Football regular season kicks off Aug. 23

1A Cambridge City Lincoln — 2023 record 1-7, head coach Jeremy Bane in first year 

Coach Bane will have a larger roster than a year ago, which will give him more options. Bane expects to have between 21 and 25 players in uniform. That is a big increase from the 15 players they ended last season with. The Eagle coaches will have the ability to move players around to different positions and to allow players to take a few plays to rest. Lincoln will be senior-dominated with 12 seniors, which is another advantage they have not had in recent years.

Carson Hawk, a senior who has not played since middle school, is expected to be an impact player. Anthony Monaghan and Charlie Wadsworth are expected to help anchor both the defensive and offensive line. Gage Sherwood and Bear Ervin are also proven defenders. Noah Patterson, who saw a lot of time at quarterback as a freshman, will now also be a key player on defense. Evan Stuckey led the team with 693 all-purpose yards last season and can also play quarterback.

Look for both Patterson and Stuckey to have the ball in their hands more often in a position to do good things, both as receivers and as running backs. The Eagles should be much improved. They will participate in a four-team jamboree at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, with Blackhawk Christian (Fort Wayne), Union City and Wes-Del. The Eagles will open regular season play with a trip to Centerville on Friday, Aug. 23. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.    

2A Centerville — 2023 record 9-1, head coach Ryan Cole 16-4 in third year 

It has been five years since Centerville last had a losing record in football, and their pattern of success will continue even after several key players from last year’s team graduated. The Bulldog defense will keep them in any game they play. The defending TEC champion Bulldogs did not lose a regular season game last season, and even considering their graduation losses they have the capability of another perfect regular season. The biggest question marks may be their offensive line and the quarterback position. Jake Tinkle, who led the TEC in passing yards, and his favorite target Nate Dickenson both graduated. The Bulldogs will likely use two options to replace Tinkle who complement each other. Junior Ethan Vecera is a mobile quarterback, and freshman Jace Hollendonner is a strong passer. Aiden Hoelscher and Owen Boyd, who combined to score 18 touchdowns last season, both return. Shea Hollendonner, who led the TEC in sacks, lineman Coleson Campbell and Vecera, all named first team all-conference last season, will help spearhead the defense. The Bulldogs have a scrimmage game scheduled at New Castle for 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, before hosting Cambridge City Lincoln in the regular-season opener for both schools on Friday, Aug. 23. Kickoff is 7 p.m. 

1A Hagerstown — 2023 record 6-4, head coach Scott Snodgrass 70-69 in 14th year

The Tigers — who were sectional runner-ups to perennial power Sheridan a season ago — graduated six key seniors, including all-state lineman Logan Parrish, outstanding lineman and three-year starter Riley Gross, quarterback Kayne Ervin, top receiver Lowell Berger, durable running back Collin Beaty and linebacker Peyton Meyer, one of the leading tacklers in Tiger football history. In addition, the top Tiger ground gainer from last season transferred to another school. 

There is still an abundance of talent and program confidence to rebuild with. From last season’s roster 28 players are expected to return, and 14 freshmen will join them. Kaagen Kendall is the most likely replacement for Ervin at quarterback. Kendall is an accurate passer who is a threat to run and delivered 65 tackles last season as a defensive back. Senior Aiden Grover returns from injuries that hampered most of last season. As a sophomore he was an 800+ yard rusher and is difficult to bring down. Will King is also a bruising running back with breakaway speed. Zac Golliher, a cornerback who had 95 tackles last season, and Colten McMillan, a lineman, were both honorable mention all-TEC last season and both return. Roy Thornbury and Anthony Kelley are proven receivers. Kelley, who averaged nearly 36 yards per punt last season, is also capable of giving the Tigers good field position as a kicker.

Issac Schmitz is a quick hard-hitting linebacker who is hard to get by. Will Combs, Grant Childs, Cale Schmitz and Thornbury are all solid linemen or linebackers. How quickly the young, inexperienced players develop could impact the Tigers’ chances for success this season. The Tigers travel to Lapel on Friday, Aug. 16, for a scrimmage game at 7 p.m. before traveling to Knightstown on Friday, Aug. 23, for their regular-season opener with a 7 p.m. kickoff. 

2A Northeastern — 2023 record 7-3, head coach Wes Oler 30-20 in sixth year 

In four of the five years that Wes Oler has been the head coach at Northeastern, the Knights have had winning records, and there is every reason to believe that the Knights will have a winning record again this season. Kam Crawford, Colton Creech, Zane Schroeder and Logan White were named first team All-Tri-Eastern Conference last year, and all four return. Creech had 13 touchdown receptions, intercepted four passes and recovered three fumbles. Schroeder averaged a team high of 11 tackles per game. White caught eight touchdown passes and Crawford collected 52 tackles, 13 for a loss.

Quarterback Blake Waters, an honorable mention TEC selection, returns after throwing for 1,709 yards and 22 touchdown passes last season. Koleson Pennington-Loaiza, also an honorable mention TEC selection, returns after collecting 75 tackles last season. The Knights will host Bellmont in a scrimmage game at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, before hosting Union County on Friday, Aug. 23 in their regular season opener with a 7 p.m. kickoff.  

4A Richmond — 2023 record 1-9, head coach Marcus Calvert in first year

Marcus Calvert, who served as the offensive coordinator for the Red Devils last season, has been elevated to head coach. Calvert has more than a decade of high school coaching experience, but he will have his hands full as he rebuilds the Red Devil program. The Red Devils have a record of 3-27 over the last three seasons under two different coaches. The Red Devils graduated their top quarterback (Jayden Shipp), their No. 2 quarterback (Javon Vecera), their top receiver (Havi Lapsley) and their top tackler (Kevin Handley Jr).

Lewis Alexander, the leading rusher for the Red Devils last year, is back for what could be a breakout year, and D-1 level kicker Ben Holliday returns to help give the Red Devils the best possible field position. Calvert will have nearly 40 returnees from last year’s team to build with.

The Red Devils’ North Central Conference schedule includes games with three 5A enrollment schools as well as 6A Harrison (West Lafayette). The Red Devils will also face two Ohio schools. They will host Eaton in their home opener on Aug. 30 and travel to London on Friday, Sept. 6, to face the Red Raiders.  

The Red Devils will travel to Jay County on Friday, Aug. 16, for a 7 p.m. scrimmage game before traveling to Connersville on Friday, Aug. 23, for their regular-season opener with a 7 p.m. kickoff.