MISHAWAKA — Penn football head coach Pete Riordan said the Kingsmen’s No. 1 objective heading into the 2026 Backyard Brawl against Mishawaka was physicality.
“Two years ago, we came over here and we weren’t,” Riordan said.
Even to start last season’s contest, Penn wasn’t. In 2024, the Cavemen beat the Kingsmen 27-7 and got out to a 16-0 lead in 2025 before Penn stormed back for a 28-22 victory.
This time around, there was no comeback to be had in a 49-7 domination by Penn Friday, Aug. 28.
The Kingsmen set the tone right out of the gate. Against a Mishawaka offense that scored 40 points seven days prior, Penn’s defense forced a three-and-out in the first possession at Steele Stadium.
Then the Kingsmen’s offense does what it does best, and that’s march right down the turf and score. The first touchdown was courtesy of senior Chase Buckwheat on the ground.
Penn’s defense came right back and forced another three-and-out, then scored again. This time it was a rushing touchdown from senior quarterback Landon Hall.
“That’s just a little something I’ve been working on this offseason,” Hall said with a grin.
All of a sudden, it was a 14-0 Penn lead in the first quarter. On the next drive, with 45 seconds left until the second period, Mishawaka finally scratched for a first down.
On the very next play, the Kingsmen’s defense forced a fumble, which was recovered by junior linebacker Noah Wallis. The play after that? A 38-yard touchdown pass from Hall to junior wide receiver Mason Biernacki to put 6A No. 9 Penn ahead 21-0 after the extra point.
“I was nervous,” Wallis admitted. “Big atmosphere, big everything … Everybody is hype, we’re all on the same page and we all like to make plays.”
The defense – which graduated eight starters from last season, including Indiana Football Coaches Association (IFCA) All-State linebacker Vinny Freeman – continued making those big plays to which Wallis referred by quickly chasing Mishawaka off the field so junior Tate Clark could find the end zone for another Kingsmen touchdown.
With 3:54 left in the second quarter, the Cavemen finally scored thanks to a 23-yard rushing touchdown from senior Ethan Flowers, but Penn and senior Miami (OH) commit Brayson Hurley answered right back with a score to put the Kingsmen in front 35-7 at halftime.
On the first possession of the second half, Penn marched down the field in just 1:43 and Buckwheat found paydirt again to further extend the Kingsmen’s blowout lead. Then, their defense continued to impress with yet another forced fumble.
Riordan decided to take his starters out at that point despite there being more than 19 minutes left to play. Everyone at Steele Stadium knew the game was decided, and Penn eventually sealed the deal with a 49-7 victory.
What was expected to be a clash between area titans turned into the largest margin of victory in the Backyard Brawl since the Kingsmen won 51-0 in 2002. Hall, who threw for 194 yards and combined for two touchdowns, certainly did not lack confidence after celebrating with Penn’s large student section.
“Everyone wants it,” Hall said. “We’re all on the same page. We’re winning state this year; that’s what we want. That’s all we’re thinking about [during] every practice.”
Riordan was respectful of Mishawaka, which falls to 1-1 with Northern Lakes Conference (NLC) rival Plymouth (1-1) on the horizon next week. But he also didn’t shy away from the Kingsmen’s lofty aspirations first spouted by his quarterback. While Penn hasn’t made the IHSAA state finals since 2017, the program has a lot of momentum as a reigning 6A sectional champ with 14 straight regular season wins under their belt.
“The expectation is the same," Riordan said. "We have a really great coaching staff with guys who have been doing this for a long time. They know how to communicate, how to coach, how to teach and how to get things done. That’s always been the goal, our job is to help them get there.”
Although the Kingsmen still have a long way to go sitting at just 2-0, a 42-point victory against Mishawaka in just the second week of the season is certainly an early indicator of what type of damage this squad could do in the state tournament a few months down the road. The Class 6A gauntlet will be extremely difficult to navigate, but Penn has the playmakers and confidence fit for one of Indiana’s best teams.
“We all have the same goal in mind, and we’ll do whatever it takes to get there,” Wallis said. “We will be going to state, we will win state and it’s going to be a fun season.”
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleMSmedley.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Penn football makes statement with biggest win vs Mishawaka since 2002
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