2026 TEAM PROFILE
Merrillville
Indiana · Class 6A · Varsity football
← Indiana JOC RatingsSeason record
8–1Verified qualifying results
JOC ranking
#48Statewide · Class 6A #19
JOC Rating
34.06Official published rating
Strength of schedule
22.52Approved SOS · higher is tougher
Ratings cutoff Oct 25, 2026 · Results through Oct 25, 2026
About these ratings and data sources
Ratings: Indiana — Sectional Week 1 2026 · results through Oct 25, 2026. SOS: results through Oct 10, 2026. Schedule & record audit: Oct 25, 2026.
Official forfeits affect the season record when the award is verified. They are documented separately and are not competitive wins for JOC Ratings or rankings.
2026 SEASON
Schedule & results
About schedule records and sources
Opponent records use the Oct 25 audit; opponent ratings and ranks use the Oct 25 snapshot, not the game date. * indicates partial record coverage. Forfeit awards are administrative outcomes, not played scores.
| Date | Opponent | Result / status |
|---|---|---|
| vs AndreanRecord 9–1 · JOC 32.07 · State #54 · Class/division #6JOHN HARRELL source for Andrean on Aug 21 | W 27–21Final | |
| at Lafayette JeffersonRecord 7–2 · JOC 38.54 · State #36 · Class/division #5JOHN HARRELL source for Lafayette Jefferson on Aug 28 | W 56–54Final | |
| vs Crown PointRecord 9–0 · JOC 45.32 · State #22 · Class/division #13JOHN HARRELL source for Crown Point on Sep 4 | L 14–23Final | |
| at PortageRecord 1–8 · JOC -15.59 · State #202 · Class/division #32JOHN HARRELL source for Portage on Sep 11 | W 57–23Final | |
| vs Michigan CityRecord 1–8 · JOC -9.74 · State #182 · Class/division #26JOHN HARRELL source for Michigan City on Sep 18 | W 44–20Final | |
| at La PorteRecord 2–7 · JOC -3.66 · State #167 · Class/division #25JOHN HARRELL source for La Porte on Sep 25 | W 44–7Final | |
| vs ValparaisoRecord 6–3 · JOC 27.35 · State #62 · Class/division #24JOHN HARRELL source for Valparaiso on Oct 2 | W 34–21Final | |
| vs Lake CentralRecord 4–5 · JOC 3.32 · State #136 · Class/division #30JOHN HARRELL source for Lake Central on Oct 9 | W 41–20Final | |
| at ChestertonRecord 4–5 · JOC 10.89 · State #113 · Class/division #20JOHN HARRELL source for Chesterton on Oct 16 | W 21–0Final | |
| Playoff | vs Crown PointRecord 9–0 · JOC 45.32 · State #22 · Class/division #13Confirmed official playoff matchup.IHSAA ORIGINAL DRAW + VERIFIED RESULTS + EXISTING APPROVED HOST RULE source for Crown Point on Oct 30 | Upcoming |
OFFICIAL SNAPSHOTS
Season movement
Published history values
| Results cutoff | State rank | Class rank | JOC Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2026 | #39 | #18 | 44.49 |
| Oct 10, 2026 | #55 | #20 | 39.15 |
| Oct 17, 2026 | #48 | #19 | 40.66 |
| Oct 26, 2026 | #48 | #19 | 34.06 |
Ratings cutoff Oct 25, 2026 · Results through Oct 25, 2026. No values are estimated between releases.
LAST FIVE VERIFIED PLAYED RESULTS
Recent form
Current streak: won 6.
Oldest to newest. Administrative forfeits are excluded from recent played form.
APPROVED METRIC
About SOS
Average approved opponent control strength across admitted rating games, including approved fixed out-of-state anchors. Higher means tougher. Not a rank or an average of displayed opponent JOC Ratings; forfeits and non-admitted games are excluded.
Results cutoff Oct 10, 2026. Unavailable means no approved saved team value is supplied; no substitute has been calculated.
Best wins
Verified wins, ordered by opponent’s Oct 25 JOC Rating.
- Lafayette JeffersonW 56–54 · Aug 28 · Opponent JOC 38.54 Game details
- AndreanW 27–21 · Aug 21 · Opponent JOC 32.07 Game details
- ValparaisoW 34–21 · Oct 2 · Opponent JOC 27.35 Game details
Toughest losses
Losses against the strongest-rated opponents in the same snapshot; a factual ordering, not a separate JOC metric.
- Crown PointL 14–23 · Sep 4 · Opponent JOC 45.32 Game details
POSTSEASON
Playoff path
Class 6A · Sectional 1
Confirmed opening matchups appear in the schedule when both schools are known. Later opponents depend on verified results.