FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Brownstown Central; PLAYER PROFILE: Logan Mills

BROWNSTOWN — Logan Mills has an important role starting on the offensive and defensive line for the Brownstown Central football team.

Offensively, the senior is a left guard, and defensively, he’s a right tackle.

“I like them both,” Mills said. “On defense, it’s really as a team. It’s not just one person. It takes everybody to make a play.”

His responsibilities on the field include getting to his assigned gap on defense and making blocks on offense.

“It’s really important to make sure you pick up the defensive stunts on offense and just watch for the linebackers splitting and stuff,” he said. “I just work on it in practice and make sure I know my responsibilities.”

His football career began as a fifth-grader at Immanuel Lutheran School in Seymour. By his sophomore year at Brownstown Central, he was playing a varsity role.

Ever since then, coach Reed May said, Mills has been an asset.

“He’s a really hard-working kid,” May said of Mills. “He works extremely hard in the weight room, and he’s one of those kids, like Caleb Silvers, that likes to practice. He’s out there all the time flying around, and those are the kind of kids that make it contagious in practice so the other kids will practice hard.”

Being a part of the offensive line, Mills is expected to work with the other linemen and make the right move.

“The offensive line works together as a unit, and they’ve got a lot of calls they’ve got to make,” May said. “He’s got to work together with the tackle, and he’s also got to work with the center. The way our offense is designed, there is a lot of combination blocks with those guys, and he and (Matt) McClintock and David Baker play the interior three guys.
“In my mind, you’re only as good as your offensive and defensive line, and if they don’t do well, you’re not going to be a very good football team.”

May said Mills was moved from nose guard last year to tackle this year.

“He’s done a nice job there, and we really have some kids up front that can do a nice job for us,” May said. “We’re going to count on them to perform well the next few weeks for us to do well. He’s one of those kids that always plays consistent. He’s just a good football player, and we really count on him to do his assignment and do his job. He’s a student of the game, he watches film and he’s played well in all games.”

Mills started on the team that went to semistate last year.

“The whole run we made was exciting,” Mills said. “We just really came together as a team, and nobody really got onto anybody. We kept our head up and never had our heads down.”

As for goals this year, Mills said, “I hope we go as far as we can in the tournament and hopefully we get to go to Lucas Oil” where the state finals are played in Indianapolis.

Mills said there’s a sign of motivation in the team's locker room to reach that goal.

“We have a little thing in our locker room that says ‘the games in November are the games you remember,’” he said. “We just want to win once we get in the tournament. It’s like the start of a new season.”

Brownstown Central at Eastern (Pekin)

The Braves shut out the Musketeers 55-0 last season, and this fall, Eastern is struggling with a 1-6 record, with the sole win being the first game of the year against Crawford County.

“A lot of times, when you are playing a team that is struggling, you play down to their level instead of playing your level,” May said. “(Eastern) did play Salem a great game (last week) in the mud, and from my understanding, it’s going to be muddy again Friday night. The Salem game was 7-6 and (Eastern) had a chance to win the game at the end.
“If we go down there and not play the way we are capable of, we could be in for a hard-fought game. If we go down there and play the way we are capable of, I think things will be fine.”

Beyond beating Eastern, May said the team’s focus is on sectional.

“(The season) is winding down, so it could be three weeks and everybody puts their gear up, and that’s something none of us want,” he said. “But also, it could be eight weeks. You never know come tournament time what’s going to happen. Hopefully we get things where they need to be so we can have a long run this year.”

Last week vs. Clarksville

Brownstown improved its overall record to 4-3 and Mid-Southern Conference mark to 3-2 last week with a 31-7 win over Clarksville.

“Watching film, I think we did a little bit better than I thought,” May said. “We are just doing some little things that need to be straightened out. I know what’s in store for us come tournament time, and sometimes when we don’t do the little things correctly that frustrates me.
“We won, but it wasn’t the prettiest win, but I thought defensively we played real well. Under all the circumstances last week, I thought our kids did real well and came out and played the game the way they did.”

Several players also had to move to different positions, and May said they transitioned well.

“They played well, and we were able to handle the adversity we had last week and focus a little bit on the game,” he said.

Special awards

Coaches’ awards from Clarksville game: Jordan Turpin, offensive back most valuable player; Matt McClintock, offensive line MVP; Logan Mills, defensive line/inside linebacker MVP; Michael Leitzman, defensive back/dime MVP; Caleb Silvers, special teams MVP; Jalen Nierman, scout team MVP; Mills, Casey Bowling, David Baker, black jersey winners.

Probable starters
Brownstown Central offense
QB-Ryan Shoemaker (170)
RB-Braden Scarlett (155)
RB-Kaeler Persinger (155)
FB-Caleb Silvers (190)
WR-Wade Toppe (145)
WR-Michael Leitzman (165)
T-Justin Lane (210)
T-Casey Bowling (210)
C-Matt McClintock (225)
G-David Baker (235)
G-Logan Mills (225)
Brownstown Central defense
LB-Kaeler Persinger (155)
LB-Jordan Turpin (140)
LB-Caleb Silvers (190)
LB-Andrew Allman (175)
LB-Scott Baker (185)
S-Braden Scarlett (155)
T-Matt McClintock (225)
T-Logan Mills (225)
N-Casey Bowling (210)
CB-Michael Leitzman (165)
CB-Wade Toppe (145)

Brownstown Central at Eastern (Pekin)

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Radio: WJAA 96.3 FM
Records: Brownstown Central 4-3, Eastern (Pekin) 1-6
2008 score: Brownstown Central won 55-0
Coaches: Reed May, 162-35 in 17th year at Brownstown Central; John Dablow, 1-6 in first year at Eastern (Pekin)