North Decatur is a perfect 4-0 against Knightstown since September of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Chargers will square off against the Panthers at 7:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.
North Decatur is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 56-12 win over Greenwood Christian Academy. Considering the Chargers' offense had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Simon Barber
| 10/24/25 vs Greenwood Christian Academy | 3 |
| 09/12/25 @ Brown County | 2 |
| 10/18/24 vs Switzerland County | 2 |
| 09/19/25 @ Switzerland County | 1 |
| 09/05/25 vs Milan | 1 |
North Decatur's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Simon Barber led the charge by rushing for 139 yards and three touchdowns on only 11 carries. Those three rushing touchdowns gave Barber a new career-high. Another back making a difference was Corbin Thackery, who gained 102 total yards and four touchdowns.
North Decatur didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off five passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Thackery and Eli Trenkamp. Thackery got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Knightstown, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They blew past West Washington 46-7 on Friday. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 39-0.
Knightstown's win came from a few key players North Decatur will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jameson Crawford, who rushed for 109 yards and a pair of TDs on only 13 carries, and also picked up 56 receiving yards. He also punched in two rushing touchdowns, which is notable because Knightstown is 5-1 when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 1-3 otherwise. Bryor Carmichael was another key player, throwing for 307 yards and three touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes.
North Decatur's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-2. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 29.1 points. As for Knightstown, their record is now 6-4.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Thackery and Crawford. Thackery just won't slow down this season and has run in 11 touchdowns while averaging 76.9 rushing yards per game. Crawford has been a dominant force too and has run in 18 touchdowns while averaging 101.5 rushing yards per game.
Everything came up roses for North Decatur against Knightstown in their previous matchup back in November of 2022, as the team secured a 56-6 win. In that contest, the Chargers amassed a halftime lead of 49-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
