For The Tribune
When Joe Goodman retired as Seymour High School football coach in 2003, he probably didn’t think he would coach another football game.
That all changed for Goodman earlier this year.
A member of the Indiana Football Coaches Association executive committee contacted Goodman about being a ‘legends’ coach at the North-South All-Star game, that will be played at 7 p.m. Friday at North Central High School, Indianapolis.
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“I’m looking forward to it,” said Goodman. “I’m fortunate that they’re bringing back these ‘legendary’ coaches. I was kind of surprised when they asked me. The executive board made that decision. I was quite honored obviously.
“When I look back on my tenure, 38 years of coaching, 30 years here in Seymour we’ve had a lot of success here in Seymour. Therefore, maybe I was a logical choice.”
There are three ‘legendary’ coaches working with the North staff and three more with the South.
All six of the coaches are in the hall of fame.
Goodman said it is a special honor for him to coach in the game this year since it’s the 50th annual All-Star game.
“It is important to us,” he said. “This is the longest consecutive high school football all-star game in the nation. It has been going since 1967 with different sponsors.”
Goodman said when the all-star game started out, the Indiana High School Athletic Association would not allow high school coaches to coach in the game, so Rick Carter of Earlham College coached the south, and Jack Jarrett of Manchester College headed the north in the first game.
“Then the IHSAA allowed high school coaches to coach in the game,” he said. “We’ve had a litany of coaches throughout the years coach in the game. Fortunately, this is my fourth time.”
Goodman was an assistant coach in 1977 and 1991 and was head coach of the South team in 1998.
“We’ve had a lot of players from Seymour play in the game,” Goodman said. “Lynn Gregory was Seymour’s first All-Star in 1969. Joe’s son, Grant, played in the 1990 game. Tracy Bullard was named most valuable player of the 1984 game, and Kevin Kreinhagen was named MVP of the 1994 game. Seymour’s most recent all-star was Teddy Henkle, in 2006.”
Coach Goodman went to Indianapolis on Sunday to attend meetings before All-Star practice began Monday.
Goodman said he is primarily working with the wide receivers and special teams.
Practices are being held this week at the University of Indianapolis.
One of the players Goodman is coaching is Brandon Coleman, a wide receiver from Jeffersonville.
Other members of the South roster include Aaron Kructhan of Columbus, and Jared Schwenk and Hunter Armstrong of East Central. The south quarterbacks are Luke Johnson from Southport and Alex Neligh from New Palestine.
“One of the unusual things about the game is that years ago we got all the (NCAA) Division I players,” Goodman said. “Now, all the D1 players are already gone to college. The colleges want them in campus so they can get them academically eligible and take one or two classes in the summer and they work out with the team.
“So, the D1 (athletes) are gone, so the criteria for the game is that you have to have so many players from each of the six classes, and you can’t have more than three players from one team, and you have to have so many players from an IFCA region.
“The great thing is, we’ve never thought that this was a ‘quality’ all-star game. We’ve always thought as this being a representative game on people throughout the state. That is what we have.”
Kreinhagen, head football coach at North Central, will host a reception for the Seymour All-Stars at the game Saturday.
The players and coaches visited Camp Riley on Wednesday night and attended a banquet Thursday night.
Proceeds from the game go to Camp Riley.
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A number of former Seymour players have competed in the North-South All-Star football game over the past 50 years.
1969: Lynn Gregory
1970: Mike Sentz
1971: Jay Hunsucker
1976: David Wertz
1977: Leo Hickam
1978: Greg Prange
1981: Brad Prather
1984: Tracy Bullard
1986: Clint Davis
1989: Jason Stahl
1990: Grant Goodman
1991: Michael Batts
1994: Kevin Kreinhagen
1997: Ryan Schrink
1998: Rob Mager and Jeremy Richey
1999: DJ Henkle
2000: Bryan Robertson
2001: Ryan Wiethoff
2002: Brandon Hensley
2006: Teddy Henkle
Additional info: Jeff Richey was an assistant coach in 1996. Seymour managers at the game were Scott Newkirk, and Dennis Sunderman in 1991, Jeremy Richey in 1996, and Ellen Lewis, and Jenna Miller in 1998.
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