These are the six best high school football sectional openers to watch in SW Indiana

EVANSVILLE — Buckle up. We've reached the IHSAA football postseason.

We're six weeks away from state championship games at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. But the sectional openers on Friday night could still be just as exciting.

Let's take a look at six games to watch as the playoffs begin. Some of these teams are among the best in the state in their respective classes. Everyone faces the same reality of either winning or going home.

High school football in SW Indiana: Complete coverage from the 2023 season

4A Sectional 24: Boonville (5-4) at No. 2 Reitz (9-0)

The last postseason meeting between these two teams was one for the ages. The Panthers strolled into Bennett Field a year ago coming off an unbeaten regular season, and then the Pioneers upset them with an interception on the final play. Boonville's first win against Reitz since 1921 was among the biggest in program history.

The rematch has arrived. Reitz remains loaded with players like Roland Vera Jr. (1,057 total yards, nine touchdowns, three INTs), Ayden Wells (92 tackles, 10 TFLs, four sacks), Levi Oxley (48 tackles, 15 TFLs, 11 sacks) and Calab Utley (40 tackles, 20 TFLs, seven sacks). But Boonville's pieces are also solid, from Wyatt Franz (725 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns) to Ethan Smith (87 tackles) to Stihl Scott (49 tackles, 16 TFLs).

Since the Pioneers won their last sectional title in 2004, the Panthers were eight-time champions in that span.

4A Sectional 24: Jasper (6-3) at Bosse (3-6)

The Bulldogs are playing so much better than what their record indicates. Their offense has been a juggernaut as they're one of the three Southern Indiana Athletic Conference teams to reach the 300-point mark. And it's headlined by senior quarterback Elijah Wagner, who has 3,561 total yards and 38 touchdowns this season.

Jasper's offense isn't as explosive as Bosse's, but it also has one of the more dynamic runners in the SIAC in senior Carter Holsworth. The Wildcats have played excellent football for most of this season and also picked up key wins against North and Vincennes Lincoln over the last two weeks.

If Bosse were to beat Jasper, it would win back-to-back games for the first time since the beginning of the 2021 season. The Bulldogs' last sectional title was in 2010. The Wildcats, who last won a sectional in 2013, have beaten Bosse seven straight times.

'We’re thankful to have him': Elijah Wagner has Bosse smiling after another monster game

3A Sectional 30: Mount Vernon (5-4) at No. 6 Gibson Southern (7-2)

There have been some ups and downs in Justin Fischer's debut season with Mount Vernon. It started hot in the first half of the season, averaging over 38 points per game during a four-game win streak. But the back half hasn't been too kind to the Wildcats. They lost three of their last four contests, including a matchup with the Titans, and were limited to 16 points on average in that span.

Gibson Southern, meanwhile, is still dominating as winners of five straight. Tanner Boyd (2,125 total yards, 23 touchdowns) and Sean DeLong (1,264 all-purpose yards, 16 touchdowns) lead another dynamic offense while Beau and Jack Rose (154 combined tackles, 14 TFLs, seven sacks) and Brody Klem (43 tackles, 21 TFLs, three sacks) are forces on the defensive line.

The Titans have been sectional champions four times in Nick Hart's tenure and have reached semistate all of those years. Their last sectional title came during the state championship season in 2021. Mount Vernon hasn't won a playoff game since 2015.

Still leaders of the PAC: Gibson Southern has unfinished business entering playoffs

3A Sectional 32: Charlestown (6-3) at No. 7 Heritage Hills (8-1)

The Patriots' 88 points allowed are the second-fewest of any team in the Pocket Athletic Conference. The defense, with players like Parker Hart and Alex Smith (144 combined tackles), has limited opponents to less than 10 points six times this season and pitched a pair of shutouts. Their offense is hard to stop as well with Jett Goldsberry (1,568 total yards, 22 touchdowns) and Hunter Meredith (804 total yards, 14 touchdowns) leading the way.

Charlestown senior quarterback Clay McClelland remains as dangerous as ever despite his numbers being slightly down from last year (41 to 28 total touchdowns). He totaled four scores in his team's last meeting with Heritage Hills and accounted for nearly all of the Pirates' rushing yards. Slowing down Charlestown's offense will again be key for the Patriots.

Heritage Hills has made it to the sectional championship in three of the last four seasons and last won a title during their state runner-up finish in 2019.

2A Sectional 40: No. 4 North Posey (8-1) at Perry Central (5-4)

The Vikings are the PAC Small School Division champions for a reason. Their defense, which has allowed a conference-low 66 points, is a brick wall. And there's been no slowing down North Posey's rushing attack. Jed Galvin, Kolton Gardner and Liam Stone all have double-digit scores on the ground — the junior Galvin leads the team in rushing touchdowns with 14.

But Perry Central also has a strong ground game and boasts one of the area's best rushers in senior Sawyer Guillame (1,496 yards, 25 touchdowns). The Commodores have yet to be shut out this season and are averaging almost 38 points per game.

The last time North Posey and Perry Central played each other was in 1984. The Commodores last won a sectional title in 2010, and the Vikings' last title came during their state runner-up season in 2005.

2A Sectional 40: Mater Dei (2-7) at Tell City (6-3)

The postseason road doesn't get any easier for the Wildcats as Tell City has reached its first winning season in three years. But there have been some silver linings for Mater Dei lately amid its poorest season since 1992. Its defense held Reitz to its season-low of 14 points last week at the Bowl, and the ground game has been solid behind Wyatt Stratman and Tanner Halbig.

Tell City has been impressive this year. It scored at least 40 points in four of its last five games and has yet to lose at home. A primary factor of the Marksmen's success has been the play of the Terry twins. The juniors both surpassed 1,000 yards this season and are also forces to be reckoned with on defense.

Defending state champion Mater Dei has not lost a sectional in five years. Tell City's last title came in 1992.

Courier & Press sports reporter Treasure Washington can be reached via her email, treasure.washington@courierpress.com, and on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Twashington490.

Evansville-area high school football sectional opener schedule

All times are Central.

Corydon (0-9) at Southridge (6-3), 6 p.m.

Vincennes Lincoln (6-3) at Owen Valley (3-6), 6 p.m.

West Vigo (2-7) at Washington (2-7), 6 p.m.

Mitchell (2-7) at Forest Park (5-4), 6 p.m.

Jasper (6-3) at Bosse (3-6), 6:30 p.m.

Bedford New Lawrence (6-3) at Harrison (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Charlestown (6-3) at Heritage Hills (8-1), 6:30 p.m.

Springs Valley (8-1) at South Spencer (3-6), 6:30 p.m.

North Daviess (4-5) at Tecumseh (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Pike Central (1-8) at Princeton (1-8), 6:30 p.m.

Boonville (5-4) at Reitz (9-0), 6:30 p.m.

Memorial (6-3) at Central (0-9), 6:30 p.m.

Mater Dei (2-7) at Tell City (6-3), 7 p.m.

Mount Vernon (5-4) at Gibson Southern (7-2), 7 p.m.

North Posey (8-1) at Perry Central (5-4), 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA football: 6 best sectional openers to watch in SW Indiana