By GREG MENGELT
Greg.Mengelt@newsandtribune.com
> SOUTHERN INDIANA —
Even while Bedford North Lawrence was scoring about two points a minute in the first half of Friday’s 47-21 win over Jeffersonville, the Red Devil sideline never turned negative.
Jeffersonville has struggled in three losses, but it hasn’t soured first-year coach Bob Redman’s — or his coaching staff’s — attitude. Even down by 40 points in the second half, the sideline was filled with a chorus of encouragement from the Jeff coaches.
“I think (staying positive) is the only way to go,” Redman explained. “Anybody can criticize and give up. That doesn’t live in me, and I don’t think that it lives in the guys that work with me. We have to find a way to get this thing going.”
ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
Bedford coach Brett Szabo said after Friday’s win that he’s happy to have Jeffersonville behind his Stars.
Despite an easy win on Friday, Szabo said he isn’t excited about the possibility of facing Jeff in the Class 5A sectional in October.
“There’s a lot of good things happening with Jeffersonville High School and Coach Redman and what he brings,” Szabo observed. “He’s got the right attitude. He understands it’s a work in progress. He has a unique system offensively and defensively, and it’s going to take time to sink in. Once it does, they’re going to be dangerous.”
COOLEY HAPPIER, TOO
Former Jeffersonville coach Steve Cooley is in the same boat as Redman at Clarksville.
In his first season as the General head coach, his Generals team is also 0-3.
Like Redman, he likes the way his team is progressing.
“We’ve gotten better on offense and defense,” Cooley said.
Cooley was particularly happy with the way his offense moved the football in Friday’s 44-14 loss to Charlestown
“We had three drives where we had chances to score and make the game a lot closer than was,” Cooley said. “That was frustrating.”
The Generals surrendered 30 straight points after tying the Pirates at 14 in the second quarter.
“At times, our defense got a lot better,” Cooley said. “I know we gave up some points, but we made some strides. It didn’t necesssarily show up on the scoreboard. The offense has been clicking most of the time, but we have to improve our defense.”
Nathan Masters, who was recently inserted as a starting middle linebacker, led the Generals with 17 tackles and two for loss.
“Those are just silly numbers on defense,” Cooley praised. “Putting him at inside linebacker really helped us.”
QUICK SCORES MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
In Friday’s win against Clarksville, the Pirates found themselves tied at 14-14 after taking an early 14-0 lead.
Just before the half, Charlestown went 38 yards and took the lead on an Aaron Daniel touchdown pass to Joey Wilson. On the first drive of the second half, Daniel capped off an 80-yard drive with a 39-yard scoring run. A Daniel-to-Wilson two-point conversion then gave Charlestown a 30-14 lead.
“I think that was the difference in game,” Charlestown coach Jason Hawkins said of the two quick scores.
MASH UNIT
Providence was beat up by New Albany and Floyd Central — to Class 5 schools — in the first two weeks of the season.
The Pioneers lost six starters to injuries, but they still scored a short-handed 50-6 victory over Mitchell on Friday.
“Playing two 5A teams, that takes its toll,” Providence coach Gene Sartini said. “We lost six kids, and they were good players, too.”
Receiver Ryan Dixon, who Sartini called a “great one,” was knocked out in Providence’s overtime win over New Albany. Sartini said he should return in a couple of weeks.
“When we get healthy, we should be a pretty good team,” Sartini evaluated. “That will be two or three games down the line.”
On the positive side, Sartini said his younger players are getting more experience.
“That’s good, I guess,” he said.
DEFENSE NEEDED
New Albany has scored a touchdown on 16 of its 23 offensive possessions this season.
On Friday, Chris Whitehead (190 yards) and Jalen Forrest (140) combined for 330 yards on the ground. However, the Bulldog defense surrendered 314 to Jennings County star back Iyan Bass in the 30-28 loss.
“If you look at it realistically, we’re three points from being undefeated. But we’re 1-2,” New Albany coach Kevin Roth said. “If we don’t stop someone soon, it’s going to get ridiculous.”
The Bulldogs scored on four of its six possessions of offense Friday, but Jennings ran 65 offensive plays to New Albany’s 37.
“Chris Whitehead and Jalen Forrest were great, and our offensive line was outstanding,” Roth said. “We’re going to have to find a defense soon.”
POINTS FOR EFFORT
A packet handed out to the media prior to a Floyd Central football game contains the standard statistics — yardage, third and fourth down conversions, first downs and penalties.
It also includes a section coach Highlander coach Brian Glesing calls “effort points,” which assesses the play of Highlander skill players and less-heralded contributors, such as their offensive linemen.
The effort points get posted online and in the locker room each week.
“When we break down the film on Saturday morning. If our kids get a great hit, or a downfield block, a pancake block or something like that, they get an effort point,” Glesing explained. “It’s a little more incentive for those guys who don’t get stats, like our offensive linemen.”
Star tailback Kyle Bramble leads the Highlanders with 39 effort points, but linemen Joey Quinkert and Cody Brewer are two of Floyd Central’s six players with double-digit effort points, with 11 and 10 respectively.
BRAVES TAKE CONTROL
With wins over Charlestown and Corydon Central in the past two weeks, Browntown Central has cleared the two biggest hurdles between itself and another Mid-Southern Conference championship.
Led by 254 rushing yards against a strong Panther defense, the Braves outscored Corydon 10-0 in the second half to improve to 3-0.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Aaron Daniel, Charlestown. The Pirate quarterback had 110 yards on 11 carries and he completed 11-of-13 passes for 100 yards in Charlestown’s 44-14 win over Clarksville.
COACH OF THE WEEK
Brian Glesing. Glesing has a “rebuilding” Highlander team at 2-1 after a 31-6 win over Madison on Friday.
TEAM OF THE WEEK
Providence. The Pioneers proved that they are one of the best teams in Class 2A with a 50-6 win over Mitchell.
PLAY OF THE WEEK
Dalton Conway’s 57-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Ellis. It may have seemed like a meaningless play in a 47-21 loss to Bedford North Lawrence, but Ellis — a new addition to the Jeff football team — showed that he’s going to give the Red Devils another playmaker in the near future.
— Jon Reiter contributed to this column
