GCA quarterback Trey Dobson runs the ball during Saturday’s game against Phalen Academy.
Chris Williams | For the Daily Journal
Greenwood Christian football coach Andre Dobson had to admit he was a bit perplexed.
“I don’t know why they kept kicking off to him, to be honest,” Dobson said.
“Him” would be freshman Nathan Goins, who had kickoff returns of 90 and 85 yards for touchdowns to help propel the Cougars to a 49-13 romp over Indianapolis-based Phalen Leadership Academy in the first-ever home game for the team Saturday at Center Grove Middle School North.
Goins who also had a 3-yard touchdown run, credited blocking on the kickoffs.
“If it wasn’t for everyone else, I couldn’t have got those,” said Goins, who admitted he still gets a little nervous on kickoffs.
After Phalen quarterback Jayden Jones’ 6-yard TD run gave the Falcons a 7-0 lead, the Cougars scored 43 unanswered points. Goins started it off when he scored on his 90-yard kickoff return and added a two-point conversion run to give the Cougars an 8-7 lead.
With just 16 players, Dobson was proud of how his team held up.
“We felt like we were in good shape. This is the first opportunity in our school’s history to play a full four-quarter game and we were in the heat,” said Dobson, whose team previously beat Brownsburg’s C team in a shortened game. “I’m just super proud of them sticking together and finishing an entire game off. They have to feel that and sense that. Players have to learn the length of the game and how to conserve energy and use their energy.”
Dobson’s son, 5-foot-8, 140-pound freshman quarterback Trey Dobson, engineered a few big plays of his own. Trey scored on a 90-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 43-7 in the fourth quarter.
“I just kept running. Once I saw (the opening), I took off and didn’t look back,” said Trey, who finished with 141 rushing yards on nine carries.
Trey also threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Evan McIntire and threw for a pair of two-point conversions.
“It’s usually the next person up, but there’s really no one else,” Trey said. “Everyone has to push through. That’s what we’ve been doing.”
“We’re super excited about him, he’s one of the top quarterbacks coming out of Florida in the 2026 class,” said Andre Dobson, who moved the family from West Palm Beach, Florida to take the GCA job. “I’m proud of the way he’s stepping up leadership-wise and controlling our offense. He’s doing all the little things he does. He’s a talented little guy. We’re excited about when he grows.”
In addition to the two kickoff returns for TDs, the defense scored two touchdowns.
When a snap went over the Falcons quarterback Jayden Jones’ head, Cougar junior Wyatt Schlageter recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.
The other TD was a bit more improbable as senior defensive lineman Eli Tschetter plucked a pass out of the air and ran 18 yards for the touchdown.
“A lineman’s dream. I’ve been dreaming about scoring a touchdown ever since I played football,” Tschetter said. “Evan McIntire tipped the ball and it went into my hands. I kept going, and all of sudden I was lining up for the PAT.”
This is Tschetter’s first year of playing high school football. Tschetter, who played middle school football, transferred from Greenwood this school year.
“(Those defensive scores) push us hard on offense to score more touchdowns,” Trey said.
The Falcons’ second score came on an 85-yard kickoff return for a TD by Marquis Graham. That was immediately followed by Goins’ 85-yard TD kickoff return.
The Cougars are off until a Sept. 10 game against Covenant Christian’s junior varsity. Dobson said the plan was to have Labor Day weekend off because he said the school’s students and fans weren’t used to having football and might already have plans.
One thing the coaching staff will work on cleaning up in the next two weeks is penalties. The Cougars were called for 10 penalties.
“That would be a concern for any coach,” Dobson said.
