The high school fall sports season is officially here, as two-a-day practices began statewide Monday, and will culminate in most schools -- including all of the Hancock County schools -- at the end of the week.
Everybody is getting ready for the Aug. 21 openers -- we're gearing up, too, for the maiden broadcast of CCSN's sophomore season. This year, we'll open with the New Palestine Dragons taking on the Whiteland Warriors. We'll have an in-depth preview the week of the game, but both teams will have a new look this season. The Dragons have a lot of familiar faces -- Hancock County Defensive Player of the Year Pat Feeney is one of several returning players on defense, while leading rusher Michael Phelps and quarterback Cary Albrecht are two of several veterans back on the offensive side. But they'll have a new look, as they'll be running schemes and systems employed by new head coach Tim Able. Feeney is also armed with some hardware -- he was the second-fastest quarter-miler in the IHSAA Track and Field State Finals in June.
Pardon the pun, but the Dragons are in more-than-able hands, as their coach led East Noble to a 4A title a few years ago, and has been successful at every stop along the way. Closer to home, that includes leading Decatur Central to the only sectional championship in school history at his last stop. He's familiar with Whiteland, having coached against the Warriors in the Mid-State Conference. However, Whiteland graduated more than 30 seniors from an 11-1 team last season, and so the Warriors will have a new look for coach Darrin Fisher this fall.
There are a lot of other stories throughout the county that we'll touch on throughout the year. At Mt. Vernon, the Marauders went through the growing pains of a 2-9 season last year, but the experience gleaned by a host of varsity newcomers should begin paying off soon. There is a lot of talent -- running back Zach McKinney showed flashes last season, while receivers Jake Davis and Jesse Reed both were deep threats as the year went on. Quarterback Austin Parker will also feel a lot more comfortable, even if his favorite target from last season -- Brad Voltz -- has moved on to college football. MV is also seeking to give coach Doug Peacock his 100th win in black and gold this fall. We'll air several Marauder games this season, starting with a Week 2 matchup against Yorktown.
Greenfield-Central has been getting better and better under coach Roger Dodson. They Cougars had this same trajectory a few years ago -- 0 wins to 1 win to 4 wins -- and the next year netted a 7-3 season and an HHC championship. Of course, that 7-win team was loaded with seniors and had a mammoth line blocking for workhorse back Josiah Sears, who later became a standout at Indiana University and is now a rising star in the college coaching ranks. This year's team is younger, but has a handful of key players returning and has the largest player turnout the Cougars have experienced since the years surrounding that HHC title. The fruits of G-C's commitment to the feeder system put into place by Trent Grider a decade ago are beginning to get to the varsity level, which are paying dividends. The first of our three G-C football broadcasts will be on Sept. 11, when the Cougars travel to Yorktown.
Eastern Hancock is entering its second year under coach Mark Reddy. The Royals are also in a transition year as they're a team without a conference. The White River Athletic Conference disbanded after last year, as Wes-Del bailed for a better geographic fit in the Mid-Eastern Conference (which has no football), Lapel went to the Indy-based Indiana Crossroads Conference, and there really are no football-playing small-school independents around. Heck, there are very few small-school independents in the area to form a conference. The three remaining WRAC refugees tried to join the Eastern Indiana-centered Tri-Eastern Conference with no luck (the 8-team TEC only had room for 2 teams, so it rejected them all). EH did catch a break, as it did gain admission into the Mid Indiana Football Conference -- made up of the football-playing members of the Mid-Hoosier Conference plus Milan -- for 2010. EH will compete this year as an independent as it rearranges its schedule, as the Royals currently play five of the six MIFC teams, and will add South Decatur next season. EH will continue to compete as an independent in all other sports, as its application for membership was turned down by the Mid-Hoosier Conference. We get a look at the Royals this fall when they visit ex-WRAC rival Shenandoah on Oct. 9. To say the Royals and Raiders have had their share of donneybrooks over the years would be an understatement. I'd expect this to be no different.
We're looking forward to bringing you the 2009 Hancock County football season on CCSN. Keep tuned to this blog during the week and the games on Friday nights!
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