The Bloomington South Panthers will take on the Southport Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Bloomington South's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.
Last Friday, Bloomington South blew past Terre Haute South Vigo, posting a 49-14 victory. The win continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Braves: they've now won nine in a row.
Shaun Cooper
| 09/19/25 @ Terre Haute South Vigo | 5 |
| 09/12/25 vs Bloomington North | 1 |
| 09/05/25 @ Terre Haute North Vigo | 2 |
| 08/29/25 vs Martinsville | 2 |
| 08/22/25 vs Columbus East | 1 |
Shaun Cooper was his usual excellent self, rushing for 241 yards and five TDs while picking up 7.3 yards per carry. Thanks to that big game, he is now up to 11 rushing touchdowns on the season. Connor Parker was in the mix as well, providing Bloomington South with one touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Bloomington South was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 315 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2024.
Bloomington South didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Sam Giles, Rylan Stikeleather, and Noah Knepper picked up one apiece. Another thorn in Terre Haute South Vigo's side was Ian Quick, who picked up a sack and made ten total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Southport's offense. They took a blow against Cathedral on Friday, falling 54-0. While losing is never fun, the Cardinals can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana football rankings (they are ranked 192nd, while the Fighting Irish are ranked ninth).
Bloomington South's victory bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Southport, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-5.
Friday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Bloomington South has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 276.4 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Southport, though, as they've been averaging only 75 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything came up roses for Bloomington South against Southport in their previous meeting back in September of 2024, as the team secured a 41-0 win. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Cardinals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
