Top 25 Indiana high school football rankings (9/14/2023)

Ben Davis moves up to the top spot in Power 25

It's not often a team moves up to No. 1 in any rankings after a loss. But Ben Davis gets the nod – despite its defeat against national power IMG Academy – because of its much more dominant win over Cincinnati Moeller than Center Grove's one-point escape in overtime.

Elsewhere, Bloomington North and Plainfield both enter the top 25.

• PREVIOUS 2023 RANKINGS: PRESEASON | AUG. 23 | AUG. 30 | SEPT. 7 

Here is our breakdown of this week's SBLive Power 25 Indiana high school football rankings:

SBLIVE INDIANA POWER 25 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RANKINGS

September 14, 2023

1. Ben Davis (3-1)

Previous rank: 2 Last week: Lost 34-14 to IMG Academy (Fla.)

Ben Davis gave up a pair of pick-sixes – one of them a 94-yarder by five-star Oklahoma commit David Stone – in its loss to IMG Academy. IMG came in as the No. 3 team in the SBLive/Sports Illustrated national rankings.

Next game: vs. No. 18 Warren Central (2-2), Sept. 15

2. Center Grove (3-1)

Previous rank: 1 Last week: Def. Cincinnati Moeller 35-34 OT

In the fourth of five straight games against out-of-state opponents to start the season, Center Grove prevailed when Ryder Woolwine batted down Moeller's conversion pass in overtime. The Trojans had the ball first in overtime and scored on Tyler Cherry's 12-yard TD pass to T.J. Williams plus the PAT kick. Moeller previously lost to Ben Davis and East Central, and shut out Fort Wayne Dwenger

Next game: vs. Harvest Prep (Ohio) (3-0), Sept. 15

3. Hamilton Southeastern (4-0)

Previous rank: 3 Last week: Def. Fishers 35-34 OT

Hamilton Southeastern survived the Mudsock rivalry game against Fishers, scoring in OT on Jalen Alexander's 6-yard TD run and Hugo Belmonte's PAT kick. Alexander also had TD runs of 96 and 72 yards in regulation. Up next is another tough Hoosier Crossroads test vs. undefeated Westfield.

Next game: vs. No. 5 Westfield (4-0), Sept. 15

4. Fort Wayne Carroll (3-1)

Previous rank: 4 Last week: Def. Fort Wayne Dwenger 40-13

Up 20-13 in the fourth quarter, Carroll scored three touchdowns in the final 5:28 to pull away against Dwenger. Jimmy Sullivan threw three TD passes to Hansen Haffner for the Chargers. A Summit Athletic Conference showdown with unbeaten Snider is next.

Next game: at No. 9 Fort Wayne Snider (4-0), Sept. 15

5. Westfield (4-0)

Previous rank: 5 Last week: Def. Noblesville 28-21

Logan Gilbert ran for one touchdown and passed for another to lead Westfield to the Hoosier Crossroads Conference victory against visiting Noblesville. Another tough conference test at Hamilton Southeastern, a matchup of two undefeated squads, is on tap this week.

Next game: at No. 3 Hamilton Southeastern (4-0), Sept. 15

6. Brownsburg (4-0)

Previous rank: 6 Last week: Def. Avon 53-30

Garrett Sherrell ran for three touchdowns and caught a pass for another score as Brownsburg rolled past winless Avon in Hoosier Crossroads play. Sherrell has seven TDs in the past two weeks. Brownsburg is averaging 46 points a game.

Next game: vs. Fishers (3-1), Sept. 15

7. Fishers (3-1)

Previous rank: 7 Last week: Lost 35-34 (OT) to Hamilton Southeastern

It was a tough loss for Fishers in the Mudsock rivalry game against HSE. The Tigers scored on a 4-yard run by Khobie Martin in OT, but went for 2 on the conversion and were stopped. A tough road test is next at unbeaten Brownsburg.

Next game: at No. 6 Brownsburg (4-0), Sept. 15

8. Crown Point (4-0)

Previous rank: 10 Last week: Def. Lake Central 38-12

Crown Point QB Noah Ehrlich passed for 240 yards and two touchdowns in the Duneland Athletic Conference win at Lake Central. The Bulldogs have allowed just 32 points this season.

Next game: at Portage (0-4), Sept. 15

9. Fort Wayne Snider (4-0)

Previous rank: 11 Last week: Def. Fort Wayne South Side 41-0

Ke'Ron Billingsley threw for two touchdowns and Uriah Buchanan ran for two TDs in the first half as the Snider Panthers rolled past winless Fort Wayne South Side in Summit Athletic action. Big game this week vs. Carroll.

Next game: vs. No. 4 Fort Wayne Carroll (3-1), Sept. 15

10. Carmel (2-2)

Previous rank: 9 Last week: Lost 41-14 to Louisville Trinity

Carmel went on the road in Week 4 and the Greyhounds found themselves down 21-0 in the second quarter and couldn't recover against Trinity, which fell 34-7 to Center Grove the week before.

Next game: vs. No. 21 Lawrence North (4-0), Sept. 15

11. Penn (3-1)

Previous rank: 12 Last week: Def. Hammond Morton 35-0

Nolan McCullough threw a pair of touchdown passes for Penn, which led Morton 35-0 at halftime. Northern Indiana Conference play begins this week.

Next game: vs. Elkhart (1-3), Sept. 15

12. Bishop Chatard (4-0)

Previous rank: 22 Last week: Def. Indianapolis Cathedral 24-21

Class 3A Bishop Chatard knocked off 6A Cathedral as Colin Guy caught a 34-yard touchdown pass with less than two minutes remaining.

Next game: at Columbus North (2-2), Sept. 15

13. Bloomington North (4-0)

Previous rank: NR Last week: Def. Bloomington South 25-24 (OT)

A battle of unbeaten rivals lived up to the advanced billing as Junior quarterback Dash King passed for 196 yards and three touchdowns and Bloomington North beat crosstown rival Bloomington South in overtime.

Next game: vs. Terre Haute North (0-4), Sept. 15

14. Merrillville (3-1)

Previous rank: 14 Last week: Def. Portage 17-7

Merrillville rebounded from their 33-point loss to Crown Point by shutting down winless Duneland Athletic foe Portage.

Next game: at Michigan City (2-2), Sept. 15

15. Cathedral (2-2)

Previous rank: 8 Last week: Lost 24-21 to Bishop Chatard

Danny O'Neil threw a pair of TD passes to Albren Johnson as Cathedral took a 21-10 lead at halftime Friday night. But a problem with the field lights forced the game to be suspended till Saturday morning and Chatard rallied for the win.

Next game: at Indianapolis North Central (0-4), Sept. 15

16. Bloomington South (3-1)

Previous rank: 13 Last week: Lost 25-24 (OT) to Bloomington North

Jarrin Alley threw for 196 yards for Bloomington South in the overtime rivalry loss at home to rival Bloomington North.

Next game: at Terre Haute South (1-3), Sept. 15

17. Noblesville (2-2)

Previous rank: 15 Last week: Lost 28-21 to Westfield

Noblesville suffered its second straight loss to a top-10 Hoosier Crossroads opponent in Westfield a week after falling to Fishers.

Next game: vs. No. 24 Zionsville (3-1), Sept. 15

18. Warren Central (2-2)

Previous rank: 16 Last week: Def. Lawrence Central 25-16

Keith Jackson ran for a pair of touchdowns as Warren Central opened a 17-0 halftime lead and held off Lawrence Central the rest of the way in Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference action.

Next game: at No. 1 Ben Davis (3-1), Sept. 15

19. Valparaiso (3-1)

Previous rank: 17 Last week: Def. Michigan City 31-7

Running back Travis Davis ran for three more TDs – he has six in the past two weeks – as Valparaiso rolled past Michigan City for its third straight win.

Next game: at Chesterton (1-3), Sept. 15

20. Mishawaka (3-1)

Previous rank: 18 Last week: Def. Goshen 48-13

Brady Fisher passed for four touchdowns and ran for another as Mishawaka cruised past Goshen in its Northern Lakes Conference matchup.

Next game: at Plymouth (2-2), Sept. 15

21. Lawrence North (4-0)

Previous rank: 19 Last week: Def. Indianapolis North Central 49-14

Tanner Aspeslet passed for 320 yards and five touchdowns as Lawrence North remained undefeated with a Metropolitan Interscholastic win over North Central.

Next game: at No. 10 Carmel (2-2), Sept. 15

22. Plainfield (4-0)

Previous rank: 23 Last week: Def. Perry Meridian 21-20

Hunter Newell passed for two touchdowns and Luke Starnes had a rushing TD as Plainfield held on for the Mid-State Conference win over Perry Meridian.

Next game: vs. Greenwood (3-1), Sept. 15

23. East Central (4-0)

Previous rank: 24 Last week: Def. Franklin County 55-0

Senior Ryan Brotherton had a career-high seven catches for 119 yards and two scores as the East Central rolled past Franklin County. Next up the Trojans face off against the Batesville Bulldogs in a battle of unbeaten squads seeking to improve to 5-0.

Next game: at Batesville (4-0), Sept. 15

24. Zionsville (3-1)

Previous rank: NR Last week: Def. Franklin Central 21-10

Luke Murphy threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns – both to Eugene Hilton – as Zionsville earned a Hoosier Crossroads win against Franklin Central. 

Next game: at No. 17 Noblesville (2-2), Sept. 15

25. West Lafayette Harrison (3-1)

Previous rank: 25 Last week: Def. McCutcheon 30-13

Cailix Dillon passed for three touchdowns as the Harrison Raiders held onto the Sword traveling trophy for the fifth straight season it's been contested (the teams didn't play in 2021).

Next game: at Anderson (1-3), Sept. 15

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