Has anyone else noticed how cold it’s been in northeast Indiana this August? It seems like even nature is ready for some fall football in the 260. With a stacked schedule of out-of-conferences clashes across the area, it’s hard not to be excited for the season to get going. So without further ado, it’s time to take a look at the season openers that will be the biggest eye-openers in Week 1.
6A #8 Brownsburg at 5A #11 Bishop Dwenger
In their first all-time meeting, the Saints and the Bulldogs bring a lot of intrigue to their Week 1 matchup. The Saints are coming off their worst season by wins since 2014 in an increasingly competitive SAC. On the other side of the gridiron, the Bulldogs are coming off a second straight sectional title–their first repeat since the 1984-85 seasons. The last four seasons have pitted Brownsburg against the formidable Ben Davis Giants in Week 1, while Dwenger has opened all of those seasons against Wayne. While the Dogs do bring a bigger challenge than usual ahead of the Saints, they are certainly prepared for the challenge Brownsburg will bring.
1A #10 South Adams vs 2A #18 Tipton (at Indiana Wesleyan)
In the first meeting between South Adams and Tipton, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. Is Tipton, a team that struggled to defend against the tougher teams on schedule last year, ready for a versatile Starfire offense starring standout QB Owen Wanner? Can South Adams find a way to expose the Blue Devils’ lack of defense against the run with a new starting RB? Will the Starfires continue their annual Week 1 dominance as a team that has only given up eight points across the last five season openers? It’ll be fun to see how these questions are resolved Friday night in a ranked out-of-conference clash.
4A #14 Leo at 4A #6 Kokomo
Last season, Kokomo got quite familiar with the NE8. The Kats opened the season with a 33-13 drubbing of Leo and then went on to knock off the NE8-champion Columbia City Eagles 42-13. The last three seasons have seen drastic improvements by head coach Austin Colby’s squad, from 4-4 in 2020 to 12-2 and a semi-state trip last year. On the other hand, Leo struggled last season in an 8-4 campaign that saw yet another Lions’ loss in the sectional championship–their fourth straight such postseason defeat. This is a year of payback for Leo, and it all starts with avenging their season-opening loss from last season. A fun one in Central Indiana at 7:30 Friday night.
5A #2 Snider at 6A #6 Warren Central
There is no more formidable foe in Indiana than the 6A powerhouses of the Indianapolis area. Snider–coming off an 11-2 season finalized in a heartbreaking overtime loss in semi-state to Valparaiso–is hungry to double-down on what Carroll proved to be true last November: Fort Wayne area schools are capable of defeating the Indy giants. The Warriors of Warren Central are coming off a 6-6 season which included impressive wins against Detriot King (MI) and Carmel. Can the Panthers find the cracks in Warren Central, a team that they haven’t faced since Warren Central’s state title victory over the Panthers in 2004? Only time will tell.
GOTW: 6A #5 Carroll at 6A #4 Hamilton Southeastern
A stunning upset last year turns into a thrilling heavyweight showdown this year. A 21-15 semi-state loss as the #1 team in the state has left Hamilton Southeastern with a sour taste in their mouths all winter, spring, and summer. The Royals have had this game marked on their schedule all off-season long. The Chargers, led by the young gun at QB, Jimmy Sullivan, are off the best season in program history. But even that didn’t feel like enough. This team wants an undefeated regular season again, but they want the state title to go with it. This game will help determine what the Chargers are capable of in 2023 and is sure to attract a packed house in the bleachers of Hamilton Southeastern High.
