Due to extreme heat, last year’s Brownstown Central-Charlestown football game was moved from Friday to Saturday in a bid for slightly cooler temperatures.

While a similar schedule alteration is not yet expected this Friday, this week’s heat wave will certainly affect the Braves’ preparation for what is annually one of its toughest matchups. Practicing without pads, moving into the air-conditioned auxiliary gym or starting practice later in the evening, all options are in play as the Braves game-plan for the visiting Pirates.

No team has challenged head coach Reed May’s Brownstown teams like Charlestown and its 17-year head coach Jason Hawkins.

Hawkins is 7-13 against BC since taking over in 2007. Not exactly a spotless record, but to put it in perspective, the rest of the Mid-Southern Conference has a combined seven wins vs. the Braves during the same period.

“I’ve got great respect for Jason,” May said. “Actually, he was a player when I first got here (in 1993). He played at Clarksville with his dad (former Generals head coach Dennis Hawkins). As a coach, Jason’s done a great job. Charlestown’s tough for us to play. He’s always got a well-coached team, a play-hard team.”

Due to enrollment growth, Charlestown moved up to Class 4A in the current football classification (Brownstown is in Class 2A). In last week’s season opener, the Pirates played the MSC’s other 4A school, Silver Creek, and lost 41-26.

Charlestown’s offense vs. the Dragons centered on the legs of junior quarterback Boomer Hester, who ran the ball 26 times for 172 yards and two touchdowns.

When Hawkins calls a pass play, he’ll likely look to speedy junior receiver Camran Mitchell, who finished seventh in the state last spring in the 400-meter dash. Against Silver Creek, Mitchell caught a 33-yard touchdown pass.

“(Hester) is a really good runner,” May said. “He runs the ball well. And (Mitchell’s) got great speed out there, so we have to be aware of him. Charlestown uses a lot of different formations. They’re going to be in a shotgun. They’re going to have three wide outs or two by two or three by one. The main thing there is just being able to line up correctly.”

If Charlestown stays run-heavy in its play calling, Brownstown’s defense has so far shown it is up to the task. In its scrimmage against Bedford North Lawrence and in last week’s game vs. Corydon, both of whom lean towards the pass, the Braves yielded a total of two yards on 19 attempts.

In BC’s 54-20 win last week, the defense limited Corydon to just 33 plays and 0-for-7 on third down conversions.

“I thought our defense played really well,” May said. “We knew we had some experience coming back on defense, so I thought our D-line should have dominated and they did. I was really pleased that all our defensive backs played well. We got some good experience there. We had some people move and play different positions than last year, but I thought overall our defense did a really nice job.”

Offensively, Brownstown will apply its usually ground-game pressure to a Charlestown defense that allowed Silver Creek to run for 275 yards.

The Braves’ rushing attack generated 388 yards and seven touchdowns against Corydon, with senior Gregory Hutcheson running for 217 yards and two TDs.

“We ran the ball well against (Charlestown) last year (50 rushes, 259 yards),” May said. “They do some different things (on defense). The biggest thing is we’ve got to find out what they’re doing when the game starts and make our adjustments as the game progresses.”

Brownstown has a 35-26 record overall against Charlestown, 31-8 under May. A second-half surge lifted BC to a 34-28 win last year.

There has not been a change to the time or date of the game as of now.

Players of the Week

Offensive Back: Greg Hutcheson

Offensive Line: Jaden Disque

Defensive Line/MLB: Isaac Hutchinson,

Defensive Back/Dime: Preston Garrison

Special Teams: Nathaniel Conyer