Stories Heading Into 2026

[Donnie Baker]

22 hours 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.

 

South Putnams didn’t surprise anyone and I’ll say it right to your face. 

[psaboy]

On 4/6/2026 at 2:10 PM, 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.

It would be good to see Penn get back into the mix, seems there has been a big fall off after the Geezer left. IMO, they should be in semi or final every (most) years as the north team. 

[adambetz]

Indiana has two of the best highschool football conferences in the nation. MIC is coming back for its crown. Can HCC shut them out of the state title game for the third straight year? Once is an accident, twice is coincidence, thrice is a pattern imo

[psaboy]

39 minutes ago, adambetz said:

Indiana has two of the best highschool football conferences in the nation. MIC is coming back for its crown. Can HCC shut them out of the state title game for the third straight year? Once is an accident, twice is, thrice is a pattern imo

The nation is bit of a stretch, I would say Midwest for sure.

[SAC_Coach]

SAC headed in a new direction??

 

https://outsidethehuddle.net/2026/04/22/blitz-the-future-of-the-sac-in-its-current-form-could-be-in-doubt-at-least-for-football/

 

Seems like a big story is brewing in Allen County.

[btownqbcoach1]

On 4/6/2026 at 8:22 AM, First_Backer_Inside said:

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.

Lapel has to be the favorites in the North. 

BC lost an immense amount, but still bring some excellent players back, added some upperclassmen who weren't playing football last year, and add in an undefeated JV team (for the 3rd straight year). 

I know Cascade lost a lot (still probably pretty darn good), South Putnam is excellently coached (no idea what their roster looks like), Providence is well coached, and Linton lost a lot... and they're obviously well-coached, also. 

My guess would be 2A South will be between one of these 5 teams. 

[US31]

14 hours ago, SAC_Coach said:

SAC headed in a new direction??

 

https://outsidethehuddle.net/2026/04/22/blitz-the-future-of-the-sac-in-its-current-form-could-be-in-doubt-at-least-for-football/

 

Seems like a big story is brewing in Allen County.

Penn needs to pick up that phone if it rings.

Possibly Elkhart and Warsaw as well.

[Frozen Tundra]

14 hours ago, SAC_Coach said:

SAC headed in a new direction??

 

https://outsidethehuddle.net/2026/04/22/blitz-the-future-of-the-sac-in-its-current-form-could-be-in-doubt-at-least-for-football/

 

Seems like a big story is brewing in Allen County.

That would be a shame. I already don’t like the divisional format they have but I get why they did it. Apparently that still isn’t appeasing everyone.

If it happens, I’ll be interested to see how an SAC split affects the surrounding conferences. Would it cause a domino effect that sees changes within the NE8, NLC, TRC, NECC, ACAC and beyond? I guess we’ll have to stay tuned.

[First_Backer_Inside]

1 hour ago, Frozen Tundra said:

That would be a shame. I already don’t like the divisional format they have but I get why they did it. Apparently that still isn’t appeasing everyone.

If it happens, I’ll be interested to see how an SAC split affects the surrounding conferences. Would it cause a domino effect that sees changes within the NE8, NLC, TRC, NECC, ACAC and beyond? I guess we’ll have to stay tuned.

Nothing would happen with the TRC. I don't know much about the other conferences. I can only speak for the TRC. 

[23andCounting]

2 hours ago, US31 said:

Penn needs to pick up that phone if it rings.

Possibly Elkhart and Warsaw as well.

It would be a crime for the Snider/Penn rivalry not to resume. Would be good to have Penn Nation on the Snider campus for the first time. 

[US31]

My brain was telling me maybe 90 minute drive from Granger to the Fort.  I was off....

Not having been there in a long time....I assume Penn to Snider would be the longest drive?  Google says about 2 hours...probably significantly longer on Friday at 4-5pm.  I assume most of the other "Big" SAC wouldn't be to far off.  

2 hours for a contest with "most" of your conference opponents is rough.  Ask the MIC and the TH schools.  Ask the HCC and the Lafayette schools.

 

Warsaw to a "Big SAC" is much more interesting....

Edited April 23 by US31

[23andCounting]

3 minutes ago, US31 said:

My brain was telling me maybe 90 minute drive from Granger to the Fort.  I was off....

Not having been there in a long time....I assume Penn to Snider would be the longest drive?  Google says about 2 hours...probably significantly longer on Friday at 4-5pm.  I assume most of the other "Big" SAC wouldn't be to far off.  

2 hours for a contest with "most" of your conference opponents is rough.  Ask the MIC and the TH schools.  Ask the HCC and the Lafayette schools.

 

I've been to Penn several times. It's never taken me longer than two hours to get there during rush hour on a Friday evening. I wasn't thinking Snider/Penn in terms of the Kingsmen joining the conference, more of a non-conference game. 

[Frozen Tundra]

1 hour ago, First_Backer_Inside said:

Nothing would happen with the TRC. I don't know much about the other conferences. I can only speak for the TRC. 

Just to clarify here. Let me give you an example and it’s probably a bad one. However, I just want to illustrate a point. The SAC splits. The small school five want to expand. They add East Noble and Leo. In response, the NE8 grabs Angola and maybe Garrett or Bluffton to get back to 8 teams. The NECC and ACAC respond by trying to replace their losses. Do you feel confident if a similar scenario took place that Wabash, Northfield, Manchester, Southwood, and Whitko would stay put?

Edited April 23 by Frozen Tundra

[First_Backer_Inside]

3 minutes ago, Frozen Tundra said:

Just to clarify here. Let me give you an example and it’s probably a bad one. However, I just want to illustrate a point. The SAC splits. The small school five want to expand. They add East Noble and Leo. In response, the NE8 grabs Angola and maybe Garrett or Bluffton to get back to 8 teams. The NECC and ACAC respond by trying to replace their losses. Do you feel confident if a similar scenario took place that Wabash, Northfield, Manchester, Southwood, and Whitko would stay put?

I would just for the fact that anything they could get from those conferences, they have in the TRC already. Recently Wabash and Whitko have been towards the bottom of the conference most years. Joining those conferences would be a lot of the same. The others are able to be competitive in the TRC every other year. I don't think they would be able to do that in the other two conferences. 

I will say the Wabash schools are going to do whatever they agree on. So if you get one you're going to get the other three. I just don't think 3 of them would think it's a good idea which would mean that the one that might be interested would end up staying if that makes sense.

[Frozen Tundra]

37 minutes ago, First_Backer_Inside said:

I would just for the fact that anything they could get from those conferences, they have in the TRC already. Recently Wabash and Whitko have been towards the bottom of the conference most years. Joining those conferences would be a lot of the same. The others are able to be competitive in the TRC every other year. I don't think they would be able to do that in the other two conferences. 

I will say the Wabash schools are going to do whatever they agree on. So if you get one you're going to get the other three. I just don't think 3 of them would think it's a good idea which would mean that the one that might be interested would end up staying if that makes sense.

Good to know. I don’t have as much knowledge on that part of the state so it’s good to get that perspective from you. I just know one conference change can impact other schools and conferences way down the line.

[adambetz]

Not sure this SAC football split leads to any conference changes, but if it did I'd like this;

Summit 1:

Carroll

Dwenger

Homestead

Northrop

Snider

Summit 2:

Columbia City

East Noble

Leo

Luers

Northside

Summit 3:

Dekalb

Huntington North

New Haven

Southside

Wayne

Summit 4:

Bellmont

Concordia

Heritage

Norwell

Woodlan

Promotion/relegation, play whoever you want in your 5 out of conference games

Edited April 24 by adambetz

[23andCounting]

New soccer stadium coming along. Wondering if they'll host some high profile high school football games. Maybe St. Francis vs Marian. 

[Komets2727]

On 4/23/2026 at 11:14 AM, Frozen Tundra said:

That would be a shame. I already don’t like the divisional format they have but I get why they did it. Apparently that still isn’t appeasing everyone.

If it happens, I’ll be interested to see how an SAC split affects the surrounding conferences. Would it cause a domino effect that sees changes within the NE8, NLC, TRC, NECC, ACAC and beyond? I guess we’ll have to stay tuned.

It works for the 2A-4A teams for the SAC, but those conferences do nothing for the 5A and 6A teams. 

[Frozen Tundra]

13 hours ago, Komets2727 said:

It works for the 2A-4A teams for the SAC, but those conferences do nothing for the 5A and 6A teams. 

Completely agree

[US31]

NIC has the same issues, only magnified even worse

[PDB26]

12 hours ago, US31 said:

NIC has the same issues, only magnified even worse

A nitpick, but that’s being generous to the NIC.