Bloomington South achieved a historic milestone on Friday, Nov. 13, by securing its fourth consecutive regional championship title.
The Panthers defeated Castle 38-14 at Huff Memorial Field, marking the first time in the program’s history that the team has reached this achievement, according to Yahoo Sports.
The victory advanced the Panthers to a road game against Cathedral in Indianapolis.
Quarterback Duncan Combs led the team with an efficient performance, completing 18 of 23 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns.
Combs also added two rushing touchdowns during the first half of the contest.
Senior receiver Mayson Lewis contributed significantly to the win with five catches for 128 yards and two second-half scores.
Lewis, who transferred from Terre Haute South, expressed his excitement regarding the team’s culture by stating, “I have no words. I come from a program that doesn’t win a lot and to come here and win a sectional and a regional championship, it feels amazing.”
The Bloomington South defense played a critical role in the victory, holding Castle to just 34 yards in the second half after allowing 145 yards before the break.
Panthers coach Gabe Johnson noted the difficulty of maintaining such a high level of success over multiple years.
Johnson stated, “It’s not easy. There’s so many people and a lot of them are on the field right now, who had a part in it.”
Senior linebacker TJ Wilson emphasized the importance of team cohesion in achieving the win.
Wilson said, “Teamwork is the biggest thing to me. We’ve just been doing great and it paid off.”
The Panthers now prepare to face Cathedral, which recently secured a 45-14 victory over Plainfield.
Bloomington South has consistently performed well in November, a trend that coach Johnson and his players attribute to their rigorous practice schedule and tournament focus.
The team remains focused on the next step in the IHSAA tournament.