Tonight’s matchups:
New Albany at Columbus East
Game time: 7 p.m.
Records: New Albany 2-2 (1-1 HHC), Columbus East 3-1 (2-0 HHC)
Last week’s games: New Albany lost to Bedford North Lawrence 42-41 in 2 OTs; East beat Jennings County 62-7
Last year’s meeting: East won 56-15 at New Albany
Coaches: Steve Cooley is 124-117 in his 23rd year, including 2-2 in his first year at New Albany; Bob Gaddis is 293-134 in his 39th year, including 175-34 in his 17th year at East.
Key players: Columbus East QB Josh Major, RB Jamon Hogan, TE Tyler Thomas, OT Zach Clark, CB Jonah Wichman, S Ethan Summa; New Albany QB Dylan Clark, RB Darquan Richardson, WR Devon Gummer, DB Luke Kaiser
What to watch for: The Class 5A No. 4 Olympians return home for only the second time this season after blowout road wins at Seymour and Jennings County. New Albany beat Jennings 28-14 a week before last week’s double-overtime heartbreaker at Bedford North Lawrence. Cooley is in his first year at New Albany after eight years at Jeffersonville and six at Clarksville.
Prediction: Columbus East 49, New Albany 20
Terre Haute South at Columbus North
Game time: 7:30 p.m.
Records: Terre Haute South 1-3 (1-1 CI), Columbus North 3-1 (1-1 CI)
Last week’s games: Terre Haute South beat Perry Meridian 27-24, Columbus North lost to Franklin Central 28-20
Last year’s meeting: North won 54-0 at Terre Haute South
Coaches: Tim Herrin is 15-31 in his fifth year at Terre Haute South; Tim Bless is 126-89 in his 20th year, including 114-80 in his 18th year at Columbus 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; Terre Haute South QB Collins Turner, RB Jase Dressler, WR Elijah Rivera, LB Carter Herrin
What to watch for: The Bull Dogs will look to bounce back from their first loss of the season, which came last week at Franklin Central. Meanwhile, Terre Haute South is coming off its first win of the season following three consecutive losses to begin the year. All four of the Braves’s games have been decided by seven points or fewer.
Prediction: Columbus North 42, Terre Haute South 13
Other area games:
Madison at Jennings County, 7 p.m.
Brown County at Southside HomeSchool, 7 p.m.
Edinburgh at South Decatur, 7 p.m.
Springs Valley at Trinity Lutheran, 7 p.m.
Next week’s games:
Floyd Central at Columbus East, 7 p.m.
Jennings County at Bedford North Lawrence, 7 p.m.
Cloverdale at Brown County, 7 p.m.
Edinburgh at Milan, 7 p.m.
South Decatur at Park Tudor, 7 p.m.
Oldenburg Academy at Trinity Lutheran, 7 p.m.
Columbus North at Terre Haute North, 7:30 p.m.
