OK, time for predictions (not the Week 1 game predictions … those are still to come). But time for season predictions.
Yes, I will get some of these wrong. But let’s look on the positive side. I did correctly predict two state champions last year (New Palestine and Andrean) got 11 of the 16 sectional winners correct in Class 5A and 6A combined. Not bad.
So, here goes nothing. Here are all of the predicted sectional, regional, semistate and state championship winners in the six classes:
Class 6A
Sectional champions
NORTH: Crown Point, Penn, Westfield, Fort Wayne Carroll
SOUTH: Brownsburg, Lawrence North, Warren Central, Center Grove
If you think this looks a lot like last year, well you are correct. Crown Point and Lawrence North did not win sectional titles last year, but the other six did (Crown Point lost to Penn in the sectional championship; now those programs are split into different groups). The toughest pick here was probably between Westfield and Carmel in Sectional 3. That could decide the north entry into the state finals.
I will go with a Crown Point vs. Westfield semistate matchup in the north with the Shamrocks advancing. I think it will be a rematch of last year’s south semistate with Brownsburg again getting past Warren Central.
∎ Championship game: Brownsburg vs. Westfield for a third consecutive year? I’ll take the Bulldogs to make it three in a row in Class 6A.
Class 5A
Sectional champions
NORTH: Michigan City, Concord, Fort Wayne Snider, Lafayette Jeff
SOUTH: New Palestine, Plainfield, Bloomington South, Floyd Central
It is a little bit different look in 5A this year as Fort Wayne Snider drops back down from 6A and Merrillville – last year’s state entry from the north in 5A – moved up to 6A. Last year I picked New Palestine to beat Lafayette Jeff in the state finals. I was right on the winner. In the north, I’ll take Michigan City to beat Concord in the regional and Lafayette Jeff over Fort Wayne Snider. In the south, New Palestine survives Cathedral again in the sectional, then defeats Plainfield in the regional. I’ll take Bloomington South in the other south regional.
∎ Championship game: New Palestine over Lafayette Jeff.
Class 4A
Sectional champions
NORTH: Hobart, Mishawaka, Fort Wayne Dwenger, Yorktown
SOUTH: Bishop Chatard, Roncalli, East Central, Jasper
Talk about some terrible picks. I went 1-for-8 on sectional predictions last year with Martinsville as the only correct winner. Ouch. I had Bishop Chatard over Mishawaka in the championship but it turned out to be Fort Wayne Dwenger over Roncalli.
Time to make up for it. I’ll take Mishawaka over Hobart and Yorktown over Dwenger on the north regional matchups. In the south, give me Chatard over Roncalli in a battle of a regional and East Central over Jasper.
∎ Championship game: Bishop Chatard over Yorktown.
Class 3A
Sectional champions
NORTH: Andrean, West Noble, Adams Central, Mississinewa
SOUTH: Tri-West, Lawrenceburg, Indian Creek, Gibson Southern
It is a little wacky with defending state champion Cascade moving down a class, Adams Central continuing to move up and a whole of uncertainty elsewhere in 3A. Andrean, last year’s 2A champion, is my pick to advance to semistate and play Mississinewa.
In the south, I’ll take Lawrenceburg and Gibson Southern to advance to the semistate.
∎ Championship game: Lawrenceburg, which lost 37-33 to Cascade last year in the regional, defeats Andrean.
Class 2A
Sectional champions
NORTH: Rensselaer Central, Eastside, Eastern (Greentown), Lapel
SOUTH: Lutheran, Cascade, Brownstown Central, Linton-Stockton
With Andrean moving up, the door is open in the 3A north. I’ll take Eastside and Lapel to advance to the semistate in the north and Lapel to break through and advance to the state championship game. In the highly-competitive south, I’ll take Cascade over Lutheran in one regional and Brownstown Central over Linton-Stockton in the other. I’ll take Cascade to make it back to Lucas Oil Stadium in 2A.
∎ Championship game: Lapel over Cascade.
Class 1A
Sectional champions
NORTH: North Judson, Lafayette Central Catholic, Pioneer, South Adams
SOUTH: Knightstown, Milan, Riverton Parke, Springs Valley
I’ll take North Judson to get by Lafayette Central Catholic and Pioneer to advance over South Adams in the regional round. I like Pioneer, last year’s runner-up to South Putnam, to advance again to the state finals. In the south, give me Milan over Knightstown (what in the name of basketball?) and Riverton Parke over Springs Valley.
∎ Championship game: Riverton Parke over Pioneer.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school football predictions: Picking 2026 state champions as season begins
Reporting by Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
