The Indiana high school football season kicks off this week. The season lasts nine weeks, with six rounds of playoffs, culminating with the state championship games Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 27-28, at Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Indianapolis Colts.
Two of the three southeast Indiana teams in our area have played there in recent years. East Central won state titles in 2022 and 2023, while Lawrenceburg was state runner-up in 2022. Here is a look at the three locals this year.
East Central hosts Lawrenceburg Aug. 21, and South Dearborn plays at Little Miami to start the 2026 high school football season
East Central Trojans
2025: 9-3, lost in 5A regional finals
Head coach: Jake Meiners
Returning players: LB Chase McCracken, WR/DB Troy Sebastian, RB/LB Ryan Minges, RB Colton Bellman, OL/DL Noah Brown, OL DJ Miller, OL/DL Sam Kreimer, DL Luke Bovard, RB/DB Noah Long, DL Parker Schneider
Outlook: The Trojans fell to the eventual state champion in the regional finals, losing to New Palestine, 20-6. East Central has put New Palestine on its schedule this year, and will also play at Elder in The Pit during Week 3.
East Central is back in Class 4A after playing in 5A the last two years under Indiana’s competitive balance rules. EC hopes to make a run at another state title after winning 4A in 2023.
EC returns seven starters from a defense that allowed 11 points per game including four shutouts. McCracken, a junior all-state selection who is getting a lot of Division I offers, had 66 tackles last season. Ryan Minges returns after a big sophomore season when he rushed for 1,517 yards. The Air Force and Miami recruit missed most of last season with injury, allowing Bellman to have a big season with 1,589 yards and 13 TDs. The Trojans are deep and experienced on the offensive line, which should pave the way for the rushing attack and help new starting QB Ben Bond, a senior. Kreimer is the returning starter at center and has 24 career starts on the o-line. Brown, who started on the offensive line for the 2023 state champs, has 27 career starts.
East Central is in a new seven-team sectional bracket with Charlestown (8-3 in 2025), Columbus East (5-5), Jennings County (2-8), Madison (2-9), Shelbyville (5-6) and Silver Creek (3-7)
Lawrenceburg Tigers
2025: 10-2, lost in 3A regional finals
Head coach: Ryan Knigga
Returning players: QB Crue Gilmour, OL/DE Luke Denison, OL/DL Dylan Bates, OL Elijah-Dennis Welch, DL Seth Graham, RB/LB Grayson Callahan, WR/DB Mason Manford.
Outlook: The Tigers are coming off their 22nd sectional championship and are looking to get back to the state title game for the first time since 2022. They picked up their 10 wins by an average of 25 points per game. Like East Central, they lost to the eventual state champion in the regional finals, falling 37-33 to Cascade in 3A. Cascade moves down to 2A this season. Kyle Neddenriep of the Indianapolis Star picks Lawrenceburg to win the 3A state title this year.
Knigga enters the season with 140-44 record, 10 wins away from 150. Gilmour, entering his third year as a starter, was a junior all-state honoree last season and EIAC Legends offensive player of the year after throwing for 1,897 yards and 26 touchdowns, and rushing for 764 and 11 TDs. Callahan and Graham were two of the leading tacklers last year and are tough defensive players.
South Dearborn Knights
2025: 5-6, lost in second round of 3A sectionals
Head coach: Rand Ballart
Returning players: QB Hunter Jones, WR Wyatt Adams, RB/DL Mason Lane, OL/DL Mariano Flores, OL Landon Shackelford, QB/LB Jackson Johnson.
Outlook: The Knights graduated University of Louisville commit Brady Ballart at linebacker but returns a veteran team filled with senior talent. Jones returns under center after taking over the starting job late last season. Adams had 31 catches for 635 yards and five TDs in 2025. Lane was the team’s leading rusher last season, posting 629 yards and seven touchdowns, and the leading returning tackler on the team with 57 stops. SD has a lot of experience returning on the offensive line and on defense.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Southeast Indiana high school football preview
Reporting by James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
