Hamilton Southeastern 30, North Central 14 · Lawrence North 48, Fishers 0

Two Fishers high schools played Friday night. One spent three quarters proving its opening loss was an aberration. The other spent four quarters unable to reach the end zone for the second week in a row.

Hamilton Southeastern picked up its first win of the season, beating North Central 30-14 at home — but the final score undersells how the night started. The Royals trailed 14-3 after the first quarter. From there, HSE outscored the Panthers 27-0 over the final three quarters and did not allow another point.

That second-quarter-onward shutout is the story of the game. A week earlier at Fort Wayne Carroll, the Royals gave up 54 points in a 54-23 loss. On Friday they surrendered two touchdowns in the opening 12 minutes and then nothing at all.

The scoring line was unusual: HSE put up 3 in the first quarter, 6 in the second, 6 in the third and 15 in the fourth. Two six-point quarters point to touchdowns that didn’t come with the extra point, and the 15-point fourth suggests a two-point try in the mix — worth confirming with the coaching staff before it goes in print as fact.

Michael Kelly’s Royals are 1-1. They travel to Avon on Friday, Sept. 4 to open Hoosier Crossroads Conference play against a team that is 2-0 after a 22-12 win over Ben Davis.

Fishers still looking for its first point

Across town, Fishers hosted Lawrence North and never found footing. The Wildcats scored 27 points in the first quarter alone and added a touchdown in each of the remaining three for a 48-0 final.

It was the Tigers’ second straight shutout loss. Carmel beat Fishers 47-0 in the Week 1 opener. Through two weeks, Fishers has been outscored 95-0 and has not scored a point in the 2026 season.

The context matters, and it cuts both ways. Fishers has drawn one of the hardest opening slates in the state — Carmel entered the year ranked No. 5 in Indiana by MaxPreps, and Lawrence North was coming off a 48-25 loss to defending 6A state champion Brownsburg, meaning the Wildcats had every reason to come out sharp. Fishers itself opened the season ranked No. 6 in Class 6A.

But this is also a program that reached the 6A regional final last November, beating Hamilton Southeastern 28-20 in the sectional final before losing 20-10 to Westfield. A team with that recent a résumé being held scoreless in consecutive weeks is the kind of start that raises questions the coaching staff will be asked about.

Curt Funk’s Tigers are 0-2. They host Noblesville on Friday, Sept. 4 in their Hoosier Crossroads opener. The Millers are 1-1 after a 27-15 loss to Homestead.

What to watch

Both Fishers-area programs open conference play Sept. 4, and both draw opponents who will tell us something. Avon at 2-0 is a real measuring stick for whether HSE’s three-quarter defensive performance was a turning point or a one-week outlier. And Noblesville, at 1-1, is the most winnable game on Fishers’ schedule so far — if the Tigers are going to score a point this season, that’s the likeliest night for it.