North Posey VS Paoli Sectional Game Recap 10-30-26

North Posey VS Paoli Sectional Game Recap 10-30-26

The North Posey Vikings are headed back to the IHSAA Class 2A Sectional 40 championship game following a commanding 42-21 victory over the Paoli Rams Friday night at Cook Field.

The Vikings improved to 10-1 on the season with another impressive postseason performance, building a 42-7 lead early in the fourth quarter before Paoli scored twice in the closing minutes to narrow the final margin.

Senior quarterback Carter Schickel led the North Posey offense, throwing three touchdown passes in the first half as the Vikings established control of the contest. Schickel also threw one interception but continued his strong postseason play after completing all nine of his passes for 211 yards and four touchdowns in last week's sectional opener against Perry Central.

Sophomore Camden Clowers found the end zone twice, scoring on both a rushing touchdown and a touchdown reception. Junior Remi Johnson and senior Cru Wilzbacher also caught touchdown passes from Schickel, giving the Vikings three different receiving touchdown targets in the opening half.

Senior running back Cade Mauck added two touchdowns of his own, scoring once on the ground before delivering the game's biggest special teams highlight.

With just under 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Mauck broke loose for a 54-yard punt return touchdown, extending North Posey's advantage to 42-7 and triggering the IHSAA running clock mercy rule.

With the outcome largely decided, North Posey turned to its reserves for much of the remaining action. Paoli took advantage of a late fumble return for a touchdown, followed by a two-point conversion and a successful onside kick. The Rams added another touchdown on a pass as time expired, scoring 14 points in the final five minutes to make the final score closer than the game had been throughout the night.

Despite the late scoring, the Vikings controlled the matchup and delivered another convincing postseason victory under head coach Waylon Schenk.

The win sends North Posey to the Sectional 40 championship game for the first time since its championship season in 2023.

Standing between the Vikings and another sectional title will be the Linton-Stockton Miners, who advanced with a 54-37 victory over Tell City in the other sectional semifinal.

Linton-Stockton enters the championship matchup with a 3-8 record, while North Posey will bring a 10-1 mark and home-field advantage into the contest.

The Sectional 40 championship game will be played next Friday night at Joe Gengelbach Field in Poseyville, where the Vikings will look to capture their second sectional championship in four seasons.

Fans can hear more about Friday night's victory during the North Posey Coaches Show Monday evening at 6 on 98.9 WPIW.

North Posey's sectional championship game against Linton-Stockton will also be broadcast live on 98.9 WPIW and online at NorthPoseyRadio.com.