Indiana high school football power rankings going into 2024 IHSAA season

Here are IndyStar preps Insider Kyle Neddenriep's Indianapolis-area high school football power rankings going into the 2024 season:

Class 6A

1. Ben Davis (13-1 last season): Too often, preseason rankings are all about what happened last season. I can hear you saying, “OK dummy, then why are you putting the defending champs No. 1?” And that is a reasonable question, if somewhat mean. The Giants do lose a lot from last year’s team, particularly at the linebacker spot, a major strength of the team. But Russ Mann, going into his second year as coach, does have talent on defense, up front with Illinois commit Isaiah White and Frank Bertram, and in the secondary with Notre Dame commit Mark Zackery IV and Rob Reddick, to allow the rest of the unit to come along. The offense will be one of the more interesting storylines of the season with new coordinator Tyler Campbell and his “Air Raid” background meshing with talented offensive players like senior running back Alijah Price (1,000-yard rusher, talented pass catcher) and Zackery at receiver (53 catches for 823 yards and eight TDs). Senior quarterback Isaiah Rogers (514 passing yards, four TDs) gets his shot as a full-time starter. The Giants navigated a tightrope to the title a year ago, knocking off Brownsburg, Cathedral and Center Grove by a field goal apiece in the tournament before smashing Crown Point . The schedule is tough, starting with Cathedral in Week 1 and a Week 4-5 combo of Center Grove and Warren Central. I had Ben Davis ranked third here last year in the preseason, behind Center Grove and Hamilton Southeastern.

2. Warren Central (5-7): OK, this is a bit of a leap of faith. But maybe not as big as last year’s record might indicate. The Warriors lost three games — to Carroll (Fort Wayne), Ben Davis and Carmel — by a combined 10 points and played Center Grove close in a 14-0 loss in the regional. The talent is certainly there on defense with a line that includes ends Damien Shanklin (LSU) and Tyrone Burrus Jr. (Louisville), along with Jevon Guess (several Mid-American Conference) and junior Jerimy Finch Jr., who has several Power 4 offers. Yeah, that’ll do. There are also veterans at linebacker and in the secondary. The offense is a bit more of a question mark, though Iowa recruit Cam Herron anchors the line and there is plenty of experience at running back and receiver. Former quarterback Keith Jackson should thrive in a playmaking role. One major question will be quarterback, though junior Jaydin Rivers and sophomore Anthony Dennison have talent. Hard to believe: Since winning a state title in 2018 with an undefeated record, Warren Central is just 28-27.

3. Center Grove (11-2): The Trojans nearly put themselves in position for a fourth consecutive 6A state title last season, but could not quite close the door on Ben Davis in the semistate in a 37-34 overtime loss. This is not one of Eric Moore’s deeper teams in his 26 seasons at Center Grove and the injury bug hit in a bad way with junior defensive end Kobe Cherry out for the season with a knee injury. But there are experienced players on both sides of the ball and if Center Grove can stay relatively healthy, it will certainly be a team — like every year — much better by November than it is in August. Dom Barry, a 6-4, 225-pound junior tight end/receiver could be a potential breakout player. Like Warren Central, Center Grove will have a first-year quarterback. Gabe McWilliams is a 6-6 senior who backed up Tyler Cherry last season and incoming freshman Oscar Sloan is a major talent already with offers from Georgia State and Maryland. The Trojans open with Westfield and Carroll (Fort Wayne) at home before playing at Louisville Trinity and Ben Davis.

4. Westfield (11-2): The Shamrocks nearly made a third state finals appearance in four years, but a 38-31 double overtime loss to Crown Point in the semistate left them a step short. That team might have overachieved slightly with a lot of experience coming back this season, but there is a new head coach as assistant Josh Miracle takes over for outgoing Jake Gilbert, who is the coach-in-waiting at Wabash College . The offensive line should be a position of strength and there is plenty of experience at receiver, led by Ball State commit Gabe Aramboles, for new starting quarterback and Bowling Green recruit Carsen Melvin, who last started in his freshman season at Plainfield. Linebacker Mikeah Webster anchors the defense. The sectional is tougher this year with an improved Carmel, but the Shamrocks might be the favorite on the north half of the 6A bracket if it all comes together.

5. Hamilton Southeastern (9-3): Unlike the four teams ahead of them on this list, the Royals do have a returning starter at quarterback in senior Chandler Weston, who did a nice job last year of balancing his ability to make big plays and limit his mistakes. Purdue recruit Cam Gorin anchors the offensive line and powerful senior running back AZ Wallace takes over as the No. 1 option. Coach Michael Kelly is 35-10 in his first four seasons at HSE, including a combined 21 wins the past two seasons. The reality is this is a relatively inexperienced team. But there is enough talent here, including Pitt recruit Mason Alexander in the secondary, for the Royals to win a third consecutive sectional title and potentially beyond.

6. Brownsburg (9-1): Who knows what could have happened last year if the Bulldogs had been able to hold on against Ben Davis in the first round of the sectional? But that game is long over, and it is on to new challenges this season for coach John Hart’s program, which has posted a 69-18 record in his eight years. There is a lot of experience on the defense, especially up front with seniors Mason Keifer, Jackson Sarjent and Colin Kelly. Hart believes Quentin Russ Jr. and Chance Whitfield are as good at defensive back as he’s had at Brownsburg. There are more questions on the offensive side, though senior Iosua Stephens and sophomore Oscar Frye are both talented quarterbacks and junior Avin Robinson and sophomore Branden Sharpe will be names to know at receiver.

7. Carmel (5-5): Too low? Perhaps. I think the Greyhounds have a chance to be a state championship contender if things go right. This is one of the deeper teams coach John Hebert has had recently, starting along the offensive line with Evan Parker (Indiana) , Sankeerth Veluri (Army) and Ozzy Pollard (several offers). The defense also has a lot of talent returning. But the biggest difference from last year to this season might be the capability of making explosive plays. Junior Anthony Coellner , a dual-threat quarterback, enters his second season as a starter and the receiver position gets an upgrade with the addition of seniors Liam Mann and Nate Williams. Carmel is at Westfield in Week 2, which could be a sectional preview.

8. Lawrence North (7-4): The Wildcats are kind of a sleeper pick, in my opinion. The top-end talent is about as impressive as any team in the area. Senior quarterback Tanner Aspeslet has some experience and can turn to a 1,000-yard rusher in sophomore Izayveon Moore and a talented receiving core of Davion Chandler (Indiana) , sophomore Monshun Sales (several offers) and speedster Damario Moore. The defense is similarly talented with Anthony Ludington at defensive end (Miami of Ohio) and Jerome Smith (Miami of Ohio) at safety, among others. I covered Lawrence North’s 20-3 loss to Cathedral last year in the sectional championship, when the Wildcats were not able to do much of anything against Cathedral’s defense. I think this offense will be better equipped to put up yards and points, even against good defenses.

9. Cathedral (8-4): This might be too low for the Irish. But losing three-year starter Danny O’Neil to graduation certainly will have some impact. It will be nice for new quarterback Cameron Koers to be able to lean on running back Jalen Bonds and throw to talented receivers like Devaughn Slaughter and Albren Johnson. Free safety Jack Lockhart anchors the defense. The first four games — Ben Davis, Brownsburg, Cincinnati St. Xavier and Bishop Chatard — are tough. Center Grove and Warren Central later, too. Coach Bill Peebles seems to get his teams to play their best by the end of the season.

10. Fishers (7-4): The Tigers have certainly been improved the past two years under coach Curt Funk, even though matching one-point overtime losses to Hamilton Southeastern in the regular season have been heartbreaking (not to mention losing to HSE both years in the sectional). There are four new starters on the offensive line, where senior left tackle Chuck Slain will lead. The Tigers do have one of the most talented offensive players in the state in senior JonAnthony Hall, a Stanford recruit who had more than 1,000 receiving yards last season. Junior Gage Sturgill (344 passing yards, three TDs in three games) will slide into the starting quarterback role. The defense brings back Yale commit Jev Hutton and Tyler Maynard at defensive end, among others. The Tigers could again be 3-0 going into the HSE game.

More Class 6A preview: Predictions, top players in Central Indiana

Class 5A

1. Decatur Central (11-3): The Hawks made a visit to the 5A state finals for the second time but again came up a bit short. Is this the year for a breakthrough? I would expect Decatur Central to go into the season ranked No. 1 in the state after last year’s champion, Fort Wayne Snider, moved up to 6A. Seven starters return on offense, including junior quarterback Bo Polston, a Toledo recruit , and senior running back N’Po Dodo, along with three offensive linemen.

2. Whiteland (7-5): The road to a title got a little tougher for the Warriors, who are now in the same sectional with Mid-State Conference rivals Decatur Central and Plainfield. Senior Slate Valentine rushed for nearly 2,000 yards last season and will run behind three returning starters on the offensive line. The defense brings back two-year starter and team captain Jordan Palmer at linebacker.

3. Plainfield (6-4): The Quakers started 5-0 last season before the schedule ramped up a bit and the offense sputtered down the stretch. Second-year coach Tyler Bless believes his line play should be a team strength. Junior running back Luke Starnes (952 rushing yards, 12 TDs) is coming off a strong season. No breaks for the Quakers with Decatur Central and Whiteland in the same sectional.

More Class 5A preview: Predictions, top players in Central Indiana

Class 4A

1. New Palestine (11-3): This class got a whole lot more interesting this year. Almost all of these teams — New Palestine included — are improved from a year ago. The defensive line, led by Ball State commit Michael Thacker and junior Brock Brownfield (Indiana, Ball State, Bowling Green, Toledo offers). Gavin Neal accounted for nearly 2,000 yards of total offense last season.

2. Bishop Chatard (15-0): How will Chatard make the transition to 4A after back-to-back 3A titles ? Last year’s team was one of those special teams that only comes around so often. But Chatard has a way of producing those more often than once in a while. Senior Daniel Shaw ran for more than 1,000 yards last season and several key players return on defense, including senior linebacker Eddie Benson.

3. Brebeuf Jesuit (6-5): The Braves have a high-octane offense with the trio of quarterback Maverick Geske, running back C.J. Harris and receiver Taylor Clark leading the way. Just getting out of Sectional 22 will be a challenge with teams like Chatard, Danville, Mooresville and Roncalli. Brebeuf has a tough schedule that includes Chatard in Week 1 and an interesting road game at Carmel in Week 5.

More Class 4A preview: Predictions, top players in Central Indiana

Class 3A

1. Tri-West (11-2): The Bruins should be able to put some points on the board. Senior Malachi Walden, who accounted for more than 3,400 yards and 37 touchdowns last season, will again be a big part of the offense, but it could be in multiple facets with sophomore Jack Sorgi getting more time at quarterback. Senior receiver Thadd Brown should also be in line for a big season. Can the defense come along quickly? That could be the difference in how far Tri-West makes it this fall.

2. Guerin Catholic (8-3): The Golden Eagles are a bit young and inexperienced going into the season but senior Malcolm Houze is an athlete who should be a playmaker at quarterback, along with junior Quentin Klee. Jack Linden (running back) and Hayden Cler (receiver) are both talented skill position players. Guerin got bounced to the south half of the 3A bracket with Tri-West and Hamilton Heights in Sectional 29, but it’s a more favorable draw than battling Chatard again.

3. Hamilton Heights (11-1): The Huskies are coming off an outstanding season for coach Jon Kirschner and should be strong again. Tyler Champion leads an experienced group of receivers. Similarly to Guerin, Hamilton Heights is probably glad not to see Chatard in the sectional — though Sectional 29 is tough, too.

More Class 3A preview: Predictions, top players in Central Indiana

Class 2A/A

1. Lutheran (13-0): It is not often a team bumps up a class and is still the favorite to win a state title. That might be the case for the Saints, who are coming off three consecutive Class A state titles . Senior Jackson Willis is one of the best quarterbacks in the state and should put up big numbers again, along with senior receivers L.J. Ward and JaVarrea Cooper. Rai McHaney, a 6-7, 260-pound senior, anchors both lines.

2. Eastern Hancock (8-5): The Royals are on the upswing with a group that brings back a lot of firepower on offense, including junior quarterback Elijah Edon, who has started all 24 games in his career. Edon passed for more than 2,000 yards and ran for nearly 700 yards last season.

3. Triton Central (11-2): I’m leaving Triton Central in this mix despite losing a lot of talent to graduation. The Tigers are experienced along the line of scrimmage for coach Tim Able, which should allow the younger skill position players some time to develop.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school football power rankings going into 2024 IHSAA season