Shelbyville hosts Connersville in football sectional opener; Triton Central travels to Centerville

In 99 years of Shelbyville football, the program has never won a sectional championship.

To do so in 2025, the Golden Bears will need a home win over Connersville in the Class 4A, Sectional 23 opener and a potential semifinal road win at Bedford North Lawrence to reach the championship game.

On Oct. 24 at McKeand Stadium, the Golden Bears (4-4) will host Connersville (3-5). The other quarterfinal game in the top half of the bracket pits Bedford North Lawrence (6-2) at Jennings County (2-6).

If Shelbyville and Bedford North Lawrence win, the Golden Bears will travel south to Bedford for the semifinal contest. If Jennings County wins, the Panthers would travel to Shelbyville for the semifinal game.

In the bottom half of the bracket, Martinsville (3-5) is at Greenwood (2-6) and Silver Creek (3-5) travels to Charlestown (6-2).

Shelbyville is 29-29-1 all-time against Connersville. The two programs last met in the sectional opener on Oct. 24, 2014, which Shelbyville won 48-27. This was the only meeting between the two programs in the last three decades.

The Golden Bears' only meeting with Bedford North Lawrence came in the 2022 sectional where the Stars prevailed, 42-21.

Shelbyville is 1-1 all-time against Jennings County. The Panthers were the preseason scrimmage host for Shelbyville this season.

Class 2A, Sectional 38

No. 9 Triton Central (7-1) will open the postseason on Oct. 24 at Centerville (6-2).

Triton Central is 2-0 all-time against the Bulldogs. The last meeting came in the 2015 postseason on Oct. 30 which the Tigers won, 56-0.

Centerville is 1-2 against potential sectional opponents this season -- defeating Eastern Hancock (38-27) and losing to Winchester (28-19) and Northeastern (29-27). Three of its six wins have come against teams with two wins or less.

If the Tigers win, they will host either Northeastern (7-1) or Shenandoah (6-2) in the semifinal round. Shenandoah defeated Northeastern, 50-43, on Oct. 3. The rematch in the sectional is at Shenandoah.

In the bottom half of the Sectional 38 bracket, No. 3 Lapel (8-0), the defending sectional champion, will travel to Winchester (7-1) and No. 14 Eastern Hancock (5-3) takes on Union County (1-7).