Daily Journal file photo
It’s said the best thing about freshman athletes is they become sophomores.
The same principle could well apply to Greenwood Christian football, which starts its second season next Friday night at Park Tudor.
With a roster of 30 players — the Cougars finished the 2022 season with 21 — coach Andre Dobson can’t help but be enthusiastic as GCA’s numbers, skill level, fan support and confidence continue to trend in the right direction.
Greenwood Christian won’t be eligible to participate in the postseason until next season.
Nonetheless, it has plenty to play for against a schedule made up of seven Class A teams and another that is 2A. The Cougars currently have a Week 9 vacancy (Oct. 13), though Dobson is confident it will eventually be filled.
“Year two is just the experience level,” Dobson said. “The whole team is basically returning, so they know what to expect. Last year, it was a total introduction to the game of football.”
Challenges aside, GCA scored victories against Phalen Academy and Edinburgh in its inaugural season. The Cougars’ final two varsity outings were losses at Clarksville and Indianapolis Shortridge.
Sophomore quarterback Trey Dobson returns after passing for 463 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions during the abbreviated 2022 season. He also carried the ball a total of 49 times for 453 yards and five scores.
The younger Dobson’s talents were also utilized to return kickoffs, his all-purpose yardage totaling 1,107 yards.
Junior running back Evan McIntire and soph Nathan Goins are also emerging talents.
“From a talent perspective, both of our running backs are amazing, and our quarterback is an explosive player himself,” coach Dobson said.
Helping carve out running lanes for the Cougars is right guard Luke Chitty, a 6-foot-3, 265-pound senior who plays nose guard on defense.
Chitty, too, senses a major difference between a year ago at this time and now.
“The environment has changed,” he said. “Last season, we were trying to get the equipment and trying to get the basics down. With a year under our belt, I think we’re more prepared now.
“I definitely feel we are a true team, and I think people enjoyed watching us play football. Coach Dobson is just so electric, and we were immediately drawn to his positivity.”
GCA’s first four games are all away, the first home outing being a Sept. 15 game against Milan, arguably the best team on the schedule. Currently, the Cougars are slated to play only three games at Center Grove Middle School North, their designated home field.
Regardless, coach Dobson isn’t about to change his standards.
“We never talk about wins and losses. We talk about expectations, and my expectations are extremely high,” Dobson said. “I don’t go into any game expecting to lose.
“We want to move this program forward, and so we have to have those high expectations. We’re just young. All of the kids have bought in 100%.”
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
Coach: Andre Dobson
Last season: 2-2
Key returnees: OL/DL Luke Chitty and DE/K Charlie Overton, seniors; WR/DB Zach Haynes and RB/LB Evan McIntire, juniors; QB/FS Trey Dobson and RB/FS Nathan Goins, sophomores
Top newcomer: OL/LB Will Simons, freshman
Outlook: With its inaugural season in the books, Greenwood Christian looks to continue to build on last season’s successes. The Cougars’ strength at this juncture is the offensive backfield of quarterback Trey Dobson, who proved adept at both running and passing the ball, and running backs McIntire and Goins.
All three are underclassmen, as are most of the players on the GCA roster. One exception is the return of Chitty, who will anchor both the offensive and defensive lines. How the team performs in the trenches could well determine how successful it is against a full varsity schedule. McIntire and Goins, also the team’s top two tacklers last fall, are expected to help lead the defense.
2023 SCHEDULE
Date;Opponent;Time
Aug. 18;at Park Tudor;7 p.m.
Aug. 25;at Covenant Christian;7 p.m.
Sept. 1;at Wes-Del;7 p.m.
Sept. 8;at Edinburgh;7 p.m.
Sept. 15;Milan;7 p.m.
Sept. 22;North Central (Farmersburg);7:30 p.m.
Sept. 29;at Clarksville;7 p.m.
Oct. 6;Fort Wayne Blackhawk;7 p.m.
Oct. 13;TBD
