Following Utah, Indiana will be the second state set to begin the high school football season with a schedule that begins Aug. 21. As things stand, the postseason is set to begin Oct. 23-24 with championship games scheduled for Nov. 27-28.
Indiana is one of 35 states planning to play football this fall. Fifteen others plus the District of Columbia have moved their respective seasons to 2021.
In the Hoosier State, a total of 161 games are set to kick off on Friday.
In advance of season openers, here's a look at what you need to know about Indiana football in 2020.
Top 5 Games
Cathedral (Indianapolis) at
Carmel, Aug. 28
Carmel at
Center Grove (Greenwood), Sept. 4
Avon at
Brownsburg, Sept. 11
Cathedral (Indianapolis) at
Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, Sept. 11
Cathedral (Indianapolis) at Center Grove (Greenwood), Oct. 16
Top 5 Teams
1. Avon
2.
New Palestine3. Brownsburg
4. Center Grove (Greenwood)
5. Carmel
Defending Champions
6A: Carmel
5A: New Palestine
4A:
Evansville Reitz 3A: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard
2A:
Western Boone (Thorntown)1A:
Lafayette Central CatholicTop 5 Recruits
1.
Blake Fisher, OT, Avon (No. 50 nationally according to 247Sports)
2.
Yanni Karlaftis, LB,
West Lafayette (No. 235)
3.
Donaven McCulley, QB,
Lawrence North (Indianapolis), (No. 320)
4.
Cooper Jones, DE,
Valparaiso (No. 427)
5.
Rodney McGraw, DE,
Elkhart Central (Elkhart) (No. 439)
Returning Stat Leaders
Passing
James Arnold,
South Adams (Berne), 158-271, 3,168 yards, 43 TDs
Clark Barrett, Lafayette Central Catholic, 229-403, 3,134 yards, 35 TDs
Rushing
Ryan Walsh,
Andrean (Merrillville), 278 carries, 2,251 yards, 27 TDs
Wenkers Wright,
Floyd Central (Floyds Knobs), 231 carries, 2,056 yards, 37 TDs
Receiving
Noble Johnson,
Parke Heritage (Rockville), 78 catches, 1,270 yards, 17 TDs
JC Reese,
Lebanon, 51 catches, 1,072 yards, 14 TDs
Avon quarterback Henry Hesson threw for 22 touchdowns and ran for three more in 2019.
Photo by Julie Brown
