As with most things in life, the end of something almost naturally requires reflection. In this case, it’s time to take a look back at the season that was in Central Indiana high school football. After traveling around locally to some of the best games the area had to offer this year, I’ve compiled a fun list of things I noticed along the way.

I have to give credit where credit is to: thanks to HSSTM main feature writer Mike Beas for the idea.

And without further adieu, here’s the best the past season (if you need a soundtrack, pop in “The Karate Kid” soundtrack and put the song from the film’s finale, “You’re the Best,” on repeat. If it’s good enough for Mr. Miyagi, it’s good enough for me).

Best Game: Carmel 42, Warren Central 35. This doesn’t necessarily imply that this was the best game of the year – it was just the best game I saw in person. A rematch of last year’s Class 5A state championship game, this showdown between MIC powers was terrific from start to finish. A packed Carmel Stadium featured 8,500-9,000 fans on Sept. 28 thanks to homecoming festivities (and the matchup) was certainly one of the loudest places I was at all year. Watching Jewell Hampton scamper 70-plus yards twice was a thing of beauty; Carmel’s resilience at home was as well.

Best Game I Didn’t See In Person: Center Grove 32, Carmel 31 (OT). Heard it was one of the most thrilling regular season football games in a number of years, and CG head coach Eric Moore’s decision to go for two on the road against the No. 1 team in the state was gutsy – and the payoff was huge. Moore (no relation to me) earns Best Coaching Call of the Year for that as well.

Best Comeback: Ritter 28, Speedway 27. After a ho-hum first half, where Speedway jumped out to a 13-0 lead, Ritter looked drained and out of the game. And that was BEFORE they fell behind 20-0 by the mid-third quarter. But the Raiders responded behind young quarterback Ross Hendrickson and outscored the Sparkplugs – on the road, no less – 28-7 over the final 16 minutes of the game.

Best Press Box: A tie between Carmel and Pike. The Hounds press box is spacious, well stocked with food and drink and sits high up off the field, giving you a large view of the entire field. I was there twice (for the Greyhounds season opener against Cathedral and the showdown with Warren) and didn’t have blind spot which forced me to move while tracking all the action. Likewise at Pike’s new stadium, where the view of the field is impeccable.

Best Return to an Alma Mater: Indian Creek. It was like stepping directly into an episode of “The Twilight Zone” when I pulled into Trafalgar to cover the Triton Central vs. IC game on Oct. 5. I don’t think I’d been to a game at my old stomping grounds since 1999, and it was neat to run into so many familiar faces through the course of the night. The popcorn’s still a little to dry at the concession stand, but I found it extremely comforting in some strange way.

Best Player: Jewell Hampton, Warren Central. Again, I can only go off of the games I watched in person. I saw Hampton once, the aforementioned Carmel-Warren Classic, and it was certainly enough for me. Hampton tallied 271 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. His blend of speed and power left my jaw-dropped on several occasions. Looking back at it now, Hampton kept the Warriors in that game. And his season stats, over 2,000 yards and enough touchdowns to make Tom Brady jealous, are impressive.

Best Uniforms: A tie between Cathedral and Franklin Central. Maybe due to the fact I’m such a huge Notre Dame fan, I love the classic look of Cathedral’s uniforms. The plain gold helmets put it over the top. And the Flashes’ helmets invoke a San Diego Chargers inspiration, right down to the bolts on the jersey sleeves.

Got some “Bests” of your own from this season? Leave a comment below…