Tonight’s matchup:
Columbus East at Bedford North Lawrence
Game time
7 p.m.
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Season’s records
East 6-2 (6-0 HHC), Bedford North Lawrence 7-1 (5-0 HHC)
Last week
East beat Jeffersonville 50-3, Bedford North Lawrence beat Madison 55-19
Last year’s meeting
East won 48-24 and 56-14.
Coaches
Bob Gaddis is 310-136 in his 40th year, including 192-36 in his 18th year at East. Steve Weber is 155-61 in his 19th year, including 27-32 in his sixth year at Bedford North Lawrence.
Key players
East QB Cole Gilley, RB Mark McDonald, WR Cody Horner, TE Isaac VanCuren, G Jacob Bolte, LB Nash Murphy, LB Julian Greenwell, S Jonah Wichman; Bedford North Lawrence QB McCall Ray, WB Wyatt Martin, WR Drew Shoufler, DB Justice Woods.
What to watch for
This could be the game of the week in the state of Indiana. The Class 5A No. 3 Olympians and 5A No. 4 Stars will meet with the Hoosier Hills Conference title on the line. East’s 83-game conference winning streak also will be on the line. The Olympians’ last HHC loss came in 2006, when Bedford upset them 33-30 in the final game of the regular season. Since then, only the Stars in a 35-31 loss in 2012 and New Albany in a 20-19 defeat this season have come within single digits of East in the conference. Ray is a top dual-threat quarterback, having thrown for 1,385 yards and 18 touchdowns and run for 634 yards and 11 scores.
Prediction
Columbus East 24, Bedford North Lawrence 21
Tonight’s matchup:
Columbus North at Terre Haute South
Game time
7 p.m.
Season’s records
Columbus North 7-1 (4-0 CI), Terre Haute South 3-5 (2-2 CI)
Last week
Columbus North beat Bloomington North 35-3, Terre Haute South lost to Southport 35-34.
Last year’s meeting
Columbus North won 37-13.
Coaches
Tim Bless is 141-91 in his 21st year, including 129-82 in his 19th year at Columbus North. Tim Herrin is 20-41 in his sixth year at Terre Haute South.
Key players
Columbus North QB Trenton Kelley, RB Blake Huffman, WR Preston Terrell, TE/DE Mitchel Collier, C Noah Algee, LB Tay Wells, S Riley Ables, S Jalen Paswater; Terre Haute South QB Collins Turner, RB Jase Dressler, WR KC Bender, LB Kenyon Sholty.
What to watch for
The Class 6A No. 7 Bull Dogs already have clinched at least a share of their first Conference Indiana title since 2004 and can win it outright with a victory against the Braves. A loss, plus a Southport win at Bloomington North would mean Columbus North would have to share the title with Southport. Terre Haute South has lost four in a row, but two of those losses have come by one point against 5A No. 4 Bedford North Lawrence and last week at Southport.
Prediction
Columbus North 35, Terre Haute South 20
Tonight’s other matchups
Jeffersonville at Jennings County, 7 p.m.
Brown County at West Vigo in WIC ninth-place game, 7 p.m.
Cambridge City Lincoln at South Decatur, 7:30 p.m.
Next week’s matchups (sectional)
Columbus East at New Albany, 7 p.m.
Jennings County at South Dearborn, 7 p.m.
Monrovia at Brown County, 7 p.m.
Edinburgh at Cambridge City Lincoln, 7 p.m.
South Decatur at Indianapolis Lutheran, 7 p.m.
