Indianapolis Cathedral kicks off the school’s 107th football season Friday night against Ben Davis at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl on the Butler University campus. The Fighting Irish defeated the Giants last year for the first time since 1987 – ending a 15-game losing streak versus BD. Overall, this season’s Irish schedule includes the last three Indiana Class 6A state championship programs and three out-of-state schools that have won at least one state title in the last six years. Cathedral will face Trotwood-Madison (Ohio) and Covington Catholic (Kentucky) for the first time. Indianapolis North Central and Roncalli, both Irish wins the past two seasons, are not on the schedule this year. A meeting with Southport week five will be the 27th all-time between the Fighting Irish and the Cardinals, but the first since 1955. Irish opponents for the upcoming campaign produced a combined 71-40 record (.640) last season, which is better than the 61-36 (.629) mark compiled by Cathedral’s regular season adversaries in 2024. For the postseason, the Fighting Irish, which compiled a 6-4 record a year ago, will drop down to Class 5A for the first time since 2021 when they won their last state title. 2025 Cathedral Football Schedule August 22 - Ben Davis (@ Butler University), 7:00 pm August 29 - at Brownsburg, 7:00 pm September 5 - Cincinnati St. Xavier (Ohio) (@ University of Indianapolis), 7:00 pm September 12 - Bishop Chatard (@ Butler University), 7:00 pm September 19 - at Southport,7:00 pm September 26 - Trotwood-Madison (Ohio) (@ University of Indianapolis), 7:00 pm October 3 - at Center Grove, 7:00 pm October 10 - at Covington Catholic (Kentucky), 7:00 pm October 17 - at Warren Central, 7:00 pm 2025 Opponent Overviews Ben Davis – The Giants followed up their 2023 Class 6A state championship season with a 5-6 overall mark in 2024. Ben Davis lost five of its first six games including a 24-6 defeat against the Irish to begin the season. However, the Giants won four-in-a-row before falling to eventual state champion Brownsburg in the sectional final round, 38-35, after jumping out to a 28-point lead. Two-way standout and Indiana’s latest Mr. Football Mark Zachery is now at Notre Dame, while quarterback Joe Goss (1,629 passing yards and 20 touchdowns) transferred to Warren Central. Senior running back Jazz Coleman (1,010 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns) transferred in from Speedway. Brownsburg – The Bulldogs defeated Cathedral, 30-14, last season in a weather-delayed two-day affair on its way to a 13-1 record and the Class 6A state championship – its first title since winning the Class 4A tournament in 1985. Brownsburg returns nine starters from an offense that gained 460 yards against the Irish in 2024. Among the returnees are quarterback Oscar Frye (2,445 passing yards and 23 touchdowns) and receivers Branden Sharpe (66 receptions for 1,165 yards) and Avin Robinson (41 receptions for 933 yards and 12 touchdowns). The Bulldogs return only two defensive players that started in the championship game. Cincinnati St. Xavier (Ohio) – St. X scored in the closing seconds to defeat Cathedral, 35-31, in 2024 and posted a 10-4 overall record after losing to eventual state runner-up Archbishop Moeller in the regional finals of the Ohio Tournament. The Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper has the Bombers ranked number one in the area’s Division I teams, stating, “This St. Xavier roster is built like the great GCL-South teams of the 2000s and 2010s.” Indianapolis Bishop Chatard – The Trojans were 9-3 in 2024 including a 31-7 loss to the Fighting Irish, a regular season ending defeat at Ohio power Cincinnati Elder, and a 28-21 overtime regional loss to eventual Class 4-A state champ New Palestine. Chatard is the only non-Class 6A Indiana opponent on Cathedral’s schedule this season. Southport – The Cardinals have a new head coach this season. Sean Little returns to his alma mater after two seasons leading the Oldham County, Kentucky high school football program. Southport was winless in 2024 and has lost its last 11 outings. Trotwood-Madison (Ohio) – The Dayton, Ohio area school finished last season with a 5-6 record, which included a 28-25 loss at Center Grove and a first-round exit from the Ohio Division II state tournament. The Rams lost their first five games before winning their last five regular season outings in 2024 behind a defense that surrendered just 20 total points in the final six games. Center Grove – The Trojans were 8-5 in 2024, losing to Brownsburg, 31-27, in CG’s 14th semi-state appearance in the last 16 years. Cathedral came from behind to defeat Center Grove, 49-45, last year in a game in which the two teams combined for more than 1,000 yards of total offense. The Trojans return receiver Drake McClurg (67 receptions for 1,004 yards and six touchdowns) and running back Nolan Rees (599 rushing yards and seven touchdowns). McClurg caught two TD passes against the Irish a year ago, while Rees ran 80 yards for a score. Convington Catholic (Kentucky) – The Colonels were 11-3 last season – losing in the Class 4A semi-final round of the Kentucky state tournament following a 14-1 championship run in 2023. Cathedral is just the second Indiana school to play Covington Catholic which defeated Bishop Chatard in 2017 and 2018. Warren Central – The Warriors won a wild, week nine showdown with Cathedral, 34-28, and finished 10-2 after losing to Center Grove in the regional round of the tournament. Coach Mike Kirschner stepped down following the season and was replaced by Brownsburg’s offensive coordinator J.T. Whitaker. Warren Central’s defense shut out six opponents last season. Returning to lead that group is defensive lineman and Alabama recruit Jerimy Finch Jr. (92 tackles and seven sacks) who had 10 tackles against the Irish a year ago.