Coaches speak a lot about taking each game as it comes and to focus on the task at hand.
Trap games — as they’re referred to in college and pro sports — are when inferior opponents play well against, and sometimes beat, better teams because the good programs are looking ahead to next week’s game.
Do trap games exist in high school football?
If they do, this is the week for one for both Seymour and Brownstown Central.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
The Braves battle Clarksville this Friday, a team that won it’s first game in four years earlier this season over Eastern (Pekin).
It would be easy for the Braves to look past the 1-5 Generals and ahead to 6-0 Silver Creek, who are the only other team with a shot at winning the Mid-Southern Conference.
Brownstown Central and Silver Creek will meet next Friday at Blevins Memorial Stadium for what should be the de facto conference title game.
Yet, Brownstown Central coach Reed May says he’s reminding his players to prepare for Clarksville just like they would for Silver Creek or anyone else on their schedule.
"I tell them when we’re preparing for Clarksville, we’re also preparing for Silver Creek or Lawrenceburg," May said. "Some of the things that Clarksville does we’ve seen Silver Creek run. Clarksville has run some defenses similar to Silver Creek."
May jokes he had to bring back the old coach May at Monday’s practice, something he’s tried to tamp down over the years. He’s tried to leave the more aggressive coaching to his assistants.
Just like every week, he warns them he can go easy on them as long as they practice and prepare well.
The Braves have won 14 straight against Clarksville and have not surrendered a point to the Generals in two of their last four meetings.
While those stats bode well for the Braves to continue their dominance, it doesn’t mean May isn’t trying to limit the distractions and keeping them focused.
Over at Seymour, the Owls still have Hoosier Hills Conference title aspirations, but have a gauntlet of games to end the regular season.
There’s the tall task of dealing with powerhouse Columbus East next Friday night for the Owls, but first they need to down the Bulldogs and get back to their winning ways.
Seymour has not beaten New Albany under third-year coach Mike Kelly, but this should be the year for the Owls to end their two-game skid against them.
The 1-5 Bulldogs have not won a game since the opening week — a 20-point victory over Evansville Harrison.
Just like their county rivals might overlook Clarksville, the Bulldogs would be an easy team for Seymour to overlook with the Olympians looming large and Floyd Central following after them — the other two HHC teams still fighting for a league title.
In terms of final scores, New Albany hasn’t been competitive in their four games since their opening win. Last Friday against Bloomington North, the Cougars scored 49 points in the first half before the Bulldogs were able to respond.
The Owls have showed a lot of fight over the last two games when down by multiple scores. That’s encouraging, but Seymour shouldn’t need any kind of second-half comeback against the Bulldogs.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Football standings and stats” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Hoosier Hills Conference standings
Team;HHC;All
Columbus East;3-0;4-2
Floyd Central;2-1;4-2
Seymour;2-1;4-2
Bedford North Lawrence;2-1;2-4
Jennings County;1-2;3-3
Jeffersonville;1-2;1-5
Madison;1-2;1-5
New Albany;0-3;1-5
Mid-Southern Conference
Team;MSC;All
Brownstown Central;5-0;6-0
Silver Creek;5-0;6-0
Salem;4-2;4-2
Charlestown;3-2;4-2
North Harrison;3-3;3-3
Scottsburg;2-4;2-4
Corydon Central;1-4;2-4
Clarksville;1-4;1-5
Eastern (Pekin);0-5;0-6
Class 5A Sectional 14
Team;Class;All
Franklin;1-0;5-1
New Palestine;1-0;6-0
Seymour;1-1;4-2
Whiteland;0-2;3-3
Class 3A Sectional 31
Team;Class;All
Lawrenceburg;3-0;5-1
Brownstown Central;4-0;6-0
Charlestown;2-1;4-2
Greensburg;1-1;3-3
Batesville;1-1;2-4
Franklin County;1-2;3-3
Scottsburg;1-3;2-4
Rushville;0-2;1-5
Jackson County leaders
Passing
Player;Com;Att;Yds;TD;I
Smith (S);41;94;758;9;7
Thompson (BC);18;30;310;4;0
Receiving
Player;C;Yds;Avg;TD
Henderson (S);15;306;20.4;3
D. Vehslage (S);10;242;24.2;5
Barker (S);6;100;16.7;1
Cope (BC);6;156;26;2
Brown (BC);5;78;15.6;1
Elmore (S);3;22;7.3.0
Lowe (S);2;10;5.0.0
K. Tiemeyer (BC);4;64;16.0;1
Kruse (S);1;33;33.0;0
Shuler (S);1;22;22.0;0
Wilson (BC);1;9;9.0;0
J. Tiemeyer (BC);1;3;3.0;0
Rushing
Player;Att;Yds;Avg;TD
Thompson (BC);95;941;9.9;9
Drummond (S);118;878;7.4;8
Smith (S);63;345;5.5;6
Greathouse (S);36;276;7.3;2
Walker (BC);34;235;6.9;0
Brown (BC);14;191;13.6;0
K. Tiemeyer (BC);23;164;7.1;0
Hines (BC);17;102;6;1
Huber (BC);16;71;4.4;1
Defense
Player;T;A;TT
Hines (BC);23;45;68
Pennington (S);30;37;67
Corwin (S);26;32;58
Weddell (S);20;21;41
Walker (BC)11;24;35
James (S);19;7;26
Schroeder (S);10;16;26
Fontanez (S);5;14;19
J. Tiemeyer (BC)4;19;23
Huber (BC);11;12;23
Neal (S);5;11;16
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Catch the Owls” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
What: Seymour (4-2) at New Albany (1-5)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Radio: 92.7 Nash Icon
Where: Buerk Field
Last meeting: New Albany, 21-7, Oct. 5, 2018
Series past 35 years: Seymour, 12-10
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Catch the Braves” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
What: Brownstown Central (6-0) at Clarksville (1-5)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Radio: 96.3 WJAA
Where: Clarksville High School
Last meeting: Brownstown Central, 53-7, Sep. 28, 2018
Series past 35 years: Brownstown Central, 28-15
[sc:pullout-text-end]