Harrison, Plainfield round 2 expected to be 'dog fight'
WEST LAFAYETTE - How much stock should we put in Harrison's Week 2 win over Plainfield?
According to the Raiders, none.
The two teams meet again Friday night at the same location - Rickard Field - in a game that will truly determine who the better team is.
"We played them so early in the season," senior lineman Bricker Crum said. "They were a different team. We also are a different team. We've both gotten better."
Both teams entered that game with an 0-1 record.
And Harrison's 22-14 victory was not a thing of beauty by either side.
"We know what they do, but obviously we played them Week 2," senior Brendan Gothrup said. "We're better. They are a better team. Flush the first game. We have to come out and play harder."
That was the first of eight straight victories for Harrison, who overcame two turnovers and a blocked punt to escape against the Quakers that night.
It also was the second start for Ben Henderson at quarterback. It was the second game together for the backfield.
Harrison's offense was implementing some new wrinkles to what it had done in seasons past.
"We have six different starters going into this game than we did the first time we played them," Harrison coach Terry Peebles said. "It is going to be a lot different. A lot of the kids will be the same, but they will be in different places.
"They figured a lot out about themselves over the course of the season. I think we did, too. Offensively, we kind of found our groove about midseason, special teams the same. Luckily our defense held us in the first few games so we were able to be successful."
While Harrison's win over Plainfield started an eight-game winning streak, Plainfield would follow up the setback to Harrison with a blowout loss to Mooresville before the Quakers found their footing with a win over Perry Meridian.
That began a stretch of three straight wins before losses to Franklin and Whiteland. The Quakers closed the regular season with an upset win over Martinsville.
"Their record isn't what they want it to be, but every team they lost to is either a one-loss team or a two-loss team," Peebles said. "Their last game of the year, they beat a 6-2 Martinsville team at Martinsville so they are very confident and they are a quality football team that is battle tested.
"I assume it is going to be a four-quarter game and whoever makes the least amount of mistakes is going to be happy at the end of the night."
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
Plainfield (4-5) at Harrison (8-1)
Time: 7 p.m.
Sagarin ratings: Plainfield 66.87, Harrison 73.43
Series history: Harrison has won both meetings, including 22-14 on Aug. 26.
About Plainfield: The Quakers average 22.3 points and allow 27.4. ... Plainfield has lost five consecutive sectional games. ... This is the Quakers' fifth straight road postseason game dating back to 2017. ... Statistical leaders - Passing: Hunter Newell (124-207, 1,466 yards, 11 TD, 9 INT). ... Rushing: Noah Hessong (99 car., 553 yards, 7 TD), Trey Larrison (79 car., 413 yards, 1 TD). ... Receiving: Grant Irwin (32 rec., 432 yards, 4 TD), Hessong (28 rec., 205 yards, 2 TD). ... Tackles: Isaac Masquelier (75), Landon Drennan (60). ... Sacks: Masquelier (5.5), Drennan (4.5). ... Interceptions: Carter Fergeson (2). ... Kicking: Cameron Grimes (21-25 PAT, 0-1 FG).
About Harrison: The Raiders average 35.8 points and allow 12.2 per game. ... Harrison is ranked fifth in the Class 5A Associated Press poll and sixth in the coaches poll. ... The team that has knocked the Raiders out of the postseason has advanced to the state championship four times in the past five seasons with the other advancing to semistate. ... Statistical leaders - Passing: Ben Henderson (90-126, 1,165 yards, 15 TD, 3 INT). ... Rushing: Henderson (113 car., 710 yards, 15 TD), Carter Knoy (66 car., 514 yards, 3 TD), Ethan Popp (71 car., 506 yards, 2 TD). ... Receiving: Carter McDonald (30 rec., 435 yards, 5 TD), Jake Walters (20 rec., 317 yards, 4 TD). ... Tackles: Gavin Halsema (48), Brayden Conklin (47). ... Sacks: Boone Munn (3), Josh McKelvin (2). ... Interceptions: Gavin Goodwin (3), Sammy Hallada (2). ... Kicking: Alex Stene (25-26 PAT, 5-6 FG, long of 37), Trey DeJoie (12-14 PAT, 3-3 FG, long of 37).
Coach Peebles' take: "We've already had what I consider to be a very good season, but in order to have a great season, you've got to have some postseason success. We know it is going to be a dog fight. It was a dog fight the first time we played them."
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Harrison, Plainfield round 2 expected to be 'dog fight'
