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Indiana Football Digest

Indiana Football Digest Insider 2026 - Preseason Edition

The 2026 Indiana Football Digest Preseason Insider

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NEWS AND NOTES

A lack of participants has forced Greenwood Christian and South Newton to compete in eight-man football for the 2026 campaign. Both programs anticipate returning to 11-man football for the 2027 season.

Due to lower numbers, Wabash will play a hybrid schedule featuring both eight-man and 11-man football. It gives the Apaches the best opportunity to keep our young team safe throughout the season while putting our players in a position to compete in meaningful games.

After being away last fall, Larry "Bud" Wright and Mike Kirschner are both back in charge of programs. Wright, who is Indiana's winningest coach with 464 victories, is now at Southwood, while Kirschner returns to Mount Vernon (Fortville). Other new coaches are listed below.

NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES

SCHOOLPREVIOUS COACHNEW COACH
AngolaAndy ThomasSeth Wilcox
BellmontNick HallBlake Blaker
Benton CentralAndy StandiferHerb King
Bloomington NorthBrett CooperAndy Harding
Calumet New TechCharles SalaryNick Testa
Cambridge City LincolnJeremy BaneChad Bowman
Clinton CentralJeremy FendleyMichael Griffy
Columbus EastEddie VogelTyler Campbell
Columbus NorthLogan HastonBuster Davis
DelphiJacob MroczkiewiczTerry Peebles
Eastern HancockJosh HoldenWilliam Coonce
EdinburghTyler DeSpainJames Starks
Evansville BosseStephan MullenJohnte Hawkins
Fort Wayne NorthropQuentin BowenJohn Schaefer
Fountain CentralHerb KingJacob Earl
FrankfortJustin KinzieAndrew Dudley
Gary WestAlger BoswellMark Hidalgo
GoshenJoey HecklinskiGriffin Heckaman
Hamilton HeightsJon KirschnerCaleb Small
Hammond CentralTyler MilbyRick Bailey
Heritage HillsTodd WilkersonKevin Tempel
HighlandBen GeffertJimmy McCormick
Indianapolis Ben DavisRuss MannBrett Cooper
Indianapolis TechJerdson GambleSteve Moorman
Indianapolis TindleyMelvin GrahamAnthony Levy
JeffersonvilleJoe Washington-Doug PrestonNick Cotner
John GlennRon BrownTroy Sausaman
Kankakee ValleyKirk KennedyJonathan Ewing
KokomoCaleb SmallGrant Foes
LaVilleJeff KaiserMatt Thacker
Lawrence CentralWill PattersonRuss Mann
MaconaquahMike FentersEthan Robbins
MadisonCharles BenintendePatric Morrison
McCutcheonJosh StrasserMike Fenters
Michigan CityCody FrenchCharles Salary
Mishawaka MarianMike DavidsonJoe Calderone
MitchellZach SeeBobby Owens
MooresvilleMike GillinCasey Gillin
Mount Vernon (Fortville)Vince LidyMike Kirschner
Mount Vernon (Posey)Justin FischerBrad Higginson
New AlbanySteve CooleyMarc Clark
North NewtonJonathan EwingTrent Grider
North VermillionBrian CrabtreeNate Crum
NorthridgeChad EppleyLuke Amstutz
Owen ValleyEric CrouchTroy Burgess
PaoliNeil DittmerSam Werczynski
Perry MeridianKevin MillerRob Patchett
PlymouthAdam Handley-Ron ShafferBrent Corbett
PortageTony KlimczakCody French
PrincetonDerek ArcherNick Beloat
RichmondMarcus CalvertRonnie Hibbler
River ForestEd EkebladTerrance Terry
RochesterRon ShafferIsaac Shaffer
RushvilleRick ZimmermanJames Eck
SeegerT.J. RaganScott Cronk
SeymourTyson MooreDave Papenhaus
ShenandoahJake StilwellScott Widner
Silver CreekDavid PapenhausSteve Stanley
Southern WellsBlake BlakerJeff Sprunger
South Central (Union Mills)Buzz SchoffSteve Forker
South DecaturRodney MartinAarik Gault
South NewtonBrad Bevis-Phil HalsemaChris Bell
SouthwoodJosh MarleyLarry “Bud” Wright
TaylorRob PatchettTim Weeks
Tri-CentralBrandon HaganAdam Rich
Tri-CountyScott LuesseJustin Kinzie
Triton CentralTim AbleTim Kegley
Union CityKyler PurdinSteven Trobridge
WawaseeMatt ThackerMark Osmialowski
West VigoAaron ClementsBrian Crabtree
WheelerNick TestaJosh Wissing
WhitingThomas KnightAdam Hudak
WinamacJosh BurgessEric Davis

LONGEST CURRENT WINNING STREAKS

New Palestine is on a 28-game winning streak.

Brownsburg is on a 19-game winning streak.

Cascade has claimed 15 straight victories.

Andrean has claimed 13 consecutive victories.

Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger and South Putnam have won eight straight contests.

CONSECUTIVE REGULAR SEASON WINS

Crown Point 36, New Palestine 25, Brownstown Central 21, Cascade 18, Evansville Memorial 18, Frontier 18, Adams Central 17, East Noble 16, Springs Valley 15, Riverton Parke 12, Lapel 11, Penn 11, Knox 10, Eastbrook 9, Andrean 8, Indianapolis Crispus Attucks 8, Lafayette Jeff 8, Decatur Central 7, Floyd Central 7, Gibson Southern 7, Mishawaka 7, Pioneer 7, Rochester 7, Churubusco 6, Concord 6, Griffith 6, Indianapolis Lutheran 6, Merrillville 6, Paoli 6, Whiteland 6, Winchester 6, Bloomington North 5, Carmel 5, Carroll (Fort Wayne) 5, DeKalb 5, Eastside 5, Eastern (Greentown) 5, Evansville North 5, Seeger 5, Tippecanoe Valley 5, Franklin County 4, North Central (Farmersburg) 4, Pendleton Heights 4, Rensselaer Central 4, Sullivan 4, Terre Haute South 4, Centerville 3, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger 3, Heritage Hills 3, Hobart 3, LaVille 3, Northview 3, Providence 3, South Adams 3, Triton Central 3, Wes-Del 3, Westfield 3, West Washington 3.

LONGEST CURRENT LOSING STREAKS

Bellmont has lost 42 games in a row.

Frankfort has lost 28 straight contests.

Benton Central and Evansville Bosse have dropped 21 consecutive games.

Cambridge City Lincoln has 18 straight losses.

Blackford and New Albany have lost 16 consecutive contests.

Christel House Manual, Pike Central, and Terre Haute North have suffered 13 losses in row.

Hammond Central and Mount Vernon (Fortville) have dropped 12 consecutive contests.

Fort Wayne Wayne, North Vermillion, Perry Central, Portage, Prairie Heights, South Central, and West Vigo are on an 11-game losing skid.

Noblesville, Wawasee and Whitko have dropped nine straight games.

Anderson, Evansville Central, Indianapolis Tindley, and Union County have suffered eight loses in a row.

Perry Meridian has lost seven games in a row.

Batesville, Fairfield, Highland, John Glenn, McCutcheon, and Whiting are on a six-game losing streak.

Crawford County, Eastern (Pekin), Hammond Bishop Noll, Jennings County, North Central (Indianapolis), North Knox, North White, and Southern Wells have lost five straight games.

Attica, Clinton Prairie, Columbus North, Delta, Edgewood, Forest Park, Goshen, Greenwood, Madison-Grant, Princeton, South Bend Washington, Tri-County, and Vincennes Lincoln have a four-game losing skid.

Boonville, Chesterton, Fort Wayne Blackhawk, Fort Wayne Concordia, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, New Castle, New Haven, Northwestern, Owen Valley, Parke Heritage, Silver Creek, South Newton, South Spencer, Union City, Woodlan, and Zionsville have dropped three consecutive games.

Castle, Covenant Christian, Covington, Edinburgh, Franklin, Hamilton Heights, Heritage, Indianapolis Poke, Indianapolis Scecina, Irvington Prep Academy, Lafayette Central Catholic, Lake Station, Leo, Maconaquah, North Montgomery, Oak Hill, Purdue Poly Englewood, Richmond, Rushville, Salem, Seymour, South Bend Adams, Southwood, Valparaiso, and Winamac are on a two-game losing skid.

CONSECUTIVE REGULAR SEASON LOSSES

Bellmont 38, Frankfort 26, Benton Central 19, Evansville Bosse 18, Cambridge City Lincoln 16, Blackford 14, New Albany 14, Christel House Manual 12, Fort Wayne Wayne 11, Pike Central 11, Terre Haute North 11, Hammond Central 10, Mount Vernon (Fortville) 10, Prairie Heights 10, North Vermillion 9, Perry Central 9, Portage 9, South Central 9, West Vigo 9, Noblesville 8, Wawasee 8, Whitko 8, Anderson 7, Evansville Central 7, Indianapolis Tindley 7, Union County 7, Mishawaka Marian 6, Perry Meridian 6, Batesville 5, Eastern Greene 5, Fairfield 5, Highland 5, John Glenn 5, McCutcheon 5, Norwell 5, Whiting 5, Crawford County 4, Eastern (Pekin) 4, Hagerstown 4, Hammond Bishop Noll 4, Jennings County 4, North Central (Indianapolis) 4, North Knox 4, North White 4, Plymouth 4, South Dearborn 4, Southern Wells 4, Wabash 3, Attica 3, Calumet 3, Clinton Prairie 3, Columbus North 3, Delta 3, Edgewood 3, Forest Park 3, Franklin Central 3, Goshen 3, Greenwood 3, Madison-Grant 3, Monrovia 3, Princeton 3, South Bend Washington 3, Tri-County 3, Vincennes Lincoln 3, Warren Central 3, Zionsville 3.

WINNINGEST ACTIVE COACHES

Bud Wright (Southwood) 464, Russ Radtke (Knox) 426, John Hart (Brownsburg) 363, Jeff Adamson (Eastbrook) 331, Reed May (Brownstown Central) 326, Eric Moore (Center Grove) 313, Craig Buzea (Crown Point) 266, Bart Curtis (Warsaw) 265, Kevin O'Shea (Twin Lakes) 259, Dave Pasch (Indianapolis Lutheran) 239, Darrin Fisher (Whiteland) 211, Herb King (Benton Central) 209, Kirk Kennedy (Kankakee Valley) 208, Chris Meeks (Rensselaer Central) 204, John Hochstetler (Monroe Central) 189, Phil Mason (Griffith) 179, Steve Stirn (North Decatur) 179, Chad Zolman (Homestead) 173, Bud Ozmun (Oak Hill) 170, Kevin Wright (Carmel) 168, Michael Mosser (Adams Central) 168, Mike Kirschner (Mount Vernon-Fortville) 165, Kurt Tippmann (Fort Wayne Snider) 161, Andy Dorrel (Culver Academy) 161, John Hurley (Evansville Memorial) 157, Tom Dilley (Guerin Catholic) 157, Kyle Ralph (New Palestine) 155, Doug Hurt (Castle) 149, Aaron Tolle (Tipton) 149, Bill Peebles (Indianapolis Cathedral) 147, Jayson West (Franklin Central) 145, Nick Hart (Gibson Southern) 145, Brian Crabtree (West Vigo) 143, Ryan Knigga (Lawrenceburg) 140, Nate Andrews (NorthWood) 136, Monte Mawhorter (West Noble) 135, Brian Oliver (Linton-Stockton) 135, Jason Hawkins (Clarksville) 131, Doug Dinan (Carroll Fort Wayne) 128, Scott Buening (Southridge) 128, Shane Fry (West Lafayette) 127, Ryan Langferman (Milan) 126, Luke Amstutz (Northridge) 124, Josh Edwards (Eastern Greentown) 122, Troy Burgess (Owen Valley) 121, Mike Wilhelm (Yorktown) 121, Chris Coll (Franklin) 117, Greg Barrett (Terre Haute South) 117, Curt Funk (Fishers) 115, Justin Pelley (Western Boone) 114, Mark Raetz (Northview) 113, Brandon Baker (Northfield) 112, Justin Bogunia (Bremen) 111, Ron Qualls (Indianapolis Shortridge) 107, Brad Seiss (Merrillville) 107,Travis Nolting (Greenfield-Central) 102, Kyle Lindsay (Fort Wayne Bishop Luers) 104,Adam Berry (Pioneer) 101, Jed Richman (Pendleton Heights) 99, Mark Peterson (Chesterton) 98, Pete Gast (Alexandria) 98, Tim Miller (Lapel) 97, Desson Hannum (Southmont) 97, Rob Doyle (Indianapolis Bishop Chatard) 96, Waylon Schenk (North Posey) 95, Chris Skinner (Andrean) 91, Grant Moser (South Adams) 90, Kyle Enright (Decatur Central) 90, Scott Snodgrass (Hagerstown) 89, Paul Sade (Churubusco) 87, Pat Shanley (Lafayette Jeff) 86, Mike Jones (Winchester) 84, John Hebert (Noblesville) 83, Craig Koehler (Concord) 83, Scott Widner (Shenandoah) 83, Cory Brunson (Evansville Reitz) 80.

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