Every August, Indiana Preps publishes a preseason Power 25. Every October, we owe you an honest accounting of what held up and what didn’t. With two games left in the regular season, here is the full evaluation.

WHAT WE GOT RIGHT

No. 1 Brownsburg

The easiest call we made was also the most accurate. Brownsburg is 7-0, has extended its winning streak to 27 games, and beat Westfield 38-14 in the 6A showdown of the season. Oscar Frye has been exactly what we said he would be. The three-peat is still very much alive. No. 1 was not only the right call — it may have undersold how dominant the Bulldogs have been.

No. 2 Warren Central

The Warriors have validated every word written about them in August. They are 7-0, beat Lawrence North 53-37 with Keyon Thomas scoring six rushing touchdowns, and have beaten Center Grove, and Lawrence North in sequence this season. Warren Central is the clearest No. 2 in Indiana and they have been all season. This was our best non-Brownsburg call.

No. 3 Westfield

Westfield enters the final two weeks at 6-1 with their only loss coming to Brownsburg 38-14. The Shamrocks beat Carmel, beat Hamilton Southeastern, and have been exactly what we projected — a top-three 6A program with a legitimate postseason path. One loss to the No. 1 team in Indiana does not make a preseason projection wrong.

No. 8 Crown Point

Quietly one of our better calls. Crown Point entered at No. 8 and has been one of the most consistent programs in Northwest Indiana all season, currently 7-0. The program’s identity has matched our preseason read from start to finish.

No. 19 Decatur Central

A deeper cut that paid off. Decatur Central entered at No. 19 and has delivered a Mid-State Conference race, a dominant second half of the season, and a team that has been physical and disciplined all fall. The Hawks earned their preseason placement and then some.

No. 20 Bloomington South — Biggest Upside Surprise

Bloomington South was in the preseason Power 25 at No. 20 — and that placement now looks like one of the better calls in the bottom half of the board. The Panthers are 6-1 heading into the final two weeks, ranked No. 1 in Class 5A by Sagarin at 85.05 overall, and have been one of the most consistent programs in Indiana all fall. Their only loss came to Ironton (Ohio) 37-0 in a non-conference game against out-of-state competition. No. 20 was not too high. It may have been too low.

No. 25 Andrean

Andrean moving up to Class 3A and landing at No. 25 was a call that required trust in the program’s culture over their classification adjustment. That trust was justified. The 59ers are 6-1 in 3A and have represented exactly what we said they would — a program whose standard doesn’t change based on which bracket they’re in.

WHAT WE GOT WRONG

No. 5 Carmel

This is the most significant miss on the board. Carmel entered at No. 5 and is currently 4-3 — losses to Westfield, Center Grove, and Lawrence North. Three losses to three teams currently ranked in our top six. Their record is not a disaster but No. 5 was too high. The Greyhounds have not performed at that level consistently enough to justify the preseason placement.

No. 9 Cathedral

Cathedral entered at No. 9 on the strength of their program credentials and non-conference schedule. At 4-3 on the season, that ranking was generous. The Fighting Irish have shown flashes — beating Chatard, beating Cincinnati St. Xavier — but the overall body of work has not matched No. 9 expectations.

No. 13 Merrillville

We had Merrillville at No. 13. At 6-1 they have actually performed reasonably well — but their early-season inconsistency and some uneven results against programs they should have handled more comfortably suggest the No. 13 preseason placement was optimistic for where they were at the start of the year.

No. 14 Hamilton Southeastern

HSE at No. 14 was a reach that the season confirmed. The Royals are 3-4 — a record that reflects an offense capable of explosive moments and a program that couldn’t sustain consistency. The 49-35 win over Fishers showed what HSE can do. The rest of the schedule showed why No. 14 was too high.

No. 15 Lafayette Jeff

Lafayette Jeff at No. 15 was a projection built around offensive talent and Pat Shanley’s program credibility. The Bronchos opened with back-to-back losses to Bishop Chatard and Merrillville — the Merrillville game going to double overtime and ending 56-54 — before recovering. They are currently 5-2, which makes No. 15 a reasonable call in hindsight — but the early stumble was not what we envisioned when we placed them there.

No. 17 Franklin Central

This is the miss that stings most. Franklin Central at No. 17 felt right in August — Jayce Brewer, Caiden Marsden, DJ Mitchell, a loaded skill roster. The Flashes are currently 3-4. The talent was real. The results haven’t matched No. 17’s requirements. Franklin Central’s season is a reminder that preseason evaluations based on skill talent don’t always account for how quickly a young quarterback absorbs a competitive 6A schedule.

THE TEAMS WE MISSED ENTIRELY

East Noble and Floyd Central

Two more programs that have outperformed their preseason status. East Noble is 7-0 — winning the NE8 outright and carrying one of the state’s most impressive unbeaten records. Floyd Central is 7-0 and has been one of southern Indiana’s most compelling stories all fall. Neither was in the preseason Power 25. Both have built cases that demand attention heading into October.

THE FINAL ACCOUNTING

The top of the board was right. The middle was optimistic in several spots. And three programs we didn’t rank have made the strongest cases for belonging in the conversation heading into the postseason.

Two weeks left. The bracket is where everything settles.