What we learned from IHSAA football regional championships in Southwestern Indiana
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That was an anticlimactic weekend of high school football for Southwestern Indiana.
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All five remaining Evansville-area teams lost in the regional championship round of the IHSAA state tournament. It is the first time since 2016 nobody around this corner of Indiana reached the semi-state. The average margin of defeat ended up not being close, though most games were competitive until the second half.
Let's look at how the weekend went for Southwestern Indiana, plus final thoughts on the season.
Nobody from Southwestern Indiana advanced beyond the regional
This scenario was always in play based on matchups. It still made for a sudden end.
The final weekend saw mostly competitive games that got out of hand by the fourth quarter. Only one (Indian Creek over Memorial) was considered an upset. A quick look at how all five teams had their season end.
Class 5A: No. 3 Bloomington South defeated No. 10 Castle 38-14. The Knights were limited to 23 total yards in the second half, nor were they able to stop the Panthers' air attack. South quarterback Duncan Combs finished 18 of 22 passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to scoring twice on the ground. Sawyer Winsett had 109 passing yards and two touchdowns for Castle (7-5).
Class 4A: No. 4 East Central defeated No. 11 Heritage Hills 35-7. It was a mix of missed opportunities, one unfortunate break and defensive struggles for the Patriots (10-3). A penalty wiped away a long touchdown on the first play of the game, while Heritage Hills was kept out of the end zone inside the EC 10 to finish the first half. The Trojans pulled away in the second half behind a strong rushing attack: Ryan Minges (229) and Chase Marsh (126) both went over the century mark.
Heritage Hills found success through the air with Micah Toler collecting 10 catches for 140 yards. The Patriots were also limited to minus-3 yards on the ground after playing from behind in the second half. Tyce Winchell was 18 of 33 passing for 207 yards and one touchdown – the senior also had an interception on defense.
Class 3A: No. 4 Indian Creek defeated No. 1 Memorial 31-28 on Friday. The Braves dominated the second half on the ground and never allowed the Tigers to earn the lead. Paxton Walters went for game-high 109 rushing yards. Geno Aimone had 166 total yards and three scores for Memorial (12-1).
Class 2A: No. 1 Brownstown Central defeated No. 9 North Posey 63-28. A dominant second half from the defending state runner-up pushed the regional championship into a running clock by the fourth quarter. The Braves unofficially had 569 total yards – an impressive 466 on the ground. Kye Trueblood, Brock Dean and Lindan Lanier each accounted for multiple touchdowns.
The Vikings (11-2) trailed 35-21 at halftime. It was an impressive offensive evening against a Brownstown defense that allowed only 47 total points through 12 games. Carter Schickel was 20 of 31 passing for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Cade Mauck ran for 175 yards and two scores, while Bret Beucher caught 12 passes for 187 yards (one TD).
Class 1A: No. 2 Riverton Parke defeated No. 3 North Daviess 27-0. It is the first regional title in program history for the Panthers, who slowly pulled away after a scoreless first quarter. Brody McConnell had two rushing touchdowns. Riverton Parke also had an interception and a blocked punt.
Final thoughts from the 2026 high school football season
It's difficult not seeing the forest for the trees after the sudden end. This was still an overall positive year.
Ten teams from Southwestern Indiana were ranked in the final USA Today Network Indiana poll. Five won sectional championships. The only item lacking was a deep postseason run – reminder, it's really difficult. Teams ran into good opponents combined with bad injury luck.
A few of the sectional champions could be in this same spot again. Memorial, Castle, Heritage Hills and North Posey all lose important leaders on both sides of the ball but return enough playmakers to remain contenders. North Daviess loses the bulk of arguably the best team in program history but laid a strong foundation the past two years.
There's more to come over the next few weeks, starting with the Evansville All-City banquet on Monday. Preseason practice will arrive before we know it.
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: What we learned from IHSAA football regional championships in Southwestern Indiana