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Courier & Press staff predictions for Indiana high school football regional championships

kyle sokeland, hendrix magley, treasure washington and anthony kristensen, evansville courier & press
·6 min read

EVANSVILLE — Schools in this area of the state, particularly in the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference, tend to live in a bubble. They rarely are required to travel further than an hour in the regular season. That tends to add an extra wrinkle the further teams advance into the playoffs.

And, fortunately, three of the four teams from Southwestern Indiana still standing will remain home for this weekend's regionals. Here's an update on our staff's standings, which remain tight despite Kyle Sokeland taking a two-game lead in first place:

  • Kyle Sokeland: 55-16 (4-1)

  • Hendrix Magley: 53-18 (2-3)

  • Treasure Washington: 51-20 (4-1)

  • Anthony Kristensen: 51-20 (3-2)

On to this week's picks...

High school football:Four teams remain: What to watch in Evansville-area regionals

Class 2A: Mater Dei (9-3) at Triton Central (10-2)

Kyle Sokeland: This might be the best opportunity for an Evansville team to win this weekend. Of course ‒ this feels like a broken record – it depends on which version of Mater Dei shows up. Perhaps the Wildcats pieced it all together with their 35-0 win over North Posey. They also have Triton's number for the past two years. Mater Dei 21, Triton Central 17.

Treasure Washington: Triton Central has only one regional title in program history, which came against Mater Dei three years ago. Brad Schultz (1,422 receiving yards, 17 touchdowns) and Ray Crawford (1,129 rushing yards, 15 touchdowns) are part of an explosive Tigers offense. I’m still picking Mater Dei, but watch out. Mater Dei 34, Triton Central 31.

Mater Dei's Mason Wunderlich (17) celebrates after a touchdown as the Mater Dei Wildcats play the North Posey Vikings at the Reitz Bowl in Evansville, Ind., Friday evening, Nov. 4, 2022.
Mater Dei's Mason Wunderlich (17) celebrates after a touchdown as the Mater Dei Wildcats play the North Posey Vikings at the Reitz Bowl in Evansville, Ind., Friday evening, Nov. 4, 2022.

Hendrix Magley: A trip to Fairland has practically become a forgone conclusion for the Wildcats. This is, after all, the third time in the past four years they’ve hit the road to Triton Central for the regional. The only time they didn’t? Mater Dei still played Triton, at the Bowl. The Wildcats have won three of those four meetings. I think they make it happen again on Friday. Mater Dei 28, Triton Central 21.

Anthony Kristensen: Mater Dei looked very strong against North Posey. Everyone knows about the offensive threats the Wildcats have in Mason Wunderlich and Joey Pierre, among others, but the most impressive part of the 35-0 win was the defense shutting down the Vikings' high-scoring offense. If Mater Dei can play that strong defensively again, I think it comes away with the win. Mater Dei 20, Triton Central 13.

Class 3A: Lawrenceburg (11-1) at Southridge (11-1)

KS: A lot of respect for a Lawrenceburg program that is in this position year after year. This is also Scott Buening in November. He has a quick and tough team that may not pop but gets the job done. This is likely the biggest coin flip of the four but give me the Raiders. Southridge 28, Lawrenceburg 25.

TW: While these teams have thrived defensively all season long, their running games are even more exceptional. Reid Schroeder has 23 rushing touchdowns, but two players from Lawrenceburg each have 14 scores on the ground. With this game being at Raider Stadium, I’m giving Southridge an extremely slight edge. Southridge 24, Lawrenceburg 23.

Southridge's Reid Schroeder (28) is handed off the ball by Southridge's Hudson Allen (5) as the Southridge Raiders play the Gibson Southern Titans at Southridge High School in Huntingburg, Ind., Friday evening, Sept. 16, 2022.
Southridge's Reid Schroeder (28) is handed off the ball by Southridge's Hudson Allen (5) as the Southridge Raiders play the Gibson Southern Titans at Southridge High School in Huntingburg, Ind., Friday evening, Sept. 16, 2022.

HM: Lawrenceburg has been plenty impressive this year. They’ve only given up 13 points since September and have won 11 straight. However, their last three regional trips have all been ended by teams in SW Indiana – Heritage Hills, Gibson Southern and Southridge. I think the Raiders do it again. I’ve mentioned not betting against Scott Buening, right? Southridge 21, Lawrenceburg 17.

AK: There's not a lot separating these teams on paper, which should make it a fun one to follow. Both teams are more than capable of putting points on the board and have shown their defensive prowess, as well. It's a hard one to pick, but I think I like Southridge in a close game. Southridge 27, Lawrenceburg 24.

Class 4A: East Central (10-2) at Memorial (9-3)

KS: Always impressed with how year after year, the Tigers peak at this stage. They did it this time with solid defense and balanced offense. It helps this game will be at Enlow, but this feels like an uphill battle. East Central running back Josh Ringer could make this a long evening. I think Memorial still makes it a game. East Central 28, Memorial 20.

TW: I don’t like Memorial's chances against East Central, but I have been impressed with the team in recent weeks, especially last Friday against Boonville. Limiting Clay Conner to 47 yards on the ground and one touchdown is a huge feat. But lightning may not strike twice with Ringer, who has 31 scores. East Central 35, Memorial 24.

Memorial’s Jeremiah McGuire (29) runs past Boonville’s Ethan Parker (82) during their IHSAA 4A Sectional Championship game at Bennett Stadium in Boonville, Ind., Friday night, Nov. 4, 2022. Memorial beat Boonville 33-14.
Memorial’s Jeremiah McGuire (29) runs past Boonville’s Ethan Parker (82) during their IHSAA 4A Sectional Championship game at Bennett Stadium in Boonville, Ind., Friday night, Nov. 4, 2022. Memorial beat Boonville 33-14.

HM:  This seems like a tall task for Memorial. East Central has been nothing short of dominant. Josh Ringer’s numbers are simply eye-popping. But there has been plenty of postseason magic at Enlow Field in the past. Including against the Trojans last year. Something tells me it happens again. Memorial 24, East Central 21.

AK: East Central has walked over most of its opponents, making this one of the tougher games coach John Hurley's team will have this season. While I think the Tigers have the pieces to win, I think this is probably the end of the road for them. East Central 24, Memorial 20.

Class 5A: Bloomington South (9-1) at Castle (7-4)

KS: It's been a roller-coaster season for the Knights. One could argue they could have nine or 10 wins if everything went right. The offense has been more explosive with Brayden Bishop at quarterback, but I think the injuries catch up to them. South is no pushover. Bloomington South 30, Castle 17.

TW: Castle's offense has improved and the defense has remained consistent. But it’s a major challenge scoring against Bloomington South’s defense. I don’t think the Knights have enough to take down the Panthers at home. Bloomington South 30, Castle 17.

HM: Castle has been sort of hard to figure out this season. Some weeks, they’ve looked really strong. Other times they’ve been simply disappointing. Don’t expect much to come easy against Bloomington South. The Knights will compete but I think they fall just short. Bloomington South 28, Castle 21.

AK: Much like Memorial, I think Castle has the players to win a game like this. And again, I think this is probably the end of the road. I think Bloomington South has too much offensive firepower to handle, and I see the Knights will drop a close on. Bloomington South 34, Castle 30.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA football: Courier & Press picks high school regional finals