Daily Journal file photo
The Golden Boot may or may not be in the discussion as one of the most-recognized traveling trophies in Indiana high school football.
In Johnson County, it’s serious business.
Franklin and Whiteland have been trading sweeps and going deep since the Grizzly Cubs blanked the then-new Warriors program, 41-0, at the height of the British Invasion (1965).
The series continues to endure with local and Mid-State Conference implications, though few, if any, of the matchups have been as anticipated as the one this evening at James Sleighter Field.
Whiteland is ranked first in Class 5A for the first time in school history, while Franklin is fourth. The Grizzly Cubs are the top 5A team in the Sagarin computer ratings (87.99), with the Warriors right behind them (87.75).
Tonight marks the 12th consecutive season the Grizzly Cubs and Warriors have played in Week 4, and the first time both take the field with 3-0 records (they sported identical 1-0 records prior to the 1979 and 1981 matchups, if one feels compelled to count those).
Not surprisingly, a sellout crowd is expected.
Coach Darrin Fisher’s Whiteland squads won 21 consecutive games against Franklin (counting the postseason) before the Grizzly Cubs turned a much-needed corner, of sorts, with an emotional 15-13 triumph in 2019.
Whiteland reciprocated with a 24-point win at its place a year later, and the Grizzly Cubs scored a 35-21 victory a year ago.
“I think just by proximity that this is a big rivalry. There are years where our players have known each other, and it’s also a rivalry from a football standpoint,” said Fisher, who owns a 22-2 record against the Grizzly Cubs since becoming Whiteland’s coach in 2005.
“Over the course of the last four or five years, the rivalry has grown from a competitive standpoint.”
A Franklin win would give coach Chris Coll his 100th career victory in what is now his 17th season overall — including an 11-year run at Tri-West, his alma mater.
However, individual milestones aren’t on his mind at the moment.
“We’re not oblivious to the fact we’re both 3-0, but we’re just taking it one game at a time,” Coll said. “That’s really the approach I’ve always had as a coach. “The reality is it’s Week 4, and if we’re successful, we’ve got five more conference games to play. If we’re unsuccessful, we’ve still got five more conference games to play.”
Asked what makes his sixth Grizzly Cubs team unique, Coll didn’t hesitate.
“The closeness. The positivity in just the way they support each other,” he said. “It’s just been a very positive experience on the practice field and in games.”
Both defensive units have flexed their potential one-third the way through the regular-season schedule.
Whiteland is allowing 10 points per week through its first three games, while Franklin surrenders 10.3.
The last time the Grizzly Cubs celebrated a win on the Warriors’ field was in 1999; the Warriors have prevailed in the last 16 games there, winning by an average of 22 points.
Just as Coll has been impressed with the determination of his players, Fisher feels the same way about his team.
“It’s our courage to hit,” Fisher said. “They love to play physical football. They love to practice that way, and they love to play that way. When you have people who have the courage to hit, I believe that’s contagious.
“It will be a fun atmosphere for everyone. We’re looking forward to a great game.”
THIS WEEK’S GAMES
Franklin at Whiteland, 7 p.m.
Center Grove at Ben Davis, 7 p.m.
Greenwood at Mooresville, 7 p.m.
Brown County at Indian Creek, 7 p.m.
Edinburgh at Switzerland County, 7 p.m.
Roncalli at Columbus North, 7 p.m.
Covenant Christian JV vs. Greenwood Christian, 7 p.m. Saturday*
(* – at Center Grove MS North)
