How would you prefer your football schedule: easier in the front or on the back?
In my three years living in Jackson County, Brownstown Central and Seymour have faced near polar opposite schedules each season.
Brownstown Central typically can ease a little into its season before the tough games, while Seymour undergoes trial by fire in a loaded conference.
It’s no fault of either program. Schedules stay relatively the same each season due to conference games needing to be played.
The only thing that typically changes is who plays home and away. Who teams play each week generally stays the same.
Brownstown’s schedule was shaken up this year since Scottsburg has returned to Mid-Southern Conference football, pushing Corydon Central to the first week instead of the tail end of the season.
Scottsburg dropped football after the 1983 season but revived the sport this year.
For Brownstown coach Reed May, playing Corydon, which has only one losing season since 2009, has put more pressure on the team in Game 1.
May said he liked playing Corydon to open the season because it helps the coaching staff know where the Braves stand.
This far into the season, the Braves, ranked No. 9 for Class 3A in The Associated Press polls this week, have torched their opponents in the top-heavy MSC.
They’re averaging 43.5 points per game and have given up 14 points in each of the first two games. Both teams they’ve beaten are 0-2 and likely will finish toward the middle to bottom of the MSC.
This week shouldn’t be any different, as they go to Eastern (Pekin).
Brownstown has never lost to Eastern. They’re 10-0 all-time. In that decade span, the Braves have outscored the Musketeers 516-84.
Eastern is 1-1 after beating Clarksville 56-21. Clarksville looks like it won’t win a game for a third straight season.
After Eastern, the Braves host Salem, North Harrison and go to Seymour — the toughest stretch of the season. Following the Jackson Bowl, the Braves host Silver Creek before finishing the regular season at Scottsburg.
Look for the Braves’ true tests in the coming weeks.
Seymour has a brutal schedule to begin the season.
From Week 2 through 6, they play Jeffersonville, Columbus East, Floyd Central, Bedford North Lawrence and Brownstown Central.
Even with a young team, Class 6A Jeffersonville put up a 48-37 win against the Owls last week. The Red Devils are good now and will be even better in the next couple of years.
Columbus East was ranked No. 1 in Class 5A before falling to No. 5 following a loss to crosstown rival Columbus North last week.
East is a top-five program — in my opinion top three — in the state for 5A without a doubt.
Floyd Central is 1-1 but destroyed Providence 62-19 after losing to Louisville Male (Kentucky) 35-10 in Week 1. They’re not to be trifled with.
Bedford North Lawrence (2-0) is ranked No. 12 in the AP media polls for 5A this week. The Stars have firepower.
Brownstown Central — we all know how competitive those games have been the past two years. We’ll leave it at that until we get closer to the Jackson Bowl.
Last year, East beat Seymour 56-30.
Quarterback Alan Perry led the Owls with five touchdowns (four rushing), not backing away from a team that would finish runner-up in the state tourney.
Seymour hasn’t beaten East since 2002, which was a 20-17 win.
The Olympians will bring an offense that’s averaging 333 rushing yards per game. Of their 667 total rushing yards, 333 are from 5-foot-7 running back Jamon Hogan.
While undersized, Hogan has incredible speed. He runs a 4.56-second 40-yard dash. He’s going to be a Mr. Football candidate.
In 2016, Hogan ran for 242 yards and three TDs. He will be the focal point for the Owls’ defense.
The good news for the Owls is they did get a win against East last season. The junior varsity team topped the Olympians, perhaps showing that the Owls are getting closer to closing the gap with East.
A win against East, which has won 50 straight HHC games, this week would be legendary for first-year coach Mike Kelly.
John Harrell has predicted a 45-24 win for East.
That doesn’t matter, though. This is high school football.