By Nick Jenkinson-SCINN Sports Director
Week 1 of Indiana High School Football is in the books as Bloomington South beat Bloomington North 44-6 at Dennis O. Martin Memorial Field on the Northside of Bloomington and Edgewood beat Springs Valley 29-8 on the Red Carpet at the Mustang Corral in Ellettsville Friday Night. Bloomington South will travel to Martinsville next Friday Night as the Artesians lost at Bedford North Lawrence 33-27. Bloomington North will travel to Bedford North Lawrence and Edgewood will travel to Beech Grove as the Hornets beat Perry Meridian 26-14 at home.
Bloomington South scored with 3:36 left in the first quarter and never looked back scoring the first 44 points of the game until the Cougars scored with 2:06 left in the game on a three-yard touchdown run by Carter Matthews as the Panthers stopped the extra point to make the final score 44-6. Bloomington South leads the all-time series 53-16 and is 10-3 against its city rivals since 2019. Bloomington North Head Coach Andy Harding was making his debut and starting a freshman quarter back in Fisher Pugh with Tristan Stogdill and Aiden Williamson unavailable Pugh was only quarterback the Cougars had.
The Panthers defense made Pugh pay as Tristan Wilson and Jonathan Winstead had pick sixes and Hayden Clark rushed for three touchdowns. The Panthers led 28-0 at halftime. This was the first time since 1980 that the city rivals have met to begin the season. Bloomington North joined the Mid-State conference this season and Bloomington South are an independent for this season until they join the Hoosier Hills Conference for the 2027-28 school year. This game was normally played in Week 4 as Conference Indiana Matchup, but the Conference dissolved at the end of the 2026-27 school year after Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South and Bloomington North all left leaving behind Bloomington South, Columbus North and Southport who are all independents for the 2026-27 school year.
Edgewood picked up its first ever win against Springs Valley as the Mustangs and Blackhawks met for the first time since 1969 as Springs Valley won all four meetings from 1966-69. Edgewood scored with 9:09 left in the first quarter to make it 7-0 and Springs Valley responded with a touchdown from Elijah Dickey and got the two-point conversion with 1:51 left in the first quarter to make 8-7 Blackhawks as that was halftime score with neither team able to find the end zone in the second quarter.
The Mustangs scored 22 points in the second half and shut out Springs Valley. Edgewood ended the game with a pick six with 6:26 left to go in fourth quarter as Edgewood has won their season opener the last five years after beating Mitchell the previous four and Scott Fischer is now 4-0 in Season Openers at Edgewood. Springs Valley will return home to face Mitchell next week as Bluejackets lost to Class 1A powerhouse Lafayette Central Catholic 63-6 at home.