HANCOCK COUNTY — Forced to wait patiently on the sidelines for more than three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indiana high school football teams are back on the field.
Among the many teams returning to preseason conditioning this week are Hancock County’s four football programs: the Mt. Vernon Marauders, the Eastern Hancock Royals, the Greenfield-Central Cougars and the defending Class 5A state champion New Palestine Dragons.
During quarantine, several local players made up for lost preparation time by working out individually this summer, some with limited resources, while also conducting social-distancing drills off school grounds.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
However, with the 2019-20 school year officially concluded, teams and coaches now have access to practice fields and other athletic facilities, once again.
The first official non-contact football practice is scheduled for Aug. 3 with contact sessions set to start on Aug. 6, in accordance to the IHSAA sports calendar.
For the time being, the IHSAA is permitting preseason conditioning to commence in accordance to each individual school’s health and safety guidelines and the Governor’s Office and the Indiana Department of Education’s provided “Return-to-School” guidelines.
Barring any setbacks, the 2020-21 football season is officially set to begin on Aug. 21 with the postseason now a little more than three months away in late October.
With football back on track to return this fall, the county welcomes back a pair of quarterbacks who threw for 2,000-plus yard and another with more than 1,500 yards passing and more than 600 yards rushing.
The 5A Dragons are aiming for a potential third straight state championship after going 28-0 the past two seasons and 88-4 in eight years with head coach Kyle Ralph at the helm.
Mt. Vernon and head coach Mike Kirschner are projected to bring back some offensive playmakers in 2020-21 after claiming the programs first sectional title since 2012 last year, in addition to a school-first regional championship.
Here are some offensive standouts to watch out for with the 2020-21 season approaching.
Lincoln Roth, New Palestine
Pos.: Quarterback
Year: Senior
Breakdown: While Indiana’s Mr. Football, Charlie Spegal, garnered many headlines last year en route to his collegiate future at Indiana University, the New Palestine Dragons were multi-dimensional on offense with quarterback Lincoln Roth under center.
The incoming senior threw for 1,575 yards and averaged 112.5 yards per game a year ago. He passed for 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions with 96 completions in 149 attempts.
Though Roth was unable to return to the field during the 2019 IHSAA 5A state championship due to an in-game leg injury, he will be a team captain in 2020 and a focal point, once more, for the Dragons, which averaged more than 420 yards of offense a night.
Roth was second on the team in rushing yards as a junior with 682 yards on 104 carries for an average of 48.7 yards per game and 6.6 yards per attempt. He had eight rushing touchdowns and two games of 100 yards or more.
Blake Austin, New Palestine
Pos.: Wide Receiver
Year: Senior
Breakdown: Blake Austin made a substantial leap in the statistical department with more reps and opportunities on offense.
An All-Hoosier Heritage Conference selection in 2019 like Roth, Austin hauled in 21 receptions for 379 yards for 18.0 yards on average per catch and 37.9 yards per game.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound receiver was one of Roth’s primary targets with seven touchdown receptions. His longest catch was recorded at 76 yards. All of those numbers overshadowed his introductory statistical watermarks in 2018.
As a sophomore, Austin was limited to four games with six receptions for 97 yards.
Rylan Cole, Mt. Vernon
Pos.: Running Back
Year: Senior
Breakdown: A two-way starter, there’s little Mt. Vernon’s Rylan Cole can’t do. A standout on the defensive side at safety for the Marauders, Cole produced more than 1,200 yards of offense.
As a rusher, Cole posted three 100-plus yard games. He rushed for 950 yards overall for the regional champion Marauders. Mt. Vernon finished 11-3 on the season and 5-2 in the HHC.
Cole was named to the All-HHC team and Indiana Football Coaches Association Class 4A Junior All-State.
He had 14 rushing touchdowns on 142 carries for 6.7 yards on average per rushing attempt.
As a receiving threat, Cole had 26 receptions for 254 yards and one touchdown with 9.8 yards on average per catch. As a punt returner, the team leader compiled 251 yards for 1,614 all-purpose yards.
Gehrig Slunaker, Mt. Vernon
Pos.: Quarterback
Year: Junior
Breakdown: A starter at Greenfield-Central as a freshman, Slunaker made a new home quickly in Fortville with the Marauders and head coach Mike Kirschner.
As a freshman, Slunaker completed 105 passes in 204 attempts over seven games played for 1,289 yards and 10 touchdowns. He did have 17 interceptions, but he cleaned up the turnovers the next season.
As the Marauders’ starting quarterback Slunaker completed 133 passes in 249 attempts for 2,080 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. He averaged 148.6 yards per game.
Slunaker, who stands 6-foot-2, rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
Brayden Herrell, Greenfield-Central
Pos.: Running Back
Year: Sophomore
Breakdown: Though only a freshman last year, Herrell led the 4A Cougars statistically.
While coach Travis Nolting’s program endured a difficult 2-9 season with wins over Shelbyville and Muncie Central, Herrell picked up the pace as the season wore on.
Herrell posted three 100-yard games rushing for 619 yards overall on 88 carries. In his final three games of 2019, he found his rhythm with a season-high 179 yards rushing and two touchdowns against New Castle.
He had 118 yards rushing against Muncie Central and 100 yards in the team’s final loss on Nov. 1 against rival Pendleton Heights.
Herrell averaged 7.0 yards per carry with his longest run measured at 82 yards. He had six rushing touchdowns and finished the season with 38 points scored.
Houston Swan, Eastern Hancock
Pos.: Quarterback
Year: Junior
Breakdown: What isn’t there to like about Houston Swan? At 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Swan figured it out over the course of one season, which opens up several possibilities in 2020-21.
In his second year with head coach Doug Armstrong, Swan dove right in as a sophomore and threw for 33 touchdowns with 12 interceptions last season. He completed 201 passes in 311 attempts to average 228.3 yards per game and 18.3 yards per completion.
He rushed for another 85 yards and a touchdown, but his passing efficiency was most notable after a trying freshman campaign.
In 10 games in 2018, Swan passed for 1,161 yards and 11 touchdowns, but his 20 interceptions proved an issue.
He corrected it and now has two more seasons to see if he can possibly help the Royals chase down their first sectional title since 2014.
