Center Grove has a chance to cap off one of the great two-year runs in Indiana high school football history should it defeat Cathedral this week and successfully defend its Class 6A state championship.
On Sunday evening, the Trojans learned where their postseason path will begin.
Winners of 22 straight heading into this week, top-ranked Center Grove will travel to Franklin Central for a sectional semifinal game on Oct. 29. The winner of that game will host Columbus North in the title game a week later.
A wide-open Class 5A sectional features Whiteland (5-3) hosting the same Columbus East team that it defeated 28-7 in its season opener. On the other side of that four-team draw, Franklin (3-5) travels to play at New Palestine (5-3) for the third year in a row.
“I guess we know how to get there,” Franklin coach Chris Coll said. “I like how this team has stayed the course. If we continue to do that, and we continue to get better over the next couple of weeks, I feel like we give ourselves a chance to compete against them.”
Franklin and Whiteland, like Center Grove, will have a night off on Oct. 22. All of the other area teams, however, will be in action.
Defending 4A state champion Roncalli opens its title defense on the road next week, as the 8-0 Royals travel to face Western. Should it move on, Roncalli will face either Lebanon or Beech Grove in the semifinal round.
Greenwood also earned a long bus ride, as the Woodmen (2-6) will be heading down I-74 to take on 4A No. 4 East Central (7-1).
In Class 3A, Indian Creek (2-6) got about as friendly a first-round game as it could have hoped for with a trip to Indianapolis Washington (3-5). Should the Braves advance, they’ll be in line to host a semifinal game against either Greencastle (5-3) or No. 4 Danville (7-1).
Edinburgh, on the other hand, drew a short straw. The 5-3 Lancers, enjoying their best season in a generation, will head north on I-65 to take on Class A No. 1 Indianapolis Lutheran (8-0).
Edinburgh coach Tyler DeSpain isn’t worried about that matchup just yet; his team has a chance to clinch its first winning season since 1993 with a victory in this Friday’s regular-season finale.
“We are focused on Park Tudor,” he said.
