Big football weekend coming up

We have a HUGE football weekend coming up full of HancockCountySports.com broadcasts!

To LISTEN LIVE!, go to www.hancockcountysports.com and click on the computer.

Friday: South Decatur at Eastern Hancock, 6:30 p.m. airtime
The Royals and Cougars both fell in their openers, but EH showed a lot of promise. Should be an exciting game. We're looking forward to bringing it to you!
Saturday: New Palestine vs. Richmond, 9:30 a.m. airtime from Warren Central
The Dragons are fresh off a huge 16-14 victory over Whiteland in which their passing game was lethal. Richmond fell to East Central 41-7, but has a lot of weapons in the passing game.

Saturday: Mt. Vernon vs. Marion, approx. 12:30 p.m. airtime from Warren Central
The Marauders rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Kokomo 21-7 last week behind two fourth-quarter TDs by Anthony Burnett. Marion's offense scored 58 points last week. MV's defense didn't give up any -- the lone Kokomo points came on an interception return. Expect some great running games to go after each other.

One more Hancock County game this weekend:
Greenfield-Central at Lebanon, 7 p.m. Friday (broadcast: WRGF-89.7). The Cougars were impressive in a season-opening victory over New Castle. Coached by Kent Wright, Lebanon will be a great tune-up for G-C heading into conference play and next week's date with Delta.

Elsewhere in the HHC
Carroll (Allen) at Delta, 7 p.m.: The Eagles rolled last week, but will get a good test from Carroll, a team that fell 24-17 to a strong Goshen squad last week. Carroll is a 5A program that went 5-7 last year.
Franklin at Shelbyville, 7 p.m. (broadcast: WSVX-1520, www.wsvx.com): The Golden Bears were the lone HHC team to fall last week, dropping a decision to Greensburg. Franklin poses a tough test. While the Grizzly Cubs have only won five games over two seasons, they did post an impressive 41-12 victory over Franklin last week.
New Castle at Rushville, 7 p.m. (broadcast: WMDH-1550, WIFE-94.3). Great matchup as the NCC-HHC challenge continues. So far, the HHC is 3-0 in intra-conference matchups. Rushville had a big win over Connersville last week, while NC fell to Greenfield-Central 43-13.
Pendleton Heights at Anderson, 7 p.m. (broadcast: WEEM-91.7, WHBU-1240): These old neighbors haven't played football against each other in years -- if ever. PH has played two of Anderson's consolidates -- Highland and Madison Heights, both schools now part of history -- in that time. Another HHC-NCC matchup. The Arabians can score, but the reason they've been strong of late is a defense that turned it on in the second half of last season and posted a shutout in Week 1 this year.
Yorktown at Northwest, 7 p.m.: The Tigers had a nice opening to the season, beating Muncie South in overtime. They're still very young. Northwest was defeated 34-12 by Franklin County last week.

Friday night wrapup

The stories & more from Friday night

New Palestine 16, Whiteland 14: Max Disman throws a huge TD pass on his only snap at QB in the third quarter, Brandon Collins & Connor Simmons have a huge night catching and throwing.
Daily Reporter | Indianapolis Star

Mt. Vernon 21, Kokomo 7: The Marauders snap a winning streak that dated back to 2008, scoring 15 fourth-quarter points. Anthony Burnett had 130+ yards from scrimmage
Daily Reporter | Kokomo Tribune

Greenfield-Central 43, New Castle 13: The Cougars dominated their opener, as Matt Dickerson ran the opening kickoff back for a TD, added a TD run and a blocked punt for a safety.
Daily Reporter

Triton Central 33, Eastern Hancock 13: Royals see lots of positives despite loss. Logan & Sam Gilbert have big days for EH.
Daily Reporter | Shelbyville News

In the HHC
Delta 55, Jay County 0: The 4A No. 8 Eagles held JC to 23 yards of offense in another big win.
Muncie Star-Press


Pendleton Heights 65, Muncie Central 0: No Dezmon Nunn? No problem for the defending sectional champs. Eight different players score as PH rolls up 51 points in the first half en route to an easy victory. HHC teams go 3-0 vs. the North Central Conference on opening night.
Anderson Herald-Bulletin

Yorktown 27, Muncie South 20, OT: Chandler Carroll scores a late TD to tie it and veteran Joe Todd -- who was out for the game-tying drive -- throws a TD pass in overtime to win it for the Tigers.
Muncie Star-Press


Rushville 34, Connersville 7: Rushville wins the War on 44 again in a victory over future EIAC rival Connersville.


Greensburg 22, Shelbyville 7: The Pirates used turnovers to hand Shelby the HHC's lone loss Friday night.
Shelbyville News

Upcoming games
Next weekend, we'll have 3 football games on HancockCountySports.com:
Friday, South Decatur at Eastern Hancock, 6:30 p.m. 
South Decatur, which had a great year last year, fell to Cambridge City Lincoln in its opener
Saturday: New Palestine vs. Richmond, 9:30 a.m. (at Warren Central)
Richmond fell 41-7 to East Central Friday night
Saturday: Mt. Vernon vs. Marion, 12:30 p.m. (at Warren Central)
Marion thumped Madison-Grant 58-35 Friday, as coach Randy Sehy's new team beats his old one.

A great night

Thanks for joining us for New Palestine's 16-14 win over Whiteland tonight. It was a different look from the Dragons as they aired it out. Connor Simmons was 18-of-29 for 213 yards, Max Disman threw a 19-yard TD on his only throw (and caught 5 passes for 60 yards) and Brandon Collins had 10 catches for 127 yards and a TD. NP's defense repeatedly stopped Whiteland and kept the ball deep in Warrior territory. Austin Monday ran for 68 yards and a first-half TD, and NP scored nine unanswered points in the third quarter -- with Whiteland only able to run three plays in-between -- and the Dragons' defense held the Warriors at bay in the fourth.

It was a big night for local teams. Mt. Vernon opened the Doug Armstrong era with an impressive 21-7 victory over Kokomo. It was the Wildkats' first regular-season loss since 2008 -- a span of 25 games. It snapped a 33-game winning streak over Indiana schools in the regular season. Greenfield-Central -- a team that is really poised for a big year -- had a 43-13 victory over New Castle.

Eastern Hancock opened the Pat Echeverria era by playing a close first half against Triton Central, but the Tigers pulled away to a 33-13 victory over EH.

All told, the HHC went 7-1 this weekend.
Delta had little trouble with Jay County, winning 55-0.
Defending sectional champ Pendleton Heights throttled Muncie Central 65-0.
Rushville knocked off rival Connersville 34-9 to keep the War on 44 trophy.
Yorktown beat Muncie South 27-20 in OT
The only defeat for a conference team was Shelbyville's 22-7 loss to Greensburg.

Next week: it's all non-conference games again.
Friday night's games: 
Greenfield-Central at Lebanon
Carroll (Allen) at Delta
Franklin at Shelbyville
New Castle at Rushville
Pendleton Heights at Anderson
Yorktown at Northwest
Saturday's games (at Warren Central)
New Palestine vs. Richmond, 10 a.m.
Mt. Vernon vs. Marion, 1 p.m.

Of course, we will have both of the Warren Central Classic games, as well as EH-South Decatur on Friday night. Join us on HancockCountySports.com!

This week in Hancock County sports

We'll have the full HHC preview tomorrow, but Friday night, join Andrew Smith, Mike Jackson and Chris Lambert for high school football. The New Palestine Dragons meet the Whiteland Warriors in the season opener. We'll be live online at 7 p.m. Friday from Shepler Field at Kelso Stadium. Join us!

Click here to Listen LIVE

Upcoming games
Friday, Aug. 26: South Decatur at Eastern Hancock, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 27: New Palestine vs. Richmond, 9:30 a.m. (from Warren Central)
Saturday, Aug. 27: Mt. Vernon vs. Marion, 12:30 p.m. (from Warren Central)
Tuesday, Aug. 30: BOYS SOCCER: New Palestine at Mt. Vernon, 6:15 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 1: VOLLEYBALL: Greenfield-Central at New Palestine, 6:15 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 2: Pendleton Heights at New Palestine, 7 p.m.

Hancock County Sports finalizing fall schedule

We are in the process of putting together our schedule for fall 2011.

We plan to cover 12 regular-season football games involving all four Hancock County schools -- plus our partners at HCSNRadio.com will be adding a 13th. We will be covering the Warren Central Classic on Aug. 27 -- involving New Palestine and Mt. Vernon in back-to-back games -- and the New Palestine vs. Delta game from Lucas Oil Stadium on Sept. 10. Our broadcast schedule begins with New Palestine vs. Whiteland from Kelso Stadium on Aug. 19.

First of all, we can't do this without you -- our listeners. Like our Facebook page, follow our Twitter feed and make sure you're telling everyone you can about HancockCountySports.com!

Second of all, we are looking for locally-minded companies who want to promote their businesses on Hancock County Sports. If you want to reach a growing local audience for a very low cost and support our broadcasts that enhance the student-athlete experience in Hancock County, please contact Andrew Smith at this address.

Our broadcast schedule is flexible -- we can add games depending on sponsors' desires.
 
So contact us, and keep posted for the full fall sports schedule!

Royals have new man

Pike assistant Pat Echeverria is Eastern Hancock's new football coach. He worked with Derek Moyers in turning around programs at Cascade and Pike, his alma mater.

Daily Reporter story

Armstrong to be Marauders' coach

Former New Palestine coach Doug Armstrong is expected to be hired as Mt. Vernon's varsity football coach at Monday's school board meeting.

Armstrong won two sectional championships at New Palestine during his tenure. He has also been the varsity coach at Manual and spent the last season at Beech Grove.

Indy Star link

Enrollment numbers out

The IHSAA has released its enrollment numbers, and there will be some interesting changes ahead.

First of all, it appears New Palestine will move up to Class 4A in basketball/volleyball/baseball/softball, while Greenfield-Central will remain 4A. Mt. Vernon, which has a reported enrollment of 15 fewer students than NP, will remain in Class 3A and be the largest school.

These are all unofficial right now. The IHSAA released enrollments for 409 schools, which would indicate 102 schools in Classes 4A, 3A and 2A and 103 in Class A. NP ranks 100th on the state's enrollment list with 1092 students. MV ranks 103rd with 1077. G-C is the largest county school with 1410 students, and is 72nd in enrollment.

Eastern Hancock will remain one of the smallest schools in Class 2A. With 355 students, EH ranks 291st, and would be 15 spots (and 39 students) ahead of the 1A/2A cutoff.

In football, the three larger county schools will remain in Class 4A, with G-C inching closer to the top, but all three would comfortably be in 4A for the next cycle. EH appears to be staying in Class A.

Among HHC schools, Shelbyville will jump back into Class 4A in bb/vb/baseball/softball after one cycle in Class 3A. Delta, Yorktown and Rushville will remain 3A, while Pendleton Heights will remain 4A ... essentially meaning Shelby & NP will move up, putting half the league in 4A and half in 3A.

In football, Delta will be the second-smallest Class 4A school, but all HHC schools will remain in the same classes where they currently compete -- with Rushville and Yorktown in 3A and the rest of the league in 4A.

Link to IHSAA file

New Indiana Football Show for semistate week

This week's Indiana Football Show previews all 10 of this week's semistate matchups, highlights some of the key players in each game, and also includes an interview with Daniel Engler of AlmanacSports.com, who is the GID's resident historian and has a tremendous list of the pre-1973 state champs (the "mythical" state champions). We also chat about Reitz & Mater Dei.

Click here to listen (right-click to download and save to your MP3 player).

Sectional championship game: Cougars vs. Arabians

IHSAA Class 4A Sectional 13 championship
Pendleton Heights Arabians (8-3) at Greenfield-Central Cougars (7-4)
6:30 p.m. Friday @ Cougar Stadium
LISTEN LIVE HERE

It's the Redemption Bowl. The Pendleton Heights Arabians and the Greenfield-Central Cougars were a combined 3-17 last year and finished seventh and eighth in the Hoosier Heritage Conference.

Next Friday night, one of them will be playing in a regional for the first time in school history next week.

This Friday, they get to decide who goes there.

PH and G-C have posted great seasons so far, as the Arabians are 8-3 and the Cougars 7-4 headed into the sectional title game. They tied for third in the always-tough HHC and both avenged multi-touchdown regular-season losses in the sectional -- PH doing so against Mt. Vernon and G-C upending New Palestine.

Jim Ryan and I will have the call from G-C's Cougar Stadium beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday night.

There are so many interesting subplots -- PH's run-and-shoot offense led by the dangerous Dezmon Nunn (1400+ yards) and QB Mitch Patishall against G-C's blitz-from-everywhere defense led by Jeremiah Wray, Jake Hoskins, Joey Adams, Derek Conley, Stephen Thomas, Jordan Conley and a ton of other people, and who can make the most big plays. G-C's ball-control option offense, which dictated the tempo of last week's 7-0 win over New Palestine, taking on an Arabian defense that was solid against both Mt. Vernon and New Castle in the sectional.

If the Cougars win, they'll equal their most victories since 1975's state runner-up team, which also won eight games.

G-C has a propensity to play in -- and win -- close games. PH has a propensity for big plays. Both teams are incredibly well-coached by veterans Roger Dodson and John Broughton. It should be an exciting game, and Jim Ryan and I are excited to bring it to you. Join us!

Indiana Football Show - sectional final edition

Good Indiana Football Show this week. Listen to a preview of all 40 games and interviews with Guerin Catholic's Andrew Kremer and Whiteland's Darrin Fisher. Download and listen on your way to your favorite game Friday night to get ready for the party!

Click here to listen (right-click to save to your MP3 player).

New Indiana Football Show

A new Indiana Football Show is up, featuring Wheeler head coach Dan Klimczak. You can listen by clicking this link (right-click to download to your computer and sync to your MP3 player of choice).

It's Boundary Rail time

It's time for the Boundary Rail game between the Dragons and the Marauders. A lot of hardware is on the line between these two teams at Kelso Stadium on Friday night -- of course, the Boundary Rail trophy, but also the Hoosier Heritage Conference helmet and, for the Dragons, the outright HHC championship.

NP and MV have been playing varsity football since 1968, and this game is often a closely-contested, intense, well-played contest. This year marks the 43rd regular-season meeting -- they've played every year they've had football teams -- and the 47th overall meeting between the two teams (NP holds a 26-19-1 edge).

This year, it features the outstanding running game of New Palestine -- led by Austin Cahoy and Matt Siergiej, with 1,750+ yards between them -- and the excellent passing game of Mt. Vernon, led by QB Austin Parker and the county's leading receiver in Jake Davis. Both have solid defenses -- NP hasn't allowed a TD in meaningful minutes since Week 5, while MV -- last week excepted -- has been more than solid throughout the year. The coaches are two of the best, the players will be keyed up, and we'll be ready.

Kickoff is at 7:30, you can LISTEN LIVE beginning at 7 p.m.

Here's the game's history:
Series history
Total series: NP 26, MV 19, 1 tie
Regular season: NP 23, MV 18, 1 tie
Boundary Rail (introduced 2005): NP 5, MV 0
2009: NP 28, @MV 14
2008: @NP 21, MV 7
2007: NP 20, @MV 13
2006: @MV 17, NP 14 (sectional final)
2006: @NP 21, MV 20, OT
2005: NP 31, @MV 14 (sectional final)
2005: NP 20, @MV 0 (first Boundary Rail Game)
2004: @NP 20, MV 6 (sectional 1st round)
2004: @NP 21, MV 10
2003: @MV 38, NP 6
2002: @NP 12, MV 7
2001: MV 23, @NP 0
2000: MV 42, @NP 7
1999: @MV 36, NP 28
1998: MV 38, @NP 21
1997: @MV 48, NP 21
1996: NP 7, @MV 0
1995: @NP 36, MV 22
1994: @MV 10, NP 0
1993: @NP 61, MV 13
1992: NP 48, @MV 19
1991: MV 15, @NP 7
1990: @NP 19, MV 7 (sectional)
1990: MV 21, NP 20 (@Hoosier Dome)
1989: @NP 40, MV 6
1988: NP 34, @MV 13
1987: @NP 24, MV 8
1986: @MV 6, NP 0
1985: MV 12, @NP 6
1984: NP 8, @MV 6
1983: @NP 27, MV 24
1982: @MV 12, NP 6, OT
1981: MV 17, @NP 6
1980: @MV 19, NP 14
1979: @NP 20, MV 14
1978: NP 34, @MV 13
1977: @NP 28, MV 14
1976: NP 20, @MV 12
1975: MV 14, @NP 3
1974: NP 44, @MV 0
1973: @NP 12, MV 6
1972: @MV 12, NP 6
1971: MV 22, @NP 7
1970: @MV 8, NP 8
1969: @NP 24, MV 22
1968: @MV 28, NP 24
Games at Mt. Vernon: NP 12, MV 10, 1 tie (regular season NP 11-9-1)
Games at New Palestine: NP 14, MV 9 (regular season NP 12-9)
Longest NP streak: 5 games (2004-2006) (regular-season: 6 games, 2004-09)
Longest MV streak: 5 games (1997-2001)
Biggest wins: MV 38, NP 6 (2003); NP 61, MV 13 (1993).
Winningest coaches: Marvin Shepler, NP (17 wins); Doug Peacock, MV (8 wins).

Week 3 Friday night football

Friday nights are always special, but tonight, we got one more opportunity to honor and remember our friend & mentor, Tim Adams, before the Mt. Vernon-Connersville contest. Coach A was honored with a nice pregame ceremony in which a plaque bearing the words "Our World is Not Round" was given to his family by MV coach Doug Peacock and several former players were in attendance (two, Greg McGuire and J.J. Girt, joined Jim Ryan for a halftime chat of ex-Marauders remembering the coach).

On the field, it was a good night for MV to stretch its wings. The Marauders scored 13 points on their first three offensive snaps, but the most amazing part was that the Marauders scored 17 points in 22 seconds early in the second quarter -- a TD pass to Jake Davis, a safety on the next play, and then Corey White's 59-yard return of the ensuing free kick. That took a 13-0 game and made it 30-0, and MV scored twice more in the second quarter on TD runs by Zach McKinney and White.

That opened things up for everyone else to play. QB Austin Parker was a perfect 7-for-7 with two touchdowns. McKinney ran for 83 yards, and the younger players were very impressive, too.

MV has made a bit of a statement with its performances the last two weeks, and has a big home game against Rushville coming up next week. It's all conference play from here on out, and the Marauders have made a good accounting of themselves early.

Elsewhere in Hancock County:
New Palestine 20, Pendleton Heights 3: The Dragons built on a lead in the second half to hand PH its first loss of the year -- and build on their own big victory over Delta last week. NP is 2-0 in the HHC heading into a nonconference date with an always-tough Batesville program, before meeting Rushville the next week.

Delta 6, Greenfield-Central 0: The Eagles' defense posts a shutout, but the Cougars' defense puts up an impressive performance in holding Delta to six points. A good game for G-C to build on with Yorktown coming in next week.

Indian Creek 37, Eastern Hancock 12: IC has been one of the top teams in the MIFC ever since Mike Gillin showed up. The Royals have had three loaded teams on their schedule to start the year -- and have a very strong Milan team coming in next week.

Elsewhere in the HHC
Shelbyville 34, Rushville 27: Shelby had a 34-14 lead at one point, but Rushville stormed back in the second half. Big win for the Bears, but Rushville is for real. Two big games with MV and NP the next two weeks will determine the course of the Lions' season.

Muncie South 28, Yorktown 7: The Tigers fall to 0-3 after the loss. RB Derek Kundenreich is putting up 100-yard games and makes Yorktown dangerous.

HHC standings
Mt. Vernon 1-0 HHC, 2-1 overall
New Palestine 1-0 HHC, 2-1 overall
Shelbyville 1-0 HHC, 2-1 overall
Pendleton Heights 2-1 HHC, 2-1 overall
Delta 1-1 HHC, 2-1 overall
Rushville 0-1 HHC, 2-1 overall
Yorktown 0-1 HHC, 0-3 overall
Greenfield-Central 0-2 HHC, 1-2 overall
Next week's games
Batesville at New Palestine, 7:30 p.m. Listen Live
Rushville at Mt. Vernon, 7 p.m.
Yorktown at Greenfield-Central, 7 p.m.
Pendleton Heights at Shelbyville, 7 p.m.
Muncie South at Delta, 7 p.m.

MIFC standings
Indian Creek 2-0 MIFC, 2-1 overall
South Decatur 1-0 MIFC, 2-1 overall
North Decatur 1-1 MIFC, 2-1 overall
Triton Central 1-1 MIFC, 2-1 overall
Milan 0-0 MIFC, 2-1 overall
Edinburgh 0-2 MIFC, 0-3 overall
Eastern Hancock 0-3 MIFC, 0-3 overall
Next week's games
Milan at Eastern Hancock, 7 p.m.
Knightstown at North Decatur, 7 p.m.
South Decatur at Edinburgh, 7 p.m.
Indian Creek at Clarksville Providence, 7:30 p.m.
Greencastle at Triton Central, 7:30 p.m.

Friday night football Week 2

A lot of eyes in the Hoosier Heritage Conference were on Kelso Stadium tonight, and the host New Palestine Dragons turned a lot of heads in a 24-14 victory over Delta. A lot happened -- Delta's 19-game regular-season win streak was snapped, the HHC helmet left northern Delaware County for the first time since 2008, and the HHC race is wide-open.

NP won with a relentless running game -- sophomore Matt Siergiej was pinballing off tacklers from his first carry, and he set the tempo for the night when he bounced off of and twisted out of several would-be tackles on an electrifying 20-yard TD run late in the first quarter. That gave the Dragons a 7-0 lead, and they wouldn't look back. Siergiej carried the ball a lot in the second half as NP tried to milk out the clock, and he kept getting stronger. He had 138 yards on 25 carries, while senior Austin Cahoy had 95 yards on 19 carries and two TDs. They -- combined with an impressive offensive line -- helped NP roll up a nearly 2:1 advantage in possession time.

The Dragons also won with a defense that was flying to the ball. Delta's rushing game is always feared, and the Eagles have a stout offensive line and a good fullback in Zach Overfield. But the Eagles were held to 60 total yards on the ground, forcing Ozzie Mann to throw the ball -- which he does very well (and did tonight). But NP's defenders forced four turnovers -- two interceptions, two fumble recoveries -- and didn't allow Delta to get into enough of a rhythm. Delta hit on a few medium-depth plays -- 25-to-30 yard passes -- but the Eagles weren't really able to sustain much consistent offense.

NP was patient, was largely mistake-free -- although coach Tim Able would probably like to see fewer than the 83 penalty yards his team amassed tonight, it had no turnovers and its line was made up of road-graders in the running game -- and was relentless on defense. That can be a recipe for success in the future -- a future that continues with a game at Pendleton Heights next week.

Elsewhere in Hancock County
Mt. Vernon 46, Yorktown 21: The Marauders jumped up early -- taking a 17-0 lead after a quarter and scoring 39 in the first half -- in an impressive road victory to open league play. MV plays its final nonconference game next week against Connersville in what will be the Marauders' home opener and a game in which MV will honor former MVHS teacher/coach Tim Adams, so we're excited to be there and broadcast it as our Game of the Week.

Pendleton Heights 31, Greenfield-Central 14: That's back-to-back big wins in a row for the Arabians -- who beat Yorktown last week -- setting up a showdown with New Palestine next week at PHHS. It'll be the Arabians' pass -- led by accurate-armed QB Mitch Patishall -- against the Dragons' running game that was so impressive tonight. G-C travels to Delta next wee.

South Decatur 56, Eastern Hancock 0: The Royals fall to 0-2 in the Mid-Indiana Football Conference after the loss on the road. South Decatur still hasn't allowed a point this season.

Elsewhere in the HHC
Rushville 39, Howe 22: Howe is much-improved. Rushville has had two very impressive results so far in the non-conference season. How the Lions fare next week against Shelbyville will be telling as far as their season, but they're in the discussion among the HHC's top teams.

Franklin 13, Shelbyville 7: This is the surprising result of the night. Shelbyville's defense looked good last week against Greensburg, while Franklin had struggled of late.

Standings
HHC
Pendleton Heights 2-0 HHC, 2-0 overall
Mt. Vernon 1-0 HHC, 1-1 overall
New Palestine 1-0 HHC, 1-1 overall
Rushville 0-0 HHC, 2-0 overall
Shelbyville 0-0 HHC, 1-1 overall
Delta 0-1 HHC, 1-1 overall
Greenfield-Central 0-1 HHC, 1-1 overall
Yorktown 0-2 HHC, 0-2 overall
Next week (Friday, Sept. 3)
Connersville at Mt. Vernon, 7 p.m. (Listen Live)
Greenfield-Central at Delta, 7 p.m.
New Palestine at Pendleton Heights, 7:30 p.m.
Shelbyville at Rushville, 7 p.m.
Yorktown at Muncie South, 7 p.mm.

Mid-Indiana Football Conference
Tonight's other scores
Greenwood 27, Indian Creek 26
Milan 19, Batesville 14
North Decatur 42, Edinburgh 32
Heritage Christian 42, Triton Central 33

Standings
North Decatur 1-0 MIFC, 2-0 overall
South Decatur 1-0 MIFC, 2-0 overall
Indian Creek 1-0 MIFC, 1-1 overall
Triton Central 1-0 MIFC, 1-1 overall
Milan 0-0 MIFC, 2-0 overall
Eastern Hancock 0-2 MIFC, 0-2 overall
Edinburgh 0-2 MIFC, 0-2 overall
Next week (Friday, Sept. 3)
Indian Creek at Eastern Hancock 7 p.m.
Edinburgh at Heritage Christian, 7 p.m.
Milan at Lawrenceburg, 7 p.m.
North Decatur at Triton Central, 7 p.m.
South Decatur at Broad Ripple, 7 p.m.

Week 2 football preview

It's almost kickoff time for Week 2 in the high school football season, and it's really the week the Hoosier Heritage Conference ramps up -- for the final time. Next year, all HHC games will be played in weeks 3-9, with the first two games reserved for non-conference play.

For the last 5-6 years, the three most successful teams in the league have been Delta, Shelbyville and New Palestine. Two of those meet Friday, as Delta travels to NP to face the Dragons in what will be our HancockCountySports.com Game of the Week broadcast. Let's look at the HHC & Hancock County games this week:

Delta (1-0) at New Palestine (0-1)
Listen live on HancockCountySports.com.
Broadcast time: 7 p.m. (live in-stadium beginning at 6:30 p.m. on AM1630).
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
Coaches: Delta-Grant Zgunda (13th year at Delta, 123-24; 18th overall, 160-36); NP-Tim Able (2nd year at NP, 10-4; 19th overall, 105-96).
Last year: Delta won 23-0 en route to the HHC championship. NP went on to go 6-1 in league play and finish second. Both teams would win sectional championships.
The series: Delta has won three straight games since NP's last win in 2006. The overall series is 13-2 Delta, with NP's wins coming in 1998 and 2006.
The Dragons: NP suffered heavy graduation losses last year, with its top thrower (Cary Albrecht), runner (Pat Feeney), lineman (Justin Harvey) and receiver (Nathan Penley) all moving on. However, there's a lot to work with. NP's defense was solid against Whiteland, holding a senior-laden and heralded Warriors group to 10 points through three quarters before they scored twice in the fourth. There's a lot of talent left -- versatile QB/WR/RB/K/KOR Brett Jackson can handle a lot of positions and is a threat in the open field, while RB Austin Cahoy stepped up big as the season closed last season. Look for RBs Dakota Smith and Matt Sergiej to also have an impact.
The Eagles: Delta has won 19 consecutive regular-season games, and had 58 first-half points against Jay County last year. The Eagles always seem to have solid skill players, led by an accurate quarterback. This one is junior Ozzie Mann, who was 7-of-10 last week for 107 yards and two TDs. He threw for more than 2,400 yards last season. His top target -- Logan Young -- is now playing for IU, and top rusher Teddy Dawson also graduated, meaning Zach Overfield will handle the running duties. Overfield is a strong back who ran for 716 yards last year and had four touchdowns against Jay County. Aaron Fry and Garrett Zgunda will be the top two wideouts in the Eagles' run-and-shoot system. Delta also has a strong line led by C/DL Shane Conley. On defense, he has helped the Eagles hold teams to 7 points or less in eight of their last 14 games.

Elsewhere in Hancock County
Pendleton Heights (1-0) at Greenfield-Central (1-0), 7 p.m.: The Cougars had a convincing victory last week, with QB Carl Ellison having a nice night. He ran and threw for touchdowns, while fellow QB Tyler Colclazier also threw for one. PH's Dezmon Nunn had a huge game in a 37-14 win over Yorktown, starting with the opening kickoff, which he returned for a TD. The Arabians have a lot of skill players back, starting with QB Mitch Patishall. Look for the ball to be put in the air often.
Mt. Vernon (0-1) at Yorktown (0-1), 7:30 p.m.: The Marauders had a lot of highlights in their 27-14 loss to Kokomo last week, particularly a defense that held the Kats to 94 second-half yards and forced four turnovers. LB Brandon Lockart was everywhere -- with an interception, a blocked punt and a ton of tackles -- leading the Marauders' defense. Meanwhile, Yorktown has a veteran crew, but struggled against PH. This game was MV's breakout contest last season that provided the springboard to a 5-2 start in the regular season.
Eastern Hancock (0-1) at South Decatur (1-0), 7 p.m.: The Royals continue their maiden voyage through the Mid-Indiana Football Conference with a new opponent. South Decatur shut out Cambridge City Lincoln 28-0 last week. EH's offense looked to be improved this year, with veteran QB Steven Stunda calling the shots and an experienced corps of receivers. However, the Royals gave up 60 points last week to Triton Central, and they'll be looking to shore that up this week.

Elsewhere in the HHC
Rushville (1-0) at Howe (0-1), 7 p.m.: The Lions were very impressive in thumping Connersville 52-0 last week, and they have a roadtrip into Indy. The closure of several IPS football programs should bolster the existing ones -- such as Howe's. The Hornets suffered a 17-12 loss to a solid Scecina outfit last week. Rushville looks to have a shot to break into the upper half of the league this year -- this is the final tune-up.
Shelbyville (1-0) at Franklin (0-1), 7 p.m.: Shelby has been one of the HHC's elite programs for some time, but it suffered a slow offensive start last week before kicking it into high gear in the second half to beat Greensburg 21-6. FB Patrick Ellis is a versatile running/receiving threat in Shelby's Wing-T offense and will be a focal point again. Franklin has been rebuilding under the eye of a very strong coach in Brian Harbin, but has won one game the last two years -- against Indianapolis Washington in Week 2 last season.

After our live play-by-play coverage, enjoy high school football coverage each week on HancockCountySports.com.

Indiana Football Podcast - week 2

The Week 2 Indiana Football Podcast has been produced and posted. Guests are Brian Woodard of Plainfield and Jason Simmons of Hamilton Heights.

Click here to listen.

Week 1 thoughts

It was an interesting Week 1 for the Hancock County and HHC schools ... in the county, we saw Mt. Vernon play toe-to-toe with a strong 5A program and enjoy a great opportunity at Lucas Oil Stadium.

You can always listen to all of our games and archives HERE.

Kokomo 27, Mt. Vernon 14: The Marauders had a good opener in a lot of ways, and discovered a few things to work on. The difference was Kokomo junior Armon Bridgeforth, who ran for a 67-yard TD on the Wildkats' second snap of the game and finished with 234 yards and TD runs of 67, 8 and 75 yards. He also did some work on the other side, grabbing an interception in the second half. MV showed a lot of new looks, but the Marauders' defense looked strong -- especially as it adjusted to Bridgeforth and made Kokomo beat them with others. After giving up 230 yards in the first half, MV's defense held Kokomo to 94 second-half yards (all rushing) and forced five turnovers. MV's Brandon Lockart was seemingly everywhere -- grabbing an interception, blocking a punt, making things happen. MV put together a really nice drive early, mixing the run with Zach McKinney and Corey White and Austin Parker's passing -- finishing with Parker's 25-yard TD pass to White. Lockart's blocked punt set up another MV score to tie the game late in the half, but Bridgeforth answered with a 75-yard run that put Kokomo up for good. The good for MV -- the offense looked in rhythm early against a stout, speedy defense, but the Marauders' defense was *flying* to the ball. It essentially lost containment on one really fast, shifty, elusive player on two big plays, and that turned out to be the difference. Lockart, Sam Balbach, David Reimlinger and a bunch of others were names we were calling all night. The other good was being part of the PeyBack Classic. Peyton Manning was on hand, did the coin toss, watched the game from the sidelines, and saw a great night of football benefit his foundation. MV opens HHC play next week at Yorktown.
News stories: Daily Reporter, Kokomo Tribune

Greenfield-Central 42, New Castle 6: The Cougars show a nice start to the season with their third straight season-opening victory. Carl Ellison scored twice, including a 95-yard run, and threw for another TD, giving G-C had a nice start to the year. The offense, defense and special teams all scored for G-C, which opens HHC play next week against Pendleton Heights.
News coverage: Daily Reporter, stats from HighSchoolSports.net

Whiteland 23, New Palestine 0: The Dragons played a tough opening game against one of the area's stronger 5A teams. Unfortunately for NP, the Warriors avenged last year's overtime game and held the Dragons off the scoreboard. NP has one of the toughest two-game opening sequences in the state -- opening with Whiteland and Delta next week, which will be our HancockCountySports.com Game of the Week broadcast.
News coverage: Daily Reporter

Triton Central 60, Eastern Hancock 13: The Royals opened play in a new conference -- the Mid-Indiana Football Conference -- although many of its teams have been on EH's schedule for years (including TC, EH's longtime opening opponent). Six turnovers doomed the Royals in the defeat. Steven Stunda threw two TD passes to Jacob Grass in the game. EH meets South Decatur next week.
News coverage: Daily Reporter, Shelbyville News

Elsewhere in the HHC
Pendleton Heights 37, Yorktown 14: Dezmon Nunn had a big game for the Arabians, scoring three first-quarter TDs -- including the opening kickoff -- and netting more than 300 total yards. PH had an impressive Week 1 showing heading into next week's game against Greenfield-Central. Yorktown will host Mt. Vernon next week. Anderson Herald-Bulletin

Shelbyville 21, Greensburg 6: Greensburg broke a scoreless tie in the third quarter with a fumble recovery in the end zone, but Shelby quickly answered with three scores -- including Patrick Ellis' athletic touchdown reception in the nightcap of the PeyBack Classic at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Delta 58, Jay County 7: Delta picks up where it left off last year, winning its 19th consecutive regular-season game. Delta QB Ozzie Mann threw for 101 yards and top RB Zach Overfield ran for 97. Delta scored all of its points before halftime -- an impressive performance heading into the Eagles' game next week at New Palestine -- which we will broadcast next Friday night. Muncie Star-Press

Rushville 52, Connersville 0: The State Road 44 trophy resides in Rushville again this week, as the Lions showed impressively in the opening. They play Greensburg next week before opening HHC play. Connersville travels to Mt. Vernon in two weeks in a game we will broadcast.

Indiana Football Podcast

The first Indiana Football Show was posted tonight. This CCSN production looks at football statewide. This week's guests are Matt Lindsay of Fort Wayne Luers and Brett Colby of Kokomo.

Listen: Indiana Football Podcast