Brady Stanifer scores a touchdown for Whiteland in a victory over Franklin earlier this season.
The traffic jam consuming the top half of the Mid-State Conference standings is as bumper-to-bumper as it gets.
A four-way tie for first-place this deep into the season, while not unprecedented, isn’t a surprise to Mike Gillin.
“The only thing that’s a surprise to me is that Decatur Central isn’t one of them,” said Gillin, the sixth-year Mooresville coach, whose Pioneers travel to Whiteland this evening for a showdown between two of the squads with 3-1 conference records (Martinsville and Plainfield are the others).
“I rank the Mid-State Conference only after the MIC (Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference), the HCC (Hoosier Crossroads Conference) and maybe a conference up north. Our conference is really good right now.”
Gillin’s previously unbeaten squad discovered how good during last week’s 28-21 home loss to Franklin (2-2) — coached by Chris Coll, one of Gillin’s players when he was leading Tri-West in the 1980s.
Around the same time Mooresville dropped from the state’s list of undefeated teams, Class 5A No. 1 Whiteland was in the process of losing a 35-21 decision at Martinsville.
Entering tonight’s action, the Warriors are ranked fourth in Class 5A, while Franklin is eighth and Plainfield 12th. Meanwhile, Martinsville, led by third-year coach Brian Dugger, holds down the seventh spot in 4A with Mooresville sitting at No. 9.
In the Mid-State, parity reigns. There are no gimmes.
Coll, in his sixth season at Franklin, presided over a program that won two its first 13 league games over the 2017 and 2018 campaigns; in the coach’s third season (2019), the Grizzly Cubs were 5-2, tied for second behind undefeated Decatur Central.
His current team remains in the hunt, and will have a say in how the final standings shake out.
Franklin hosts Plainfield tonight, is at Greenwood next week and at home against Decatur Central in the regular-season finale on Oct. 14.
“I thought the conference was going to be as competitive as it’s been since I’ve been here,” Coll said. “I figured Whiteland, Decatur Central and Mooresville would be there because they had been doing it year after year the past few years.
“It’s definitely interesting everybody that’s still in play. I wouldn’t say I’m shocked or surprised. For a 4A and 5A conference, it’s outstanding. Absolutely, it’s fun.”
Since 2010, five different schools have either won the Mid-State crown outright or been co-champion. Decatur Central has done so seven times, followed by Whiteland with four and Mooresville twice.
Gillin, now in his 44th season of coaching after successful stints at Tri-West, Decatur Central and Indian Creek, caught no scheduling breaks from Weeks 5-8.
It began with winning a 18-17 squeaker at Decatur Central, continued with the home loss to Franklin and now positions the Pioneers across the line of scrimmage from Whiteland tonight.
Oh, and Mooresville hosts Martinsville next week.
“The talent level, top to bottom, is really good, and there isn’t a weak coach in the conference,” Gillin said. “It’s a meat grinder. But, hey, you’ve got to go out and play.”
TONIGHT’S GAMES
Center Grove at Pike, 7 p.m.
Plainfield at Franklin, 7 p.m.
Greenwood at Decatur Central, 7 p.m.
Mooresville at Whiteland, 7 p.m.
Brownstown Central at Indian Creek, 7 p.m.
Edinburgh at Traders Point Christian, 7 p.m.
Greenwood Christian at Clarksville, 7 p.m.
Louisville Male at Roncalli, 7 p.m.
