ADAMS CENTRAL (13-1) AT FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (9-6)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Luers Field.
COACHES: Michael Mosser, 168-51 in 18th season at Adams Central. Kyle Lindsay, 104-71 in 14th season at Bishop Luers.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First get together on the gridiron.
UP NEXT: Adams Central hosts Eastside. Bishop Luers entertains Andrean.
TOP PERFORMERS: Reese Hammond accounted for 136 tackles with nine for loss and three interceptions for the No. 5 (Class 3A) Flying Jets. TJ Epperson recorded 1,462 yards rushing for the No. 10 (Class 4A) and two-time defending Class 3A state runner-up Knights.
COACHES CORNER: “If you love high school football, this is a great game to go and see. What an exciting matchup. I believe both teams are looking forward to it. Obviously, it’s a big challenge for us, but not one we are shying away from. We do realize that we are playing a traditional football powerhouse and have to play our best in order to come out on top. Bishop Luers is very big, very fast, and very athletic. We have to be able to match that. To win, we have to play our best. We will have to move the ball and score points. We must limit their ability to make big plays. We have to be aggressive and not back down. We can’t make a bunch of mistakes which concerns me because it’s game one and mistakes are bound to happen. If we play our best, limit major mistakes, drain clock, and score points, we may have a shot to win.” – Adams Central’s Michael Mosser.
“Adams Central is a great program full of experienced staff and coaches in big games. To beat a team of their caliber, our young Knights will have to manage their emotions of playing in front of a large crowd. This takes a focused effort on executing the next play-assignment and not dwelling on any previous failures. We need to have a next snap mentality. We’ll have to be physical up front against a strong interior. Playing our assignments and not getting caught up in the movement of the defense is crucial for our offensive line and quarterback positions. Reading our keys defensively is probably the most important aspect we can control to have a chance of slowing down a very good offense led by a great quarterback. Being disciplined is key. Winning the special teams reps is often the difference between winning and losing games like this. We must be dialed in across the board.” – Bishop Luers’ Kyle Lindsay.
BROWNSBURG (14-0) AT LAWRENCE NORTH (7-3)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Bell Field.
COACHES: John Hart, 96-19 in 11th season at Brownsburg, 363-100 in 42nd season overall. Pat Mallory, 60-76 in 14th season at Lawrence North, 74-84 in 16th season overall.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Brownsburg beat Lawrence North, 22-21, on November 15, 2024 in Class 6A regional final.
UP NEXT: Brownsburg welcomes Rabun Gap (Georgia). Lawrence North plays at Fishers.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brady Lewis scampered for 673 yards and nine touchdowns for the top-ranked and two-time defending Class 6A state champion Bulldogs. Darian Prather tossed for 1,678 yards with 19 touchdowns and ran for 740 yards with three scores for the No. 6 (Class 6A) Bulldogs.
COACHES CORNER: “We have a lot of new faces on our offensive line and Lawrence North loves the blitz. We have to be able to pick up the blitz and their stunts and limit their big plays because their skill and talent is unbelievable.” – Brownsburg’s John Hart.
“With only a controlled scrimmage to watch film, our in-game adjustments will be need to be fast and plentiful. Our kids need to stay focused and disciplined and our special teams need to be special. Special teams can really change a game, so we have to hit all of our marks and do our jobs. Offensively, we need to play focused and fast. We must take care of the ball and keep applying pressure. Defensively, we need to read our keys and trust our scheme. We have to play fast and keep applying pressure.” – Lawrence North’s Pat Mallory.
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (9-1) AT JASPER (9-3)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Brewer Field.
COACHES: John Hurley, 157-72 in 19th season at Evansville Memorial. Derek Hart, 9-3 in second season at Jasper, 43-31 in eighth season overall.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Evansville Memorial beat Jasper, 36-14, on August 22, 2025.
UP NEXT: Evansville Memorial plays at Evansville North. Jasper welcomes Evansville Harrison.
TOP PERFORMERS: Grayson Carter accumulated 105 tackles with five for loss and three fumble recoveries for the No. 4 (Class 3A) Tigers. Andrew Obermeier is one of the leaders on the front line for the No. 13 (Class 4A) Wildcats.
COACHES CORNER: “Jasper is a well-coached, explosive football team. Coach Hart did an outstanding job in his first year, and you could see the Wildcats improve each week throughout last season. Defensively, we have to stop the run and limit explosive plays in the passing game. Offensively, we need to protect the football, run the football, and create explosive plays of our own. It should be a great Friday night football atmosphere.” – Evansville Memorial’s John Hurley.
“Evansville Memorial is a great football program. We are going to have to be disciplined and physical for four quarters, take care of the football, and limit penalties. A perfect test to see where we are at week one.” – Jasper’s Derek Hart.
FISHERS (8-4) AT CARMEL (9-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Greyhound Stadium.
COACHES: Curt Funk, 38-29 in seventh season at Fishers, 115-65 in 17th season overall. Kevin Wright, 53-12 in seventh season at Carmel, 168-30 in 18th season overall.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Carmel beat Fishers, 49-24, on August 22, 2025.
UP NEXT: Fishers hosts Lawrence North. Carmel goes to Westfield.
TOP PERFORMERS: Darian Girton hauled in 30 receptions for 440 yards with three scores for the No. 12 (Class 6A) Tigers. Aiden Dickerson was one of the leaders on the No. 2 (Class 6A) Greyhounds’ defense with 82 tackles, including seven for loss, and two sacks.
COACHES CORNER: “Carmel is loaded across the board and a very talented well-coached football team. We will need to play mistake-free football and limit their explosive play ability. We will need to win first down on defense and slow down their offense. On offense, we will need to move the chains and win time of possession.” – Fishers’ Curt Funk.
“We need to start fast to neutralize their energy and feed off what should be a big home crowd. We have to force them into long fields and test their pre-snap discipline. We also need to win the turnover battle and big-play differential. Fishers is a very talented young football team with big-play potential and is extremely well-coached in all three phases of the game. We have some foundational players back but will need our first-time varsity starters to step up big especially early in the game when momentum will be huge.” – Carmel’s Kevin Wright.
FLOYD CENTRAL (10-2) AT GIBSON SOUTHERN (12-2)
KICKOFF: 6:30 p.m. CDT, Jewell Field.
COACHES: James Bragg, 53-31 in ninth season at Floyd Central. Nick Hart, 145-29 in 15th season at Gibson Southern.
PREVIOUS MEETING: First encounter on football field.
UP NEXT: Floyd Central hosts Whiteland. Gibson Southern entertains St. Pius (Missouri).
TOP PERFORMERS: Blake Wisman rolled up 87 tackles with 13 for loss and two interceptions for the No. 9 (Class 5A) Highlanders. Before going down with an injury, Eli Foster accounted for 353 yards on the ground for the No. 2 (Class 3A) Titans.
COACHES CORNER: “Offensively, we must get into a rhythm early, take care of the football, and eliminate unnecessary penalties. Our wide receivers must be physical and disciplined with great perimeter blocking. Defensively, we must tackle. We cannot give up extra yards because of missed tackles. We have to keep everything in front of us and do not allow explosive plays or receivers to get behind us in the secondary. On special teams, we must be fundamentally sound, execute our assignments, play with discipline, and eliminate mistakes.” – Floyd Central’s James Bragg.
“Floyd Central brings back a lot of guys and starts a lot of seniors. We are going to have a lot of our players making their first varsity start on Friday night. We are going to have to do a great job of settling in and trying to limit mistakes. It is going to take us executing at a really high level and limiting mistakes to get a win.” – Gibson Southern’s Nick Hart.
INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (9-3) AT LAFAYETTE JEFF (10-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Sheumann Stadium.
COACHES: Rob Doyle, 96-26 in 10th season at Bishop Chatard. Pat Shanley, 86-24 in 11th season at Lafayette Jeff.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Bishop Chatard beat Lafayette Jeff, 35-28, on August 22, 2025.
UP NEXT: Bishop Chatard entertains Leo. Lafayette Jeff welcomes Merrillville.
TOP PERFORMERS: Maddox Dwyer helps pave the way on the offensive line for the No. 3 (Class 4A) Trojans. Bryce Vanostran totaled 94 receptions for 1,591 yards with 13 scores for the No. 4 (Class 5A) Bronchos.
COACHES CORNER: “Lafayette Jeff has been a top-five program for several years now. They have stacked up multiple 10-win seasons and are always a very tough matchup. Defensively, they lineup two (NCAA) Division one players with Chris Hardy on the defensive line and Kavion Campbell Walker in the secondary. These two players have the potential to be game wreckers. Offensively, they bring back a very productive quarterback in Trystan Barrett, who threw for over 3,500 yards last year. They spread the field and do a lot of innovative things to keep the ball moving. You have to play very sound assignment football to stop their offense. Traditionally, it’s important that we try to win the line of scrimmage, so we will have to concentrate on running the football and stopping their run game in order to be successful.” – Bishop Chatard’s Rob Doyle.
“To the surprise of nobody, Bishop Chatard appears to be a very, very good football team. On offense, we must take care of the football. Blocking their front is going to be critical because they are extremely well-coached and are very good against the run. Can we create explosive plays and finish drives? Defensively, we have to limit (running back) Danny Adams and No. 88’s (wide receiver Julio Graves) damage and find a way to have them turn the ball over. On special teams, we must be aggressive and sound and not allow big plays from their dangerous return game.” – Lafayette Jeff’s Pat Shanley.
INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (11-4) AT FORT WAYNE BISHOP DWENGER (13-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Shields Field.
COACHES: Sam Otley, 17-9 in third season at Roncalli. Jason Garrett, 73-28 in ninth season at Bishop Dwenger.
LAST MEETING: Bishop Dwenger beat Roncalli, 36-29, on November 29, 2025 for Class 4A state championship.
UP NEXT: Roncalli hosts Franklin Central. Bishop Dwenger plays at St. Francis De Sales (Ohio).
TOP PERFORMERS: Carson Keller registered 103 tackles with 6.5 for loss for the No. 2 and defending Class 4A state runner-up Royals. Kolyn Campbell contributed 511 yards and five scores for the No. 3 and defending Class 4A state champion Saints.
COACHES CORNER: “On offense, we need to start fast, take care of the football, control the line of scrimmage, and take advantage of explosive play opportunities. Defensively, we have to play sound, physical football, rally to the ball and tackle. On special teams, it’s important to score points and control field position.” – Roncalli’s Sam Otley.
“We are blessed to face such an outstanding opponent on Friday night. We will need to execute and make adjustments throughout the game at a very high level. Winning the turnover battle as well as special teams will also have a significant effect on the outcome.” – Bishop Dwenger’s Jason Garrett.
LAWRENCEBURG (10-2) AT EAST CENTRAL (9-3)
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Trojan Field.
COACHES: Ryan Knigga, 140-44 in 16th season at Lawrenceburg. Jake Meiners, 74-16 in eighth season at East Central.
LAST MEETING: East Central beat Lawrenceburg, 39-12, on August 22, 2025.
UP NEXT: Lawrenceburg welcomes Greenfield-Central. East Central goes to New Palestine.
TOP PERFORMERS: Grayson Callahan was a force in the middle of the No. 3 (Class 3A) Tigers’ defense with 70 tackles, including four for loss. Chase McCracken finished with 66 tackles, including eight for loss, one sack, and an interception for the No. 1 (Class 4A) Trojans.
COACHES CORNER: “We’re looking forward to getting the 2026 season underway Friday night. It’s a great way to open the year with two teams ranked in the top five of their respective classes. East Central has another very good football team. As usual, they’re big, fast, strong and extremely well-coached. We like our team and we like our guys. We have a lot of players with experience and talent, and hopefully that helps us handle some of the challenges that come with an opening-night matchup like this. If we can make plays and find ways to slow East Central down, we’ll give ourselves an opportunity to be successful. It’s no secret that East Central has had our number for a long time. We understand the challenge, but we’re excited about the opportunity. We’re going up to St. Leon ready to compete and swing away. It’s going to take a great effort. We need to play clean football, protect the football, limit penalties and make plays when opportunities present themselves. We’re excited to see how our guys respond.” – Lawrenceburg’s Ryan Knigga.
“This is going to be a great way to open the season. Two Dearborn County schools with a great tradition and high expectations. We will host Lawrenceburg, who is ranked No. 3 according to the IFCA (Indiana Football Coaches Association) pre-season poll. Lawrenceburg is a great football program, and it will be a dog fight. (Quarterback) Crue Gilmour is a dynamic player for the Tigers. We will have to try to limit his production to slow them down. They always have a strong defense that makes life difficult on opposing offenses. We are going to have to handle our emotions well and take care of the football. Special teams and explosive plays always play a role in the game, so it will be important to win these parts of the game. We are looking forward to getting things started.” – East Central’s Jacob Meiners.
MERRILLVILLE (11-3) AT ANDREAN (13-1)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. CDT, Father Eckert Stadium.
COACHES: Brad Seiss, 94-40 in 12th season at Merrillville, 107-57 in 15th season overall. Chris Skinner, 91-38 in 11th season at Andrean.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Merrillville beat Andrean, 41-14, on August 22, 2025.
UP NEXT: Merrillville travels to Lafayette Jeff. Andrean goes to Fort Wayne Bishop Luers.
TOP PERFORMERS: Amarie Eller totaled 93 tackles with five for loss, two sacks, five pass breakups, and a forced fumble for the defending Class 5A state runner-up Pirates. Tyler Vo was responsible for 82 receptions for 1,109 yards with 12 touchdowns for the top-ranked (Class 3A) and defending Class 2A state champion 59ers.
COACHES CORNER: “It’s always great to be a part of the region’s biggest week one game with the ‘Battle of Broadway’. We’re both coming off of good years with high expectations for both teams once again. This year adds a little twist with our players dealing with the June tornado that destroyed homes and with Andrean causing major damage to their school. With the recent weather and delays to school getting started, this will be a great distraction with two good football programs squaring off.” – Merrillville’s Brad Seiss.
“Merrillville returns two offensive players who did some damage in last year’s matchup. Quarterback Michael Hill accounted for more than 300 total yards and four touchdown passes, while running back Cameron Jordan recorded more than 150 yards and two touchdowns. Both players are exceptional talents and containing them will be a challenge. However, if we want to leave with a victory, we cannot allow a repeat of last year’s performance. Defensively, Merrillville is consistently fast and physical. They do an excellent job of limiting explosive plays, so we will need to sustain drives and execute consistently over the course of the game. We have tremendous respect for Merrillville and the way they approach the game of football. The fact that both programs competed in the state championship last year makes this matchup particularly meaningful. We traveled to Lucas Oil Stadium the night before our own game to watch them play New Palestine, so I believe it is fitting that they are our opponent to open the 2026 season. Our area was severely impacted by last week’s storm, so we hope the community will come out, support both teams, and enjoy the return of Friday night football in week one.” – Andrean’s Chris Skinner.
WARREN CENTRAL (8-5) AT CENTER GROVE (10-2)
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. EDT, Ray Skillman Stadium.
COACHES: J.T. Whitaker, 8-5 in second season at Warren Central. Eric Moore, 265-83 in 28th season at Center Grove.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Warren Central beat Center Grove, 24-21, on November 14, 2025 in Class 6A regional final.
UP NEXT: Warren Central travels to Elkhart. Center Grove entertains Carroll (Fort Wayne).
TOP PERFORMERS: Zechariah Wallace came up with 42 catches for 728 yards with 11 touchdowns for the No. 4 (Class 6A) Warriors. Trew Paxson racked up 127 tackles with 11 for loss for the No. 4 (Class 4A) Trojans.
COACHES CORNER: “Center Grove is a great program led by a (Indiana Football) Hall of Fame head coach so we are going to have our hands full. It will be important for us to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, limit big plays, and play fast, physical, aggressive football.” – Warren Central’s J.T. Whitaker.
“The season begins with the possible toughest game of the season right out of the gate. This game marks the return of the MIC (Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference for Center Grove, but Warren Central has fulfilled a contract with us each year we’ve been out of the conference. In my mind, it is always the toughest contest for the young Trojans. On film, this Warren Central program seems to really be improving and seems to be even more excellent than last year’s team which beat us in the (Class 6A) regional final. They feature a team that has more returning starters off a semistate appearance than anyone in the state in Class 6A. Their explosive offense is highlighted by a shutout defense and they have great speed and size and that will be the toughest factor for the Trojans. Our football team is the smallest in recent history, but we do have really good speed at the skill positions. In order for the Trojans to have any success, we will have to eliminate their big offensive one-play scores. Our offense will need to stay on the field as long as possible and convert third downs. First down conversions will be huge. As always, the competition in this game will be intense, knowing we could possibly meet again in week 12 (regional round). That fact always gives this game a lot of motivation. We can’t turnover the football and must not commit stupid penalties, but as per usual, the game will always come down to who can sustain blocks and tackle This game is always one of the most physical we play the entire year, and I’m sure this game won’t be different. Hope we can get there in the end and have some special series for the Warriors.” – Center Grove’s Eric Moore.
