This week, there is one game where a conference championship has yet to be crowned as the undefeated Norwell Knights host 7-1 Columbia City in Ossian, IN. Regardless how things shake up between these two teams, the NE8 will have a champion that’s not East Noble, Leo, or New Haven, which is refreshing for the conference’s parity as a whole. 

Norwell is having their most dominant season since 2006, and it’s no coincidence that many people see Norwell as a potential contender to reach Lucas Oil Stadium in 3A. Norwell has the second ranked rushing offense averaging over 267 yards a game, and allow teams to only rush for less than 42 yards a game and score just 3 points a game. Despite that, Norwell has the capabilities to throw the ball when needed to, which is important. 

Columbia City has proven doubters wrong this season with their best season since 2011. This week, CC is trying to do something that’s only happened twice since 1990: win a conference championship. Columbia City has the top ranked rushing offense averaging nearly 300 yards per game, but their defensive numbers are not far behind Norwell’s. 

Can Columbia City play good enough football to withstand the most fundamentally sounded team in terms of tackling and pounding the ball? After all, this team is huge and has tremendous athletes playing many positions. In the season series, Norwell holds a 21-14 edge on Columbia City.