Lawrence Township rivalry named “Game of the Week” on MyINDY-TV 23

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana high school football regular season returns this week.

That means the long-awaited return of the Emmy Award-winning Friday night show, “The Zone” on WISH-TV.

That also means the return of the “Game of the Week” on MyINDY-TV 23. This week’s featured game is Lawrence North vs. Lawrence Central.

“They call it the ‘Battle for the Bell,’” Vice President of ISC Sports Network Greg Rakestraw said. “Outside, we call it the Battle of Lawrence Township or the Lawrence Township Super Bowl.”

Rakestraw joined News 8 Sports Director Anthony Calhoun on “The Zone” High School Football Preview Show this week to discuss the upcoming season and preview the matchup between Lawrence North and Lawrence Central.

“This game has been moved from week three, where it’s been the last decade, to week number one,” Rakestraw said. “Two really good teams that both think they might win a sectional this year.”

The Lawrence North Wildcats finished the 2023 season with a 7-4 overall record after winning their first four games to begin the year.

Friday’s game will be the first of three straight road games for them to begin the year.

Meanwhile, the Lawrence Central Bears are in search of their first winning season since 2017. Last year, the Bears finished with a 4-6 overall record. In fact, their season ended when they fell to the Wildcats in the sectional round of the playoffs. They ultimately lost twice to Wildcats last year, once in the regular season in addition to that loss in sectionals.

The Bears last beat the Wildcats in Sept. 2022.

Kickoff on Friday is set for 7 p.m. EDT at Lawrence Central.

For a complete recap of the rivalry game, be sure to watch “The Zone” on Friday, beginning at 11:08 p.m. EDT. “The Zone” features highlights from high school football games across Central Indiana.