Tonight’s matchups:
Columbus East at Seymour
Game time: 7 p.m.
Records: Columbus East 1-1, Seymour 1-1
Last week’s games: East lost to Columbus North 34-17, Seymour lost to Jeffersonville 48-37
Last year’s meeting: Columbus East won 56-30 at East
Coaches: Bob Gaddis is 291-134 in his 39th year, including 173-34 in his 17th year at Columbus East; Mike Kelly is 1-1 in his first year at Seymour
Key players: Columbus East QB Josh Major, RB Jamon Hogan, TE Tyler Thomas, OT Zach Clark, CB Jonah Wichman, S Ethan Summa; QB Alan Perry, RB Nathan O’Mara, WR Tyler Bullard, LB Kevin Corrales, LB Devin Hill
What to watch for: The Class 5A No. 5 Olympians will look to bounce back from their loss to Columbus North. East has won 70 consecutive Hoosier Hills Conference games and haven’t lost to the Owls since 2002. Seymour, which is averaging 38.5 points a game, can be explosive. Perry ran for four touchdowns and threw for another in last year’s loss at East.
Prediction: Columbus East 52, Seymour 21
Bloomington North at Columbus North
Game time: 7 p.m.
Records: Columbus North 2-0, Bloomington North 1-1
Last week’s games: Columbus North won 34-17 at Columbus East, Bloomington North beat Greenfield-Central 17-14
Last year’s meeting: Columbus North won 51-11 at Bloomington North
Coaches: Tim Bless is 125-88 in his 20th year, including 113-79 in his 18th year at Columbus North; Scott Bless is 69-109 in his 18th year, including 54-79 in his 13th year at Bloomington North
Key players: Columbus North QB Trenton Kelley, RB Cortez Bandy, WR Jaylen Flemmons, WR Tristan Bailey, WR/CB J.D. Harris, OT/DT Logan Abbott; Bloomington North QB Ben Freel, RB Wyatt Dalton, WR Jordan McCoy, OT Kieran Koontz, DB Cole Prather
What to watch for: The Bull Dogs will have to avoid a letdown following their win at East. The Olympians won 42-17 at Bloomington North a week earlier in the season opener, so comparative scores would indicate the likleihood of a lopsided Columbus North victory. But Tim Bless isn’t likely to run up the score against his brother in the annual “Bless Bowl.”
Prediction: Columbus North 49, Bloomington North 7
Other area games:
Jennings County at New Albany, 7 p.m.
Cascade at Brown County, 7 p.m.
Oldenburg Academy at Edinburgh, 7 p.m.
Trinity Lutheran at South Decatur, 7 p.m.
Next week’s games:
Columbus East at Jennings County, 7 p.m.
Columbus North at Franklin Central, 7 p.m.
Indian Creek at Brown County, 7 p.m.
Edinburgh at Switzerland County, 7 p.m.
South Decatur at Milan, 7 p.m.
Trinity Lutheran at Knightstown, 7 p.m.
