Greenwood junior Anthony Scaramazzo made his return against Shelbyville last week after missing a pair of games.
Daily Journal file photo
The postseason can represent new beginnings for teams that, for one reason or another, weren’t able to flex their potential over the first nine weeks.
Greenwood coach Justin Boser can relate.
Because of injuries to some of his most experienced players, Boser’s second Woodmen squad found itself swimming upstream much of the regular season — and during the heart of its Mid-State Conference schedule, no less.
A good number healed and were on the field in time to play significant roles in last week’s 37-0 shutout of visiting Shelbyville to kick off Class 4A sectional play. That ended what had been a five-game losing streak, a span that saw as many as seven starters rooting on teammates from the Greenwood sideline rather than carrying out their assignments per usual.
In loss, though, exists the possibility of gain.
The string of setbacks, beginning with a 28-0 loss at home to Plainfield in Week 5, enabled Woodmen coaches to test younger players while building depth at many positions in the process.
“It’s definitely been difficult with all the injuries, but I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else,” said Greenwood senior right guard Alex Skinner, who has played in all 10 games this season. “I’ve fought through with them for four years now. I love these guys like family.”
The roll call of those forced to miss games during the latter stages of the regular season includes senior lineman Carter Swain (seven games), and the junior group of quarterback Ayden Houseman (four), running backs Gunner Ruppert (three) and Anthony Scaramazzo (two) and linebacker Ethan Lobb (two).
Also missing time were a pair of promising sophomores in receiver/defensive backs Davion Jones (two) and Benjamin Hommell (one).
Still not 100% going into tonight’s sectional semifinal at home against Bedford North Lawrence, the Woodmen are as close to that magical number as they’ve been in some time.
“I’ve not dealt with something of this magnitude,” said Boser, who came to Greenwood following a five-year run as head coach at Clarksville. “But I’ve never felt like we were not going to put in the work and not going to fight. These kids come into the locker room every day, listening and learning.”
Houseman returned against the Golden Bears, refusing to skip a beat while completing 12 of 15 pass attempts for 260 yards and two touchdowns (including one covering 60 yards to Jones). Ruppert and Scaramazzo each carried the ball eight times, with each scoring a touchdown.
Defensively, it was the Woodmen’s first shutout of the season and first since a 61-0 win at Madison in the opening round of sectionals five years ago.
By being bracketed opposite third-ranked Martinsville (9-1), which bounced back from losing at home to Plainfield in the regular-season finale with a 56-0 drubbing of Charlestown, Greenwood saw possibility.
Therein existed a two-game window to potentially build momentum — and yes, continue getting healthy — before possibly facing the Artesians in next week’s sectional championship game.
“The morale was the draw. Everybody looked at it as, if you’re opposite of Martinsville, you’ve got a chance,” Boser said. “I know (Shelbyville) looked at it that way. We looked at it that way, and Bedford’s looking at it that way.”
TONIGHT’S SECTIONAL SEMIFINALS
Class 6A
Center Grove at Jeffersonville, 7 p.m.
Class 5A
Franklin at Columbus East, 7 p.m.
Whiteland at Decatur Central, 7 p.m.
Class 4A
Bedford North Lawrence at Greenwood, 7 p.m.
Roncalli at Brebeuf Jesuit, 7 p.m.
Class 3A
Indian Creek at North Harrison, 7 p.m.
