Columbus North’s Gino Prescott runs into a wall of Roncalli defenders during a game at Max Andress Field at Columbus North High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Last week, Columbus East and Columbus North took care of business in their conference races by remaining unbeaten and atop those leagues.
This week, the Class 6A co-No. 10 Bull Dogs will try to take another step toward winning the Conference Indiana title, while the Olympians step outside the conference by hosting 5A No. 4 Bloomington North.
Columbus North (5-1, 2-0) visits Bloomington South (4-2, 3-1) on Friday. The Panthers are coming off a 41-0 shutout at Southport.
“We know they’re a younger football team than the last couple years, but we also know they’re a well-coached football team, and they’re always going to be prepared and ready to go,” Columbus North coach Logan Haston said. “It’s always tough to go into a hostile environment and be ready to play. They have a great gameday atmosphere, but I know our guys are mature enough to handle it and are going to be ready for it.”
The Bull Dogs bounced back from their first loss of the season at 4A No. 3 Bishop Chatard with a 51-10 rout of Terre Haute North on Saturday.
“We struggled a little bit against Chatard, but it was important for us to get back to our winning ways,” Haston said. “Obviously, we came out ready to play and took care of business. It showed our maturity on the field.”
Columbus East’s Thomas Houpey, left, takes a handoff from Kyson Villarreal during a game against Seymour at Columbus East High School in Columbus, Ind., Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
East, meanwhile, lost to those Bloomington South and Columbus North teams the first two weeks of the season, but has recovered with four consecutive wins. The Olympians shocked Floyd Central 34-14 on Saturday.
“In all phases of the game, I think we took some bumps and bruises early,” East coach Eddie Vogel said. “We played two quality opponents right out of the gate, and we had a lot of new starters. It took us awhile to really gel and figure out how to be varsity players. The guys have gotten much better on both sides of the ball. Then, you get a few wins, and confidence is a pretty powerful thing.”
Bloomington North also is on a roll. The Cougars have won five in a row since a three-point loss to 4A No. 2 Martinsville in its opener. Bloomington North, led by quarterback Dash King, beat New Albany 52-7 last week.
“We feel like this will be a good measuring stick for us,” Vogel said. “They have a tremendous defense and pressure and really fly around. They have a really good quarterback. It will be a good measuring stick to see how we can compete against a really good football team.”
