Ben Davis will open the 42nd annual IHSAA state football tournament by hosting sectional nemesis Pike on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m.

Pike has ended Ben Davis’ season three of the past four years and four times since Mike Kirschner took over the Ben Davis program in 2007. The game also will be a rematch of a thrilling 53-50 Ben Davis win in the third week of this season. That game was called on a Friday night with less than two minutes remaining due to a lightning storm with the Giants trailing 50-46.

The two teams returned the next morning with Ben Davis rallying for the win.

Pike beat Ben Davis 34-32 in the sectional final at Giant Stadium last year. The Giants handed Pike a 49-48 overtime win at Lucas Oil during the regular season last year.

Ben Davis is 6-2 while Pike is 3-5. The Giants end the regular season this Friday at North Central while Pike hosts Lawrence North.

Avon will host Brownsburg in the other sectional 5 game with the winners facing each other Oct. 31.