BY FRANK KIELPIKOWSKI
Sectional champions were crowned last week, so now that the trophies have been handed out, a trip to the Final Four in all six classes is on the line on Friday. Here’s where things stand with just three weeks left in the prep football season
REGION TOP 10 (Bolded teams’ seasons are complete)
- Crown Point (10-1)
- Merrillville (9-2)
- Andrean (10-1)
- Michigan City (8-3)
- Hobart (10-2)
- Lowell (9-3)
- Griffith (9-2)
- Hammond Morton (6-4)
- Wheeler (8-2)
- Chesterton (5-5)
SECTIONAL FINAL RESULTS
CLASS 6A SECTIONAL 1
Penn 28, Crown Point 24: There were five lead changes in what was an outstanding game between two unbeatens. Landon Hall’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Mason Biernacki with 1:47 remaining put the Kingsmen (11-0) on top, but Quinn Watson’s strip sack and fumble recovery with 1:12 on the clock ended Crown Point’s campaign.
CLASS 5A SECTIONAL 9
Merrillville 45, Munster 14: J.Q. Johnson ran for 150 yards and four touchdowns as the Pirates racked up 433 yards of total offense to earn their sixth straight sectional title. Munster bows out at 4-7.
CLASS 5A SECTIONAL 10
Michigan City 28, LaPorte 21: Trinaston Hart’s 39-yard touchdown pass to Zaire McKinney with just over four minutes remaining lifted the Wolves to their fourth sectional championship and first since 2021. LaPorte ends its run at 4-7.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 17
Hobart 35, Lowell 15: Aleks Tatum ran for 153 yards with two scores and threw for two touchdowns, while Max Pickett added another 134 yards and a touchdown as the Brickie defense pitched a shutout in the second half to capture the sectional championship for the first time since 2020.
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL 25
Knox 48, Mishawaka Marian 18: Myles McLaughlin ran for 383 yards and six touchdowns as the Redskins captured their fourth straight sectional title. McLaughlin now stands just 738 yards short of Derrick Henry’s national high school rushing yardage record.
CLASS 2A SECTIONAL 33
Andrean 35,Rensselaer Central 14: Brady Stovall and Tyler Vo scored two touchdowns apiece as the Niners raced out to a 35-0 halftime lead and claimed their 23rd sectional crown.
REGIONAL FINAL PREVIEWS
CLASS 5A
Merrillville (9-2) at Michigan City (8-3): The last two remaining Duneland Conference schools battle it out in the post-season for the first time in 20 years. The Pirates are in search of their third consecutive trip to the semistate, while Michigan City seeks its first trip to the Final Four since 2021.
CLASS 4A
Hobart (10-2) at South Bend Saint Joseph (11-1) – The Huskies have won the last four meetings against Hobart, including a 19-7 decision in the 2017 sectional quarterfinals.
CLASS 2A
Southmont (11-1) at Andrean (10-1): In the first meeting between the two clubs, the Mounties are in pursuit of their second regional title in three years, while Andrean seek its 13th regional crown and fourth in the last five years.
