Columbus East made history last November when it became the first school to have three 100-yard rushers in a state finals game.
Those three backs, who led the Olympians to the Class 5A state title, all have graduated and beginning their college football careers. Josh Major was a three-year starter at quarterback, while running back Jamon Hogan was a two-year starter and Jaedin Miller was a key reserve and spot starter each of the past two years.
Friday night, East coach Bob Gaddis got his first look in a game-like setting at the trio that is tasked with replacing those players. Junior quarterback Cole Gilley, junior running back Lance Greiwe and sophomore running back Mark McDonald showed flashes of potential in a controlled scrimmage against Martinsville.
“It’s pretty much the next guy in,” Gilley said. “It’s just stepping up and leading the pack like they did last year.”
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Major and Hogan both were All-State players. Hogan and Miller provided a solid 1-2 punch at running back.
Greiwe and McDonald hope to form the same combination.
“They were two very good running backs, but it’s our time now, and I think we’re just going to try to do our best,” Greiwe said. “We’re looking forward to this season and we’re hoping we can do something great again.”
McDonald agreed.
“It’s our turn now, and we just have to do what we have to do,” McDonald said. “It was a good offseason. We did pretty well during camp, and we’re just looking forward to this year.”
Greiwe and McDonald scored the two touchdowns that the Olympians picked up on Friday night in the three offensive series that the varsity players were on the field. Greiwe ran four yards for a score on their first possession, which began from their own 35; and McDonald ran seven yards for a touchdown on a series that started from the Artesians 35.
Greiwe finished with 13 carries for 48 yards. McDonald added four carries for 30 yards.
“Those two guys just keep getting better,” Gaddis said. “Lance and Mark are a good team back there, and Cole I thought managed the game very well. We were pretty generic, but I thought he did did pretty well.”
Gilley completed 3 of 9 passes for 53 yards.
“I think we had a little nerves at the beginning, but after one or two plays, hitting somebody else besides our own team, we settled down,” Gilley said. “I thought we were really physical. I thought our O-line did good. Our defense looked really good. We looked like a good team.”
Martinsville’s varsity scored once, and that came on its third and final offensive series, which began from the East 35.
Senior Cody Horner, a returning starter at wide receiver, led the Olympians with three catches for 37 yards. Horner also intercepted a pass in the end zone in the Artesians first offensive series.
“We were really happy with our effort,” Gaddis said. “We went into it wanting to see how we were on assignments and see how physical we were and evaluate our conditioning, and I thought we came out positive in all those areas. Or course, we need to keep improving, but we got done what we wanted to get done tonight, and we came out healthy.”
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Former Columbus East football players from the 1972 through 2017 teams will be honored at halftime of Friday’s 7 p.m. season opener against Whiteland. Alumni players in attendance will be recognized during halftime.
Former East football players who plan to attend are being offered free tickets for that night. Players should contact East Athletics Director Pete Huse to have their names added to a free-ticket, check-in list. Email your interest to Huse at [email protected] or call 812-376-4365.
That night, former Olympians should check in between 6 and 7 p.m. at the west gate entrance along Marr Road.
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