GREENFIELD — As all four Hancock County football teams prepare to open their seasons tonight, there is plenty to look forward to.
The Cougars, Dragons, Marauders and Royals all have reason for optimism and excitement. Will a new coach and new offense help Greenfield-Central bounce back from a winless 2018? Can New Palestine repeat as state champions? How far can Mt. Vernon go in coach Mike Kirschner’s second year? Is Eastern Hancock poised for a big turnaround with a huge returning core in Doug Armstrong’s second season?
Hancock County has a likely Mr. Football candidate in Charlie Spegal, the standout running back from New Palestine who shattered records last year and led the nation in scoring. More on him later.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryCounty teams — which compete in Sectional 14, 21 and 38 — could be favored to win two or all three of those sectionals, depending how the regular season goes.
Here are some of the Daily Reporter staff’s picks for the top games and players to watch this fall.
Can’t-miss games
1. Plainfield at Greenfield-Central, tonight
There’s no better time to catch the Cougars than tonight, a Week 1 home game against Plainfield. Change is in the air at Greenfield-Central, as the Cougars welcome new head coach Travis Nolting and a wildly different offense, Nolting’s preferred wishbone attack. The Cougars were winless a year ago, but tonight’s game will give a good indication of where Nolting’s new squad is as a new campaign begins.
2. New Palestine at Center Grove, Aug. 30
Just like last year, there is no bigger game on the Hancock County football slate than the Dragons meeting with Class 6A powerhouse Center Grove. The Trojans are looking for payback after New Palestine humbled them last year, a 31-9 Dragons win that opened eyes around the state. Center Grove ended the year as a semistate team in 6A, while the Dragons ran the table and emerged as 5A champions. Both of these teams have potential state-championship seasons ahead, making this a key early-season clash.
3. Heritage Christian at Eastern Hancock, Sept. 13
While a Week 5 game against rival Knightstown and Week 8 game at Shenandoah could both easily be on this list, the Week 4 contest against Heritage Christian holds a lot of intrigue. The Royals could enter this contest 3-0 and will be looking for revenge on an Eagles team that beat them handily twice in 2018, first a 33-6 win in Week 4, then ending the Royals’ season with a 21-0 defeat in the sectional opener.
4. Greenfield-Central at Shelbyville, Sept. 20
It might be a surprise to see a game between two teams that combined to win one game a year ago on this list, but the Cougars and Golden Bears played one of the most entertaining, competitive, and inevitably heartbreaking games in 2018. Shelbyville topped the visitors, 28-27, last year, in a game that saw multiple lead changes in the waning minutes. Both teams will be looking for bounce-back seasons and a win here would help their cause.
5. Pendleton Heights at Mt. Vernon, Sept. 27
The Arabians and Marauders finished 2018 in a tie for second place — with Delta — in the Hoosier Heritage Conference. This year’s game could be critical for conference positioning behind HHC favorite New Palestine. The Arabians have some big shoes to fill on the offensive side of the ball, but both teams look poised to be top-three finishers in the conference.
Players to watch
1. Charlie Spegal, New Palestine RB
If you didn’t get a chance to see Spegal in action last year, don’t miss the opportunity this fall. As long as he stays healthy, the bulldozing senior running back is likely to break the state’s career rushing record sometime in the first three weeks of the season, and he could put it very far out of reach by season’s end. He ran for 3,356 yards a year ago with a nation-best 68 touchdowns (70 total), and he should put up eye-popping numbers yet again in the high-powered New Palestine offense.
2. Rylan Cole, Mt. Vernon RB/FS
Cole, a junior, is one of two players in the county who earned all-Hancock County status on both offense and defense a year ago, rushing for 968 yards and 14 touchdowns and intercepting five passes in 2018. He inherited the lead running back role from his older brother due to injury a year ago, and should be the Marauders’ feature back from the get-go in 2019.
3. Garrett Friesen, Eastern Hancock RB/LB
Friesen was a force on defense in 2018, leading the Royals in tackles with 123, which was 49 more than the second-place finisher on the team. He also rushed for 257 yards and two TDs. Expect Friesen to lead the way defensively and potentially see more time on offense, which could add up to another huge season for the senior.
4. Kyle King, New Palestine OL/DL
King, a Michigan State commit, is the other returning player to have earned all-county status on both sides of the ball. The co-Hancock County Defensive Player of the Year from 2018 will help anchor the Dragons’ offensive line this year and should be a force up front on defense again, where he led the state with 18 sacks a year ago and added 26 tackles for a loss.
5. Charlie Moore, Mt. Vernon OL/LB
Mt. Vernon’s coaching staff is expecting a lot out of Moore, a senior who plays on both sides of the ball. He earned junior all-state designation a year ago for his work on the offensive line, and added 46 tackles and six tackles for a loss in 2018. Expect to see Moore take another step up as he takes a leadership role with the Marauders.
6. Bradon Nelson, Greenfield-Central FB/LB
Nelson, a senior, had a huge season in 2018 for Greenfield-Central, compiling 131 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss and an interception. He is the Cougars’ lone returning all-county player from a year ago, and is expected to take on an even bigger role this year at the fullback position.
7. Maxen Hook, New Palestine TE/DB
Hook, an all-state defender, was one of the co-Hancock County Defensive Players of the Year in 2018. He’s a D1 commit, heading to Toledo after his senior year at New Palestine, and he should have a similarly large impact in all three facets of the game as he did a year ago, when he had 126 tackles, four sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, two receiving touchdowns, a defensive touchdown and several blocked kicks.
8. Cole Rainbolt, Eastern Hancock WR/DB
Rainbolt, a sophomore, could have a huge year for the Royals. He led his team in catches and yards last year, with 42 receptions for 479 yards, and added four receiving TDs. He added 66 tackles and three interceptions on the defensive side, and should have a big role at both positions again this year.
9. Lance McKee, Greenfield-Central QB/DB/P
A new season brings a new position for McKee, who was third on the team in receptions and yards a year ago but now takes the helm of the wishbone offense as the Cougars’ new quarterback. McKee will play a pivotal role in how well the Cougars transition from a pass-heavy attack to a rushing-focused offense.
10. Aven Jones, New Palestine LB
Already an all-state honoree after a junior season that saw him amass 91 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and four sacks, Jones is considered one of the best all-around players on a loaded Dragons team by head coach Kyle Ralph. He will anchor an otherwise young linebacker corp, and will be counted on to continue the high level of success for the Red Rage defense.
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No. 1 New Palestine at Kokomo, 7 p.m.
Hamilton Heights at Mt. Vernon, 7 p.m.
Eastern Hancock at Northwestern, 7 p.m.
Plainfield at Greenfield-Central, 7:30 p.m.
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