Top 25 Indiana high school football rankings (9/21/2023)

Brownsburg at Westfield highlights Week 6 slate

Westfield and Brownsburg are both on the rise heading into their Hoosier Crossroads Conference showdown this week.

• PREVIOUS 2023 RANKINGS: PRESEASON | AUG. 23 | AUG. 30 | SEPT. 7 | SEPT. 14

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 21, 2023

1. Ben Davis (4-1)

Previous rank: 1 Last week: Def. Warren Central 31-28

Ben Rudolph kicked a 38-yard field goal with 6:33 remaining to break a 28-28 tie and the Giants held on for the win.

Next game: at No. 23 Lawrence North, Sept. 22

2. Center Grove (4-1)

Previous rank: 2 Last week: Def. Harvest Prep (Ohio) 36-18

Tyler Cherry threw two touchdown passes to Noah Coy and Rylan Cook ran for two scores as the Trojans wrapped up a season-opening stretch of five straight games against out-of-state opponents.

Next game: at Lawrence Central, Sept. 22

3. Westfield (5-0)

Previous rank: 5 Last week: Def. Hamilton Southeastern 30-28

After falling behind 28-24 with 39 seconds remaining, the Shamrocks pulled off a 53-yard hook-and-ladder play to get into the red zone. Jackson Gilbert eventually found Kendall Garnett for the game-winning TD pass as time expired in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference showdown. 

Next game: vs. No. 4 Brownsburg, Sept. 22

4. Brownsburg (5-0)

Previous rank: 6 Last week: Def. Fishers 42-28

Corey Smith scored three touchdowns and Garrett Sherrell had two as the Bulldogs won a top-10 Hoosier Crossroads Conference showdown. Another one is next vs. No. 3 Westfield.

Next game: at No. 3 Westfield, Sept. 22

5. Hamilton Southeastern (4-1)

Previous rank: 3 Last week: Lost 30-28 to Westfield

A week after surviving in overtime against rival Fishers, the Royals had another tight Hoosier Crossroads Conference game and suffered their first loss of the season. Chandler Weston's 40-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Hamilton gave Hamilton Southeastern a 28-24 lead with 39 seconds left, but Westfield had a TD pass on the last play of the game to prevail.

Next game: at No. 24 Zionsville, Sept. 22

6. Fort Wayne Snider (5-0)

Previous rank: 9 Last week: Def. Fort Wayne Carroll 27-24

Vanderbilt baseball commit Brandon Logan had two pick-sixes to help Snider snap Carroll's 19-game Summit Athletic Conference winning streak.

Next game: at Homestead, Sept. 22

7. Crown Point (5-0)

Previous rank: 8 Last week: Def. Portage 49-6

Noah Ehrlich threw for 254 yards and four touchdowns before halftime, while Jacob Jones ran for 106 yards and a TD, caught a 66-yard scoring pass and had an interception in the Duneland Athletic Conference win. Up next is a big conference matchup with No. 18 Valparaiso.

Next game: vs. No. 18 Valparaiso, Sept. 22

8. Fort Wayne Carroll (3-2)

Previous rank: 4 Last week: Lost 27-24 to Fort Wayne Snider

Sophomore Jaidon Vanpelt caught two touchdown passes for the Chargers, but Snider held on to end their 19-game Summit Athletic Conference winning streak.

Next game: vs. Fort Wayne Wayne, Sept. 22

9. Fishers (3-2)

Previous rank: 7 Last week: Lost 42-28 to Brownsburg

The Tigers dropped their second straight Hoosier Crossroads Conference game to a top-10 opponent despite getting 273 passing yards and two TDs from Bennett Gorak.

Next game: vs. Avon, Sept. 22

10. Carmel (3-2)

Previous rank: 10 Last week: Def. Lawrence North 17-14

After going 1-2 in a three-game stretch against out-of-state teams, the Greyhounds improved to 2-0 against in-state competition.

Next game: vs. Indianapolis North Central, Sept. 22

11. Penn (4-1)

Previous rank: 11 Last week: Def. Elkhart 21-0

Jake Balls ran 25 times for 100 yards and two scores as the Kingsmen won their Northern Indiana Conference opener.

Next game: at Mishawaka Marian, Sept. 15

12. Bishop Chatard (5-0)

Previous rank: 12 Last week: Def. Columbus North 28-3

Aidan Arteaga threw for three touchdowns and the Trojans held an opponent to single-digit scoring for the third time this season.

Next game: at Guerin Catholic, Sept. 22

13. Bloomington North (5-0)

Previous rank: 13 Last week: Def. Terre Haute North 49-12

The Cougars moved to 3-0 in Conference Indiana with the comfortable win at home.

Next game: at New Albany, Sept. 22

14. Merrillville (4-1)

Previous rank: 14 Last week: Def. Michigan City 17-0

The Pirates' Trenton Nixon returned a blocked field goal 75 yards for a TD and Jaylen Ramsey added a late pick-six in the Duneland Athletic Conference win.

Next game: vs. LaPorte, Sept. 22

15. Cathedral (3-2)

Previous rank: 15 Last week: Def. Indianapolis North Central 49-6

The Fighting Irish led 49-0 at halftime and coasted to a non-conference win. Up next are two out-of-state games against teams from Kentucky and Ohio.

Next game: at Frederick Douglass (Ky.), Sept. 22

16. Bloomington South (4-1)

Previous rank: 16 Last week: Def. Terre Haute South 41-14

The Panthers opened a 20-0 halftime lead en route to bouncing back from a rivalry loss to Bloomington North in Week 4.

Next game: vs. Southport, Sept. 22

17. Noblesville (3-2)

Previous rank: 17 Last week: Def. Zionsville 24-7

Gabe Bellan ran for a pair of touchdowns as the Millers snapped a two-game losing streak in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference.

Next game: at Franklin Central, Sept. 22

18. Valparaiso (4-1)

Previous rank: 19 Last week: Def. Chesterton 28-14

Julian Stokes ran for one score and caught a pass for another, while Justin Clark threw a TD pass and ran for a touchdown for the Vikings. They've won four straight heading into a Duneland Athletic Conference showdown with No. 7 Crown Point.

Next game: at No. 7 Crown Point, Sept. 22

19. Mishawaka (4-1)

Previous rank: 20 Last week: Def. Plymouth 42-7

Novell Miller scored a pair of touchdowns as the Cavemen opened a 42-0 halftime lead and rolled to the Northern Lakes Conference win.

Next game: vs. Warsaw, Sept. 22

20. Plainfield (5-0)

Previous rank: 22 Last week: Def. Greenwood 46-20

Luke Starnes ran for four TDs to power the Quakers to the Mid-State Conference win.

Next game: at Decatur Central, Sept. 22

21. East Central (5-0)

Previous rank: 23 Last week: Def. Batesville 42-0

Josh Ringer had 142 yards and three TDs on 22 carries as the Trojans won their second straight shutout.

Next game: vs. South Dearborn, Sept. 22

22. Warren Central (2-3)

Previous rank: 18 Last week: Lost 31-28 to Ben Davis

The Warriors had a 95-yard kickoff return by Cyron Williams to start the game and a 66-yard punt return score by Le'Dre Harris in a game that starting quarterback Keith Jackson left with an injury.

Next game: vs. Pike, Sept. 22

23. Lawrence North (4-1)

Previous rank: 21 Last week: Lost 17-14 to Carmel

The Wildcats were held to a season-low 14 points in the non-conference loss.

Next game: vs. No. 1 Ben Davis, Sept. 22

24. Zionsville (3-2)

Previous rank: 24 Last week: Lost 24-7 to Noblesville

Luke Murphy ran for the Eagles' lone TD in the Hoosier Crossroads loss.

Next game: vs. No. 5 Hamilton Southeastern, Sept. 22

25. West Lafayette Harrison (4-1)

Previous rank: 25 Last week: Def. Anderson 51-7

Up 22-7 at halftime, the Raiders had a kickoff return TD from Carter Knoy to open the third quarter and cruised from there.

Next game: vs. Lafayette Jefferson, Sept. 22

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