High school football programs can’t possibly schedule themselves.
Defending Class 6A state champion Center Grove doesn’t have to, considering coach Eric Moore’s blueprint has worked to the point that the Trojans’ biggest challenge annually has become, well, themselves.
State finalists four of the past six seasons and a semistate qualifier nine of the last 10, Center Grove has ascended to the type of dizzying heights that can only be envied and emulated by others.
The objective is still to soar even higher.
Armed with talented returnees and newcomers on both sides of the ball, the Trojans have what it takes to pick up a fourth state championship trophy and just maybe run the table for a second consecutive year.
The challenge is about what takes place between the ears as much as it is between the tackles.
Winning is expected. So is winning big. No longer are games at Lucas Oil Stadium in late November the novelty they once were.
“How do you keep everybody motivated to want to get back to the state championship? You’ve got to hope it’s their love of the game,” Moore said of his players. “No matter what happens, we’re not going to be as good of a football team in Week 1 as we’re going to be in Week 10.
“We’ve got to continue our path on just worrying about Center Grove and making Center Grove better. We’re not worrying about Westfield. We’re not worrying about Carmel. We’ve just got to worry about Center Grove.”
There are already an abundance of teams worried about the Trojans.
Defensively, Moore’s team has the potential to be even better than a year ago, when it shut out five opponents and never allowed any of the 14 foes more than 14 points despite playing one of the state’s more daunting schedules.
Senior defensive end Caden Curry returns after making 21.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage last season. Curry, who has narrowed his list of potential colleges to five (Alabama, Clemson, Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon), looks forward to the challenges associated with being a marked player on a marked team.
“As a senior, I love it,” Curry said. “(State title) is what we’re hoping. It’s what we’re practicing for, so we’re working for it, obviously. We want the target on our back. We want to play big-time games so that we can get better as a team.”
The defense also brings back seniors James Schott, an end, safety Mitchell Evans and lineman Owen Green. Expected to bolster this group in terms of talent and depth are transfers Carl Biddings (lineman) and Kalen Carroll (defensive back), both formerly of Brownsburg, and DB Jalen Thomeson (Mt. Vernon).
Senior quarterback Tayven Jackson, verbally committed to the University of Tennessee, is a three-year starter who threw for 1,756 yards and ran for 191 as a junior. Three-fifths of the Trojans offensive line returns to block for Jackson and the customary deep pool of capable ball carriers, this time led by senior Daniel Weems.
Center Grove opens Friday night at Warren Central, an opponent it held scoreless on two occasions last season. The Warriors, along with the no fewer than nine opponents to follow, will be looking forward to lining up against the Trojans.
So what else is new?
“It can be a lot of pressure at times, but I think it’s good for us to overcome that pressure. We like the target on our back and seeing everyone’s best competition,” Evans said. “We obviously have huge shoes to fill, but with how much talent we have, I think we can do anything.
“I think both sides of the ball are going to be really strong this year. The defense was really good last year, and I think we’re going to be really good again this year. But our offense is going to be just as good.”
