Advertisement

5 things to know about the 2023 high school football season in SW Indiana

treasure washington and kyle sokeland, evansville courier & press
·4 min read

EVANSVILLE — The wait for high school football soon will be over.

The 2023 season begins Aug. 18 for most Southwestern Indiana programs. Official practices began on Monday, though teams have been holding workouts and scrimmages most of the summer. Contact practices will then commence on Thursday. And there are many questions to answer and storylines to follow this fall.

Let's take a look at five things to know about the upcoming season for the Evansville area.

Reitz's Roland Vera Jr (9) runs the ball as the Reitz Panthers play the Castle Knights at the Reitz Bowl in Evansville, Ind., Friday evening, Sept. 23, 2022.
Reitz's Roland Vera Jr (9) runs the ball as the Reitz Panthers play the Castle Knights at the Reitz Bowl in Evansville, Ind., Friday evening, Sept. 23, 2022.

Who are the favorites in the SIAC?

There's one obvious choice and it's the program that made history last fall. Reitz is the prohibitive favorite following a perfect regular season that included winning the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference by three games. No team had ever done that. The Panthers return quite a bit of talent, too.

High school football: 75 players to watch across SW Indiana in 2023

Who could challenge them? Castle returns a solid nucleus after advancing to the Class 5A semistate. North is aiming higher following its first winning season since 2008. Jasper also has solid depth and experience after a season full of injuries. Any of those three are viable contenders.

Of course, never overlook Memorial or Mater Dei. Each return notable contributors but both have a few questions.

Gibson Southern’s Sean DeLong (2) is tackled by Southridge's Blake Taylor (65) as the Gibson Southern Titans play the Southridge Raiders at Southridge High School in Huntingburg, Ind., Friday evening, Sept. 16, 2022.
Gibson Southern’s Sean DeLong (2) is tackled by Southridge's Blake Taylor (65) as the Gibson Southern Titans play the Southridge Raiders at Southridge High School in Huntingburg, Ind., Friday evening, Sept. 16, 2022.

How about the PAC?

This may sound like a broken record but Gibson Southern could once again be the heavy favorite for the Big School crown. The three-time defending champion has yet to lose a division game since the Pocket Athletic Conference expanded to a pair of divisions in 2020. The Titans return key pieces return on both sides of the ball.

Don't count out Mount Vernon to challenge Gibson Southern for the division title. The Wildcats were runners-up themselves in 2021 and have experience at multiple positions. Heritage Hills still has a strong defense and could also be in the mix.

It may be more of a fight between Southridge and North Posey to win the Small School Division. The Raiders have consistently been one of the area's best teams in Scott Buening's tenure, but the Vikings have also entered the mix in recent seasons.

What are the top games to watch?

We've previously looked at a strong Week 1 slate with top local choices being Castle-North, Jasper-Memorial, or even Gibson Southern-Boyle County (Ky.). But what about the rest of the regular season?

Reitz at Jasper (Sept. 1): The Panthers announced their reemergence last fall with a dominant win over the Wildcats. What will this year bring? Reitz has a lot of talent. Jasper is ready to compete for another title.

Southridge at Gibson Southern (Sept. 15): It may not technically be a PAC game, but this is one of the bigger matchups. Both will be ranked highly in Class 3A to start the season. Both should have high aspirations. This could be a postseason preview.

Reitz at Castle (Sept. 22): West Siders vs. Cake Eaters. This rivalry is always circled. It should once again play an important midseason role in determining the SIAC champion.

Southridge at North Posey (Oct. 6): Unless something goes wrong or another contender emerges, this game likely decides the PAC Small School Division.

Memorial at Castle (Oct. 13): Rivalry Week has several good options – without a doubt that includes Reitz vs. Mater Dei – but maybe this traditionally strong matchup plays a major role in the final standings. It will also be a good gauge for both programs going into the sectional.

The Southridge Raiders take the field before their game against the Gibson Southern Titans at Southridge High School in Huntingburg, Ind., Friday evening, Sept. 16, 2022.
The Southridge Raiders take the field before their game against the Gibson Southern Titans at Southridge High School in Huntingburg, Ind., Friday evening, Sept. 16, 2022.

Evansville area looks for third consecutive state champion

Mater Dei and Gibson Southern left Lucas Oil Stadium victorious over the past two seasons. Could the area be represented again on Thanksgiving weekend?

There might be a few possibilities. Castle sat on the doorstep of the Class 5A championship despite a barrage of injuries. Reitz looks like a team to beat in 4A but faces a potentially tough road in the postseason. Southridge and Gibson Southern were among the top 3A teams last year but neither advanced far in the tournament. In 2A, North Posey ran into Mater Dei in the sectional.

The best odds of seeing an area team at state could come from 3A or 2A. A lot can happen in three months.

Brandon Artis (left) seen here coaching a North football player. He was named the new Central High School head football coach in April.
Brandon Artis (left) seen here coaching a North football player. He was named the new Central High School head football coach in April.

New faces in new places

Brandon Artis (Central): The Bears graduate and assistant coach from 2017-19 has further ties to the school as his late father, Fred Helm, also was a coach. Artis is also a former North assistant coach (2019-22) and won a sectional title in 2021 as Memorial's girls track coach.

Justin Fischer (Mount Vernon): The South Spencer grad previously spent seven seasons on North Vermillion's staff and was on its Class A state championship team in 2014. Also an assistant principal at Mount Vernon, he was the Wildcats' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the last three seasons.

JJ Howald (Pike Central): A lifelong native of Pike County, Howald has been on the Chargers' staff for the last eight seasons prior to getting the head coaching gig. He graduated from Pike Central in 2012 and also played football at Franklin College.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: 5 things to know about 2023 high school football season in SW Indiana