The high school football season has begun in Indiana, and two Hoosier commits went head-to-head in their respective season openers. In a matchup between Brownsburg and Lawrence North, Hoosier WR commits Branden Sharpe and Monshun Sales shared the field in a highly-anticipated contest.
Sharpe and Sales are both members of Indiana's 2027 recruiting class, and both are loaded with potential. Sales is ranked as the nation's No. 2 WR, and became Indiana's first-ever 5-star high school commit earlier this summer. Sharpe is a 3-star prospect who ranks as the No. 57 WR in the 2027 recruiting cycle by Rivals. Sales has the higher prospect ranking, but it was Sharpe who stole the show in the season opener.
Indiana commit Branden Sharpe puts on a show in season debut
Sharpe didn't need a high volume of catches to do major damage. In total, Sharpe hauled in 4 catches for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also added a 2-point conversion catch. Sharpe's efforts helped lead Brownsburg, the No. 1 team in the state, to a decisive 48-25 victory.
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Sharpe's versatile skill set was on full display throughout the evening. But the most eye-popping aspect of his game was clean route-running and elite speed. Both of those skills were evident in his second touchdown catch of the night, which came from 48 yards away.
The safeties were playing back, but Sharpe was able to put his foot in the ground on a great fake and use his breakaway speed to get behind into the open field. He hauled in the pass at the 10-yard line and cruised for an easy score.
48 yard TD, Branden Sharpe. His second of the game. #iufb pic.twitter.com/pcJGlN6HHH
— Mike Schumann @ The Daily Hoosier (@daily_hoosier) August 22, 2026
Sales had a much more quieter night, as he collected just 2 catches for 12 yards. But he should be able to put up much bigger numbers the rest of the way. It's also worth noting that Sales played safety in the season opener, which is something he did last year as well. In total, the 6'5" playmaker hauled in 37 catches for 794 yards and 9 touchdowns last season while also totaling 56 tackles on defense.
Branden Sharpe primed for monster senior season
Last fall, Sharpe led Brownsburg to another 6A state title, their second in as many years. The IU commit was at his best when it mattered most. In the title game against Westfield, the 5'10" 155-pound wideout accounted for 250 all-purpose yards in the first half alone. Brownsburg went on to win 38-31.
His performance in the championship game was the icing on the cake for Sharpe's breakout junior campaign. In total, he racked up 59 catches for 1,143 yards, 19.4 yards per catch, and 13 touchdowns. He was also a major threat on special teams, adding a kickoff return for a touchdown.
After such an impressive outing in the season opener, Sharpe could be poised to best his numbers from a season ago this fall. He already has back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to go along with back-to-back state titles, giving him plenty of hype for when he makes his way to Bloomington.
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