Pike and North Central are an even 5-5 against one another since October of 2016, but not for long. The Red Devils will be playing in front of their home fans against the Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. North Central took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Pike, who comes in off a win.
Pike took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They blew past Guerin Catholic 41-21.
Bobby Thomas
| 10/03/25 vs Guerin Catholic | 145 |
| 09/26/25 @ Warren Central | 112 |
| 09/19/25 vs Lawrence Central | 111 |
| 08/22/25 @ Zionsville | 83 |
| 10/04/24 @ Guerin Catholic | 79 |
Pike's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Bobby Thomas, who rushed for 145 yards and a pair of scores on only 15 carries. Those 145 rushing yards gave Thomas a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Mychael Lewis, who rushed for 83 yards and two TDs on only five carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Pike was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 344 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their rushing yard total in three consecutive matchups.
Pike didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jaylen Griffin and Willie Chapman. Chapman is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in each of the last six games he's played. Griffin got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, while it was all tied up 14-14 at halftime, North Central was not quite Lawrence Central's equal in the second half on Friday. They were beaten by the Bears 49-14. The Panthers have struggled against the Bears recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost matchup.
The match pitted two dominant signal callers against one another in Chase Grove and Santana Allen. Allen had a great game and threw for 165 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Grove did his best for the losing side, throwing for 170 yards and a pair of TDs.
Pike's win ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-5. As for North Central, their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 2-5.
Everything went Pike's way against North Central when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as Pike made off with a 35-14 victory. Do the Red Devils have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
