Stories Heading Into 2026

[BDGiant93]

What do you think are the biggest stories to watch as we head into the 2026 IHSAA Football season? What do you think we'll be talking about all season long and looking back on in November?

[23andCounting]

Northeast Indiana: 

1.  Snider's new stadium on their own campus. 

2. Carroll's potential to give 6A south a run for their money (in my defense, you asked what would be talked about)

3. Massive games to start the season with Dwenger/Roncalli, Luers/Adams Central, and Carroll/HSE. 

4. South Side potentially on the rise after years of sitting at the bottom. 

[psaboy]

On 4/3/2026 at 9:56 AM, 23andCounting said:

Northeast Indiana: 

1.  Snider's new stadium on their own campus. 

2. Carroll's potential to give 6A south a run for their money (in my defense, you asked what would be talked about)

3. Massive games to start the season with Dwenger/Roncalli, Luers/Adams Central, and Carroll/HSE. 

4. South Side potentially on the rise after years of sitting at the bottom. 

Is this Carroll's best chance at doing??

[First_Backer_Inside]

Three of the four sectional champions from the North in 2A are now in 3A. The other one was moved to the South along with a couple of new faces moving from 1A to 2A. Will be interesting who the favorites for 2A are that emerge. I would say the Brownstown Central has to be one due to going to state last year. Not sure what they return from last years team. You also have the 1A state champions in South Putnam in the South as well. Lapel played in the semi-state game last year in the South. They are now in a North Sectional. I would say they are the favorites in the North.

[WCGrad92]

2a South has the 1A Champs and the 3A Champs from last year,  both in the same sectional

[jakone]

Can Luers make it to their 4th straight championship game in 3 different classes. 

[23andCounting]

On 4/5/2026 at 11:00 AM, psaboy said:

Is this Carroll's best chance at doing??

No idea. Posters from Central Indiana just enjoy hearing about which team up north will give them a run for their money. So I threw Carroll out there. Taking nothing away from Crown Point or Penn. It's probably a crap shoot between those three. 

[23andCounting]

6 minutes ago, jakone said:

Can Luers make it to their 4th straight championship game in 3 different classes. 

How many starters to they return. Dwenger's won 8 of the last 10 meetings vs the Knights. So maybe the answer to your question is a 20% chance?

[BLACKGOLD2007]

1 hour ago, 23andCounting said:

No idea. Posters from Central Indiana just enjoy hearing about which team up north will give them a run for their money. So I threw Carroll out there. Taking nothing away from Crown Point or Penn. It's probably a crap shoot between those three. 

Sectional 3 is loaded, and Penn was gifted a favorable sectional after a favorable regular season schedule. I think Penn is heavy favorite to make the regional game against sectional 1. Carroll has heavy lifting to do against sectional 3. If they get through that, they will be favored over anyone from sectionals 1 and 2.

[23andCounting]

1 hour ago, BLACKGOLD2007 said:

Sectional 3 is loaded, and Penn was gifted a favorable sectional after a favorable regular season schedule. I think Penn is heavy favorite to make the regional game against sectional 1. Carroll has heavy lifting to do against sectional 3. If they get through that, they will be favored over anyone from sectionals 1 and 2.

Yes, I would imagine that if they could get past Sectional 3, then they would be the favorite. Tall task though with Carmel, Westfield, and Hamilton Southeastern. I'm sure Carroll will be their usual good, not sure they'll be THAT good though. 

[Muda69]

How well will Bud Wright do at Southwood?  Will the Knights become a team to reckon with in the TRC?

 

 

[ptr]

Some items in the Bloomington area:

In Bloomington North's inaugural season in the Mid-State Conference - Who will be the head coach? 

For Bloomington South - Will they be accepted in the Hoosier Hills Conference (mid-April decision by the HHC?) If so, then it will start with the 27-28 season in sports. 

Will Bloomington South go into next season (obviously as an independent this coming season) with just a six-game schedule? That's their schedule right now and I don't know if they may have to bring in or travel out-of-state to pick up any more games. 

[Indiana Fan]

13 hours ago, ptr said:

Some items in the Bloomington area:

In Bloomington North's inaugural season in the Mid-State Conference - Who will be the head coach? 

For Bloomington South - Will they be accepted in the Hoosier Hills Conference (mid-April decision by the HHC?) If so, then it will start with the 27-28 season in sports. 

Will Bloomington South go into next season (obviously as an independent this coming season) with just a six-game schedule? That's their schedule right now and I don't know if they may have to bring in or travel out-of-state to pick up any more games. 

Getting late early for both of these programs. Tough spot for both really. Really interested in how these ends up. I’ve always thought highly of the Bloomington football programs. Thanks for always providing updates from down there.

[First_Backer_Inside]

14 hours ago, Muda69 said:

How well will Bud Wright do at Southwood?  Will the Knights become a team to reckon with in the TRC?

 

 

I hope so. The conference is stronger when the Knights have good football teams.

[jakone]

On 4/6/2026 at 12:21 PM, 23andCounting said:

How many starters to they return. Dwenger's won 8 of the last 10 meetings vs the Knights. So maybe the answer to your question is a 20% chance?

Luers qb and both running backs were sophomores as were multiple other players. 

[Frozen Tundra]

I’m really intrigued by some of the teams that were bumped up a classification. How does Providence handle 2A? How does Adams Central handle 3A? How does Bishop Luers handle 4A? How does Whiteland handle 6A?

[Coach Nowlin]

Seems like from chatter, Whiteland will be in 6a for the foreseeable future with their grown around there 

Coach Fisher will be ready !! 

[Frozen Tundra]

1 hour ago, Coach Nowlin said:

Seems like from chatter, Whiteland will be in 6a for the foreseeable future with their grown around there 

Coach Fisher will be ready !! 

Yeah I’m in that area at least once a month. The growth over the last 10-20 years has been noticeable.

[Bash Riprock]

2 hours ago, Coach Nowlin said:

Seems like from chatter, Whiteland will be in 6a for the foreseeable future with their grown around there 

Coach Fisher will be ready !! 

Tremendous growth...while at the bottom of 6A enrollment now, my guess that will continue to evolve and change.  Wonder if their growth will force them to start evaluating other conferences?

In the same sectional as Center Grove...will be good to start building a Johnson Country rivalry on the gridiron.  They used to play some in the past, but stopped.  

[oldtimeqb]

My question is who will be this year's Cascade or South Putnam?  Although South Put was in Semi State the year before and had some sectional titles, both teams were a surprise to make it all the way to LOS.

 

[Kamikaze]

10 minutes ago, oldtimeqb said:

My question is who will be this year's Cascade or South Putnam?  Although South Put was in Semi State the year before and had some sectional titles, both teams were a surprise to make it all the way to LOS.

 

Cascade may have been a surprise, BUT anyone who was paying attention knew that South Putnam was probably the team to beat in 1A last season.

[Titan32]

1 hour ago, oldtimeqb said:

My question is who will be this year's Cascade or South Putnam?  Although South Put was in Semi State the year before and had some sectional titles, both teams were a surprise to make it all the way to LOS.

 

As with most playoff runs for most teams....Cascade caught a major break.

[First_Backer_Inside]

15 hours ago, Titan32 said:

As with most playoff runs for most teams....Cascade caught a major break.

They also had the right team at the right time. What if this last year was one of the random years Chatard is back down in 3A. Does Cascade win 3A then? What if Heritage Hills was down in 3A? They're team could have beaten any 3A team on any given night.

[Frozen Tundra]

1 hour ago, First_Backer_Inside said:

They also had the right team at the right time. What if this last year was one of the random years Chatard is back down in 3A. Does Cascade win 3A then? What if Heritage Hills was down in 3A? They're team could have beaten any 3A team on any given night.

This gave me a really good idea for a new topic. Just posted it if you’re interested.

[Titan32]

2 hours ago, First_Backer_Inside said:

They also had the right team at the right time. What if this last year was one of the random years Chatard is back down in 3A. Does Cascade win 3A then? What if Heritage Hills was down in 3A? They're team could have beaten any 3A team on any given night.

GS beat at the time #1 4A Heritage Hills and #1 3A Memorial.  If the GS QB doesn't break both bones in his leg in the Regional game GS is sitting on another set of blue rings. On a side note GS loses their second best DL on the second snap of the game.  Title runs always have a bit of luck.  GS still has a shot to win the Cascade game late (without their QB without their #2 DL) with a JV QB who threw 4 picks.

Edited April 9 by Titan32