Howard County: First-Round Sectional Football Predictions
Friday night marks the start of the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s football state tournament.
Every school in the state has a chance to make an impact in the postseason and regular-season records don’t matter. Even winless teams have the same opportunity as undefeated teams to win the state championship.
Four of the five county schools begin tournament play this week with Kokomo having a bye and will play its first tournament game on Nov. 1.
With that in mind, let’s dive into this week’s games and hear our predictions of the winners of high school football games featuring county schools.
Western 0-9 vs Twin Lakes 4-5
Western is the only county school that failed to win a game during the regular season. Offensive struggles plagued the Panthers all year. The good news for Western is that its regular-season record has no impact on postseason play.
Western begins postseason action against a familiar foe, facing Twin Lakes on Friday night—the same team it played in the final week of the regular season. It’s hard to believe this will be the week Western’s offense shifts into high gear. The Panthers have scored multiple touchdowns in a game just once all season, which is a big reason Twin Lakes is favored to win.
Winner: Twin Lakes
Benton Central 0-9 vs Northwestern 8-1
Caleb Small’s revitalization of Northwestern’s football program has led to impressive results. One of the best is the Tigers winning eight regular-season games for the first time since 2011. While those accomplishments tell a great story, they won’t impact how Northwestern performs in the state tournament.
The blind draw was favorable to Northwestern, with its first sectional game against a winless Benton Central squad. The Bison failed to score in their last four regular-season games. To make matters worse for Benton Central, Northwestern’s defense is playing its best football of the season, allowing just 12 points per game during a current three-game win streak. This combination should lead to a Northwestern victory on Friday night.
Winner: Northwestern
Blackford 2-7 vs Eastern 5-4
Eastern ended the regular season on fire. After starting 0-3, the Comets turned things around by winning five of their last six games, giving them plenty of confidence heading into the postseason.
Like Northwestern, Eastern received a favorable sectional draw, facing a two-win Blackford squad on Friday night. Blackford has struggled all year and is currently on a five-game losing streak, scoring only 26 points during that stretch. Eastern’s hot streak should continue Friday, as Blackford is unlikely to find a way to compete with the Comets.
Winner: Eastern
Taylor 4-5 vs Winamac 4-4
Titan fans saw a different product on the field in 2024. Winning their first two games, along with a huge road victory over Sheridan, had Taylor fans excited about the team’s potential. Now, Taylor must play its best football on Friday night, or the season will come to an end.
The Titans’ first tournament game is easily the toughest among the county schools this week, as they face Winamac on Friday night. The key to this game will be the defense. Both teams have had stretches where it’s tough to move the ball against them, but they’ve also allowed multiple opponents to score at least 35 points. The concern for Taylor is that their defense tends to give up a lot of points on the road, which is a big reason why Winamac’s season likely won’t end Friday night.
Winner: Winamac
Last week: 4-1
All time: 21-4 (started predicting games during week 5)
Tournament time is always an exciting part of the year. It also marks the end of numerous high school football careers, making it all the more important to get out and support the talented athletes playing Friday night. Cheer them on throughout the game!
