Crosstown kickoff: Bloomington North, South meet to open 2026 football season

The high school football season starts Friday in Bloomington with the city’s crosstown rivalry as the first game on the schedule. Bloomington North and South meet at 7 p.m. at North in the season opener for both teams.It’s the 69th meeting between the two schools, which means it’s a familiar matchup, but plenty has changed since last year.

The offseason brought a new coach and conference to North, while South returns its head coach and starting quarterback.

North joins the Mid-State Conference this season, while South will be joining the Hoosier Hills Conference for the 2027-28 school year. It marks the first season since 1982 the two Bloomington schools are not conference mates. 

Here’s what you need to know heading into the game.

Andy Harding prepares for first season at the helm of North

The Cougars took a big swing this offseason hiring a North alumnus who helped Tarboro High School in North Carolina win nine state championships. Harding spent a decade coordinating Tarboro’s defense before returning to Bloomington to take over the head coaching job at his alma mater. Now, he becomes the fourth different head coach for North in four seasons.

Bloomington North will look to build on a 2025 season that saw the Cougars finish 7-4, losing both of its matchups to South. The second one was the IHSAA Class 5A Section 15 championship game, when a 17-point fourth quarter from the Panthers gave them a 31-28 victory over North.

But Harding has a leg up on his predecessor, Brett Cooper. He was hired in April of this year, whereas Cooper was hired in July, which truncated many offseason programs for the Cougars.

Harding will be helped by the return of senior receiver Rashon English and Nate Walker. Last year English hauled in 38 catches for 624 yards and six touchdowns, while Walker had 35 receptions for 575 yards and seven touchdowns. The speed on the outside gave North a potent passing attack, which seemed to improve as the season went on.

North’s biggest offseason question was at starting quarterback. Former gunslinger John Bargen graduated and is now playing at Indiana State University, which means the Cougars need to replace his 2,000 passing yards and 24 passing touchdowns.

With limited options in the program, North moved to the other end of the spectrum, giving freshman quarterback Fisher Pugh the starting position for the season opening scrimmage. Pugh played beyond his age during Bloomington North’s scrimmage against Southport on Aug. 14, producing good touch on passes to his receivers and not panicking in stressful situations.

With a strong set of receivers, Pugh will also be helped out by senior running back Brayden Johnson and junior Carter Matthew. The pair returns after leading last season’s backfield effort, combining for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Defensively, North will need to build chemistry quickly, as senior linebacker Anthony Wrancher is the only returning starter.

Along with Wrancher, seniors Kaelan Frank and Rudy Burton will help bring experience to the second level. At defensive back, Walker and English can also rotate to the defensive side of the ball to help senior Drew Hipskind, junior Blake Davis and sophomore Jackson Gill. Up front, seniors Gunner Pugh and Franco Cubillan will provide production on the edge, while juniors Garrett Fishel and Mason Taylor will play at defensive tackle.

After playing South, North will move on to a matchup against Bedford North Lawrence before starting conference play against Martinsville. The Cougars will host the Artesians, Plainfield and Franklin at home, ending their season at Whiteland.

South returns key pieces, looks to build on last season

While North had many moving parts this offseason, Bloomington South returned both key components of any good team—the head coach and quarterback.

Head coach Gabe Johnson returns for his seventh season at the helm, while senior quarterback Duncan Combs will be running the offense once again. Combs finished last season with over 2,200 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. As a junior, Combs was consistent throughout the season, throwing for over 200 yards in four games and never going under 100 yards.

South’s balanced offensive attack also relied upon senior running backs Braylen Townsend and Shaun Cooper last season, as the pair both rushed for over 1,000 yards. With their graduation, the Panthers have turned to senior Hayden Clark.

Last season, Clark only produced 138 yards on the ground with 30 carries, but was called upon in late-game scenarios to help South. He produced the game-winning touchdown in the Panthers 41-34 victory over Terre Haute South Vigo in the Class 5A, Sectional 15 semifinals last season. Juniors Myles West and Lucas Smith will also see touches in South’s backfield.

At receiver, South added Mayson Lewis from Terre Haute South. Lewis recorded 419 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 18 catches. Along with Lewis, senior Jonathan Winstead will provide a steady receiving target, along with being the backup quarterback. Senior Conner Christensen looks to be a reliable tight end.

On the defensive side, seniors should provide experience to help South maintain its dominance on defense.

Senior linebacker Charlie Morris led the Panthers last season with 107 tackles, with 12 of them for a loss. Morris added four sacks and two interceptions, while senior Brady Adams returns for another season at linebacker, having racked up 75 total tackles last year. Junior Killian May and senior Aaron Clopton also provide good linebacking options.

With Luke Arnett, Daniel Iruoje and Zion Tooley graduating from South’s defensive line, the Panthers have to find pass-rushing production quickly. Senior Mason Grubb, sophomore Donavan Avila and senior Jay Ingram are among the players expected to fill the gap. Two tackles by Ingram in a pair of September matchups are the defensive line’s only production from last season.

At defensive backs, senior Rylan Stikeleather returns from a late-season injury to give the position group a prolific option. Senior Quincy Brahaum will make up the other safety position, while senior TJ Wilson and junior Kevin Reeves are cornerback selections. Senior Easton Bellini and Winstead should also help out when needed at defensive back spots.

South starts the season with two consecutive away matchups, the first against the Cougars, before traveling to Martinsville. The first matchup for the Panthers at Huff Memorial Field is against Terre Haute North Vigo on Sept. 4. Bloomington South will travel over 200 miles to Ironton High School in Ohio for an Oct. 3 game, with a trip to Center Grove to close out the regular season.

Bloomington North and South will open the 2026 high school football season this Friday at North. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Photos: (Aug. 14, 2026 scrimmages) North vs. Southport; South vs. Lawrence Central

[Click on any photo, to arrow or swipe through all the images at full-screen size.]