Five first-time state finalists are joined by five former state champions as Indiana high school football celebrates a significant milestone Friday (Nov. 28) and Saturday (Nov. 29) in the 1997 IHSAA Football State Finals.

What began in 1973 with just four schools qualifying for post-season competition in each of three classes has grown into one of the most outstanding high school football tournaments in the nation. In 1973, a long-held dream became a reality as the IHSAA established a football tournament series. Mishawaka Marian (Class A), Greenfield-Central (Class 2A) and South Bend Washington (Class 3A) won two games apiece to capture the first state titles.

In 1997, the 25^th Annual IHSAA State Finals concludes a six-week tournament series that saw 308 schools and more than 20,000 participants begin competition at the sectional level. When play concludes Saturday night, five new champions will be crowned and total attendance for the tournament series should exceed 300,000.  

While first-time state finalists Andrean, Clarksville, Griffith, Knightstown and Pioneer will try to bring home a football state championship trophy for the first time, former state champions Bloomington South, Hamilton Southeastern, Indianapolis Chatard, Jimtown and Penn are aiming to add to their trophy cases.  

Penn is the only repeat entry from the 1996 state finals, and the Kingsmen are bidding to become the first school to win three straight Class 5A state titles. Franklin Central, the Class 2A champion in 1980-81-82, is the only school in tournament history to win three consecutive titles in any class. 

More history could be made if undefeated Bloomington South, Jimtown, Knightstown or Pioneer claim victories and finish the season 15-0. The expansion of the regular season to nine games this season, followed by the six-week tournament, gives those four teams the opportunity to become the first Indiana schools to record a 15-0 season.

Collectively, the 1997 IHSAA Football State Finals field has an aggregate 130-9 record. Only Jimtown in Class 2A and Bloomington South in Class 5A finished the season ranked atop the polls conducted by the Associated Press and the Indiana Football Coaches Association. Clarksville is the only state finalist to enter tournament play unranked in either poll.

Actual kickoff times will be seven minutes later than listed.

Class A -- 3:30 p.m., Pioneer (14-0) vs. Knightstown (14-0).

Defensive-minded Knightstown takes on Pioneer and its Wing-T offense in a battle of Panthers to open the weekend. For both schools, it’s the first time they have advanced to an IHSAA state finals in any team sport.

It has been a season to remember for Knightstown, which captured its second sectional title and kept right on winning all the way to the RCA Dome.

Knightstown is directed by coach Don Willard, who has compiled a 160-145-3 record in 31 seasons at the school. Knightstown has allowed only 64 points all season and posted six shutouts. Its defensive strength has been tested in the waning moments of the last three games, but the Panthers came through with big plays to eliminate Park Tudor 14-13, Clinton Central 6-0 and Linton-Stockton 14-7.

Offensively, Knightstown has been strong on the ground with running backs Drew Crawford and Ryan Johnson combining for 2,666 yards. Kyle Rhoades keys the defense with 159 tackles.

Pioneer is the second Midwest Conference school in four years to reach the Class A state finals. The Panthers hope to match the feat of first-time state finalist and ultimate Class A champion North White in 1994. Senior quarterback Tayt Odom directs the Wing-T, an offense popularized by the University of Delaware but not often seen in the Indiana high school ranks. Odom has run for 1,209 yards and thrown for another 720 while scoring 25 touchdowns. Running back Michael Pugh has rushed for 2,048 yards and scored 32 touchdowns overall.

Defensively, Matt Henry has 168 tackles and James DeBoard has intercepted five passes.

Pioneer is coached by Mike Johnson, who has rebuilt the program and stands 35-38 in seven seasons. Located northwest of Logansport in Cass County, Pioneer is a 35-year-old consolidation of Lucerne and Royal Center.

Clarksville, despite ending the regular season on a down note with two defeats, has fought its way to the RCA Dome for the first time. Coach Dennis Hawkins has spent his entire career with the Generals, eight as an assistant and the last 20 as head coach with a 101-87 record.

This year's edition scored 50 or more points three times in the regular season. The Generals set their tournament course with a 43-0 triumph over Triton Central in the sectional opener, then scored a 43-19 triumph over Brownstown Central in the sectional semifinals to reverse a regular season loss. Their regional championship was the school's first in football.

The Generals are led by running back Mark James, who has rushed for 1,561 yards and scored 20 touchdowns despite battling injuries.

Jimtown also has a veteran coach in Bill Sharpe, making his third state finals appearance in 18 seasons with the Jimmies while compiling a 175-36 record.

Senior running back Brian Smith sets the pace for a balanced offense with 1,488 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns. With a touchdown in last week's 35-0 semi-state victory over old rival Bremen, Smith passed Marcus Carpenter to become the school's career scoring leader. He stands 15^th on the state career scoring chart with 430 points. Running mate Travis Daniels is a two-way standout with 694 rushing yards and seven interceptions.

In this battle of parochial schools, former state champion Indianapolis Chatard is matched with first-time state finalist Andrean. Since the advent of the five-class tournament format in 1985, a Catholic school has won the Class 3A title every year except 1987 and 1996 when Zionsville emerged as the champion.

Indianapolis Chatard returns to the RCA Dome for the first time since 1984 when the IHSAA Football State Finals were first played at the RCA Dome. The Trojans were the Class 2A state champions in 1983 and 1984.

This year's Indianapolis Chatard team, directed by seventh-year coach Craig Barr (48-27), has been one of offensive prowess. The Trojans are averaging 382 yards and 37 points a game.

Leading the way is senior DuJuan Daniels. After moving from wide receiver to running back this season, Daniels has run for 2,379 yards and 33 rushing touchdowns. He's added another eight touchdowns as a pass target and kick returner to bring his season scoring total to 248 points. That total ranks him 12^th on the state's all-time season scoring list. His season rushing total ranks 13^th on the state list.

For Andrean, the 59ers are celebrating the achievement of reaching the an IHSAA state finals in a team sport for only the second time. The first came in boys basketball in 1980. This season's only blemish came to Hobart in the season opener, a 30-28 thriller that was followed by five games in which the 59ers allowed only nine points while posting three shutouts.

Directed by second-year coach Ted Karras Jr., Andrean has a two-way threat in veteran quarterback Bobby Finn. The senior has thrown for 1,786 yards and run for 824 more. Complimenting Finn is senior running back Mike Hadt with 1,626 yards and 18 touchdowns. Two-way performer George McGuan leads the defense with 170 tackles.

A new champion is assured in Class 4A as first-time finalist Griffith takes on Hamilton Southeastern, a rapidly growing school that last reached the state finals in 1981 when it captured the Class A state title in a three-class tournament format.

Griffith had to survive a one-hour power outage and delay before downing Fort Wayne Dwenger last week, and ended decades of frustration the week before in its 35-21 regional championship triumph over 11-time state finalist Hobart that avenged its only regular season loss. 

A wishbone attack has piled up 371 yards a game for the Panthers, who are guided by Russ Radtke. He's directed Griffith to a 38-10 record in four seasons after a six-year stint at Connersville and 10 years at his alma mater, North Judson. His North Judson teams went 99-21 in 10 years with three Class A state runner-up finishes. 

The Griffith offense is directed by Radtke's son, senior quarterback Shane Radtke, who has run for 1,073 yards and passed for 885. Radtke is one of three 1,000-yard Griffith rushers, joining classmates Tom Grasha (1,431) and Shawn Andriessen (1,232).  

Like Griffith, Hamilton Southeastern used a reversal of its only regular-season setback as a springboard on the road to the dome. Hamilton Southeastern's came via a 36-25 sectional championship victory over Pendleton Heights. A preview of big things in 1997 came even earlier when the Royals opened the season with back to back victories over Hamilton County rivals Carmel and Noblesville. 

Guided by third-year coach Rob Cutter (33-4), Hamilton Southeastern has exhibited a big-play offense with junior Travis Belden as the spark. The running back has averaged a touchdown every 7.3 carries. The Royals' leading rusher is Adam Clements with 1,456 yards. 

Between them, they own three of the last four state championships in Indiana's largest class. One of them will make it four out of five in the last Indiana high school football game of 1997.

With last week's dramatic 16-13 overtime victory over Fort Wayne Snider played in a driving rain, Penn won its 17^th consecutive state tournament game. Only Ben Davis from 1990-92 has won as many, and the Kingsmen can have the record for themselves with one more victory. 

Penn's bid for a three-peat comes after suffering significant graduation losses. The Kingsmen opened the season ranked No. 1 in both polls and stayed there until suffering a home field setback to Ben Davis in the season's eighth week. They have fought through the tournament challenges under the direction of senior quarterback Kevin Nicolini and senior running back Shawn McGann. Nicolini has thrown for 1,602 yards and 19 touchdowns, while McGann has shown a knack for finding the end zone with 30 touchdowns. Defensively, senior Brad Monhaut has picked off seven passes. 

As they have in each of their six state championship appearances, the Kingsmen are guided by Chris Geesman. In his 25^th season at Penn, Geesman has posted a 234-40 record with three state championships.

Bloomington South is in the finals for the first time since its championship season of 1993 under the direction of 11^th-year coach Mo Moriarity. The Panthers have been an offensive juggernaut, scoring 40 or more points in six of their nine regular-season games and twice in the tournament. They punctuated their quest to finish in the RCA Dome with a 28-7 victory last week over defending semi-state champion Ben Davis. 

Junior quarterback Rex Grossman, a three-year regular, directs a balanced offense. He's thrown for 1,866 yards and 30 touchdowns, while senior running back Nick Dunbar has rambled for 1,855 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. Senior Shane Moat complimented Grossman and Dunbar in the backfield with key blocking. He's also Bloomington South's top defender at nose guard with 121 tackles, 24 for a loss.