Stuart Hayden and Lendon Underwood believe they made a lot of progress this summer as members of the Brownstown Central football team.

“The summer program is all still very intense even though it’s off-season,” Hayden said Friday night at the conclusion of Superstars competition. “We’re pretty much going the same speed that we do in-season so it helps us improve even better while some other teams might be taking the time off.”

Underwood said the summer program gives Coach (Reed) May a good assessment about where the team is at physically.

“It shows work ethic over the summer and if you’ve been working hard,” he said. “It’s very important.”

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

Click here to purchase photos from this gallery

This will be the last season for the Braves to play their home games on grass as a new turf field will be in place for the 2018 season.

Underwood said he’s enjoyed playing on grass.

“I’m used to it,” he said. “During the summer, on our field it’s not 10 degrees hotter. The turf gets hot.”

Hayden has moved from guard to center on offense after played end and tackle on defense this past year.

He said blocking assignments change a lot when the Braves face an odd-man front compared to an even front.

“Facing an odd front, basically I just block the nose on every play.” Hayden said. “Facing even fronts is a lot different and makes it more challenging.”

Hayden said he enjoys the support the team receives.

“I love the community, the atmosphere,” he said. “Everybody in the community is very active in football and the players are one big family.”

Hayden said the team made progress at the Franklin camp.

“We got to go against other good teams, some teams that might have been better than us at the time and we got to see what needed to work on for the rest of the summer,” he said.

The teams worked both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11.

“The linemen got to do their own thing,” Hayden said. “We got to see how our offense worked with the new people, and teaching defense to the new people that might not have played varsity before.”

Hayden said he also plans to play basketball and baseball this school year.

Underwood, who is a two-way starting tackle, said the outlook for every season should be wanting to go to state.

“You’ve got to have confidence in yourself and the players around you because by the end you’re not just playing for yourself, you’re playing for the whole team,” Underwood said.

After the players introduced themselves and their parents Friday night, May told the fans a lot of players graduated from the team that lost to Lawrenceburg in the semi-state, meaning a lot of positions are up for grabs.

“Coach May emphasizes re-loading all the time,” he said. “We hold true to that.”

He said he feels more comfortable run-blocking.

“Pass blocking is very nerve wracking for me because if I mess up or miss a block I don’t want the chance of my quarterback getting hurt,” Underwood said. “It’s a lot of pressure but I think I’ll be able to handle the pressure. Run-blocking I just like to line up over the defense and beat them every time.”

Underwood, who has been playing football since third grade, said he likes the atmosphere.

“The Friday nights come on and everybody is watching you and cheering you on,” he said. “It’s nice to have the feeling that everybody in the community has your back.”

May said he felt his squad had made a lot of progress and team is about where he expected it to be at the conclusion of the summer workouts.

“The older kids have been lifting Monday, Wednesday and Friday and have an open field Monday, Wednesday and Friday,” May said. “This is kind of our big end-of-the-summer fling where we have our 56er camp, our middle school camp and a freshman camp.”

May said the Braves went to a team camp at Franklin June 13, and competed in a 7-on-7 event at West Washington July 15.

A clinic for women was conducted Wednesday, an organizational meeting was conducted Thursday night, and the Superstars, middle school scrimmage and 56er punt, pass and kick competition was held Friday.

Brownstown played host to a 7-on-7 lineman challenge Saturday morning and the summer program concluded Saturday night with the Dancing with the Stars event.

“We started this a few years ago,” May said of Friday’s events. “We’ve got a lot of people here watching our kids. They get to know our football players. It’s kind of fun for the kids to compete. It’s a great way to end the summer.”

May said 118 fifth-through-eighth graders attend camp last week and 67 players grades 9-12 lifted last week.

“For us, those are pretty good numbers,” he said. “That’s close to the best we’ve had. People are excited. We’ve got turf coming in next year.”

Final work on the new stands at the stadium will take place this week. The press box was installed Friday.

No Brownstown football activities are scheduled this week. Practice for the high school players begins Monday with the Red-Black scrimmage set for Aug. 4, the scrimmage at Jennings County Aug. 11 and the season opener against Corydon Central is at home Aug. 18.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Award winners” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Superstars

Top 3: Noah Reynolds 46, Gus Hogan 64, Reece Covert 65.

First place team: Hogan, Stuart Hayden, Grant Stuckwisch, Seth Borden, Sam Sam Huber, Justin Brewer, Joe Striegel, Eli Brown, Cody Griffith, Ethan Sevakis

56er award winners

Fifth grade

Speed Test: Pierson Wheeler 17.95, Gregory Hutcheson 18.39, Roshaun Hehman 18.88, Easton Branaman 18.93, Braxton Gullion 18.99

Passing: Grant Killey 29, Colson Ellison 27, Hutcheson 27, Wheeler 26, Gullion 24

Kicking: Grant Killey 24, Jaden Disque 22, Hutcheson 21, Andrew Roberts 20, Colson Ellison 19

Punting: Ellison 22, Hutcheson 20, Gullion 20, Disque 20, Talon Hughbanks 19

Sixth grade

Speed test: Brady Blann 17.05, Jake Steinkamp 17.38, Ethan Garland 17.52, Karson Rollins 17.58, Caiden Gwin 17.67

Passing: Charlie Hackman 33, Ryan Branaman 28, Lane Zike 28, Parker Hehman 26, Landon Francia 26

Kicking: Parker Hehman 32, Francia 25, Bladen Underwood 25, Branaman 23, Zike 22

Punting: Hudson Fritz 26, Francia 25, Ethan Garland 24, Bladen Underwood 24, Charlie Hackman 24

[sc:pullout-text-end]