Howard County Football Week 9 Predictions

It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the final week of the regular season, which means we’re just one week away from the start of the Indiana High School Athletic Association Football State Tournament.

The last week of the season is always full of emotions. Senior Night celebrations will take center stage before teams take the field under the Friday night lights.

With that in mind, let’s dive into the Week 9 matchups and predict who will win each game.

Kokomo 4-3 vs Harrison 5-3

Kokomo has built momentum at the right time. Head Coach Austin Colby has done a great job leading a unit that could have lost focus after an unusual start to the season.

The Wildkats will need strong play to win a tough road test against Harrison. Both teams have won four of the last five games and want to finish the regular season strong. The deciding factor may be whether Kokomo’s offense can get its groove back. A week ago, this unit left Colby concerned after its performance. That shouldn't be the case this week, as the Wildkats are expected to pick up a tough road win.

Winner: Kokomo

Twin Lakes 3-5 vs Western 0-8

A terrible season for Panther football got worse last week. Not only did Western lose its eighth game of the season, but the team was also shut out for the third time.

Picking up a win this week will be another struggle as Twin Lakes travels to Russiaville. While the Indians' defense isn't the strongest, it should be good enough to handle the Panthers' offense. Western has only scored multiple touchdowns in one game this season. Even if that happens again Friday night, it likely won't be enough for Western to secure a win on Senior Night.

Winner: Twin Lakes

Northfield 3-5 vs Northwestern 7-1

Northwestern's high-powered offense has been the main talking point this season, but the defense is starting to make its presence felt, allowing only 22 points over the past two weeks.

Caleb Small is preparing the Tigers to fire on all cylinders during their Week 9 game against Northfield. The Norsemen will have to play exceptionally well to upset the 7-1 Tigers. Northfield has yet to beat a team with multiple wins, and that trend is expected to continue Friday night.

Winner: Northwestern

Clinton Prairie 4-4 vs Eastern 4-4

Eastern's Week 4 win over Taylor might have been the turning point for the Comets. Josh Edwards has made key adjustments each week, leading to Eastern winning four of its last five games.

Standing in the way of an Eastern victory on Senior Night is a hungry Clinton Prairie squad. The Gophers have struggled in recent weeks, particularly on the road. Their only road win came against a one-win Tri-Central team. Those road woes are expected to continue this week under the Friday night lights.

Winner: Eastern

Delphi 5-3 vs Taylor 4-4

The new era of Titan football has been full of monumental moments, helping cultivate a belief that the program is moving in the right direction.

To maintain that momentum, Taylor will need to protect its home turf in the regular-season finale against Delphi. One challenge Taylor will face is handling Delphi’s offense, which excels at getting multiple players involved. While Taylor has the home-field advantage, Delphi has the talent to pick up a Week 9 win.

Winner: Delphi

Last week: 4-1

All time: 17-3 (started predicting games in week 5)