Lancers, others looking for winning football seasons

Four area football teams who have struggled in recent years will look to climb over the .500 mark and post winning seasons this fall.

Here is a look at those four schools heading into the 2022 season:

Edinburgh

In going 5-5 last year, the Lancers posted their first non-losing season in 27 years without a losing.

“We’re looking to break the 28-year streak of not having a winning season,” fourth-year Edinburgh coach Tyler DeSpain said.

The Lancers bring back several starters, but must replace prolific passer Riley Palmeter. Sophomore Caleb Murphy is set to take over at quarterback.

“Riley was definitely a key loss for us, but we bring so much talent back at different positions and have so much more game experience that we’ll be fine,” DeSpain said. “I don’t think we’re going to throw the ball as much as we did last year.”

Senior Jarrett Turner and sophomore Connor Ramey will be the primary running backs. They will be joined in the backfield by Isaiah Steinke, who was an offensive lineman last season.

Two-time 1,000-yard receiver Caleb Dewey is back for his fourth year as a starter at wide receiver. Senior Braylon Bryant also returns at receiver, and will be joined by junior Gabe Bennett, senior Columbus North transfer Blaze Jensen and sophomore Jackson Hartwell, the sectional long jump champion in track this spring.

Senior Keegan Smith, who was an offensive and defensive lineman, moves to tight end. Seniors Mason Calhoun and Devyn Milburn return at tackle. Senior Bryce Jett is back at guard, where he will be joined by senior Dylan Graw, and sophomore Dakota Graw returns at center.

In a 3-4 defense, Steinke and Smith return at end. Senior Riley Peavler steps in at nose tackle

Newcomers Jensen and Hartwell take over at outside linebacker. Ramey returns at inside linebacker, where he will be joined by Jett.

Bryant is back at cornerback and will be joined by Bennett at that position. Dewey and Turner return at safety.

Senior Enrique Callejas will be the kicker and punter.

“We had record numbers coming out for summer workouts in June and July,” DeSpain said. “Numbers are up, morale is up, expectations are high. Our kids are ready for Week 1.”

Brown County

The Eagles have been stuck on five wins the past three years, going 5-6, 5-5 and 5-6. They’ll need to replace several key pieces from last season.

“The offseason wasn’t bad,” second-year Brown County coach Colton Sample said. “We had some question marks that we’re getting some answers for. When you lose what we lost, obviously, we have to get some things straight.”

Senior Ethan Spiece and sophomore Noah Lewis are battling for the quarterback job. They split reps in Friday’s scrimmage against Monrovia.

Sophomore Ben Wagler will step in as one of the running backs. Spiece could play there if he is not at quarterback.

Seniors Blake Grider and Evan Asher return at receiver, where they will be joined by sophomores Landon Scott and Kody Shugars and junior newcomer Brady Bond. Freshman Westin Fulford will be the tight end in sets where one is used.

Seniors Jackxon Goldsmith and Andy Weddle are back at tackle. Senior Wyatt Barnett returns at guard, where he will be joined by sophomore Jackson Daugherty. Senior Brayden Hedger returns at center.

In a 4-2 defense, Weddle returns at end, and will be joined by Fulford. Hedger, Barnett and Goldsmith all have started and will rotate at tackle.

Spiece, who was a defensive end last season, and Grider, who was a safety, move to linebacker. Ollie Normile will play linebacker and safety

Ben Wagler returns at safety and will be joined by Shugars and senior Blake Wagler. Asher, Bond and Scott will play corner.

“We are going to have a lot of guys playing both ways,” Sample said. “We have a lot of guys that are not eligible yet for whatever reason that will be becoming eligible. Our senior class are very talented kids, and our sophomore class is very talented.”

Spiece will be the at kicker and punter.

Jennings County

The Panthers have a new coach in T.J. Newton, who played at Lewis Cass and was an assistant coach at Maconaquah and North Newton. Newton held 6 a.m. weight room workouts three days a week this summer and had 45 to 50 kids most days.

“Anytime you do that, not everybody is going to make it,” Newton said. “But the majority of the kids have bought in, and they’ve had a really good summer. They’ve bought into the culture and did the work, and I think in the future, they’re going to reap the benefits of that.”

Newton was pleased with what he saw in Friday’s scrimmage, where Jennings, which went 1-9 last season, scored four times to two for Brownstown Central, which went 11-1 last fall.

“We really held our own,” Newton said. “We shocked some people and turned some heads.”

Junior Sam Burkman, who was a receiver and safety last season, takes over at quarterback to run the Panthers’ Wing-T offense. Senior Matt Hines, junior Branden Braun and senior Nate Doty will start at running back; with junior Blaine Ison, sophomore Lane Kirchner and senior newcomer Skyler Lewis also figuring to get carries.

Seniors Michael Haines, Tanner Stearns and newcomer Darius Thomas will play receiver. Senior Austin Wells and junior Austin Byford will be the tight ends.

Senior Teagan Trotter and junior Dylan Harrison are the tackles. Senior Bryson Webster and sophomore Xavior Gindhart will be the guards, and junior Kamron Carney is the center.

In a 3-4 defense, Webster and Wells will be the ends, and senior Will Rowlett is the nose tackle. Trotter also will play on the defensive line.

Hines and Harrison will be the outside linebackers, with Ison and Doty on the inside. Braun and Haines are the corners, with Burkman and Byford at safety.

“We just don’t have the talent to platoon,” Newton said. “We spent a lot of time conditioning so that we could play both ways. All these guys are rotating on offense, so they’re kind of like 1 1/2-way players.”

Wells will be the kicker and punter.

South Decatur

Rodney Martin, who coached the Cougars from 2009-14 and now is the school’s athletics director, has returned to the sidelines as head coach. He takes over a team that went 2-6 last season.

“I think we’re going to be all right,” Martin said. “We’re learning a new scheme on offense and defense, so we’re going to take some bumps and bruises this year, but we’ll be OK. All summer, we’ve just been working on creating the culture that we want. They’re doing a nice job of picking up what we’re wanting to do.”

Freshman Drake Skaggs takes over at quarterback. Senior Rhett Martin, who played running back and slot receiver, and sophomore Corbin Johnson, who started on defense, will be the running backs, and senior Luke Burton will play at slot receiver and running back.

Junior Alex Myers and junior newcomer Campbell Johannigman step in at wide receiver. Senior newcomer Avery Seegers will be the tight end.

Senior Sebastyn Muckerheide and sophomore Ian AmRhein step in at tackle. Junior Tyler Bishop and sophomore Toby Bishop will be the guards, and senior Riley AmRhein returns at center.

Johnson and Rhett Martin are the ends/outside linebackers in a 3-4/5-2 defense. Bishop and Muckerheide are the tackles, and junior Isaac Gasper will be the nose. Bishop and Ian Amrhein are the inside linebackers.

Freshman Garrett Huckelberry and Myers will be the corners. Burton will be at strong safety, with senior Brady Lane at free safety.

Junior McKinley Shook will be the kicker. Junior Owen Arreola and Bjarne Karsten, an exchange student from Germany, are battling for the punting job.

“We do have some talent, but a lot of inexperience,” Rodney Martin said. “It’s definitely going to be a learning year, a building year, but one we feel like we can definitely have success with. If we keep them focused and heading in this direction, we’re going to be OK.”

The 2022 football schedules for area teams:

Edinburgh 

Friday;Indianapolis Tindley;7 p.m.

Aug. 26;Cloverdale;7 p.m.

Sept. 2;South Decatur;7 p.m.

Sept. 9;at Switzerland County;7 p.m.

Sept. 16;North Daviess;7:30 p.m.

Sept. 23;Greenwood Christian;7 p.m.

Sept. 30;Traders Point Christian;7 p.m.

Oct. 14;at Park Tudor;7 p.m.

Brown County 

Friday;Owen Valley;7 p.m.

Aug. 26;Jennings County;7 p.m.

Sept. 2;at Cloverdale;7 p.m.

Sept. 9;at Indian Creek;7 p.m.

Sept. 16;West Vigo;7 p.m.

Sept. 23;at Greencastle;7 p.m.

Sept. 30;at South Putnam;7 p.m.

Oct. 7;North Putnam;7 p.m.

Oct. 14;Edgewood;7 p.m.

Jennings County 

Friday;at South Dearborn;7 p.m.

Aug. 26;at Brown County;7 p.m.

Sept. 2;New Albany;7 p.m.

Sept. 9;at Columbus East;7 p.m.

Sept. 16;at Madison;7 p.m.

Sept. 23;Bedford North Lawrence;7 p.m.

Sept. 30;at Seymour;7 p.m.

Oct. 7;Floyd Central;7 p.m.

Oct. 14;Jeffersonville;7 p.m.

South Decatur 

Friday;North Decatur;7 p.m.

Aug. 26;at Indiana Deaf;7 p.m.

Sept. 2;at Edinburgh;7 p.m.

Sept. 9;Dugger Union;7:30 p.m.

Sept. 23;at Cloverdale;7:30 p.m.

Sept. 30;at Switzerland County;7 p.m.

Oct. 7;Southside HomeSchool;7 p.m.

Oct. 14;Cambridge City Lincoln;7 p.m.