Every year heading into the football season the Indiana Preps team predicts the state championship matchup and winner for each class . Since 2011, we’ve been spot on more times than not. This year hasn’t been any different.

All season long, we’ve had Indianapolis Lutheran team ranked in our Top 25 Power Rankings. Apart of our formula is the probability of winning championships. Ultimately we were extremely confident that the Saints would not only reach Lucas Oil, we have predicted them to win. Still a week away to see if we got that prediction correct. Lutheran will have to beat a very good Adams Central team. The Jets are 13-1 and rolling into the title game after running through a gauntlet of postseason games. This will be one of the better games taking place on Friday, November 26.

In Class 2A we predicted the exact matchup, the Andrean 59’rs and the Evansville Mater Dei Wildcats. Like the Saints, we had Andrean ranked all season in our Top 25 power rankings. Thus, predicting the 59’rs to win the class 2A title. Recognizing how tough 2A South is, we kept an eye on the Wildcats as they received votes throughout the season. This game could go either way. The 59’rs and Wildcats both appeared in the 2014 title games in their respective classes. This go around they will face off in the game.

The 3A tournament was big miss for the Indiana Preps team. The Danville Warriors was a season long favorite. A loss to Tri-West in the sectional final derailed the season and our prediction. Their counterpart in our prediction was the Mishawaka Marian Knights. The Knights appeared to be in position to make our team look really smart with our picks up until their one point loss to the Brebeuf Braves in the semifinals on Friday. The Braves ranked as high as number seven in our power rankings and remained on the list for eight weeks. The hottest team in 3A very well could be the Gibson Southern Titans led by all state quarterback and Purdue recruit Brady Allen. The Titans’ offense has been special all season long. The Allen to Rory Heltsey is as good as any QB-WR combo in the state and the Titans appear to be ready to challenge the Braves in Lucas Oil.

The Roncalli Royals appeared to be a slam dunk to repeat as the class 4A state champion heading into the 2021 season. A 4-year starter behind center, and an offensive line that is big, deep and as talented as any group in the Midwest, all but guaranteed the Royals would return to Lucas Oil. That ended in the 4A regional when the Mt. Vernon Marauders upset the Royals and ended the state’s second longest win streak at 24 games. The Maruaders landed at number three in our preseason 4A rankings. The Leo Lions were the longshot to represent the North side of the tournament bracket. The Northridge Raiders will meet Mt. Vernon in Lucas Oil. Not sure anyone predicted this matchup to happen. The Raiders avenged a regular season loss over a talented NorthView team in sectionals and collected really good wins over Leo and New Prairie.

Zionsville Eagles return to Lucas Oil to play in the class 5A championship with the hopes to avenge last year’s title game loss to Cathedral. Zionsville and Cathedral rematch may have been one of the easier matchups to predict in the preseason. Zionsville returned a plethora of talent and Cathedral has a roster as good as anyone in the state. Zionsville’s tough regular season schedule as the lone 5A team in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference consistently prepares the Scott Turnquist’s coached team for a deep tournament run. A 9-5 record is deceiving when those losses are to five of the better teams in 6A. The Cathedral Irish again have 13 wins and 1 loss on the season. The week nine game of the year against foe Center Grove gave the Irish their lone blemish on their record for the second year in a row. The 5A championship game was a lopsided victory for the Irish last season, in a 46-28 win. The Eagles hope to prevent this outcome for the second time and keep Cathedral from attaining their 14th state championship.

Anyone who didn’t have the Center Grove Trojans as their preseason favorite to repeat as class 6A champions have been living under the proverbial rock. Indiana Preps long been on the Trojan bandwagon, predicted the nationally ranked program to return to Lucas Oil for the third consecutive season. The deepest roster with a plethora of college recruits makes the Trojans an easy favorite. Who would face the Trojans in the state championship seemed pretty clear from the beginning. Though a talented Merrillville team would keep things interesting throughout the season, there was little doubt that the Westfield Shamrocks would return to Lucas Oil for the second consecutive year. Throughout the season, the Shamrocks ranked as high as number two in our power rankings. A rematch between the two 6A giants should be a good one for fans to cap off a great year of Indiana high school football!