Two Jackson County football programs came out on top on the road and another fell short at home to open the 2018 regular-season schedule Friday.
This week, all three teams will entertain their home fans.
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Multiple storylines going into Brownstown Central game
Class 3A No. 8 Brownstown Central has a lot to look forward to Friday at Blevins Memorial Stadium.
On top of the usual high-capacity crowd for a home-opener, the Braves will reveal the turf field to the public.
Brownstown coach Reed May also could reach a milestone if the Braves beat Charlestown, as his career record would move to 250-50.
May, in his 26th year at the helm, would become the 26th coach in Indiana high school football history to reach 250 wins. May currently is ranked ninth among active coaches in wins.
Both Brownstown and Charlestown are coming off of blowout wins. The Braves throttled Corydon Central 49-0, and Charlestown topped Silver Creek 32-14 on Friday.
The Braves finished with 519 yards (360 rushing, 159 passing) of offense and had five different players score against the Panthers. Matthew Bell and quarterback Hayden Kinsler each had two touchdowns.
Brownstown also only gave up five first downs against Corydon.
“I thought our defense played really well,” May said. “They came out with a different type of offense than what we saw, and our kids adjusted really well. They flew to the ball. A lot of those guys were new to varsity.”
Charlestown went to an old-school power offense against the Dragons, running the ball on 48 offensive snaps.
The Pirates led 18-0 at half and never looked back.
Junior Marion Lukes took the bulk of the carries for the Pirates, finishing with 247 yards and two touchdowns on 23 attempts. Sophomore Deke Brown and juniors Addison Logsdon and Braiden Murphy also had TDs in the game. Charlestown had 339 rushing yards total.
The Pirates ran a 3-5-3 defense last week, much like Lawrenceburg did in 2017.
“They lined up in an ‘I’ offense and basically tossed the ball right and left,” May said. “They ran a few inside isos with him and a fullback dives. They changed up formations a few times, but against Silver Creek, they felt like they could line up and pound the ball. We’re not real big up front, so they might decide to do the same thing against us.
“It just depends on what they’re going to do. We know that Lukes is going to get the ball and run it. We will need to contain him as much as possible.”
The game will prove a crucial one for the Braves’ quest for the Mid-Southern Conference title.
“Charlestown is always a challenge for us,” May said.
Owls opening conference play
Coming off of its first shutout regular-season win since 2010, Seymour looks to keep the momentum going into its Hoosier Hills Conference opener with Jeffersonville.
The Owls beat South Dearborn 7-0 on Friday in part of a 24-yard touchdown run by Nathan O’Mara in the second quarter.
The game had a strange pace. There were two half-hour lightning delays, and the teams skipped halftime. The field had standing water and mud as the Owls pounded the rock.
O’Mara finished with 158 rushing yards on 30 carries, while quarterback Brendan Smith, in his first start, finished 2-for-4 with 91 passing yards and an interception.
“I was proud of our guys for fighting and finding a way to win. It wasn’t pretty, but we found a way to win,” Owls coach Mike Kelly said.
“It was a kind of bend-don’t-break defense. Coach (Brian) Balsmeyer has expectations with third down conversions and taking away and reducing the number of times they (get chances) with the football. We didn’t reach that mark, but we kept them out of the end zone, which was huge.”
Jeffersonville is coming off of a 50-7 loss to Pulaksi Southwestern (Kentucky). They have a new coach in Brian Glesing.
Glesing most recently coached Floyd Central from 2007 to 2017. He also coached at LaVille (2001-04) and Clarksville (2005-06).
“Coach Glesing his brought his offense over from Floyd Central,” Kelly said. “They have several tight ends and big formations and try to out-formation and out-position you with misdirection. It is going to be important that our linebackers key read.”
Pulaski had 622 yards of offense against Jeffersonville, including 433 rushing yards.
The Red Devils trailed 36-0 at half. They scored their lone touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 50-yard pass from Aquan Terrell to Isaac Hall. Hall went 3-for-5 with 80 yards and had 75 yards on the ground. Ethan Rogers had 14 rushes for 47 yards.
“The thing about Jeff is that they open with Warren Central in their scrimmage and then they go down south to Pulaski,” Kelly said. “I think their coaching staff has that mentality that they are now facing their conference. They probably say that Seymour doesn’t quite have the talent they’ve seen the past couple weeks. They will be amped up and ready to go.”
Last year’s game was a shootout, as the Red Devils beat the Owls 48-37. Seymour hasn’t defeated Jeffersonville since 2010.
Cougars look to bounce back
Trinity Lutheran will face Indiana School for the Deaf in a game at home Friday night.
The Cougars (0-1) fell to Tindley 27-14 in Week 1, while Indiana Deaf fell to Traders Point Christian 21-6.
Trinity coach Mike Wilson said he wants his team to focus on cleaning up the tackling from a defensive standpoint.
Players could be seen completing tackling drills on campus at practice Wednesday.
“We have to tackle better in the open space,” he said.
Wilson said he would like to see the team’s offense use a balanced approach to running and passing.
“I want to see us move passes downfield and control the line of scrimmage,” he said.
The team could also use a solid performance from its offensive line against a talented defense.
“I think with our offensive line, we have some advantages, but every Friday night is different,” he said.
Trinity Lutheran sophomore quarterback Tyler Goecker led the Cougars with 13 rushes for 37 yards and was 12 for 23 passing for 160 yards. Jack Marksberry was his top target, catching nine passes for 134 yards.
Wilson said he would like to see the team clean up offensive play and avoid costly turnovers. A few of the turnovers came at key points for the Cougars when they would have been able to bring the score closer to the Tigers’ lead.
The turnovers and a few penalties also resulted in a 14-0 deficit at halftime.
If the Cougars can continue to make plays and avoid the turnovers, Wilson feels the team has a chance for a successful night.
“We moved the ball pretty successfully, but the big thing for us was that we would turn the ball over at bad times,” Wilson said. “Not that there is ever a good time to turn the ball over, but we ended some good drives with a turnover.”
Two of the drives, Wilson said, were when the Cougars were able to use seven plays and move downfield before turning the ball over, which ended any momentum they had.
“One was in the red zone, and the other was right outside it,” he said. “We are working on cutting out the turnovers.”
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What: Jeffersonville (0-1) at Seymour (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Radio: 92.7 Nash Icon
Where: Bulleit Stadium
Last outing: Seymour def. South Dearborn 7-0, Southwestern (Ky.) def. Jeffersonville 50-7.
Most recent meeting: Jeffersonville won 48-37 on Aug. 25, 2017.
Series past 30 years: Jeffersonville 13-8.
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What: Charlestown (1-0, 1-0 MSC) at Brownstown Central (1-0, 1-0 MSC)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Radio: 96.3-WJAA
Where: Blevins Memorial Stadium
Last outing: Brownstown Central def. Corydon Central 49-0, Charlestown def. Silver Creek 32-14.
Most recent meeting: Brownstown Central won 43-14 on Aug. 25, 2017.
Series past 30 years: Brownstown Central 26-13.
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What: Indiana Deaf (0-1) at Trinity Lutheran (0-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Trinity Lutheran High School
Last outing: Traders Point Christian def. Indiana Deaf 21-6, Tindley def. Trinity Lutheran 27-14.
Most recent meeting: No meetings.
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