HANCOCK COUNTY — By definition, defense never rests in football, and in Hancock County, there are many standouts back in the fold in 2020 that could cause several sleepless nights.
After more than three months to work on their own due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indiana high school football players are making up for lost time with summer conditioning, beginning this week.
Among the teams back on school grounds for 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.
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With the 2019-20 school year officially closed, players and coaches are turning the page after quarantine and working towards the 2020 season.
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.
The 2020 football season is set to kickoff on Aug. 21.
Beforehand, however, many local defensive players are gearing up to bring the pressure. Here are some defensive players to keep an eye on this 2020 season.
Matthew Brown,
New Palestine
Pos.: Defensive Lineman
Year: Senior
Breakdown: The Class 5A state champion New Palestine Dragons ignited the scoreboard last season with 681 points scored and 97 touchdowns overall. But, the Dragons weren’t merely an offensive juggernaut.
On defense, New Palestine was just as ferocious, including up front where incoming senior defensive end Matthew Brown posted five of the team’s 32 sacks in 2019.
Brown, who recently committed to the Air Force Academy, worked in tandem with fellow defensive end Kyle King, who is now at Michigan State. Drawing just as much attention as King, Brown had six of the team’s 27 quarterback hurries.
For added measure, Brown had two passes defensed, a pair of fumble recoveries and a blocked punt to go with 52 total tackles. He had 25 solo tackles and 10.5 tackles for a loss.
Standing at 6-foot-4, Brown was named Indiana Football Coaches Association 5A Junior All-State and All-Hoosier Heritage Conference.
Brown is an all-around athlete to watch with the Dragons carrying a 28-0 winning streak into 2020.
Richard Clevenger, New Palestine
Pos.: Linebacker
Year: Senior
Breakdown: Clevenger put together a breakout campaign in 2019 for the unbeaten New Palestine Dragons. Ranked third in tackles for the Dragons, Clevenger feasted with 85 takedowns overall.
The 6-foot-1, multi-sport athlete averaged 6.1 tackles per game with 31 solos and 9.5 tackles for a loss. Clevenger finished his junior year with 4.5 sacks in 14 games for 27 yards lost.
He had one fumble recovery and forced a pair fumbles while recording two passes defensed.
With defensive standouts Aven Jones, Maxen Hook, Brody Luker, King and others now moved on after graduation, Clevenger will be a key piece in the Dragons’ revamped defensive look heading into 2020.
Cayden Sotelo, Eastern Hancock
Pos.: Defensive Back
Year: Senior
Breakdown: Eastern Hancock’s Garrett Friesen garnered plenty of attention, and rightfully so with 122 total tackles, but Cayden Sotelo wasn’t far behind.
As a full-time contributor on defense, Sotelo was second on the team with 71 solo tackles in 2019. He finished his junior campaign with 92 total tackles and averaged a second-best 8.4 tackles per game.
Of his nearly 100 takedowns, Sotelo had five tackles for a loss and was a ball hawk with a pair of interceptions for 31 return yards. He recorded five passes defensed and caused two fumbles.
Cole Rainbolt, Eastern Hancock
Pos.: Defensive Back
Year: Junior
Breakdown: Steady. In a word, Cole Rainbolt continues to personify the term on the gridrion. As a freshman, the multi-sport athlete put up solid numbers, and he didn’t show any lag in Year 2.
In 2019, Rainbolt posted 69 total tackles with 50 solos and a pair of tackles for a loss. He averaged 6.3 tackles per game with a plethora of contributions across the board for the Royals, who finished with an 8-3 record.
As a sophomore, he recorded four interceptions for 82 return yards overall to go with four passes defensed. Rainbolt had three fumble recoveries, which was an increase from two in 2018.
As a freshman, Rainbolt had 66 total tackles (48 solos) and three interceptions.
Keegan Labelle, Mt. Vernon
Pos.: Defensive Back
Year: Junior
Breakdown: A potent threat on offense with 485 yards rushing and eight touchdowns, Keegan Labelle is a true two-way player.
As a sophomore, he had a team-leading 135 total tackles with an astonishing 111 solos. He averaged 9.6 tackles for game and had 10 for a loss in 2019.
He was named All-Hoosier Heritage Conference and made the Indiana Football Coaches Association’s Junior All-State team as a sophomore.
Labelle stands at 5-foot-6, but he packs a punch with 2.5 sacks last season. In the secondary, he hauled in one interception, had four passes defensed and a pair of fumble recoveries.
Rylan Cole, Mt. Vernon
Pos.: Defensive Back
Year: Senior
Breakdown: Rylan Cole rarely leaves the field for the Mt. Vernon Marauders. Both a rushing and a receiving threat on offense with more than 1,300 yards in 2019, Cole is equally as active on defense.
Named to the All-Hoosier Heritage Conference and the Indiana Football Coaches Association Junior All-State team, Cole posted 73 total tackles last season with 49 solos.
He averaged 5.2 tackles per game with 2.5 for a loss. Both numbers were single-season career highs for Cole. He was held without a sack, but he made up for the deficit with eight interceptions for 159 return yards. He had eight passes defensed and forced a fumble.
As a punt returner, he added 251 yards on 11 returns with his longest run back at 40 yards.
Spencer Johnson, Greenfield-Central
Pos.: Defensive Back
Year: Junior
Breakdown: More an offensive contributor as a freshman, Spencer Johnson ramped it up on defense as a sophomore in 2019 for the Greenfield-Central Cougars.
He was among the team’s leaders in tackles with more than 60 total and averaged nearly nine tackles a game. He had a sack and a tackle for a loss in seven games played.
He posted three games with more than 10 tackles, including 16 against Muncie Central on Oct. 25 as the Cougars won 40-39.
