Football Recap: North Decatur Finds Playoff Glory Versus Knightstown

Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only North Decatur walked away with it. They came out on top against the Knightstown Panthers by a score of 31-18 on Friday. The Chargers haven't had any issues with the Panthers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.

Corbin Thackery was his usual excellent self, rushing for 102 yards and one score, while also picking up 42 receiving yards and one touchdown. Another rusher making a difference was Simon Barber, who rushed for 107 yards.

Chargers

Rushing Yards

10/31/25 vs Knightstown	250
10/24/25 vs Greenwood Christian Academy	174
10/17/25 @ Franklin County	129
10/03/25 vs Eastern Greene	192
09/12/25 @ Brown County	223
+ 2 more games

They were just one part of a punishing run game: North Decatur was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 250 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2024.

Special teams also played a big role in the game for North Decatur, adding 13 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Thackery, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.

Despite the defeat, Knightstown had strong showings from Bryor Carmichael, who threw for 283 yards and a pair of TDs, and Jameson Crawford, who gained 121 total yards and two touchdowns. Crawford didn't just play on offense: he also made eight total tackles and defended two passes.

North Decatur's win bumped their record up to 9-2. As for Knightstown, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-5 record this season.

North Decatur didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, a 27-7 loss against Milan on the 7th. Knightstown does not have any more games scheduled as of now.