All in the family: Braves/Knights means more in 2024 to Baths and Wilsons

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Terre Haute South vs. Northview is always a big matchup on the gridiron in the Wabash Valley.

The game takes on more meaning in 2024 for both the Bath and Wilson families.

Terre Haute South senior QB Brady Wilson and Northview junior QB Colton Bath will face off Friday night for the first and only time as starting quarterbacks in their high school careers.

The two have been close friends since childhood thanks in large part to their fathers who are both coordinators for Indiana State Football.

“I’m super excited we were friends like our dads worked together when we were little kids like 2-3 years old, it’s a full circle moment,” Colton Bath said.

“We’ve known each other for a long time but at the end of the day he’ll say the same thing as me it’s us against each other’s defenses,” Brady Wilson said, “We’re not really the ones playing against each other, but we are competing in that way against each other’s defenses so it’s going to be a lot of fun. I haven’t talked to him at all, I don’t know if he’s been dodging me. I’m just kidding, but it’ll be fun and really competitive, really looking forward to it.”

Perhaps the only two people more excited for the matchup than the quarterbacks themselves are their fathers Brad Wilson and Mike Bath who first started coaching together back in 2009 at Ashland University.

“Coach Wilson’s and I’s relationship goes back a long time,” ISU Football offensive coordinator Mike Bath said, “We worked together back in 2009 and we live three blocks away from each other during the summers I would put Colton in the stroller we’d go down to the Wilson’s house and Brady would be out there playing throwing the ball back and forth at 2 years old and vice versa Coach Wilson would come down to my house. I want both of them to go out there and play their rear ends off and I want Northview to walk out with a win.”

“I think they’ll both do a great job of leading their football teams and trying to do everything they can to give their teams a chance to win,” ISU defensive coordinator Brad Wilson said, “I think that we’re just looking forward to watching our boys play doing what they love hoping everybody comes out healthy and looking forward to a great game.”

Northview hosts Terre Haute South Friday at 7 PM. We will have highlights of the game Friday night at 11 PM on WTWO’s Goin’ 2 the Endzone.

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