South Newton is the latest program to join eight-man high school football in Indiana.
With only 13 players listed on the Rebels’ roster for the 2026 season, shortened from 23 just a year ago, playing the traditional 11-man schedule was impractical for the team. Head coach and athletic director of the school, Chris Bell, opted to join the eight-man league instead of forgoing football altogether. Bell confirmed the news in an email with the Journal & Courier Monday, Aug. 17.
The move not only gives South Newton a new challenge and opportunity to play, but adds itself as another piece to a small, yet developing, form of the sport.
This will mark the fifth season of eight-man football in Indiana. The conference began in 2022 with the backing of the Indiana Football Coaches Association and the IHSAA, and it’s stayed alive ever since. For schools with declining enrollment and low participation numbers, it’s given them a path to keep playing football.
A total of nine teams are set to compete this year with the Rebels’ arrival. The list includes Waldron, Morristown, Indiana School for the Deaf, Wabash, Greenwood Christian, Union Dugger, Tri-State Crusaders and Kosciusko Thunder.
While some teams like South Newton have moved down to eight-man, Blackhawk Christian moved up to 11-man in 2023. Both Waldron and Morristown started out playing eight-man.
South Newton is coming off a 3-7 finish in 2025 under former coach Brad Davis, who had been with the team since 2016. While Bell is a change at the helm, he isn’t an unfamiliar one, as he previously coached the Rebels from 1996-2015 — the longest tenure in program history.
South Newton 8-man football 2026 schedule
Chase Gemes covers high school sports and Purdue women’s basketball for the Journal & Courier. He can be reached at cgemes@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: South Newton set to play 8-man football in 2026 season
Reporting by Chase Gemes, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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By Chase Gemes, Lafayette Journal & Courier | USA TODAY Network
