The biggest football game in Jackson County is upon us, heading into the 17th meeting between the Seymour Owls and Brownstown Central Braves since the restart of the rivalry.

Brownstown leads the series 9-7 over Seymour.

The Owls snagged a close 28-24 win over the Braves in 2022. The 17th Jackson Bowl is scheduled for Friday at Seymour High School.

Brownstown head coach Reed May discussed some of the history of the Jackson Bowl.

“Former Seymour coach Joe Goodman helped me land this coaching job at Brownstown,” he said. “At the time, they wanted to schedule a game with Brownstown and Seymour. When I first got there, I didn’t care about the idea of playing a bigger school yet. A few years later, we had an opportunity to add Seymour, and we did. It has been a great rivalry over the years.”

Owls head coach Tyson Moore spoke about the magnitude of the matchup.

“I never realized how big it truly was. It’s a huge rivalry, and it’s the biggest game of the year for the people around here,” he said. “We need to stay focused and continue working each week. We still have a lot of season left.”

Brownstown is looking to stay undefeated and improve to 6-0, while the Owls are looking to get back to .500 after two heartbreaking losses in weeks 4 and 5.

“It’s a great opportunity to play a bigger school that plays better competition,” May said. “It always prepares us for tough games we might see down the line in the postseason. One of our goals every season is to beat Seymour. Hopefully, we can rise to the occasion.”

Brownstown is now ranked No. 1 in Class 2A in the Indiana Football Coaches Association’s Week 6 rankings that were announced on Monday.

The Owls head coach knows the Braves offense presents a lot of challenges for Seymour on Friday.

“They run a variation of the Wing T offense. It’s very complex to stop when it’s executed effectively,” Moore said. “You can’t replicate it in practice. We know they will have some success. We have to make certain reads, and we can’t get complacent. Coach May has had a lot of success in his tenure. They do a lot of good things, and we will need to execute and not turn the ball over.”

Seymour has one of the best passing attacks in 5A and is different than what the Braves have faced to this point. The longtime coach for the Braves spoke of the opportunity to face a very talented offense.

“We haven’t played someone like this all season,” May said. “It’s something we prepare for during the summer, and we know it will be a big challenge for our kids. Obviously, we haven’t faced a team with speed at wide receiver and a talented senior quarterback like Bret Perry. It’s a great chance for us to face a high-powered offense.”

May also announced his players of the week against North Harrison.

Offensive Back: Lane Zike, Offensive Line: Carson Darlage, Defensive Line/MLB: Joe Roberts, Dime/Defensive Back: Greg Hutcheson, Special Teams: Owen Wischmeier.

Good luck to Brownstown and Seymour in the 2023 Jackson Bowl.

Seymour statistics:

Passing: Bret Perry, 101-of-146 for 1,763 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Rushing: Cameron Wheeler, 27 attempts, 169 yards, 1 touchdown. Nicholas Wheeler, 35 attempts, 159 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Receiving: Jack Pennington, 25 receptions for 533 yards, 7 touchdowns. Jaylan Johnson, 24 receptions for 509 yards, 3 touchdowns. Kyle Hileman, 24 receptions for 405 yards, 4 touchdowns. Logan Shelly, 16 receptions, 191 yards, 3 touchdowns.

Brownstown statistics:

Passing: Micah Sheffer 21-of-38 for 472 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Rushing: Lane Zike, 41 attempts, 300 yards and 4 touchdowns. Greg Hutcheson, 23 attempts, 237 yards and 4 touchdowns. Preston Garrison, 24 attempts, 234 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Recieving: Hudson Fritz, 7 receptions, 159 yards, 3 touchdowns. Preston Garrison, 3 receptions, 85 yards, 1 touchdown

Jackson Bowl history

2022: Seymour 28, Brownstown Central 24

2021: Brownstown Central 48, Seymour 13

2020: Brownstown Central 43, Seymour 42

2019: Brownstown Central 34, Seymour 28

2018: Seymour 44, Brownstown Central 34

2017: Brownstown Central 31, Seymour 13

2016: Seymour 34, Brownstown Central 32

2015: Seymour 38, Brownstown Central 30

2014: Brownstown Central 75, Seymour 14

2013: Brownstown Central 57, Seymour 8

2012: Brownstown Central 30, Seymour 12

2011: Brownstown Central 21, Seymour 20

2010: Seymour 29, Brownstown Central 22

2009: Seymour 27, Brownstown Central 24

2008: Brownstown Central 31, Seymour 27

2007: Seymour 40, Brownstown Central 7