CLASS 1A
PIONEER (13-1) VS. SOUTH PUTNAM (12-2)
KICKOFF: 11 a.m. EST, Friday, Lucas Oil Stadium.
COACHES: Adam Berry, 101-26 in 10th season at Pioneer. Chuck Sorrell, 64-20 in seventh season at South Putnam, 68-46 in 10th season overall.
PREVIOUS CONTEST: Pioneer beat South Adams, 31-14. South Putnam beat Milan, 40-7.
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP: Pioneer (2018-Class 1A) and South Putnam (1986-Class 1A).
TOP PERFORMERS: Juan Solano recorded eight tackles for the No. 3 Panthers against No. 12 South Adams. Brier Cook carried the ball eight times for 63 yards with a touchdown for the No. 5 Eagles against Milan.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Our kids battled, worked hard, and earned an opportunity to play at Lucas Oil Stadium. South Putnam is a great football program and have a ton of respect for their coach and team. Our offense is going to have to recognize what they are in on defense as they like to switch it up. Our line will have to have their best game to date and our backs are going to have to keep hold of the ball to fully take advantage of our possessions. We will have to cover the entire field on defense.” – Pioneer’s Adam Berry.
“This is obviously a huge game for the South Putnam community. They have been waiting to win a state championship since Coach (Mark) Wildman’s 1986 team. This team and coaching staff have improved each and every week and we must continue to do the little things that got us to this point in the season. We must have two really good competitive days of practice and then we must be ready to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball on Friday. I feel that the team that is more physical on Friday will be the state champions. We have been the most physical team in all, but a few quarters that we have played this year and if we bring that intensity and physicality on Friday, we have a chance to be the state champion.” – South Putnam’s Chuck Sorrell.
CLASS 2A
ANDREAN (12-1) VS. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (14-0)
KICKOFF: 11 a.m. EST, Saturday, Lucas Oil Stadium.
COACHES: Chris Skinner, 90-38 in 10th season at Andrean. Reed May, 326-65 in 33rd season at Brownstown Central.
PREVIOUS CONTEST: Andrean beat Adams Central, 24-19. Brownstown Central beat Lapel, 31-21.
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP: Andrean (2021) and Brownstown Central (first appearance in state finals).
TOP PERFORMERS: Ethan Reyna registered 15 tackles and blocked a punt for the No. 5 59ers against top-ranked and defending state champion Adams Central. Jack Pace caught two passes for 58 yards and tallied three tackles and an interception for the No. 2 Braves against No. 3 Lapel.
COACHES’ CORNER: “Brownstown Central runs an impressive version of the ‘Wing-T’ offense. It includes a variety of motions and post-snap movement. Our defense will need to be disciplined in alignment and reads. Our players cannot play ‘hero ball’ and try to make every tackle. If we play out of position, it will create seams in the running lanes. Their offensive line moves very well given their size, so our box defenders will need to play with technique. Brownstown Central’s defense is fast. They also like to create confusion with pre-and-post-snap movements. We will do our best to use personnel groups and formations that allow us to run our base schemes. As always in the state championship, one variable will be the adjustment to extra timeouts, longer TV timeouts, crowd noise, and momentum swings. We need to be steady and stay the course.” – Andrean’s Chris Skinner.
“We have to come out and execute our game plan offensively and defensively as we have all season long. As in any big game, the team that wins the turnover battle and special teams usually wins.” – Brownstown Central’s Reed May.
CLASS 3A
FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (9-5) VS. CASCADE (14-0)
KICKOFF: 3 p.m. EST, Friday, Lucas Oil Stadium
COACHES: Kyle Lindsay, 104-70 in 13th season at Bishop Luers. Connor Simmons, 42-26 in sixth season at Cascade.
PREVIOUS CONTEST: Bishop Luers beat Knox, 35-0. Cascade beat Gibson Southern, 49-34.
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP: Bishop Luers (2023-Class 2A), Cascade (first trip to title game).
TOP PERFORMERS: Rory Kelly chipped in five tackles and a fumble recovery for the Knights against No. 4 Knox. Brady Trebley completed 5-of-13 for 34 yards with a touchdown and ran for nine yards and two more scores for the No. 2 Cadets against No. 3 Gibson Southern.
COACHES’ CORNER: “To beat a very tough Cascade team, we must do the following. We need to stay true to our keys defensively. This Cascade offense is explosive, balanced, and plays at a faster pace than we’ve seen this year. If we get caught with our eyes in the backfield and not on our keys, it will be a long afternoon. We have to take care of the ball and limit penalties offensively. We are tough to stop offensively when we don’t turn the ball over and commit penalties that put us behind the sticks. Playing on schedule is of the upmost importance. We need to excel in special teams. Field position can play an even larger factor in championship games than in other weeks, especially when teams are more evenly matched. We must cover well and have solid returns from our special teams units. We have to tune out the noise, control our emotions, and focus on the next rep. This is perhaps the toughest thing to do for a teenager, but the team that can better focus on what their responsibilities are on a down-to-down basis will likely win the game.” – Bishop Luers’ Kyle Lindsay.
“To come away with a victory in the Class 3A state championship vs. Bishop Luers, we’ll need to be disciplined in all three phases of the game. Bishop Luers is a well-coached, tradition rich program that has experience playing in this game. They capitalize on mistakes and play an aggressive style of football, so our execution will have to be sharp from start to finish. Offensively, we must sustain drives, protect the football, and win the line of scrimmage to keep their playmakers off the field. Defensively, our focus will be on pursuing and tackling well in space and limiting their explosive plays. On special teams, we need to be able to create short fields for our offense, flip the field for our defense, and execute the kicking game. Ultimately, it will come down to our ability to play together, handle the big game moment, and stay true to our identity. If we trust our preparation, communicate, and compete with poise, we’ll give ourselves a strong chance to be a state champion.” – Cascade’s Connor Simmons.
CLASS 4A
FORT WAYNE BISHOP DWENGER (12-2) VS. INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (11-3)
GAME TIME: 3 p.m. EST, Saturday, Lucas Oil Stadium.
COACHES: Jason Garrett, 72-28 in eighth season at Bishop Dwenger. Sam Otley, 17-8 in second season at Roncalli.
PREVIOUS CONTEST: Bishop Dwenger beat South Bend Saint Joseph, 28-7. Roncalli beat Heritage Hills, 42-14.
OTHER MEETING: Roncalli beat Bishop Dwenger, 3-0, on August 22, 2025
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP: Bishop Dwenger (2018-Class 4A) and Roncalli (2020-Class 4A).
TOP PERFORMERS: Augustus Tippmann scampered eight times for 30 yards for the No. 8 Saints against No. 7 Saint Joseph. Alex Jarvis contributed 11 rushes for 51 yards with a touchdown and three receptions for 33 yards for the No. 6 Royals against No. 4 and defending Class 3A state champion Heritage Hills.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We are blessed to have this opportunity and give thanks to the Lord for sure. Roncalli is an outstanding opponent, posing tremendous challenges in all three facets. We must win the line of scrimmage and turnover battle to be successful. Our matchup from week one was a war played between the 20-yard lines and we expect nothing short of that again this time.” – Bishop Dwenger’s Jason Garrett.
The keys to victory include getting off to a fast start offensively. We need to take care of the football, control the line of scrimmage, and take advantage of explosive play opportunities. On defense, we have to do a good job of tackling, play sound, physical football, and rally to the ball. Our special teams unit also has to score some points and control the field position.” – Roncalli’s Sam Otley.
CLASS 5A
MERRILLVILLE (11-2) VS. NEW PALESTINE (13-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Friday, Lucas Oil Stadium
COACHES: Brad Seiss, 94-39 in 11th season at Merrillville, 107-56 in 14th season overall. Kyle Ralph, 154-14 in 13th season at New Palestine.
PREVIOUS CONTEST: Merrillville beat Concord, 41-14. New Palestine beat Bloomington South, 42-0.
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP: Merrillville (1976-Class 3A) and New Palestine (2024-Class 4A).
TOP PERFORMERS: Jasavion Ellis added 11 tackles for the No. 5 Pirates against No. 6 Concord. Ruby Hubbard totaled three rushes for 57 yards with a score for the No. 1 and defending Class 4A state champion Dragons against No. 4 Bloomington South.
COACHES’ CORNER: “New Palestine is a very good football team. Coach Ralph has done a phenomenal job in his time there. For us to win, we need to match their physicality, limit penalties, force turnovers, and be sound in the kicking game. Managing the pressure and excitement of being on the biggest stage will be extremely important as well. We’re excited about the opportunity and looking forward to representing the Merrillville community in the Class 5A state championship game.” – Merrillville’s Brad Seiss.
“I am proud of our boys and staff for getting us back to downtown (Indianapolis) again. Merrillville is a great program with a great staff and some very talented players. They are at Lucas Oil Stadium for a reason. It will take our best effort to claim a state championship.” – New Palestine’s Kyle Ralph.
CLASS 6A
WESTFIELD (11-2) VS. BROWNSBURG (13-0)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EST, Saturday, Lucas Oil Stadium.
COACHES: Josh Miracle, 23-4 in second season at Westfield. John Hart, 95-19 in 10th season at Brownsburg, 362-100 in 41st season overall.
PREVIOUS CONTEST: Westfield beat Carroll (Fort Wayne), 35-14. Brownsburg beat Warren Central, 31-0.
OTHER MEETING: Brownsburg beat Westfield, 14-10, on September 26, 2025
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP: Westfield (2016-Class 5A) and Brownsburg (2024-Class 6A).
TOP PERFORMERS: Alex Aramboles managed nine tackles with four for loss and two sacks for the No. 6 Shamrocks against No. 10 Carroll (Fort Wayne). Shakovon Sumpterbey raced four times for 79 yards for the top-ranked and defending state champion Bulldogs against No. 11 Warren Central.
COACHES’ CORNER: “We look forward to this week’s state HCC (Hoosier Crossroads Conference) rematch against an extremely talented and well-coached Brownsburg team. Coach Hart and his staff have our utmost respect as we know that they will be well prepared in all three phases of the game. We will continue to place a premium on winning the takeaway, explosive play, and redzone portions of the game. With the last three games (between Westfield and Brownsburg) being decided by a combined 13 points, it will be pivotal for us to have elite execution in the clutch situations in order to close the gap and come away with a victory. Our program is extremely grateful for the opportunity to compete and represent the Westfield community for the fourth time in the past six years in the state championship game.” – Westfield’s Josh Miracle.
“Westfield has one of if not the best coaching staff in the state. They are one of the most physical and fundamental teams in the state. Their defense is the best we have seen all year. We will have to get a hat on (defensive lineman-linebacker Alex) Aramboles every play and (defensive back Cato) June may be the best cover guy in the state. Their offense has more formations and plays than any team we have played, so getting lined up and being aggressive after the snap will be one of our biggest challenges.” – Brownsburg’s John Hart.
