Tonight’s matchup (semistate):
Columbus East vs. Cathedral at Indianapolis Tech
Game time: 7 p.m.
Records: Columbus East 12-1, Cathedral 7-5
Last week’s games: East beat Terre Haute North 49-18, Cathedral beat Bloomington South 35-21
Previous meetings: Cathedral has won all four meetings, all in the semistate, including 49-14 in 2012
Coaches: Bob Gaddis is 302-134 in his 39th year, including 184-34 in his 17th year at East; Rick Streiff is 242-108 in his 28th year, including 221-76 in his 23rd year at Cathedral
Key players: Columbus East QB Josh Major, RB Jamon Hogan, TE Tyler Thomas, OT Zach Clark, LB Nash Murphy, CB Jonah Wichman, S Ethan Summa; Cathedral QB Roman Purcell, RB Markese Stepp, WR Daijon Collins, C Emil Ekiyor, LB Jackson Barrow, LB Hugh Davis
What to watch for: The Class 5A No. 2 Olympians will face a tall order in the 5A No. 5 Irish. Cathedral doesn’t have the most sparkling record, but played six out-of-state powers and is unbeaten against in-state opponents this season. The Irish feature five Division I recruits, including Stepp (Notre Dame) and Ekiyor (Alabama). The teams have played one common opponent, with both beating Jeffersonville by 48-7 scores.
Prediction: Columbus East 31, Cathedral 28
