY STAT: The Falcons picked off four passes by Lakeland Deion Marshall, two by senior Chase Howe, one by Ty Larkin and one by Kory VanHuss.

NEXT GAME: The Falcons will travel to Jimtown next Friday for its Class 3A-Sectional 26 semifinal game with the Jimmies, their Northern Indiana Conference North-South Division rival. Jimtown (8-2) advanced with a 31-21 victory over West Noble. During the regular season, Jimtown blanked John Glenn 21-0 on Sept. 10 at Jimtown.

— John Fineran, Tribune Correspondent

MICHIGAN

Niles 46, Dowagiac 0

NILES — Niles likely earned its first state football playoff berth in 18 years Friday night by overwhelming arch-rival Dowagiac 46-0.

The Vikings, who finished the regular season 5-4, will find out their playoff fate Sunday night when the pairings are announced.

For the second straight week, Dowagiac finished with minus-yardage in total offense while ending the first 0-9 season in school history.

STANDOUT PERFORMER: Julian Means-Flewellen and Sam Rucker each scored a pair of touchdowns for Niles, Means-Flewellen on runs of 24 and 4 yards and Rucker on a 42-yard return of a fumble and an 18-yard run.

TURNING POINT: Niles scored three times in the final seven minutes of the first quarter to take control. The first came after a 15-yard Dowagiac punt gave the Vikings the ball at the Chieftain 34. It took Niles just four plays to score on Talon Brawley's 3-yard run.

NEXT GAME: Niles will find out Sunday night if it has a next game when the playoff pairings are announced.