If Week 1 was any indication for what lies ahead, Seymour and Brownstown Central fans should feel good going into tonight’s action on the gridiron.
While both teams posted wins by wide margins, the game won’t get any easier from here on out.
Tonight, we see if the Owls and Braves can get winning streaks rolling.
Owls staying focused
Standing on the practice sidelines at Bulleit Stadium with athletics trainer Kyle Coates on Wednesday evening, I noticed a pair of neon soccer cleats trotted out of the Owls’ huddle.
Over the loudspeakers, AC/DC blared as the kicking unit set up.
The player with the futbol boots, also sporting purple soccer shorts, routinely launched extra points through the uprights.
Then kicks from 30 yards through the uprights.
Money.
They moved him back to 35 yards.
No question.
Then to 40 yards.
About 50-50.
Finally, to just over 45 yards — NFL range.
Just wide but had the distance.
Sophomore Jacob Kriete, also a member of the Owls’ soccer team, will suit up and kick for Seymour tonight.
At the practice’s end, I asked Seymour coach Mike Kelly if that’s his new secret weapon.
He smiled and told me they won quite a few games with kickers at Fishers.
At the conclusion of last weeks’ 40-20 season-opening win against Evansville Harrison, Kelly went to his office and reflected on what the team accomplished. For the first time since 2001, the Owls had won their opener.
Twenty-four hours later, it was on to Game 2 — celebrations were over, Kelly said.
Tonight, the Owls open their Hoosier Hills Conference schedule at Jeffersonville.
Jeff lost to Kentucky’s Pulaski County, which made last year’s state finals in Class 4A, 49-28 in Week 1.
Over the past four years, Pulaski has an outstanding record of 52-8. It’s a top-tier program in Kentucky.
The Maroons led the Red Devils 28-7 at intermission before running away with the game. Jeff gave up 373 passing yards and 197 rushing yards in the contest.
That’s good news for Owls running back Nathan O’Mara, who ran wild for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week.
It’s also good news for QB Alan Perry, who was 11-for-19 with 203 yards and three throwing TDs against Harrison.
On their offense, Red Devils senior Kam Fuller ran for 107 yards and sophomore QB Shaun Wimberly Jr. went 12-for-24 for 176 passing yards.
Kelly’s aware of both players.
The Owls’ defense and special teams were solid in Week 1, giving up fewer than 20 rushing yards through two 1/2 quarters and forcing tough drives. Also, picking up three fumbles helped.
Kelly said that the team can’t feel complacent going into Week 2.
“(Jeff) is a great challenge, but with great challenge comes great opportunity,” he said.
Week 1 was a big win at whatever angle you look at it, but two straight would make the non-believers believe in this team.
Like adding a promising kicker, the Owls are making moves to get better.
Braves rolling into Week 2
One of our writers, John Regruth, said it best at Friday’s end when the Braves trounced Corydon Central 44-14.{div id=”m_-8915302954748885154yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503099822650_12786”}”Meet the new Braves. Same as the old Braves.”{/div} {div} {/div} {div}If you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t have known that half the players on the field for Brownstown Central were playing some of their first-ever varsity minutes.{/div} {div} {/div} {div}The game was dominated by the Braves.{/div} {div} {/div} {div}In senior Reece Covert’s case, it was his first football game ever.{/div} {div} {/div} {div}By the way, Covert had one of the Braves’ six total touchdowns — that were scored by six different players.{/div} {div} {/div} {div}Brownstown Central put its foot on the gas early, scoring on a Caleb Bollinger broke off a 65-yard touchdown run 11 seconds in.{/div} {div} {/div} {div}When Lendon Underwood, a lineman, took a fumble 38 yards for a TD, you knew the game was only going one way.{/div} {div} {/div} {div}In Week 1, the Braves ran for 239 yards and QB Gus Hogan threw for 45 yards.{/div} {div} {/div} {div}On defense, they gave up 176 rushing yards and 72 yards through the air.{/div}In Week 2, the Braves go to The Boneyard to face Charlestown.
The Pirates struggled in Game 1 against Silver Creek, giving up 421 yards while posting just 75 of their own on offense, in a 34-0 loss.
The Pirates hadn’t been shut out since 2009, and it was the first-time ever that Silver Creek had beaten them in football.
Mitch Wurtsmith ran for a team-high 27 yards, of 70 total yards on 23 attempts, and QB Marion Lukes tossed just nine yards completing one pass on 11 tries.
Braves coach Reed May said the Pirates have between two and three returning players on both sides of the ball.
That’s a lot of fresh faces.
May said that CHS changing offenses is a possibility, making it hard to prepare for the game with the film in possession.
So, are the Pirates that down this year or has Silver Creek elevated their status to a new ceiling?
My friends down south say that Silver Creek’s looking strong.
While it’s hard to say at this point, you should buy your tickets to the Dragons at Brownstown Central game on Oct. 6.
I’m thinking that will decide the conference title.
Jordan Morey is sports editor of The Tribune. Send comments to [email protected].