SBLive Indiana Power 25 Week 8 High School Football Rankings: Big matchups on tap this Friday

Brownsburg at Hamilton Southeastern and Cathedral at Center Grove highlight final week of regular season

By Kevin Messenger

What better way to preview the state tournament that begins next week than by scheduling the top four teams in the Power 25 in a pair of head-to-head 6A matchups! 

The final week of the regular season has arrived, and indeed, No. 1 Brownsburg is slated to play No. 4 Hamilton Southeastern and No. 2 Center Grove squares off with No. 3 Cathedral.

• Previous rankings: PRESEASON | WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 | WEEK 5 | WEEK 6 | WEEK 7

Here is our breakdown of this week's SBLive Indiana Power 25 high school football rankings:

SBLIVE INDIANA POWER 25 FOOTBALL RANKINGS

October 11, 2022

1. Brownsburg (8-0)

Last week: 1

Next game: Oct. 14 at No. 4 Hamilton Southeastern (8-0)

Ranking rationale: The Bulldogs have been dominant since opening the season with wins over Ben Davis and Indianapolis Cathedral. Before their sectional gets underway in two weeks with a draw against No. 9 Ben Davis again, the ‘Dogs have a date with Hoosier Crossroads rival Hamilton Southeastern. Since Week 3, both clubs have run the table (6-0) in the deepest 6A league in the state.

2. Center Grove (Greenwood) (7-1)

Last week: 2

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. No. 3 Cathedral (6-1)

Ranking rationale: The Trojans still make their claim to the No. 1 ranking by virtue of being the defending champions and remaining unbeaten against Indiana schools. Center Grove’s only loss was a 29-28 2OT defeat at Louisville Trinity. The Trojans slipped to No. 2 last week based solely on strength of schedule. Friday’s bout with Cathedral will provide a welcomed test.

3. Cathedral (Indianapolis) (6-1)

Last week: 3

Next game: Oct. 14 at Center Grove (7-1)

Ranking rationale: But for a 42-35 defeat at Brownsburg in Week 2, the Irish have remained perfect. That perfection will be tested against the defending champions trying to prove they still are No. 1. Both clubs are dominant running and throwing, but which defense will rise to the occasion?

4. Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers) (8-0)

Last week: 5

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. No. 1 Brownsburg (8-0)

Ranking rationale: No. 4 hosts No. 1 this week in a showdown of teams jockeying for bragging rights in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference. Will the Royals’ offensive firepower be enough against the stingy Bulldogs? Can the HSE defense contain a Brownsburg squad that hasn’t been held under 30 points since Week 1?

5. New Palestine (7-0)

Last week: 6

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Delta (3-5)

Ranking rationale: The 4A Dragons are unbeaten and own a 38.3-point average margin of victory with a minimum six touchdowns scored each week.

6. Carroll (Fort Wayne) (8-0)

Last week: 8

Next game: Oct. 14 at Fort Wayne Wayne (2-6)

Ranking rationale: A 51-0 defeat of Concordia, coupled with an upset loss to Carmel, helped the Chargers leap the Greyhounds in this week’s rankings. Summit Conference champs and owners of the state’s top average 6A margin of victory (33.5 points), the Chargers are the state’s biggest power outside of Central Indiana.

7. Carmel (5-3) 

Last week: 4

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Lawrence Central (4-4)

Ranking rationale: Unranked Warren Central controlled its game with Carmel from start to finish last week, and if last week’s Lawrence Central vs. Ben Davis matchup is any indication, the Greyhounds could have their hands full again. Carmel checks in at No. 7, leading a second-tier cluster of 5-3 clubs battling to advance when sectional play begins.

8. Westfield (5-3)

Last week: 9

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Franklin Central (3-5)

Ranking rationale: The Shamrocks won a statement game last week against conference-rival Fishers. Now, Westfield faces Franklin Central before attempting to navigate the state tournament for a return trip to the state finals.

9. Ben Davis (5-3)

Last week: 12

Next game: Oct. 14 at North Central (Indianapolis) (0-8)

Ranking rationale: Nobody has more momentum than the Giants, following their massive comeback against Lawrence Central last week. Ben Davis vaulted three spots in this week’s Power 25 due to its consistent play in big games. Its only losses have come to Brownsburg, Center Grove and a narrow defeat to Carmel. The Giants have earned their spot in the top ten.

10. Crown Point (8-0)

Last week: 13

Next game: Oct. 14 at Michigan City (2-6)

Ranking rationale: Crown Point joins Fort Wayne Carroll as the only clubs reaching the Top 10 from outside of Central Indiana. These high-scoring Bulldogs are untarnished, with a 40-point scoring average that rivals the state’s best teams.

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11. Roncalli (7-1)

Last week: 10

Next game: Oct. 14 at East Central (7-1)

Ranking rationale: The Royals dropped one spot in the rankings after it was discovered that Luke Hansen can be relatively contained – at least kept out of the endzone on every possession. Hansen and the Royals will have their hands full this week with a No. 12 East Central team that boasts a top running back of its own.

12. East Central (St. Leon) (7-1)

Last week: 11

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Roncalli (Indianapolis) (7-1)

Ranking rationale: East Central has dominated its past five weeks to the tune of 220 points to 27. Like Roncalli, its only loss this year has come to a Cincinnati powerhouse. Two of the state’s top 4A clubs meet head-to-head as a state tournament appetizer.

13. West Lafayette (8-0) 

Last week: 15

Next game: Oct. 14 at Western (5-3)

Ranking rationale: The Red Devils eclipsed 40 points for the seventh straight week and limited to just four first downs. West Lafayette led 45-6 at intermission and has risen two spots in the Power 25.

14. Evansville Reitz (8-0)

Last week: 16

Next game: Oct. 14 at Evansville Mater Dei (6-2)

Ranking rationale: Last week, Reitz claimed its first outright Southern Indiana conference championship since 2010. This week the Panthers will try for their first undefeated regular season since the same club in 2010. But don’t count out the 2A Wildcats just yet. Twice recently, in 2014 and 2015, Mater Dei derailed unbeaten seasons by the Panthers on the final night of the regular season.

15. NorthWood (8-0)

Last week: 17

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Goshen (2-6)

Ranking rationale: NorthWood has been one of the state’s most impressive teams, putting together its best season since an 11-1 mark in 2018. The Panthers can claim an outright championship in the Northern Lakes Conference with a win over 5A Goshen who has lost four of its last five games.

16. Merrillville (7-1)

Last week: 18

Next game: Oct. 14 at Chesterton (3-5)

Ranking rationale: The Pirates racked up 518 yards in offense last week, with Justin Marshall totaling 331 scrimmage yards between rushing and receiving. Their only defeat this year has been a Week 3 loss to No. 10 Crown Point.

17. Bishop Chatard (5-3)

Last week: 19

Next game: Oct. 14 at Cincinnati Elder (Ohio) (6-2)

Ranking rationale: Seven different players scored touchdowns for Chatard who outmuscled and outmanned Terre Haute North last week. This week though, Chatard travels to Cincinnati to face the same Elder team that outlasted No. 11 Roncalli last week, 24-23.

18. Fort Wayne Snider (7-1)

Last week: 20

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Fort Wayne Luers (4-4)

Ranking rationale: Snider has won six consecutive games with four by shutout.

19. Fishers (5-3)

Last week: 7

Next game: Oct. 14 at Zionsville (4-4)

Ranking rationale: The Tigers suffer the steepest drop in this week’s Power 25, tumbling 12 spots after Westfield’s statement win in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference.

20. Whiteland (7-1)

Last week: 21

Next game: Oct. 14 vs. Greenwood (1-7)

Ranking rationale: The Warriors have regrouped since a 35-21 stumble at Martinsville in Week 6. Impressive wins over Mooresville and Plainfield have Whiteland in prime position for an outright claim to the Mid-State Conference crown if it can get past the 1-7 Woodmen.

21. Mishawaka (7-1)

Last week: 22

Next game: Oct. 14 at Wawasee (1-7)

Ranking rationale: The best hope for the Cavemen is for a NorthWood loss and a tie for the Northern Lakes championship. More important for Mishawaka, now, is to figure out how to score points again. After six straight weeks with at least 30 points, the Cavemen fell 14-6 to NorthWood, then barely got past Concord by a 15-11 score.

22. Gibson Southern (8-0)

Last week: 23

Next game: Oct. 14 at Boonville (6-2)

Ranking rationale: The unbeaten 3A Titans pummeled winless Princeton 63-0 last week in a game that accented Gibson Southern’s dominance this year. The traditional 3A powerhouse in Southern Indiana is hopeful of making a run in the upcoming state tournament.

23. Kokomo (8-0)

Last week: 24

Next game: Oct. 14 at Lafayette Jeff (6-2)

Ranking rationale: The WildKats entered the Power 25 last week and remain unbeaten through eight games, but that perfect record will be tested by a Bronchos squad that has won six of its last seven. Lafayette Jeff has beaten the Kats in five straight seasons, last losing to Kokomo in 2016.

24. Penn (6-2)

Last week: NR

Next Game: Oct. 14 at South Bend Adams (1-7)

Ranking rationale: The 6A Kingsmen were 2-2 after losses to Indianapolis Cathedral and Cincinnati St. Xavier (Ohio), but since a 21-20 win over Elkhart, Penn has won three straight by a combined score of 103-3.

25. Lawrence Central (4-4)

Last week: 25

Next game: Oct. 14 at No. 7 Carmel (5-3)

Ranking rationale: The Bears led then-No. 12 Ben Davis 28-0 before allowing the most giant comeback in BD history, falling 29-28 in the final seconds of regulation. Will last week’s first-half version of the Bears show up for another tough matchup this week against No. 7 Carmel?

Other schools considered: Lutheran (Indianapolis), Warren Central, Martinsville, Zionsville, Mooresville, Brebeuf Jesuit, Bloomington South, Lafayette Jeff