IHSAA Reveals Football Sectional Matchups

The state tournament begins Friday, October 23.

Milan had the deepest tournament run of any local team in 2025, earning their way to the semi-state. 

INDIANAPOLIS - High school football teams across the state of Indiana learned their first-round sectional opponents on Sunday evening. 

The 54th annual IHSAA Football State Tournament, presented by the Indianapolis Colts, is set to begin on Friday, October 23 with sectional first round games. Semifinal games will be played on Friday, October 30 and sectional championship games on Friday, November 6. 

Regionals will be held on November 13, followed by semi-states on November 20. 

State championship games will be played on Friday, November 27 and Saturday, November 28 at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. This year, the 2A, 4A, and 6A title games will be played on Black Friday. The 1A, 3A, and 5A state titles games will take place on November 28. 

Of interest, in Class 2A, Sectional 38, South Putnam, last year’s Class 1A state champion and Cascade, last year’s 3A state champion, were assigned to the same sectional this year and drew each other for their first-round game. With the new football alignment this year, South Putnam moved up to 2A due to the Tournament Success Factor, while Cascade dropped down one classification due to enrollment. It is the first time in state tournament history that two teams who won state titles the previous year have met in the first round of the next year’s tournament.

Schools Entered: 311 schools. 305 games will be played over the six-week tournament

By Class: 33 in 6A: 33 in 5A; 63 in 4A; 61 in 3A; 62 in 2A; 59 in 1A

Schools Playing Up due to Tournament Success Factor Adams Central (Class 3A, Sectional 27) Andrean (Class 3A, Sectional 25) Decatur Central (Class 6A, Sectional 7) Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (Class 4A, Sectional 20) Heritage Hills (Class 4A, Sectional 24) Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (Class 4A, Sectional 21) Indianapolis Cathedral (Class 5A, Sectional 13) Indianapolis Lutheran (Class 2A, Sectional 37) New Palestine (Class 5A, Sectional 13) South Putnam (Class 2A, Sectional 38)

Defending Sectional Champions

• 6A: Brownsburg, Carroll (Fort Wayne), Center Grove, Decatur Central, Fishers, Penn, Warren Central, Westfield.
• 5A: Bloomington South, Concord, East Central, Floyd Central, Lafayette Jefferson, Merrillville, Michigan City, New Palestine.
• 4A: Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, Heritage Hills, Hobart, Lebanon, Martinsville, Roncalli, South Bend Saint Joseph, Yorktown.
• 3A: Angola, Cascade, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, Gibson Southern, Indian Creek, Knox, Lawrenceburg, Twin Lakes.
• 2A: Adams Central, Andrean, Brownstown Central, Eastbrook, Indianapolis Lutheran, Lapel, Linton Stockton, Southmont.
• 1A: LaVille, Milan, North Miami, Pioneer, Providence, Sheridan, South Adams, South Putnam.

Class 4A Sectional 23 (7 teams)

First Round
G1: Madison Consolidated at #1 East Central.
G2: Charlestown at Columbus East.
G3: Shelbyville at Silver Creek.
Semifinals
G4: Jennings County at G1 winner.
G5: G2 winner vs. G3 winner.
Championship
G6: G4 winner vs. G5 winner.

Class 3A Sectional 30 (8 teams)

First Round
G1: #2 Lawrenceburg at New Castle.
G2: Centerville at Greensburg.
G3: Rushville Consolidated at Franklin County.
G4: #14 Batesville at South Dearborn.
Semifinals
G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner.
G6: G3 winner vs. G4 winner.
Championship
G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner.

Class 2A Sectional 39 (8 teams)

First Round
G1: Salem at Brown County.
G2: Providence at #2 Brownstown Central.
G3: Switzerland County at Mitchell.
G4: Eastern (Pekin) at Clarksville.
Semifinals
G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner.
G6: G3 winner vs. G4 winner.
Championship
G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner.

Class A Sectional 46 (6 teams)

First Round
G1: #4 Milan at Trinity Lutheran.
G2: North Decatur at South Decatur.
Semifinals
G3: Edinburgh at G1 winner.
G4: Union County at G2 winner.
Championship
G5: G3 winner vs. G4 winner.