2018 Football Preview

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Bishop Chatard
After posting a record of 7-6 in his first season at the helm, head coach Rob Doyle is looking forward to getting the season underway. With 15 returning starters and multiple Division 1 football commits on the roster, Chatard has the talent to do damage in the Class 3A playoffs this coming season. Senior quarterback and Ball State commit Mark Nondorf will look to lead an explosive offense accompanied with junior running back Daylen Taylor and senior wide receiver and Indiana State commit David Whittemore. Although they have a challenging schedule that includes Cathedral as a non-conference foe, this veteran team who is continuously looking to build depth will be a force to be reckoned with every time they take the field.
Brebeuf Jesuit
Entering his sixth season as the head coach of the Brebeuf Braves, Mic Roessler will look to lead a revamped Braves team that finished last season with a record of 10-5, including an appearance in the Class 3A state championship game. Although they lost the title match to Evansville Memorial, they return some experience on both sides of the ball that will look to lead the team throughout the season. After losing eight players from last year’s starting defensive unit to graduation, senior defensive lineman Tyler Miller and senior strong safety Simon Banks (along with junior middle linebacker Jay Higgins) will be heavily leaned on and looked to by the young players for support. Having to break in a new quarterback is never easy, so head coach Mic Roessler will look to get the ball in the hands of playmakers such as senior wide receiver Michael Bales and dynamic sophomore running back Isaiah Martin. With so many new faces on the offensive side of the ball, Brebeuf will look to senior offensive lineman Justin Spaulding and Tyler Miller to lead them in the battle of the trenches.
Covenant Christian
Fresh off of a 7-3 campaign in 2017, head coach Larry McWhorter is still trying to build a consistent program for the Covenant Christian Warriors. In order to win games, having talented players helps tremendously. Senior linebacker Andrew Coleman is a very skilled player who will do his best to help the defense not let opponents have many scoring opportunities. Moving to offense, sophomore wide receiver Gabe Wilson is a player who can make big plays when necessary to help the Warriors move the ball. This year’s more difficult schedule will present new challenges for Covenant Christian, but if they continue to improve their offensive and defensive lines throughout the season, the wins will come.
Guerin Catholic
The Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles were red hot out of the gates in 2017, beginning the season 5-0; however, they finished by going 1-4 and losing in the sectional opener to arch-rival Brebeuf. Despite the disappointing end to last season, there is much for Guerin Catholic fans to be excited about this year. The Golden Eagles will rely heavily on their defense, counting on them to limit opposing offenses having success. There are a bevy of returning players looking to make major impacts on the defensive side of the ball. Senior linebackers Charles Bock and Hank Bates, free safeties Dylan Crossen and Roc Ricker, and many more including Billy Freudenthal and Brian Ponder are all looking to have big senior years. On offense, junior Christian Gelov will be calling the signals in his first year as a varsity starter. Not wanting to put too much pressure on a first-year starter, running back Dylan Crossen will look to help lighten the load by gaining big chunks of yardage on the ground. Crossen will run behind senior fullback Quinn Koelsch and seniors Reece Davies and Will Poynter up front. In the passing game, junior Bernie McGuinness and senior Josh Osborn will look to provide Gelov with targets to throw the ball to. Having so many great seniors means that fifth-year head coach Tom Dilley and the Golden Eagles have the potential to win a lot of games if they can manage to stay healthy and win the line of scrimmage battle.
Heritage Christian  
With the 2018-19 high school football season rapidly approaching, it is sure to be an exciting year for second year head coach Kyle Ray. With an abundance of returning talent and five new teams on the schedule this year that include Eastern Hancock, Shenandoah, Sheridan, Indianapolis Manual and Indianapolis Shortridge, the Eagles will look to improve upon last year’s 6-4 record. On the offensive side of the ball, junior quarterback Sam Azbell will look to utilize all of the weapons surrounding him. Junior wide receiver Harrison Eckel finished last season with over 40 receptions and eight receiving touchdowns. With a whole offseason to improve, it would not be surprising if Eckel continues to get better. Senior Thomas Johnson plays both the wide receiver and linebacker positions. With four receiving touchdowns last year, if he can equal or top that then Eagles fans should be very pleased. Defensively, Heritage Christian will try to get after the quarterback and force turnovers. Leading the charge is junior linebacker Ethan Lowry, who earned All-City honors and was named an NCSAA All-American last year after accumulating 10 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and six forced fumbles. Linebackers Jake Doran (Sr) and Peyton Brown (Jr) are returning to direct the defense and make sure they are operating smoothly. Senior defensive back Kyle McAvoy looks to be a staple of the defense after starting every game last year and hauling in two interceptions. In hopes of building a winning culture both on and off the field, the Eagles must embrace their motto of “Change the Culture.”
Roncalli
Following an 8-2 season in 2017 under new head coach Scott Marsh, there is plenty for Roncalli fans to look forward to in their second season in 5A. The Rebels return a lot of key players on both sides of the ball. Offensive lineman Simon Dias and Joe Mullin look to open up running lanes for Elijah Mahan, who had 754 rushing yards last season while averaging an impressive 6.2 yards per carry. Another player to look out for on offense is senior wide receiver Luke Dill, who will look to become a big playmaker for the Rebels in the passing game this year. On defense, Roncalli will lean on Ball State commit and defensive lineman John Harris as well as linebacker Brandon Berger to limit opposing offenses scoring opportunities. If Roncalli can stay healthy and figure out the best way to utilize their players, they will be a tough out come playoff time.
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