The most eagerly anticipated high school football game that was on the Week 1 schedule in Indiana is no longer happening.
Center Grove’s season opener against visiting Warren Central, always a marquee showdown between state powers and MIC rivals, was cancelled on Tuesday afternoon due to Warren Central having a number of players and coaches in quarantine, according to a statement from Center Grove athletic director Jon Zwitt.
The Trojans are seeking a replacement opponent for next Friday, Zwitt said, but that may be a tall order less than a week and a half out.
Zwitt and Warren Central AD Marques Clayton were not immediately available for further comment Tuesday.
Center Grove coach Eric Moore said he notified his players after practice Tuesday evening, and they were understandably quite upset — as he is.
“We’ve got a team this year that is so special,” Moore said. “It’s frustrating.”
The rivalry between the Trojans and the Warriors has been one of the best in the Midwest in recent years. The two teams have opened the season against one another each of the last seven years, squaring off another five times in the postseason during that span.
Center Grove won the most recent meeting, a 28-14 road win in last year’s regional, but Warren has claimed each of the last four regular-season showdowns.
As of Tuesday night, the only other Class 6A teams that officially has an opening on its schedule next week is Carmel, which already plays the Trojans on Sept. 4, and Portage; Goshen would be the only 5A team available. Opponents from outside of Indiana are not a viable option due to the travel restrictions being placed on teams in neighboring states.
Should another Week 1 opponent not become available, Center Grove would open its season at Decatur Central on Aug. 28.
