It will be a new coach and almost all new starters for Columbus East football this season.
Bob Gaddis, who roamed the sidelines as the Olympians’ head coach the past 20 autumns, has retired. His replacement, Eddie Vogel, was an assistant for 19 of those years, the past 17 as defensive coordinator.
Also gone are 32 seniors from last year’s 8-3 squad and Hoosier Hills Conference champions. East returns only four full-time starters and two part-time starters.
Helping ease the concerns about the upcoming season, the Olympians went toe-to-toe with perennial Class 5A power Decatur Central in Friday’s scrimmage.
“I was pretty pleased overall,” Vogel said. “I thought our kids competed well, and I thought they played hard. We made a lot of mistakes, but you can’t coach effort, an I thought our kids gave very good effort. I thought we held up up front. I thought we tackled well. We took care of the football. We played a lot of guys, and we got out injury free, so that’s always good.”
Both East and Decatur Central scored one touchdown in the controlled scrimmage.
“We’re definitely young, so I was pretty encouraged,” Vogel said. “Our guys are learning what it takes to be varsity football players. We have a long season, so we’re just going to try to get better week-in-and-week out and get guys in the right spots and play.”
Junior Ethan Duncan takes over at quarterback for last year’s The Republic co-Football Player of the Year Malachi Parks. Duncan, who was the JV quarterback last season, was on the Olympians’ state-qualifying 4×100- and 4×400-meter relay teams in track this spring.
“He’s still learning,” Vogel said. “I think he’s a pretty gifted athlete. He’s pretty fast, and he gives us a good dimension there. We didn’t want to change a whole lot with the personnel we have. He fits in well with that. He’s a similar quarterback to what we’ve had the last seven or eight years.”
Senior Tryce Villareal was East’s starting running back at the end of last season and finished with 124 carries for 672 yards and seven touchdowns. Junior Javeon Smith added 19 carries for 83 yards, mostly in mop-up duty. Juniors Chase Harrison and Brennan Cowan and sophomore Caaden Gault, the trio that make up East’s starting linebacking unit, all saw carries in Friday’s scrimmage and could during the season.
Senior newcomer Logan Christophel, senior Ryan Buckler, junior backup quarterback Tommy Anderson and sophomore Rolan Ryan could see action at receiver. Junior Nico Alvarez and sophomore Blake Borkhardt will be the tight ends
Seniors Josh Luedeke and Ashton Hartwell, the two lone full-time returning starters on offense, move from tackle to guard. Senior Jaden Durnil, who was a starter at defensive end, moves to center. Seniors Quintin Marquis and Ethan Clark and junior Jacob Guse are battling for the two tackle spots.
Harrison, who moves from end to middle linebacker, is the lone returning full-time starter on a 4-3 defense. Junior Jamaal Starks was a part-time starter at tackle.
Juniors Conrad Eggers and Landon Jarvis take over at defensive end, and Tristan Davis will join Starks at tackle. Senior John Fife and junior Christian Lara also could play end or tackle.
Gault and Cowan will be the outside linebackers. Junior Devon Tekulve and senior Alijah Tungate will play the corners, along with junior Mason Larrison. Senior Rocco Duffy and junior Chase Zapfe will be the safeties, with junior Izike Addis also seeing action there.
Junior Nathaniel Hedrick returns for his third year as the kicker.
“We’re young on both sides of the ball,” Vogel said. “We know we’re not going to be perfect week-in-and-week-out. These guys need to learn what it takes to be varsity players, watching film and using technique and making sure you’re where you need to be defensively. We’re going to hone in on the details and try to get better.”
They’ll need to do that beginning this week. East travels to Whiteland, which is expected to be on of the state’s top 5A teams, for its season opener.
The rest of the Olympians’ non-conference schedule is brutal with games against Columbus North and at defending 3A state champion Bishop Chatard.
“I think our schedule is a good one,” Vogel said. “Picking up Decatur Central was good for our guys to see a team that has a lot of speed and athleticism and size. Whiteland is going to be a good test for us, and North is always a good game. Chatard is one of the best in the state year-in-and-year out, and I think our conference is going to be a challenge, as well. But our focus right now is on Whiteland.”
East has won 14 consecutive outright HHC titles and enters the season with a 96-game conference winning streak.
“I don’t know if we’re the team to beat, but we’re the team people want to beat,” Vogel said. “It seems like every year, people say, ‘This is the year.’ We always get everybody’s best shot in the conference. We’re just going to try to keep playing our best. It’s going to be a challenge for us.”
