The 2026 IHSAA football season is just under one week away.
Optimism, belief, discipline. It will all get put to the test when the lights shine on Friday nights this fall. But as for now, everyone sits 0-0 with the hope of this season being a special one.
Focusing on Class 5A and 4A teams from Southwestern Indiana, Heritage Hills set the tone with a semi-state appearance last season. It was coach Todd Wilkerson’s final campaign leading the Patriots, with his assistant Kevin Tempel now taking over as the main man in Lincoln City.
As far as the Evansville area is concerned, North stood out in year one of the Zac Nero era. Amid mass overhaul to a talented senior class, Nero and the Huskies remain confident that last season’s success becomes the norm.
Here are five 4A or 5A teams to watch for in the Southwestern Indiana area this fall.
North
North was 8-3 and made it to the sectional championship a year ago, one of the Huskies’ best seasons since the turn of the century. Now, the aim is to continue that mission.
A message Nero often preaches in the locker room revolves around the word “Us.” More than a word, it is an identity he wants his team to embody.
Team sports are about the collective, not the individual. Nero wants that thought to be engrained in his players’ minds each day, especially as they take the field on game days.
In Nero’s first full offseason, the hope is that the group appears even more prepared for success. The Huskies finished second in the SIAC behind Memorial a year ago.
A talented 12-person senior class has left North, mainly on defense. Among the departures is linebacker Ricky White Jr., our All-Metro Player of the Year from last season.
But this new senior class is a confident bunch, which includes quarterback Jayden Jones, linebacker Carson Conley and lineman Jason Bohleber who are looked at as leaders by Nero.
Conley said there has been a positive difference in the team’s chemistry.
“Everyone’s a lot more (close-knit),” Conley said. “I feel like last year, there was two or three little groups, but now it’s just one giant group. I feel like we’re a lot closer and that will show on the field.”
Bohleber is focused on being a vocal leader. It is not an easy role, but the lineman knows it is the way forward.
“A lot of people aren’t ready to confront their friends because of what they might say back to them,” Bohleber said. “It’s about telling people what’s right instead of encouraging what’s wrong.”
Conley, who played offense last year, is eager for Week 1 when North will play host to Castle. Nero’s approach should certainly have the group prepared.
Heritage Hills
Heritage Hills will have a new look this season. Tempel, a longtime assistant for the Patriots, is succeeding Wilkerson. In Wilkerson’s 14 seasons, just one of those finished with an under .500 record.
Changes will not only be seen in the coaching department, but also in terms of players. The most notable departure is dual-threat quarterback Jett Goldsberry, who now plays his football at Purdue. Tyce Winchell now takes over the reins s QB1.
The offensive line will also look completely different, but there is still reason for optimism as many of the current Patriots have been around this winning environment. They know what it takes, so as opportunity now opens for many inexperienced kids.
Tempel is confident in what he has in that locker room. The first-year coach’s focus has been on building the team’s connectivity this offseason. Whether that’s seen through their leadership council or their book study group, Tempel knows a group bonded by its chemistry is hard to beat.
Things will be different, but Tempel has been proud of how receptive the group has been in terms of embracing the change.
“At Heritage Hills, we never rebuild, we reload,” Tempel said. “We had some kids that I’m sure were itching to play but we had great seniors in front of them. Now they’re ready to make a name for themselves.”
Among the top returners for the Patriots are Aidan Fischer and Andrew James, both of whom have made their mark on the defensive side of things. Tempel likes what he has in those two to carry the momentum of the program forward.
“Both of them are a little quieter sometimes, but you strap on that helmet and they kind of flip a switch,” Tempel said. “They become football players.”
James and Fischer highlighted the team’s focus and lack of complacency throughout the offseason. Amid the changes, it seems that the mentality of Heritage Hills remains constant going into a new era.
Castle
Castle finished last season 6-4 after losing its opening game of the sectional to Floyd Central. It was a sour end to the season with a few emphatic losses, but as coach Doug Hurt enters his 21st season in charge, the Knights are confident.
They will have to do without some key pieces like quarterback Boden Morgan and leading receiver Carter Bobe, among others. The biggest thing that senior class brought was a leadership that often carried them through games.
“We lost so many good ones that we need people to step up and feel comfortable in that role,” Hurt said.
But Castle has back its biggest leader in the form of All-State senior linebacker Brodie Farmer. Hurt’s reliance on Farmer to bring this group along is going to be significant.
Farmer accepts the responsibility.
“We can’t just have one leader,” Farmer said. “I have to be able to trickle that down to the other guys. That’s going to take me giving my knowledge and leadership to the other guys so they can spread it the younger guys on the team.”
It has certainly been a focal point for much of the offseason. Farmer is often in his teammates’ ear about it. Some conversations might appear tough, but that level of communication is often synonymous with the best team you will find.
Farmer, who has been starting games since his freshman season, will be relied upon on the field just as much. Hurt expects the senior to play in all three phases: offense, defense and special teams.
“I’d adopt the kid if he were up,” Hurt said.
Each game matters in the SIAC, and every game is a challenge. It prepares you for postseason football.
But the Knights have a lasered focus on Week 1. As they ran sideline drills on August 4, the message was loud and clear.
Beat North.
Jasper
Jasper went 9-3 last year. Their lone regular season losses came to the SIAC’s top two teams, and its third to Heritage Hills in the sectional championship. It was a rough loss to end things, but it was the Wildcats’ best finish to a season since 2015.
Jasper keeps that final loss in mind as they prepare for another one. Heading into year two, coach Derek Hart is hoping for even more growth.
“We’ve had a great summer,” Hart said. “It’s been a great group of kids, they’re working hard.”
Among the players lost to graduation are wide receivers Nate Lukemeyer, Jack Levin, Max Bueltel, defensive lineman Eliot Smith and linebacker Alex Wehr. But the Wildcats return enough talent to still be considered a competitive team in Southwestern Indiana.
Hart’s been emphasizing the message of stacking days to his group. He will be relying on a couple of senior captains to relay that message — quarterback Jaylen Maners and offensive lineman Andrew Obermeier.
“We’ve really matured since the end of July,” Obermeier said. “We’re getting older and we can really have something special this year.”
Obermeier, an All-SIAC selection in 2025, said the team is determined to get Jasper football back to where it once was, winning sectional championships. They are proud of their progress, but certainly not satisfied.
Maners, an All-State selection in 2025, said the team’s focus is sharper at this point given their familiarity in Hart’s system. The main thing for the Wildcats is coming out strong, unlike Week 1 last season.
Reitz
Reitz went 7-4 last season in coach Cory Brunson’s sixth season. While the Panthers were unable to win a game in the sectional, they showed their ability to win consistently again in 2025.
Continuing the theme, things will look different for Reitz. The graduating list includes leading tackler and running back AJ Coates, starting quarterback Parker Baumeyer and its top receivers in Lucas Feldmann, Daxton Vanover and Jamontre Johnson.
Brunson’s group heading into 2026 is young but also determined. Their work ethic has stood out, a testament to the culture built over the years and the quality of upperclassmen. Brunson has led the Panthers to four consecutive winning seasons.
“I feel how they’ve performed and worked in the summer, you wouldn’t have though that,” Brunson said about the team’s youth. “It’s different (when) Friday nights hit and the lights are on.”
There will be a reliance on a few defensive pieces to continue having an impact in seniors Kade Voegel, Ethan Rowe and E’Ani Clardy. The defensive side will have more inexperience than the offense, so the responsibility these three carry will be constant.
But Voegel and Clardy are ready for it. Voegel commands the front seven and said the communication has taken a huge step forward. Clardy, who Brunson calls the quarterback of the defense, said the message he shares with the secondary is not only communication but cohesion.
Among Reitz’s most significant pieces is sophomore Amyr Wilford, an All-SIAC running back as a freshman. He finished 2025 with 1,474 rushing yards. Expect Wilford to not only be a focal point because of his talent, but because of the Panthers’ change at quarterback.
On August 4, Brunson indicated the starter would be another sophomore in Hunter Moers.
“If we had a game today, it’d be Hunter Moers,” Brunson said. “He got thrown in the fire last year versus Heritage Hills and showed things through that week. He’s had a good summer.”
While the overall talent may be lacking, the togetherness of the group is expected to be its greatest strength.
Markos Tsegaye is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. He can be reached at mtsegaye@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @10_Markos_
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Five Class 5A, 4A IHSAA football teams to watch for in SW Indiana
Reporting by Markos Tsegaye, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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By Markos Tsegaye, Evansville Courier & Press | USA TODAY Network
