By Nick Jenkinson-SCINN Sports Director
The Bloomington South Panthers dominated the Bloomington North Cougars 40-0 to win the Class 5A Sectional Football Championship Friday Night at Dennis O. Martin Memorial Field on the Northside of Bloomington. Bloomington South is 9-2 and will host the 7-4 Castle Knights next Friday Night for the Regional Championship Game at 7;30 PM at Fred Huff Memorial Field on the Southside.
The Panthers have won six Sectional Titles in a row, 12 in the last 13 years and 21 titles overall. The Panthers will go for their fourth regional title in a row and 15th overall next Friday Night. The Panthers are 80-41 all-time in the State Tournament. Head Coach Gabe Johnson is 60-20 on his 7th season overall and 74-30 in his 9th season with 7 Sectional and 3 Regional Titles in his career.
The Panthers lead the all-time series 54-16 since 1972 and 13-2 in sections matchups and have won 8 straight against their crosstown rivals in the postseason since Bloomington North beat Bloomington South 24-21 on November 8, 2013, at Bloomington North in the Sectional Championship.
Bloomington South has outscored the opponent 103-0 in the Sectional and posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since the 2016 when the Panthers beat Perry Meridian 28-0 in the final week of the regular season and Bloomington North 38-0 in the Sectional Semifinals.
Bloomington North ends its season with a 5-6 record for first year head coach Andy Harding who return home to his alma mater after spending over a decade as an assistant coach in North Carolina. Bloomington North is 24-42 all-time in the postseason and won two Sectional Titles in 2010 and 2013 along with a regional title in 2010.
The Panthers held the Cougars to 143 yards of offense and dominated on offense with Hayden Clark carrying the ball 22 times for 168 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Panthers had 39 carries for 207 yards. Quarterback Duncan Combs was 7-15 for 76 yards passing and no Interceptions. The Panthers led 26-0 at halftime and 40-0 at the end of the third quarter to force a running clock.
Bloomington South dominated their City Rivals this season winning both matchups combined by a score of 84-6 after beating the Cougars in the season opener 84-6 on the same field they left another sectional championship. For the Panthers it’s on the Regional Championship and for the Cougars it’s a chance for Andy Harding to get a full off-season program put together and get ready for next season when these two teams meet again for the 2027 season opener on the Southside of Bloomington.