Sarpa, Tiwari, Bower on 5A all-state teams

By Rex Kirts

Seniors Alex Sarpa and David Tiwari and junior Michael Bower made all-state teams selected by the Indiana Football Coaches Association.
Sarpa made the class 5A senior team as a linebacker and Tiwari as an offensive lineman. Sarpa also played some fullback and guard on offense, and Tiwari was a two-way starter at defensive tackle.
Bower made the Junior 5A team at defensive back. He also started at quarterback for the Panthers.
South finished the year with a 2-8 record, Kirk Kennedy's first year as head coach.

Award winners named

By Rex Kirts

South handed out its football awards for the 2010 season Sunday at the school auditorium. A noon lunch preceded the ceremony.
Senior Alex Sarpa won the B-Man award, and senior Reilly Flynn and junior Michael Bower shared the Captain award.
Senior Jon Cambell won the Bobby Brown award and senior Cameron Hogue the James Marsh award.
Bower was named the Most Valuable offensive back, Lucas Franz the MV receiver, senior Jarred Mason the MV offensive lineman, sophomore Nolan Rogers the MVdefensive back, Sarpa the MV linebacker, senior David Tiwari the MV defensive lineman, junior Drew Barlow the MV special teams player and sophomore Stephen Beall the scout team Player of the Year.
Sarpa, Flynn and Bower served as captains for the season.
Campbell, Sarpa and Tiwari have been named Academic all-state. Sarpa was named honorable mention all-state by the Associated Press.
Previously announced was Sarpa and Rogers being named all-Conference Indiana. Honor mention all-conference were Bower, Franz, Mason and Tiwari.

Chappell wins National Football Foundation scholarship

By Rex Kirts

Ben Chappell got a big Old Oaken Bucket victory over Purdue last Saturday, and that's not all the former South football and basketball standout has won.
Known as a tough competitor in athletics, Chappell has always been a high achiever in the classroom, too. The combination helped secure him a prestigious National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame scholarship.
The scholarship is worth $18,000, and only about 18 in the nation earn one. It will help fund Chappell's graduate study at IU.
The award will be presented at the the Waldorf Asoria hotel in New York in early December. It is a tuxedo affair and has a ticket price of $600.
Despite several injuries, Chappell remained in the starting lineup at quarterback for the Hoosiers. He leaves with many IU career and season passing records.

Whitehead sets Wabash records

By Rex Kirts

Former Panther Spencer Whitehead ended his college career at Wabash recently and set records in the process.
He leaves tied with the school's PAT career record of 117. He set the most points by a kicker in a season, 70 (37 PATs, 11 field goals), this year. In 2009 he set the record for most PATs in a season, 51.
Also, this year he was named to the first team all-North Coast Atlantic Conference team.

Sarpa, Rogers make all-conference

By Rex Kirts

Senior linebacker Alex Sarpa and sophomore safety-tailback Nolan Rogers, South's top two leaders in defensive points, have been voted by the league coaches to the all-Conference Indiana team.
Sarpa, who came on strong the second half of the season, led South in defensive points by a large margin. He was the leading tackler with 56 solos and 35 assists for a total of 91. He had 156 1/2 total defensive points.
Sarpa was also used at fullback some the second half of the season, carrying 16 times for 76 yards (4.7 average).
Rogers was second in total defensive points with 125, including a team-leading four interceptions. He had 47 solo tackles, second most on the team, and 22 assists for a total of 69 tackles.
Rogers was also the No. 1 tailback the last part of the season. He carried 86 times for 319 yards (3.7) and three touchdowns. He was second on the team in rushing to junior quarterback Michael Bower's 630 yards (4.2). Bower led the Panthers in TDs with 11.
Other all-conference selections, by school:
Bloomington North: D'Angelo Roberts, rb; Brayton Deckard, wr; Desmond Gilbert, OL.
Columbus North: Kobi Cook, rb; Jake Reed, DL; Will Rinehart, LB.
Franklin Central: Jared Lantz, OL.
Lawrence Central: Tre Robersonk QB; Anthony Shelman, RB; Andrew Anderson, WR; Wesley Rogers, OL; Rob Denny, OL; Eric Thigpen, DL; DeWayne Clemons, DB.
Perry Meridian: Jamar Wilhite, DL.
Pike: Grant Kitcoff, QB; Cameron Crabtree, RB; Aloyhis Gray, WR; Kody Woods, OL; Taylor Kerr, PK and P; Malcolm Exford, DL; Nigel Ward, LB; Chris Isabell, DB.
Southport: Carlton Byrd, WR; Darrice Orkman, DL; Kenneth Hawkins, LB; Nick Depatrizio, DB.

Going forward starts with the new attitude

By Rex Kirts

Kirk Kennedy inherited a mess. Then it got worse.
When will the mess be cleansed, and when will South's football program go forward?
Well, in subtle ways not always recognized, it already has.
It starts with the new attitude Kennedy brought. It's an attitude of mental and physical toughness, combined with accountability and discipline and "doing things right."
Kennedy succeeded in establishing his beliefs in the way a program, both on and off the field, should be run. Everyone knows the expectations.
After the season ended the head coach and his staff didn't waste a minute sending the program in a forward direction. The team met as usual on Saturday and handed in the equipment, which was stored away properly. The house cleaning taken care of, the coaches were free to concentrate on the future.
Everyone knows the expectations for the immediate future. Within a couple of weeks, the weight room will get serious useage. Kennedy will have a command presence.
THE PANTHERS spiraled down from 3-7 last year to 2-8 this year. Watching them during the sprng and summer and pre-season practices, it looked as if they might not win a game. So maybe two wins is a bonus.
The squad was small in numbers and physical size, and there was very little speed. Defections didn't help matters, with several sure starters (as many as eight) either not coming out, quitting or getting kicked off.
The team picked up a nickname, The Dirty Thirty, although there were about 40 on the roster at the end.
Remember, this was at a school that had not so long ago been a powerhouse in the state.
But this team, which needed rebuilt except for the offensive line, had a lot of problems. Many, Kennedy said, were the result of having to learn a new system. Many of the problems, though, were just basic football. Basically, every single mental and physical phase of the game needs inproved.
Kennedy said he intends to remain at South and get the program back on top. His first ball club at Lowell won only two games, too, before heading upward.
This is not saying the Panthers will make a quick turnaround next year. Next year's team will be young in the lines and linebacking corps. It will be another rebuilding situation.
Kennedy "isn't discouraged" with what he faces at South. There are some players, and the freshman team showed promise.
"IT WAS A ROUGH SEASON for everybody, for the entire South family," Kennedy said. "But the tough times are going to produce results.
"As I've said, the only variable is time. It could produce some results next year, two years.
"The challenges presented this year gives me more resolve . . . to start solving the things that have plagued this product. I feel the challenge to get this program back on the right track."
Offensive returnees next year include three of the top four rushers - quarterback Michael Bower and tailbacks Nolan Rogers, along with Clayton Fiddler and Johnathan Winters. Back in the line is Jacob Brineger, backup center Tony Albanese and tight ends Jacob Canada and Jake Kelzer.
Returning on the defense next year are Rogers at safety, Matt Henderson at cornerback, Kelzer at end, Fiddler at linebacker, Trae Washington at corner and Bower at backup safety. Rogers, Henderson, Kelzer and Fiddler ranked second, third, fourth and fifth in defensive points, behind senior linebacker Alex Sarpa. Other returnees who saw some varsity action include Winters, Tyrae Murphy and Ethan Farmer at linebacker.
Also back is place kicker Drew Barlow, who was second in scoring to Bower.
"This season was a start," Kennedy said. "There's a great understanding now of what's to be expected. We'd like to have been more competitive, won more games. We made some progress.
"WE WANT TO get into the weight room now. They understand we've got to block, tackle, execute, out-work our opponents, be more physical than our opponents."
This is how South will win in Conference Indiana. It won't be able to match the bigger schools in the league in talent and speed.
"We can out-execute and out-hit our opponents. We can be tougher. That will be our niche," Kennedy said.
Twelve seniors finished their high school careers.
"I'm proud of the challenges the seniors accepted. I'm proud of the ones who stuck it out, who built the foundation."
The offense, Kennedy said, was inconsistent. At times it got the job done, at times it didn't. "We've got to improve the offensive line play. We've got to get more physical and attack the line of scrimmage. Our backs have to run lower. We've got to execute at a higher level of efficiency and cut down on the mistakes."
He felt the defense was the area of most improvement this season. "We got better at tackling, reading our keys and staying disciplined," he said.
The kicking game needs considerable work. Punts were blocked, field goals were blocked and coverage sprung a few leaks. "It's more than just kicking a football," Kennedy said.
THE AREAS THAT HURT South the most, he said, was the lack physical strength and lack of mental and physical toughness. "Those are all things we're going to get better at. And that takes time - you can't turn it around over night."
What Kennedy liked best about this team was the way the kids and coaches meshed.
"The kids banded together," he said. "They took great pride in the nickname Dirty Thirty. Their work ethic in practice became pretty good. We didn't tank the situation.
"And I liked the way the coaching staff banded together. I think we got a lot done."
Sticking together and getting a lot done are good foundations for the off-season that approaches.
"We'll have the weight class for football players, and for those not in the class we'll have weights Monday, Wednesday and Friday after school," Kennedy said. "We'll work on strength and speed and athletic development. We should be a lot more physically prepared for next season than we were for this season."
He looks forward for things to get better every year.

Season ended with a thud at Whiteland

By Rex Kirts

Whiteland is a new kid on the block in class 5A football, and Friday night it took on one of the division's former powers, South, and showed it how to play football.
Whiteland hit harder and ran faster. It excelled on offense, defense and special teams.
So once again South failed to make a big noise in the sectional, getting knocked out in the first round of the tournament, 37-14.
The difference in the performances was a shock, given South's history of success and Whiteland's lack of it. But Whiteland is clearly on the rise while South needs rejuvenated.
The Panthers are in a slide, from 3-7 last year to 2-8 this season. They have been especially ineffective in the tournament for several years, and Friday they exited the sectional with a long list of "things to do" to become competitive again.
TO A MAN, including head coach Kirk Kennedy, the South staff talks of getting stronger in the weight room. Whiteland completely manhandled the Panthers in every area.
Whiteland was also hurt less by penalties and played better on special teams. It's hard to imagine, but South had yet another punt blocked.
In total yards, Whiteland had 408 and South 208. On defense, Whiteland hit while South tried to arm tackle. South's tacklers would get dragged for several yards after contact, which has happened a lot this season, even by small running backs.
South has grown accustomed to being whipped good by such opponents as Center Grove and Columbus North, but to have up-start Whiteland do it is just a big shock.
"We have to get hungrier," Kennedy said. "We have a lot of work to do. There's no shortcut to success. We've got to be a lot more physically tougher and mentally tougher as well."
The Panthers played without fire in the second half in losing at Perry Meridian last week, and the disturbing trend continued at Whiteland.
"NO (WE WEREN'T READY)," Kennedy said. "We were very timid tonight on offense, and the defense wasn't attacking."
Whiteland's offense featured quick backs and a misdirection attack with a good ball-handling quarterback. That combination has hurt the Panthers all season. Whiteland ripped them inside and out.
"The defense needs to be disciplined and read their keys," Kennedy said. "They weren't getting off their blocks on the jet sweep. And the offense wasn't doing anything to help the defense."
South had one good drive of 73 yards in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7 on a two-yard run by quarterback Michael Bower.
THE PANTHERS didn't have much offense after that. Their second TD was an eight-yard run by Bower in the fourth quarter, which was set up by a 49-yard keeper by Bower.
Although Whiteland wasn't very big on defense, there simply weren't any holes for the Panther backs to run through.
There is a lot of work to do, and Kennedy won't waste time on getting started for next year. Weight room work will probably start in two weeks.
There will be a lot of rebuilding next year. Players up from a solid freshman team are expected to contend for starting jobs.

Panthers, Whiteland meet for first time in sectional

By Rex Kirts

South and Whiteland have never met on the footbal field, a situation that will change when they tackle each other in the first round of the sectional at Whiteland.
Game time is 7 p.m.
South is looking for its first sectional championship since 2001. Kennedy won sectionals titles the last seven sectionals at Lowell.
Whiteland (7-2) is a growing-area school that moved up to class 5A in the past couple of years. Since little is known about the football program by South fans, Panther coach Kirk Kennedy offered up a comparison.
"They're like Bedford," he said. "They're very good."
South (2-7) has had outstanding success against Bedford historically, but in this season's opener Bedford shocked the Panthers in overtime, 29-27.
SOUTH AND WHITELAND have one common opponent this year, Martinsville. South was beaten soundly by the Artesians, but Whiteland won handily, 35-19.
"Whiteland is big, physical, powerful," Kennedy said. "They're basic in their scheme - they run a lot of wing-T with motion. They like to get the ball to the perimeter, and they'll also go up the middle.
"They like to establish the run. And they will lull you to sleep and throw play-action passes."
The offense Whiteland runs is similar to a couple of others the Panthers have seen and have had trouble with this season. They've had difficulty containing teams on the corners.
As he has all year, Kennedy is mostly concerned with how South plays. The concern rose after last week's loss at Perry Meridian, a 17-14 loss that came after the Panthers led 14-3 at halftime.
"We've got a shot (to beat Whiteland)," Kennedy said. "Our opponents are ourselves. We've got to get our offense and the kicking game going."
The Panthers played reasonably well on defense at Perry Meridian but gained only two first downs the second half and missed two makeable field goals.
PRACTICE THIS WEEK was good, Kennedy said. "Our attitude was still good. We had good tempo, good pace." And a game-like atmosphere surrounded kicking practice. Junior Drew Barlow has kicked well in practice all season and needs to transfer it to the game.
"I told Drew to focus on the process," Kennedy said. "The fundamentals, not worry about the results. Focus on the process."
The passing game has to improve, too. Quarterback Michael Bower excelled at the running game at Perry but completed just one of 11 passes. Getting into 3rd-and-long didn't help the overall scheme.
"We want to throw when we want to throw instead of when we have to throw," Kennedy said.
And they need to establish the ground game with a lot more authority than they did in the second half. There were few holes, and running backs were getting stuffed before they got started.
The winner of the game will play the winner of the Columbus East-Center Grove game in the second round.

Flat second half leads to loss at Perry Meridian

By Rex Kirts

The signs in recent weeks pointed toward a good finish to the regular season for South's football team. Then came a giant step backward in the second half at Perry Meridian.
In the regular season finale, the Panthers led 14-3 at the half and had control of the game. But they came out flat in the second half and stayed that way to absorb a 17-14 loss.
The Panthers take a 2-7 record into sectional play at Whiteland Friday. They finished 2-5 in Conference Indiana.
It was a disappointing loss for a couple of reasons. One, Perry Meridian had won only twice this year. Two, the Panthers had played better the previous two games, including beating Columbus North.
THEIR LACK OF FIRE in the second half was a shock. It started when Perry returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown. It continued with a weak performance on offense, with only two first downs made the last half.
The running game worked well in the first half with junior quarterback Michael Bower gaining a lot of yards and one touchdowns on counter plays. Sophomore tailback Nolan Rogers scored the first TD on a 44-yard run in which he broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage.
In the second half, however, the Panthers managed only 22 net yards on the ground, the line unable to create any room to run. The passing game wasn't a help throughout as Bower completed only one of 11 passes.
The kicking game contributed to the defeat, too, when Drew Barlow missed two field goals inside 30 yards.
"We left a lot of opportunities on the field," coach Kirk Kennedy said. "We played decent the first half. The second half we had absolutely no sense of urgency."
IT WAS HARD to understand, Kennedy said, how a team with the opportunity to win would come out flat like that. This was a chance to win a game on a field that South hasn't had much success lately, playing Southport as well as Perry. It was a chance to continue the good vibes that had built up the last two weeks.
"Frustrating," Kennedy said.
"We had the key turnover (a fumble by Rogers)," he added. "On the kickoff they make one block. Now is that them or is that us? We had worked on it all week. We said they would take the kickoff to the hash.
"There was no sense of urgency. We didn't get excited. You don't just watch - you make things happen."
THOSE ARE ITEMS Kennedy has preached from his first day coaching.
"You think you're making progress. You think you've turned the corner . . . " he said. The turn was in the wrong direction.
This is the second straight year an undersized Perry team has taken the attack to South and won the game. Playing fired up is how the Falcons did it.
"With that 3-5 defense they get a lot of people to the ball," Kennedy said. "That's why our misdirection worked the first half.
"But you still have to block. That requires effort."

Panthers gaining confidence

By Rex Kirts

Three weeks ago it was like the switch was flipped and light filled the room.
Suddenly the Panthers started "getting it." Practices perked up as knowledge sunk in. There was spring in their steps, and plays were run with a crispness instead of a plod.
Practices became normal. No longer did coach Kirk Kennedy have to spend tons of minutes simply getting his team to respond. The base program was in, and now the Panthers could make some progress.
The Panthers lost at Pike but played better. Last week they didn't always play better, but they won a game, beating Columbus North.
Now on Friday they wind up the regular season at Perry Meridian, hoping for a couple of things. They want to continue to play better, they want to gain revenge for an embarrassing loss last year and they want to move up in the Conference Indiana standings.
SOUTH AND PERRY MERIDIAN are both 2-6 overall and tied for fifth in the conference at 2-4. The winner could wind up as high as tied for fourth. Lawrence Central and Pike lead the league at 5-1, followed by Southport at 4-2 and Columbus at 3-3. Franklin Central is also 2-4 and Bloomington North 1-5.
Other league games this week are Lawrence Central at Bloomington North, Pike at Franklin Central and Southport at Columbus.
"Perry is very fundamentally sound," Kennedy said. "They're not overly big, but they execute well. They don't try to trick anybody - they just try to play harder than their opponents.
"They run a lot of option and try to lull you to sleep with the fullback. By far the fullback and the quarterback have the most carries."
Last year Perry came to South winless and using several underclassmen but played inspired football and handed the Panthers a major defeat. So the Panthers realize Perry represents a program that needs respect and that the game is a challenge.
The style of football Kennedy coaches is beginning to settle in with his first Souoth team.
"OUR PRACTICE HABITS, our attitude are improving," Kennedy said. "We're gaining momentum. That showed at times at Pike and again against Columbus. They are taking responsibility and working hard."
Kennedy came in with the reputation of being basic with the running game. But he does have razzle-dazzle in the playbook, and a couple of those plays, halfback and wide receiver passes, were important in the wins over Bloomington North and Columbus North.
"The key is just getting good at something, something like the iso," Kennedy said. The iso is an inside run by the tailback with the fullback "isolating" (blocking) on the linebacker.
"I never said we were just going to run but were going to establish the run. That opens up the playbook."
Against Columbus, the Panthers controlled the ball, and that's something Kennedy loves. They had 13 first downs to eight for Columbus.
"WE RAN 62 PLAYS (15 were passes)," Kennedy said. Our defense was enhanced by what our offense was able to do. We ran a lot of clock, shortened the game, established field position.
"So there's things on offense we accomplished without points. But, we want points, we'll take 'em."
Asked what it is the Panthers have established with the running game so far, Kennedy said, "Nothing, really. But the power I is helping us. It's consistency is leading to confidence."
The important result of the late-season improvement, Kennedy said, is the kids are starting to believe in the system.
All the effort is starting to reap rewards. Practice is working the way it's supposed to. The program foundation is being laid.

Quickness the key on the defensive line for 186-pound Hogue

By Rex Kirts

All his football-playing life Cameron Hogue has been a defensive lineman.
Somewhere along the line it seems sensible that someone would have mentioned he's a might small for the position. Would have barked at him and told him to get over with the running backs or wide receivers or defensive backs and play with guys his own size.
No matter what was said, Hogue wound up in the defensive line.
And, after overcoming academic trouble last year, he earned a starting job on the South D-line as a senior this year. He started the season at tackle but was moved to end after a few games.
Hogue is 5-6 and 186 pounds. He lines up next to Joey Todd, who weighs only 185 pounds. Few class 5A schools, maybe none, have to line up with half their D-line that small.
Obviously, Hogue must be quick and have some strength to survive and be effective.
"I REALLY TRY to use my speed," Hogue said. "I'm pretty fast for a defensive lineman."
Coach Kirk Kennedy said Hogue is a high-energy guy who gives the team his best effort.
"He has a lot of enthusiasm," Kennedy said. "He's an undersized guy who with his attitude and effort makes a lot of plays for us."
Lack of size can be compensated for. It's a fact offensive linemen always say the guys they don't want to go against are the quick ones.
"As long as you are quick and when you are fundamental you can get by," Kennedy said. "It's being smart. You have to stay low and use your quickness to get off blocks and get to the football."
A cousin to recent Panther running backs Stefan and Jordan Hogue, Cameron said he will sometimes get handled. "But I try to stay perfect with my techniques that will help me get past the offensive linemen."
HE'S HAD PLENTY of opportunities to perfect those techniques. "I've always played the defensive line," he said. "It's been my only position."
When Kennedy was hired in April he had a meeting in the auditorium for anyone who wanted to come out for football. A lot attended the meeting but didn't come forth when the equipment was passed out.
"I decided to come out when we had that first meeting," Hogue said. "I thought we'd have a pretty good chance with him coaching.
"He's a good coach - I like him. He keeps us disciplined, works us hard. It's paying off - I think we're getting better."
The Panthers are 2-6 heading into Friday night's regular season finale at Perry Meridian.They have gotten better and last week knocked off a good Columbus North ball club for their first home field win in two years.
After high school hogue is thinking of attending Ivy Tech but isn't certain what he'll study. "I'm not sure. Maybe construction," he said.

Love of football boosts 5-4 Wisley

By Rex Kirts

What can be seen of John Wisley is obvious, that this is a football player who's just 5-feet-4 inches tall.
And it can be seen that he's hanging in there despite playing in the line with the distinct disadvantage that being 5-4 dictates. His legs barely reach the ground, but the 215-pound South junior guard keeps banging away on the jayvee and scout squads.
Wisley has asthma, which sometimes puts great stress on him when running wind sprints. And yet he's still out there swinging. He takes

John Wisley

great pride in not being last in the sprints.
He has endured the rigors that new coach Kirk Kennedy has demanded as the new standard of South football.
Why?
Why does John Wisley do it?
"I LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT," he said with enthusiasm. "From the hitting to the excitement to the touchdowns. Everything!"
He has played football since the seventh grade, seeing it as an opportunity to succeed in a sport that his uncle, Jose, played. His father, Dennis, was a wrestler.
"I try to do well in everything I do. Whenever I'm out here, bigger people can motivate me," Wisley said.
They can, of course, knock him around a little bit, too. But Wisley rolls back up, adjusts his chin strap and lines up for the next play.
Like everyone who plays the game, he knows it can be difficult to keep coming back.
"Yes, it can," Wisley said, "especially after conditioning because I'm not much of a runner."
Offensive line coach Tyler Cabanaw said, "John never complains, but the running is hard on him because of his asthma."
Kennedy said Wisley is a fun kid to talk to, a fun kid to get to know.
"WE RAN 17 WIND SPRINTS (last Tuesday) because Monday was his 17th birthday," Kennedy smiled.
"John's a quiet kid," Kennedy added. "He just goes about his business. He gives you all he's got.
"If he takes those characteristics into life he'll be successful. You don't have to be a star to learn the lessons that football gives you."
The size situation is something Wisley hears about often.
"I get joked about it," he said. "Some people say I shouldn't play because i'm too short, but it doesn't bother me. I get good support from my family."
He said he really doesn't know how he compensates for the vertical shortcoming. It would be a fact, not a joke, to say he tries to stay low.
IN ADDITION to the size factor, this year Wisley had to overcome being sent to the brown team. The brown team is for players who get a little sideways of Kennedy's requirements, and Wisley slipped up a little during the summer workout period. For that, he had to pay penance.
"You have to miss a certain amount of practices, and I wasn't here a lot in the summer," Wisley said.
The penance mostly amounted to extra up-downs or extra running.
The coming off-season should see Wisley more attentive to improved attendance.
DIXON DOING HIS PART
Senior Colton Dixon was a starter on the defensive line last year, but knee surgery has kept him on the sidelines this season.
Despite not being able to play, Dixon continues to show up at practice and do what he can. He helps out wherever needed, and that includes taking water bottles to the players during breaks.
It's a pretty impressive example of how to operate.
"I just love the sport and the team," Dixon explained. "Love being with my brothers (teammates)."
CULLEN FLYNN RETURNS
Another example of sticking to the plan is junior linebacker Cullen Flynn, who had earned a starting job in the pre-season.
But he suffered a concussion before the season started and just returned to actice duty last week. During recuperation he, too, continued to show up at practice and do what he could. He was a regular water carrier like Dixon.
Also back after extended time on the sidelines with a high ankle sprain is junior center-guard Tony Albanese.

Panthers travel to Whiteland for sectional opener

By Rex Kirts

South will travel to Whiteland for the sectional opener next week. The teams have never met on the football field.
Also in the upper bracket, Center Grove will host Columbus East. In the lower bracket, Bloomington North will host Martinsville, and Columbus North will host Decatur Central.

The beauty was in the win

By Rex Kirts

The beauty was in the win for South in Friday's 13-9 Conference Indiana triumph over Columbus North.
It was a strange football game with lots of mistakes on both sides. But South will certainly take that victory.
The Panthers will accept it gladly because it came against a long-time rival and a good football program. They will take it because it snapped a two-year losing streak on Fred Huff Memorial Field. They will take it because it was Senior Night.
The Panthers will take it because, while everything wasn't smooth, they did make some plays.
And they will take it because they needed it.
This season has been a struggle, as foreseen long ago. Yet those who have stuck with coach Kirk Kennedy's program have continued to work hard and improve. Beating Columbus validated the struggle.
THE WIN GIVES SOUTH a 2-6 overall record and 2-4 conference record going into next Friday's regular season finale at Perry Meridian (2-6, 2-4).
The game plodded along for three quarters and erupted in major happenings in the fourth, when the Panthers scored all their points and made it scary for themselves at the finish.
Big-play people for South included Lucas Franz, Trae Washington, Michael Bower, Matt Henderson and Nolan Rogers. Also, Franz, Henderson and Clayton Fiddler had fumble recoveries.
Bower reversed himself for an eight-yard touchdown run and 6-3 Panther lead with 8:57 left in the game. Drew Barlow had a tough night kicking, starting with missing the PAT.
On Columbus' next series quarterback Keenan Noel was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-one from the Bull Dog 29-yard line, but he bounced outside and ran 71 yards for a TD and 9-6 Columbus lead.
Noel is Columbus' backup quarterback, playing for the injured starter. Noel did a couple of nice things but also fumbled the ball away twice and was intercepted late in the game.
ONE OF THOSE FUMBLES set the Panthers up on their 49-yard line with 4:04 left. Offensive coordinator Pat Cannon called for a flanker reverse with a pass, and Washington delivered the ball to Franz. It was a knuckleball of a throw, and Franz had to come back and wait on it. He made a nice catch and then stiff-armed his way to a 51-yard TD and 13-9 lead with 3;52 left.
"We just came off a turnover and thought we'd go for a big play," Washington said. "Lucas made an awesome play to get it into the end zone."
"We ran the reverse earlier in the game (with Washington carrying for a 12-yard gain)," Franz said. "We thought they might come up on it, and they did." The defensive backs came up, and this enabled Franz to get 10 yards behind the coverage.
Bower and Rogers combined for South's next big play.
Bower, who led the rushing with 26 carries for 79 yards from quarterback, plays in the "star" back in the nickle defense. Noel passed over the middle, and Bower delivered a crushing blow to the receiver. A few years ago, Panthers who made big hits like that got to wear black jerseys at practice the following week.
"I WAS JUST HOPING we could get this for the seniors," Bower said. "Coach D (Dean Walendzak the defensive coordinator) kept reminding us of last year (when Columbus won big), so it was nice to get the revenge."
When Bower hit the receiver the ball popped into the air and into the hands of Rogers, who returned it about 25 yards to the Columbus six-yard line.
The Panthers couldn't get the ball in, and Barlow missed a 22-yard field goal.
Noel completed a long pass to theSouth 24-yard line, but Henderson intercepted a pass at the South 29 with 1:39 remaining.
"I was on my man, but I saw another guy coming underneath, and I just broke on it," said Henderson, a sophomore.
The Panthers couldn't run out the clock, however, and Columbus blocked a "field goal" try by Barlow, recovering at the South 17-yard line with 0:04 left.
Columbus had time for one play. The receiver got open in the end zone, but the pass was incomplete.
THERE WAS an awful lot crammed into the final four minutes of the game.
"It wasn't a thing of beauty," Kennedy said. "This football team is still alive. We made a lot of plays and got over the hump.
"Coach Walendzak had a good defensive plan, and coach Cannon (offensive coordinator Pat Cannon) did a good job of being patient."
One thing Kennedy wasn't happy with was the punt protection. The Panthers have had punts blocked before, and Franz almost had another blocked in this game before scrambling for a 11-yard gain and a first down.
Instead of punting the rest of the game, Kennedy had Barlow kicking from the field goal formation. In either case, the ball is live.
The field goal style worked until Columbus came right up the gut and blocked one with 0:04 left.
"There was a mental error," Kennedy said. He thought about giving up a safety on Barlow's last kick attempt but didn't want to chance it since the Panthers hadn't practiced the situation.
"Some crazy things happened," Kennedy said. "Our kids hung in there and won the game. There was some hitting going on out there. Who knows what this team is capable of?"

Columbus its usual strong challenge

By Rex Kirts

Columbus North rose from football mediocrity to become a force in southern Indiana when Tim Bless assumed the coaching job a few years ago, and one of the teams that's felt the Bull Dogs' wrath is South.
The long-time rivals meet again Friday night in a Conference Indiana battle, and the Panthers will need one of their best games to avoid the short end of the score again.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Fred Huff Field. It's Senior Night for the Panthers.
This is a chance for South to maybe escape the Conference Indiana cellar. The Panthers are 1-6 overall and 1-4 in the conference. Bloomington North is also 1-4 in the conference and travels to Southport.
IT'S ALSO A CHANCE to avoid becoming only the second Panther team since 1936 to win just one game in a year. The 1936 team, then Bloomington High, was 1-9.
The Panthers switched from Bloomington High to South in 1972, and there's never been back-to-back losing seasons since then. Last year's team was 3-7.
Columbus visits with a 5-2 record overall and 3-2 conference record.
"They have good size," South coach Kirk Kennedy said of Columbus. "Maybe they're not as what we've faced the last couple of weeks (Lawrence Central and Pike), but they make up for that in strength and physicality. They're well coached, have a good, solid program. They don't make mistakes and don't beat themselves."
Kennedy has seen too many Panther mistakes this season.
"THE KEY FOR US is not to turn the ball over and give up big plays defensively," he said. "We've got to get to the point where we're not beating ourselves."
The Panthers played better last week at Pike but ended up with a 22-0 defeat. Pike scored one of its touchdowns on a fumble return that pushed its halftime lead to 15-0. It's second-half TD came on a well-executed hurry-up offense featuring a lot of passing.
South put together a solid ground attack at Pike but couldn't push the ball in. The offense featured the running of tailbacks Trae Washington and Nolan Rogers and some second-half keepers by quarterback Michael Bower.
Kennedy emphasized tempo at practice last week, and he did it again this week.
"Practice is just dealing with people," he said. "It's the same routine, but it's always different."
PRACTICE ENDED TUESDAY with 17 40-yard sprints. Why 17? Because it honored the 17th birthday of junior jayvee lineman John Wisley.
The Panthers are in good shape and ran the 17 sprints well. Kennedy said he didn't know if the Panthers are over the hump or just getting used to things.
"In our good years (at Lowell) we never had a problem with staying fresh, never had a problem getting stale," Kennedy said. "Maybe that's because we knew we always had a chance."
The Panthers are practicing like they still have a chance, too.
"We haven't given up. We're still out there swinging," Kennedy said.

The work starting to pay off for Campbell

By Rex Kirts

All the hard work, from the clanging and banging of the weight room to the toil in the heat and dust of the practice field, are beginning to pay off for South senior linebacker Jon Campbell.
The improvement has been gradual. There were lessons to be learned because of the coaching change to Kikrk Kennedy's system, and Campbell came along to the point where he has been named a game captain for Friday's Conference Indiana matchup against Columbus North.

Jon Campbell

Friday is a chance for South to snap an unusual and perplexing losing streak. The Panthers haven't won a home game last season or this.
It won't be easy. Columbus has been too strong for South several times in recent years, including last year when the Panthers absorbed a terrible pounding in the rain at Columbus. The Panthers head into the game with a 1-6 record and 1-4 mark in the conference. Columbus is 5-2, 3-2.
"COLUMBUS IS pretty good,"said Campbell, 5-10, 180. "They're a physical team.
"We want to come back from last year. We want to show Columbus that wasn't the team we are. We're going to come out on our home field . . . it's Senior Night."
Campbell's strengths are his work ethic and enthusiasm.
"He gives you all he's got," Kennedy said. "He's a hard-working kid in the weight room and the practice field. You've got to respect a kid like that."
The Panthers have gone through difficult times this season, and those who remain on the 34-man roster are better than they were at the start of the year.
"I've stuck it through," Campbell said of ascending to the game captain's role. "I've tried to be vocal, and I always try to help out Sarpa (Alex, a captain and linebacker). I always check my notes every day at lunch with coach Dean (Walendzak, the defensive coordinator)."
Campbell is playing better now, Kennedy said. "He's starting to grasp the concepts of our defense now. Outside linebacker requires a lot of preparation and a lot of adjustment in the game."
LEARNING ALL HE CAN is important not only for Campbell now but for his future. He may become a coach, either in football or baseball.
"I'm there to do my job, do what the coaches say," Campbell said. "I'm just playing football - that's what matters to me."
Coaches say if teams don't improve each week they go backwards. Campbell is going forward, along with the team.
"I've tried to work hard week in and week out. I've tried to play smart," Campbell said. "It's hard going against a team that runs the iso one week and then play teams like Lawrence Central and Pike (which run the spread). You play inside against iso teams and then play all coverages against LC and Pike.
"Every week you learn more about football, just learning the game."
No pun intended, but linebackers can get stuck in the middle not recognizing if a play is a run or pass.
"YOU'RE IN ANOTHER WORLD at linebacker," Campbell said. "You're not thinking about anything but your assignment. First you've got to read the linemen, then if it's a pass or run.
"But you don't want to be thinking too much. That's where your study and instincts come in. It's fun - you've always got to have fun."
There are times when football Kennedy-style can be a little less fun and a lot more tail-busting. One of the things he knew was needed when he took the job was to make the Panthers tougher.
"Coach Kennedy is a great coach," Campbell said. "When it comes to the essence of football coach Kennedy gets it. There's been times he's kicked our butts, but at the end of the day you realize he's made a man out of you. His style of coaching is pure toughness.
"We're getting tougher and learning little things - the essence, the pure qualities, the nitty gritty of football."
The Panthers are playing the schedule one game at a time and not letting the past get in the way of the future.
"WE'RE NOT LOOKING at our record," Campbell said. "Every week we're 0-0.
"We're keeping positive and working hard, getting better. There's no quit and no deadness. We're trying to execute. Through all the struggles we've been through we're just trying to play football. We're definitely improving assignment-wise."
And Campbell echoeds a favorite Kennedy philosophy: "Let's do it right."
Next year Campbell plans to attend a small college and hopes to play football or baseball. He wants to study biology, and if he doesn't coach football or baseball he is considering being a strength coach in college.
"I want to be in athletics for my career. I want to be a mentor and lead young athletes," he said.
So far Campbell is looking at attending Indiana State, Hillsdale, Wabash, Hanover, Denison and Kenyon.

Anthony Thompson tries to rally Panthers

By Rex Kirts

Anthony Thompson, a college Hall of Famer for his career at Indiana, tried to rally the Panthers in a recent talk to the team.
Thompson, who works at IU and is the paster of Lighthouse Church, is familiar with the Panther football team from his playing days at Terre Haute North. The teams met in a driving rain in the tournament, and the Panthers rallied from a 21-0 halftime deficit to win. They didn't quite hold Thompson down that night, however, as he rushed for over 190 yards.
"You at Bloomington South have a rich tradition," Thompson told the Panthers.
Thompson had many big games for Indiana and finished his career as the then all-time leading NCAA career touchdown scorer. But he still has fond memories of his high school career.
"My most memorable games were in high school - the Friday night lights," Thompson said. "There's nothing like it.
"I CHALLENGE THE SENIORS on this team to have no regrets. Are you seniors making the underclassmen better?"
He said he never wanted to be out-worked and challenged the Panthers to work hard. "If you seniors do that you will bring everybody to the top. Everybody in this room believes that you can turn this thing around. You need to get better every day. Hard work always pays off."
And, he added, "The more success I had the harder I worked. When I read about Walter Payton's (his idol) work ethic that's when it started to turn around for me."
Thompson was famous for the work he did outside of team requirements.
"When you demand more of yourself than what the coaches do, that's when you get better," he said. "You guys have to dig deeper."

Play improves, but Panthers still short

By Rex Kirts

Going on the road to take on a tough Conference Indiana opponent like Pike is good challenge, and South competed better than it has in some games this season.
But the Panthers still came up short, 22-0, to fall to 1-6 overall and 1-5 in the conference.
They've got two chances to build a winning momentum before the sectional, hosting Columbus North this week and traveling to Perry Meridian for the final regular season game. Both games, of course, will be difficult challenges for a team that has struggled to put the pieces together.
At Pike, the Panthers moved the ball decently on the ground but couldn't bust enough big gainers against the swift Red Devils (5-2, 4-1). The passing game was minimal, except for a 43-yard strike to the Pike 22 late in the third quarter. The defense held a few times despite a few tackling problems.
THE END ZONE was elusive, in large part because the Panthers constantly started drives deep in their own territory. They started one drive at their 39-yard line, but the rest were from their 24 or worse.
"Field position was a factor," coach Kirk Kennedy said. "Their kicking game was outstanding."
He liked it that the Panthers played hard throughout, but he didn't like the mistakes. The feeling was the same Saturday morning after he watched the tape.
"We had a loat of critical mistakes, but I can't fault our kids' effort. We established some drives, made some stops. So in the big picture the effort was better."
The Panthers had 11 first downs and 191 total yards while Pike had 16 and 265.
Pike, however, had the luxury of picking up a fumble by quarterback Michael Bower and returning it 51 yards for a touchdown and 15-0 halftime lead
Pike also had an effective passing game with 19 completions in 28 attempts for 193 yards.
Pike's first play from scrimmage, though, was a bomb that sophomore safety Nolan Rogers intercepted.
ROGERS AND JUNIOR TRAE WASHINGTON led the South rushing game. Washington carried 17 times for 58 yards and Rogers 12 for 45. Bower added 40 net yards in 13 carries, gaining a few yards on keepers around end in the second half.
It was Washington's season-high in carries, and he managed several extra yards after first contact.
"It was kind of new," Washington said of all the carries. "The whole line was blocking - I had holes. It was fun."
Unable to get receivers open and a passing game going or gaining ground outside with the rush, Kennedy admitted the Panthers "didn't have a lot of wiggle room" offensively.
The inside running game was productive, however. "We moved the ball some, did some things that were positive," Kennedy said.
Offensive highlights included drives of 32, 47 and 61 yards.

Panthers laying the foundation, 'not packing it in'

By Rex Kirts

The 2010 Panther football team, the first to experience Kirk Kennedy's coaching, is laying the foundation for the future of the program. And some of those bricks are heavy.
Going into Friday's game at Pike, the Panthers are 1-5 and facing three rugged tests in the regular season stretch run.
The record is not up to Panther standards nor what the players expected. Several players who would have started did not come out, and others who would have started or contributed either quit after the start of practice or were told to turn in their uniforms early.
But, Kennedy said, the survivors are hanging in there pretty well. Practices and attitude have improved.
In the midst of all the turmoil, Kennedy said he is not losing them.
"THEY ARE GENUINELY interested in working hard and getting better," he said. "They're not packing it in or counting the days."
Practices this week were businesslike but spirited.
"We've picked up the pace," Kennedy said. "We eliminated some of the warmups and achieved a faster start to practice. The players did that (do what the coaches wanted). It all came together pretty nicely. The atmosphere wasn't like a 1-5 team that's packing it in."
Kennedy believes future Panthers will benefit from this team's struggles.
"What we're establishing this year is the foundation for the future," he said. "Down the road it's going to be a lot easier to be part of this football team than it is now.
"These kids are going through the hard times, with no reward on the scoreboard. These kids are learning a lot - they're just not award of it yet now. For some of these kids this may be as tough as it gets."
GUIDED BY A COACH who is strong-minded and forceful - and who was a big winner at Lowell before taking the South job - the Panthers are learning to take control of the things they have control over.
"They're all the things we've talked about since the start. They haven't changed," Kennedy said. "The scoreboard is irrelevan . . . do the best we can . . . do the right thing. It's a daily struggle to be our best.
"If we can just rise above the mistakes . . . the problems are mental, which leads to physical."
Practice this week emphasized pace and temp, two words Kennedy preaches every day.
"We've tried to liven things up, getting them excited, getting them motivated," he said.
The practice week for Pike began in the darkness at 6 a.m. Saturday, following a 42-17 loss to Lawrence Central on Friday night. The players could be heard but not seen, and the sounds were spirited. Kennedy and the coaches stayed in the Brown Building, tending to other duties.
"THEY RAN THEIR OWN WORKOUTS," Kennedy said. "They asked if they could lead the workouts. That's a huge point for them, to ask for ownership and be a part of the solution."
Six players stayed late and talked to the coaches after the LC game, asking to lead the Saturday workout.
Pike (4-2) will present South with another major challenge.
"Pike is very athletic, fast, skilled," Kennedy said. "They're a good team. They are big up front, and the tailback makes a lot of big plays.
"They run the spread, which puts pressure on defensive pursuit and open-field tackling. They throw more than they run."
Pike has had a football rejuvenation under coach Derek Moyers. It is similar to Lawrence Central, so South faces another formidable opponent.

Todd tries to play big as an undersized defensive tackle

By Rex Kirts

As a 6-2, 185-pounder playing defensive tackle, Joey Todd isn't going to overwhelm anyone.
As a matter of fact, he takes on much bigger opponents by trying to underwhelm them.
"I stay low," Todd said. "And, he added mischievously, "I play in the 'gray' area, a little dirty. I might head throw a guy when the ref isn't looking."
It's tough down there in the pit, and a guy has to do what he can to

Joey Todd

survive. That's doubly true if he's giving up a 100 pounds or more to a very large offensive guard or tackle.
Last week, Lawrence Central had two 300-pound tackles and a 295-pound guard. That's scary opposition for a guy only 185 pounds.
How can the South senior throw a 6-5, 330 pounder? No, he isn't a rodeo bulldogger, but he's close. He's a wrestler when he isn't playing football.
Wrestlers learn all sorts of tricks to gain advantages, and they can be transferred to the combat on the line of scrimmage. Bloomington resident and IU grad Carl Barzilauskas played defensive tackle in the NFL with the Jets and Packers, and he said all the players on the Jets offensive line had been wrestlers.
PROBABLY NONE of them had competed at 185 pounds in high school, however.
There is a vast carryover benefit from wrestling to football.
"Wrestlng gives you the mindset of not quitting," Todd said. "Kids who have quit the team this year don't know how to focus on the task. If you think about how it feels (to withstand the rigors of football) you're going to want to quit.
"Also, wrestling makes you more aware of where your body's at. And I feel I'm more aggressive (from being a wrestler)."
Todd hopes for a better ending to the football season than the 1-5 start. And he hopes for a better ending to the wrestling season than last year. He got sick right before the sectional and missed the tournament last year. He will cut to 171 pounds for wrestling.
On a squad slim in numbers and in size, Todd accepted the role of a lineman. He plays both tackle and end on defense, and he plays tight end in certain situations. He had never played tight end before the first week of two-a-day practices this season.
"JOEY IS A SENIOR we count on to lead," coach Kirk Kennedy said. "He is a two-way player who stepped up at tight end for us.
"He's on the special teams. He fills a lot of important roles for us. He works hard, and he has a great attitude."
Todd began the year at end on defense but switched places with Cameron Hogue at tackle after a few games. Hogue is another "giant" on the defensive line at 5-7, 186.
"I like tackle because you've got to stop all the inside runs," Todd said. "If you stop those runs it helps you drastically."
He would like to improve his play as the season heads the back half of the schedule.
"Compared to last year I've improved," Todd said. "I'm faster and stronger, so I've improved overall.
" I NEED TO LEARN my plays better. There's a lot of blitzes where you go the opposite of the linebacker, and we have a lot of different alignment packages."
Todd likes Kennedy's demanding style of coaching. "It's a lot like coach (Royce) Deckard's approach (in wrestling). Old-school mentality, a lot of hard work that will pay off. I'm in better shape than last year."
Starting 1-5 hasn't been fun, but Todd feels the Panthers haven't thrown in the towel.
"We're learning a lot about life, how to overcome adversity," he said. "The ones who are still here are sticking together, staying positive, picking each other up."
When not playing football or wrestling Todd likes to fish and camp. "Pretty much anything outdoors," he said. Next year he plans to attend an in-state college, maybe IUPUI or Butler, and study engineering.

Searching for answers in the dark

By Rex Kirts

South's players learned Saturday morning that you can tell time by the Big Dipper.
It's dark at 6 a.m. The moon glowed bright and the stars shined elegantly when coach Kirk Kennedy convened the Panthers.
The nocturnal gathering was their reward for not doing the things they're supposed to in Friday night's 42-17 football loss to Lawrence Central.
The Big Dipper was a beacon, and the air was cool and clear. There was light from the Brown Building, and someone on the field had a flashlight. On the adjacent tennis court sophomore Ronnie Schneider practiced, evidence of what it takes to be one of the best tennis players in the midwest.
J.R. Holmes, in his role as athletic director, stopped by. Asked why, he replied: "I heard there's a football practice." Then he headed to Martinsville to watch some girls' regional golf, and he returned at 10 to catch some of the freshman football game. The frosh beat LC, 7-6.
ON THE FIELD, in the dark, the Panthers did, indeed, practice. Nineteen of the 20 players who were supposed to be present were there. The jayvees, all 15 of them, would soon depart for Lawrence Central, where they would lose, 34-6.
There was no sound of complaints coming from the field as the 1-5 Panthers practiced in sweats. There was the sound of spirit, of a team trying to convince itself to do better, to not give up.
It was a normal conditioning routine with no pads, no hitting and no getting intimate with the blocking sled, as Kennedy said of the rough drills after the loss to Franklin Central.
"I liked it," said senior captain Alex Sarpa of the 6 a.m. practice. He is a linebacker and backup guard but played some impressive fullback against LC. "It was dark, we were on our own and it was senior-led, and Bower."
Junior quarterback and backup safety Michael Bower is a leader, too, because he's also a captain along with Sarpa and senior tackle Reilly Flynn.
"I THOUGHT IT WAS our best practice," Bower said. "We did monkey rolls, like in the third grade. Brother carries, 100 pushups, 98-yard sprints (and other things)."
Bower said he didn't mind being there at 6. "Last night we talked to the coaches about an hour after the game. We told them we'd do whatever they wanted us to do. We're not used to losing."
They lost for the fifth time in six games and third time in four Conference Indiana games Friday. Like most coaches, Kennedy doesn't like to blame a loss on a speed difference because he believes proper technique can overcome a speed deficit. But the Panthers weren't about to keep up with the Bears.
What worries Kennedy, still, is lack of blocking and tackling and the simple ability to line up correctly and carry out assignments.
"It's just frustrating," said Kennedy, who got very little sleep before 6 o'clock rolled around. Frustrating "because it's there. We've shown it in practice and in some games, Bedford, North.
"This football team is capable. Where we're lacking is in mental preparation and mental effort, which means we're causing our own problems."
The Panthers had plenty of chances to compete with LC, which fumbled the ball away five times. "We just didn't capitalize," Kennedy said.
THEY CAPITALIZED in the first quarter with a nice 77-yard drive with sophomore tailback Nolan Rogers carrying six times for 50 of the yards, ending with a four-yard touchdown run. Bower scored in the fourth quarter on a 13-yard keeper, and Drew Barlow kicked a 36-yard field goal.
The Panthers couldn't sustan much offense after their first TD, though. Rogers, for instance, netted only 19 yards the rest of the game.
A bright spot was Sarpa's first carries of his career at fullback in the fourth quarter. He attacked tacklers and had consecutive runs of 13, 13 and four yards to set up Bower's TD.
"Basically we're just grasping at straws," Kennedy said of Sarpa's use at fullback. Also used at fullback was sophomore Clayton Fiddler. Rogers was mostly a fullback until this game, when he carried 20 times for 69 yards.
DEFENSIVELY, THE PANTHERS made a few plays, but LC would overcome its fumbles and penalties and burn South with big plays and escapes in long-yardage situations.
South continues to be hurt in the kicking game. It gave lost an onside kickoff and, for the second straight week, had a punt blocked.
Also still hurting the Panthers is the end of the second quarter. Lawrence Central scored with 2;30 remaining to go ahead 21-7 and again with 0:04 left for a 28-7 halftime lead.
Lawrence Central quarterback Tre Roberson, an Indiana University recruit, was very effective and very fast. He ran for 82 yards and one TD and completed 10 of 15 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
South faces another speedy opponent next Friday, traveling to Pike (4-2, 3-1).

Thinning numbers leave no depth

By Rex Kirts

When Kirk Kennedy was hired as South's new football coach, he was told one of the main things needed was to toughen up the Panthers.
A long-time rival called them soft. One impartial observer called them fluffy.
It was Kennedy's misfortune to arrive when the Panthers were small, so lack of size and strength are factors in their 1-4 start going into Friday's homecoming game against Lawrence Central.
But Kennedy hasn't seen a hitting attitude, either. Hitting wasn't a problem at Lowell, where he had won seven straight sectionals coming into this season.
Practices have been physical, a necessary approach if toughness and hitting are to improve. Not everyone adapted to the new way of doing things, and some have left the program.
QUITTING THIS WEEK is what had been the starting backfield. Senior Derek Murphy, who earlier started at fullback and outside linebacker, left Monday. Senior tailback Keith Bunton, the team's leading rusher with 317 yards, quit because of issues outside of football.
The active roster is down to 35 players, and that means almost all depth is gone.
"We're at critical mass," Kennedy said of the numbers.
Those still wearing the Purple and White uniform need to remain, and no more injuries need happen.
This doesn't mean practice was paired down to flag football this week. Kennedy and his staff soldier on with their plan of boosting the program, and regular drills were run.
They were run with different people in the lineups. Junior Trae Washington will be the full-time tailback, and sophomore Clayton Fiddler will play fullback along with Nolan Rogers.
Washington had played wide receiver, and sophomore Matt Henderson moves in to fill that spot. Washington was also a starting cornerback, and sophomore Aareon McCoy is due to start there this week.
THE ENTIRE STARTING interior offensive line starters are seniors, as is wide receiver Lucas Franz. All other offensive starters are underclassmen. Defensively, there areonly four seniors starting, or maybe five if Franz starts in place of Michael Bower, who also starts at quarterback.
There are about four two-way starters, but they will be able to play "one-and-a-half."
Execution has been a problem with this team, especially defensively, and Kennedy and his staff continued to simplify things this week.
"We're limiting scheme-wise and trying to focus on execution," Kennedy said. "Is it perfect, no. Are we satsified, no. But we're still out there swinging.
"We want to be able to do some things right. We want something to hang our hats on."
THE SCHEDULE the rest of the season will make it difficult for the Panthers to find things they can execute. After Lawrence Central comes Pike, Columbus North and Perry Meridian.
"Lawrence Central is big, fast, strong, athletic," Kennedy said. "They're very good. Skilled. Just a good football team.
"We'll have our hands full, there's no doubt about that."
Lawrence Central is led offensively by senior quarterback Tre Roberson, an Indiana University recruit who is fast.

Physical style suits Mason

By Rex Kirts

"There are good times, and there are bad times," Jarred Mason explained.
Obviously, South being 1-4 going into Friday's homecoming game against Lawrence Central is one of the bad times.
The good times are every down the 6-2, 230-pound senior gets to play at center for the Panthers.
Because every down he gets to hit somebody, gets to be physical in the great outdoors.

Jarred Mason

Mason understands that very well.
"Jarred is one of our more aggressive lineman," coach Kirk Kennedy said. "He understands what we are trying to do, and he has shown improvement throughout the course of the year."
Mason understands very well the kind of football Kennedy is trying to get the Panthers to play. It's run-dominated, smash-mouth football.
"I LOVE IT," Mason said. "His style is a big change. It's hard-nosed football, how it needs to be played."
Mason had always been a center until moved to guard last year. He's back in the middle now.
Coaches will tell you it's not important for offensive linemen to run quick 40-yard dash times. And Mason fits the mold because his 40 is in the 5.5 range.
But offensive linemen require a little bit of quickness with their feet and a love of contact, since they're going to get it every play. Mason's feet could be quicker, but his love of the action in the pit is sincere.
"Jarred's feet aren't the best, but he has a good mentality to play in the offensive line," Kennedy said. "He plays with a good effort."
How does Mason compensate for a lack of decent quickness?
"Hit 'em in the mouth," he grinned. "It's hit or be hit. Size doesn't really matter. I'd rather go against a big guy than someone who's quick.
"I HIT PEOPLE as hard as I can every play. Don't really leave a doubt. I love the first play of the game."
The Panthers began the season with about 45 healthy bodies. They're down to 35 now, after a few defections, some injuries and a dismissal. They've been nicknamed The Dirty Thirty.
Mason appreciates those who are still in uniform.
"If you don't want to be here, don't be here," he said. "Coach said all you need is 22 to play."
Well, 22 would be cutting it a bit thin, at least in 5A football when you're going against most schools bigger than you are.
Starting the season 1-4 isn't conducive to keeping spirits up, but the Panthers haven't gone in the tank. Keeping spirits up, according to Mason begins with a love of the game. Then going out and getting physical should be enough to get pumped up.
"Go out and hit people," he said. "You've got to keep positive. Hanging your heads is just going to lose more games.
THERE MAY BE ONLY 30 of us, but it's 30 of the toughest kids you're ever going to meet."
At the start of the season Mason was looking forward to winning a lot of football games. "But that's not going to work out." What he's looking forward to now is, "Beating Lawrence Central."
One game at a time.
Next year Mason, a 3.7 student, plans to attend Universal Technical Institute in Glendale, Ill. (near Chicago) to be a mechanic. "Then I want to get my masters so I can own my own business eventually.
"I've worked on cars all my life. I can rebuild motors." Jarren's older brother Dustin is a mechanic.
For hobbies, Mason loves to fish and hunt, ride 4-wheelers and play paint ball. "Basically, I can't stand to be inside," he said.
During football season he works weekends at the Firestone store.

Improvements needed in all areas

By Rex Kirts

The list is long, so very long.
Just when it looked like South had begun an upward climb with its victory at North last week, the Panthers fall down and get pounded at Southport, 23-0.
The list of must-correct items include:
Blocking.
Tackling.
Intercepting.
Not fumbling.
Not getting punts blocked.
Penalty elimination.
Offense, all aspects.
Defense, all aspects.
Aggressiveness.
In the off-season, strength and more strength.
And, somewhere some speed and skill must be found.
THERE, THAT SHOULD DO for now, although there is space for more on the list. Left off because it always tops any list is want-to.
The list includes all levels of South's program because the Panthers were swept over the weekend, the jayvee and freshmen losing, too, to a program that until the last three years was strictly a doormat. South's varsity was blanked, the jayvees scored only once, and the freshman team that was undefeated scored just 13 points.
The Panther defense held on for a while, but once Southport got rolling it ran and passed easily. It ran the corners, it ran the option, it ran inside with its mis-direction and option plays befuddling the Panthers. Southport passed well because there was seldom any rush on the quarterback, and the secondary had moments of confusion.
Offensively, South couldn't move the ball on the ground, rushing for only 109 yards. It didn't pass effectively, although a TD pass was nullified by a penalty.
ON A DRIVE in the third quarter, when the Panthers trailed 16-0, they could have gotten back in the game, but three straight holding penalties killed them. The last one nullified the TD pass.
When Southport went ahead 16-0 with 0:09 left in the half, its drive was kept alive because South dropped three passes that could have been intercepted.
One of the bottom lines in the contest was that Southport was faster and stronger. It's a situation South is likely to find itself in all season.
The Panther coaches had that haggard, back-to-the-drawing-board look afterward.
"I don't think they understand there is a mental and emotional side of football," coach Kirk Kennedy said of the Panthers. "They were like zombies. In practice we address the problems, but on Friday night we fall back into old habits."
THE PANTHERS played confused. And they didn't play with the fire they did against North. Kennedy wondered if that was a problem. "We got excited last week because of the opponent, not because it was the game of football. If there's a choice we seem to make the easy choice, the comfortable choice."
He doesn't like the fact the Panthers can't get off blocks, and on the offensive side they "play high" instead of staying low and driving off the ball.
Defensively, against a team that runs option and mis-direction you must play assignment football. So often the Panthers were zigging when Southport's runners were zagging.
"We didn't play our assignments," Kennedy said.
A MAJOR PROBLEM was the lack of rush on the quarterback. Against the Southport spread formations the Panthers rushed three linemen, and it was ineffective. A couple of other times rushers "just flat-out missed" the quarterback, Kennedy noted.
The only positive from the Conference Indiana matchup (South is 1-4 overall, 1-2 in the conference) is the chance to learn from the mistakes and improve.
"We need some people to step forward and say, 'Enough is enough,' " Kennedy said.
The Panthers return to Fred Huff Field next Friday to take on Lawrence Central (4-1, 2-1).
A NICE PRODUCTION
Southport put on a nice homecoming show. It included a near capacity crowd, a good parade and two skydivers floating onto the field before the game. Good stuff.
Football-wise, that school has come a long way in a short time. The coach is Bill Peebles, and the athletic director is Pete Hubert.

Now they believe

By Rex Kirts

Was Wednesday's football practice perception, or was it reality?
At the end of practice the Panthers were prancing and spirited, and that simply hadn't happened before this week. Normally they dragged, beaten from the rigors and the heat and all things football.
"We have a lot more energy," junior quarterback and captain Michael Bower said. "We're energized and upbeat."
But, he added, they're definitely still working hard. Practices haven't suddenly become so easy that the players have an excess of get-up-and-go after a hard day in the dust.
"If that's the case (lots of spirit at the end of practice) then maybe their attitude is getting better," coach Kirk Kennedy said. "Nothing has changed at practice. Maybe they're adapting to what we're doing better and not causing their own problems.
"THEIR PERCEPTION of it is better. If that's true, then they're making progress.
"I said all along we were not a bad football team. I think the win vindicated everything we've been telling them all along. I don't know how to make football fun other than to kick someone's butt and win."
The sudden upsurge in spirit is, of course, the direct result of not only working hard but seeing a positive result of it. The positive result was the Pantheres' first win in four games, the 45-35 victory over North.
The win made believers of the Panthers, believers in what Kennedy is trying to accomplish and how he's doing it.
To be determined, though, is what it all means. Will more wins be forthcoming?
"We'll see Friday," Kennedy said. The Panthers travel to Southport Friday to take on one of the teams expected to be strong in Conference Indiana. Southport's title hopes suffered a setback last week when the Cardinals lost to winless Perry Meridian in a rival game much like South-North.
"SOUTHPORT IS VERY CAPABLE," Kennedy said. "Their program was once where ours is, but they dug themselves out of a hole and are playing with confidence.
"This is a game we can win or a game we can lose. The variable is us."
Beating North in front of a full house was a catalyst.
"I think we're pleased, but we're not satisfied. And we want more of it," Bower said.
The pleased part was modified soon after the game, on Saturday morning when the tape was seen.
"We still made some mistakes," Kennedy said. "We were high on our blocking, and the defensive line was high when we took on our blocks.
"But our effort was better, and we played with more confidence. We won't know until Friday what it means. I don't know if our play was because of who we were playing (the city opponents) or were we better.
"We weren't getting off our blocks, and we were getting caved in (on the corners). But those problems are fixable."
THEY ARE ESPECIALLY FIXABLE because he's got the Panthers' attention more than ever.
"That's what I'm looking for," Kennedy said. "All the work and practices and drills and preaching and teaching - when you put it all together it works. The kids have an example now to learn from."
He doesn't expect a letdown from the big emotional win last week, though there is the natural concern of proper focus on the next opponent. He probably stopped any letdown tendency quickly on Monday with another hard-hitting nutcracker session.
"They need to look for ways to improve," Kennedy said. "Through working hard hard they can get better, achieve their destiny, achieve their goals.
"It's like one of my favorite sayings: 'The beatings will continue until the morale improves.'
"The work finally turned into something positive last week. We were 0-3, but now the morale has improved. It's amazing what one win will do for you. Things aren't that different, but their perception is because of that one win."
NOT PLANNED
When Lucas Franz ran from punt formation for a first down at North it was not a planned play. He can be very thankful the play worked.

Bonnell sees the results of hard work, likes the toughness Kennedy demands

By Rex Kirts

Kirk Kennedy's methods are designed to develop toughness, and Zach Bonnell likes it.
After last Friday's win over North, Bonnell will have more company. Those who may not have been sure they enjoyed all those rough practices are probably now convinced of their value.
"The hard practices are a love-hate relationship," said Bonnell, a 6-2, 250-pound senior who has played several positions on the offensive line. "But right when you get done with practice you realize why you

Zach Bonnell

pushed the sled and do all those up-downs.
"I'm in the best shape of my life, and that showed up against North. You could see they were getting tired." Like other Panthers, Bonnell felt as fresh in the fourth quarter as they did the first.
"He's a really good coach," Bonnell said of the new man calling the shots at South. "He brings a different vibe, a good vibe. He also knows how to pick you up and have fun. And I like his offense, the I."
BONNELL ADDED, "Coach Kennedy gets to the point, which I like. He knows how to get it done and will get it done. I think we're headed in the right direction."
Bonnell islike a utility baseball player who is able to play more than one position. He's played every position on the line except center. Currently, he calls right guard home, with Reilly Flynn at left tackle, David Tiwari left guard and Jacob Brinegar right tackle. Jarred Mason is the center, and Joey Todd and Jacob Canada are tight ends.
The O-line lineup, which has been juggled constantly, led the way to South's first win of the season last week at North. The Panthers rushed for 342 yards a week after gaining only 81 on the ground against Franklin Central.
Playing in the trenches takes special people. It gets a little nasty down there.
"It's pretty rough, and it happens pretty quickly," Bonnell said. "It's a constant fight between two guys to get position and drive off the ball. I like it. I like being up front and like knowing what I do affects the play.
"And the O-line is like brothers. Hogs."
Bonnell has been named a game captain for Friday's Conference Indiana clash at Southport.
"ZACH ALWAYS BRINGS a great attitude to practice," Kennedy said. "He's a fun kid to coach and always gives you all he's got."
When Mo Moriarity coached South he said offensive linemen don't have to be fast in the 40-yard dash. All they need are quick feet. Bonnell said his 40 speed is "really slow, maybe 5.7 or 5.8. I'd like to think I have quick feet." And he pride himself on being versatile enough to play more than one position on the line.
Adjusting to Kennedy's style has taken time, Bonnell admits.
"We're not totally reformed, but it's a new form of blocking," he said. "It's a different approach. We were a zone offense last year." Now it's the more traditional scheme of taking on the man in front of you.
There's a lot more contact in drills now, including what Kennedy calls the nutcracker - a blocker, a defensive lineman, a linebacker and a ball carrier. Bang, bang, bang. Hear the pads pop. Hear the players get excited.
LAST YEAR'S NUTCRACKER drills sounded like two marshmallows colliding in outer space. Now there is noise.
"I love the nutcracker," Bonnell smiled. "It's football down to its purest - just go straight ahead and mess somebody up. I like the energy, too, getting pumped up and getting others pumped up."
The Panthers struggled the first three games and weren't really improving much. While there were mistakes, their effort, and results, against North were obviously better.
"That was amazingly nice," Bonnell said of the victory. "And coming off such a bad game against North last year and the other games this year. It was a really good victory."
Southport is 3-1 after losing to neighborhood rival Perry Meridian last week. It was Perry's first win.
"Southport runs a 4-3 (defense)," Bonnell said. "They're a good team, for sure."
Besides football, Bonnell likes to golf and play rugby. "And I'm pretty close to the family. I like the outdoors a lot."
He intends to study architecture or engineering in college next year but is uncertain where he'll go. He isn't planning on continuing football.

The heart still beats

By Rex Kirts

The football Gods checked South for a heartbeat and found one, but the pulse was weak.
North scored touchdowns on two of its first three plays of the game, and South had to punt. The shovels were filled, and the dirt was ready to be spread over the Panthers.
But North fumbled the punt away, and South scored. From that point there was a lot of back-and-forth left until midway in the third quarter when the Panthers gradually took control.
Down 35-24, South scored the last 21 points of the game to win at North, 45-35, Friday night.
The Panthers, whose roster numbers continue to shrink, were as fresh in the fourth quarter as they were in the first. They finished the game with a strong drive, going from their own 12-yard line to North's 11 and consuming the last 7:51 of the clock.
And the presumptuous T-shirts worn by North fans that read, "This is our town," proved to be premature.
THE VICTORY touched off a wild celebration, which was to be expected since South not only came into the game 0-3 but had not shown any improvement in the three losses. Only the week before they had made only six first downs in a 22-12 loss to Franklin Central. Against North the Panthers had 16 first down and ran for 342 yards.
So how did that happen? It is not an easy question to answer.
But certainly junior quarterback Michael Bower drove the team with his running and passing and decision-making, and he even played safety. Tailbacks Keith Bunton and Trae Washington and fullback Nolan Rogers ran hard and caught passes and threw passes.
The offensive line of tackles Reilly Flynn and Zach Bonnell, guards Alex Sarpa and David Tiwari and Jacob Brinegar, center Jarred Mason and tight end Joey Todd had its best game.
The defense was ravaged by swift, strong North tailback D'Angelo Roberts, who rushed for 213 yards and three touchdowns, until it tightened midway through the third quarter.
The Panther kicking game was outstanding as Drew Barlow's kickoffs sailed to the five-yard lne and he made a 40-yard field goal and all six PATs. Even punter Lucas Franz ran for a first down on a fake punt.
AND COACH KIRK KENNEDY got contributions from new people. Such as sophomore defensive back Tyrae Murphy, who in the third quarter stripped the north quarterback of the ball and recovered it to set up a Panther touchdown.
Tyrae was in the game because his older brother, senior Derek, was sidelined with an elbow problem and because senior starting cornerback Adam Wiley had been dismissed from the team earlier in the day for violation of Kennedy's disciplined way of conducting a total football program.
And offensive coordinator Pat Cannon had a neat tongue-in-cheek perspective. "It's nice to call plays that work," he smiled.
But all that doesn't explain the "why" of the matter, doesn't explain how South found the will to rally from oblivion.
"We got after it, didn't let up," Sarpa tried to explain. "We wanted it, we fired off the ball, never gave up."
Bower carried 19 times for 136 yards and two touchdowns and completed 5 of 6 passes for 49 yards and one TD, a 10-yarder to Rogers.
"Just heart," Bower said. "In the first games we played not-to-lose, and tonight we played to win.
"It was nuts."
BOWER SAID a factor might have been "a little team meeting" the Panthers had before Wednesday's practice. Wednesday went a whole lot better than Tuesday, which was not good and turned into a Kennedy-driven long, tough episode.
Kennedy's tough episodes seem to be paying off, at least that's what it looked like in the fourth quarter as the Panthers took charge and hammered away.
"We had really physical practices this week," Flynn said. "We got conditioned. Halfway through the third quarter their defensive linemen got a little tired, you could see it in their eyes."
Kennedy is capable of speeches that would win prizes in any coaching oratory contest.
"All the hard work . . . I thought that was one of the best drives I've ever seen (to end the game)," Kennedy told the team. "We proved we have a champions' heart.
"This is one game. We determine our fate."
The win evened South's record in Conference Indiana at 1-1. After only two weeks there is only one team left unbeaten in league play, Columbus North. All others are 1-1 except Bloomington North, which is 0-2. The Panthers travel to Southport next Friday.
"NOW WE HAVE CONFIDENCE," Kennedy continued to tell the team. 'Now we're hungry, now we know what this is all about. The great thing about this is . . . we get back to work tomorrow."
Kennedy said the game wasn't pretty, and he was talking primarly about the start when the Panthers fell behind 14-0 so quickly. Their first play was scrimmage was a lost fumble.
"We got the turnover in the kicking game (North's fumbled punt) that gave us the spark. We made some good adjustments defensively on the end, where they were hurting us off-tackle.
"We finally gained some momentum. As we stayed in the game and kept trading punches maybe they (North) started looking behind them. We gained confidence."
Kennedy praised Bower.
"He was our leader tonight. He put us on his shoulders. And Keith Bunton had some great runs. Our offense came to play.
"WE HAD TO OVERCOME a lot tonight. We had some adversity and didn't give up. You could see the confidence in the fourth quarter. The offensive line controlled the line down the stretch.
"And you have to credit coach (Dean) Walendzak and the defensive staff for making the adjustments (in the third quarter)."
Confidence is a powerful weapon. South picked up a lot of it in the game and on Saturday when the jayvees and freshmen made a sweep of the weekend, the jayvees winning 19-14 and freshmen 55-6.

'We control our own destiny'

By Rex Kirts

Kirk Kennedy does not waver in his belief. Regardless of the opponent, South's destiny is up to South.
Friday's opponent is city rival North, whose destiny has been to win two of three games this season, its only loss coming last week on the last play of the game in the Conference Indiana opener against unbeaten Columbus North.
South hasn't fared so well. It heads into Friday's game at North with an 0-3 record, its first 0-3 start since 1975.
Kennedy's answer to the dilemma was to send the Panthers through a rugged week of practice. It included a practice in pads at 7 a.m. on Saturday, after they lost a 12-0 lead the previous night in a 22-12 loss to Franklin Central. The week also included a lengthy hitting session on Monday and a long, very long, practice on Tuesday.
JUST WORKING ON blocking and tackling, Kennedy said, the things that are getting them beat.
"Right now it's not fun to be a Bloomington South football player," Kennedy said. "We've just got to keep plugging away. We control our own destiny.
"The big change we need to make is in our thinking. I refuse to believe we're not good football players."
Kennedy wasn't too thrilled about a lot of things the past week, but he was pleased to see practice improve considerably on Wednesday.
It is always the goal of coaches to improve each game, and South has struggled thus far. Basic things were lacking against Franklin Central.
"We didn't do ouir bread and butter stuff at all," Kennedy said. The defense did some good things, but the offense managed only six first downs. And rare is the defense that doesn't falter when it's on the field all the time.
"WE'VE GOT TO LINE UP and do what our opponent expects, and you do it anyway. You've got to out-execute and out-hit 'em," Kennedy said. "You can always hustle, always give a great effort and always believe in what you're doing."
He sees the day when all the hard work produces more positive results. "It's not defined by ifs, it's when," he said. "We're trying things. We're going to keep trying things."
Injuries have hit the offensive line, but some of the stress there will be relieved this week with the return of senior center Jarred Mason. That will enable David Tiwari to return to guard.
This year the city teams are similar.
"Yes, scheme-wise and philosophy-wise we are," Kennedy said. "Right now they have more weapons than we do and are executing better. They're playing with a lot more confidence and faster than us.
"We are our own worst enemy, and that affects you on all levels. We have good football players on this team, and the main people stopping us is us."
SOUTH'S DEFENSE will focus on stopping tailback D'Angelo Roberts, and Dylan Anderson is a big threat at wide receiver.
South needs more production from its run-dominated offense. Keith Bunton and Trae Washington will share time at tailback, and Michael Bower runs the show at quarterback.
North snapped a long losing streak to South last year by going 98 yards for the winning touchdown in the final minutes.
KENNEDYISMS
The first-year Panther coach is good with unique phrases and is especially good at talking to his players about how the game should be practiced and played. Here's a couple of examples from practice this week:
X-"You can lead a horse to drink, but you can't make him tackle."
X-"I've checked with Mr. Fletcher (principal) and Mr. Coopman (superintendent) and the Chief of Police. And they all say it's OK to get excited." (Kennedy likes to see spirited displays when something good happens.)

Tiwari's versatility helps in the lines

By Rex Kirts

David Tiwari's versatility is becoming a necessary element during difficult times on the South football team.
The Panthers have lost their first three games for the first time since 1975, and new coach Kirk Kennedy is moving people around to try to stop the trend. Some is by design, some is because of injuries.
Tiwari, a 6-2, 255-pound senior, started the season playing both ways at tackle. After two games he and guard Zach Bonnell switched positions on the right side of the offensive line. And last week against

David Tiwari

Franklin Central, with starting center Jarred Mason injured and his sub, Tony Albanese, coming up limp during the game, Tiwari moved to center in the second half.
"I had never played center before," Tiwari laughed. "I had taken about 10 snaps during the week when Jarred got hurt."
Where he plays Friday against North depends on whether Mason returns to the lineup.
"YOU DO WHAT YOU have to do," Tiwari said. "I think our exchanges (snaps to quarterback Michael Bower) were OK. But there's a lot more to the position than just getting the snap."
Overall, Tiwari would like to have been more efficient regardless of what position he has played. "I've had good games and bad games," he said. "I can definitely play faster, fire off the ball faster."
Kennedy brought a different offense to South. The Panthers have thrown the ball a lot in recent years, but Kennedy prefers to establish the running game. Run-blocking requires a more physical style of play, and the Panthers have struggled with inconsistency.
Kennedy's style also requires tougher practices, but the seniors who have had the most adjustments to make say they like Kennedy's approach.
"I like it, for sure" Tiwari said of the toughness needed. "He's a no-nonsense guy. It will pay huge dividends for us, down the road. When he gets enough people to buy into it we'll be real successful.
"Just look at his record at Lowell. I don't see why it won't work here.
"WE HAVE ENOUGH TALENT. Obviously, it's frustrating right now."
Tiwari said the Panthers' attitude is good despite the record and despite losing last week to Franklin Central after taking an early 12-0 lead.
"We're right there," Tiwari said. "We really think we can get a win this week. We're thinking 'Get over the hump.' We're not thinking about losing the 12-0 lead to Franklin Central."
There's a lot he likes about football. At the top is "playing with the team. It's truly the best team sport - you all have to do your job. I like that part of it."
A 4.0 student, Tiwari hasn't picked a college yet, but he wants to continue playing football. "I'm looking at the Ivy League and Division III schools," he said. He intends to study business and medicine.

Saturday morning practice in pads? Oh yes!

By Rex Kirts

On Friday night quarterback Michael Bower proved he was a hockey player. On Saturday morning, he learned he was still a football player.
The Panthers had practice in pads.
Following the 22-12 loss to Perry Meridian Friday, in which the Panthers accomplished very little offensively, on the ground or in the air, after taking a quick 12-0 lead, coach Kirk Kennedy suited 'em up.
"I think we got here before the sun came up," said Bower of the a.m. party.
"We got intimate with the blocking sled, and the ground," Kennedy grinned.
It wasn't a knockdown brawl like Monday's practice, but it had a message. It said there is no give up in Kennedy's approach to becoming better players and a team. He is not giving up on the players, and he won't compromise his coaching methods.
THERE WAS NO WHINING by the players when they learned the pads were going on instead of the usual film watching. "I told them if they whined it would only get worse," Kennedy said.
Kennedy said he had to change the football culture at South, and he's definitely doing that.
This wasn't the first time he's put the pads on Saturday morning.
"I've done it three or four times (at Lowell)," he said. "I did it in 2005, and it was the turnaround to our season."
Lowell started 1-3 in 2005 when the Saturday drills were used. Lowell lost the next game but won the rest to win the state championship.
Right now the state championship isn't even a speck on the distant visual horizon for the Panthers, who have started 0-3 for the first time since 1975. After the quick start against Franklin Central, who gave up two easy scores on fumbles, they simply could not move the ball. The defense played well at times, but the offense managed only 98 total yards and six first downs.
Tailback Keith Bunton ran 16 yards for the first touchdown, and Jon Campbell plucked a fumble out of the air and returned it 43 yards for the second. With 7:13 left in the first quarter South led 12-0.
THE TURNING POINT came late in the second quarter when Franklin Central, which had done little offensively, got its passing game going and went 80 yards in 2 1/2 minutes to score and make it 12-7 at halftime.
After that all the momentum belonged to the visitors. And South continued its slide at home, where it is winless for the second straight year.
Injuries, especially on the offensive line, are hurting a team already short on numbers. Center Jarred Mason missed the game, and his backup, Tony Albanese, sprained an ankle during the game. David Tiwari moved to center with Kyle Franklin taking over at guard.
Bower, a junior and captain, missed part of the game when he suffered a cut on his left, non-throwing, hand and got eight stitches at halftime. He played the second half with a glove on.
"I asked a trainer if we couldn't just wrap it up," Bower smiled. "Nooo."
Speaking of the Satrday pads practice, Bower said, "It's something different. I hope we can regroup and be resilient, get ready for North."
South resumes Conference Indiana action Friday at North, which lost 27-24 to Columbus North on the last play of the game. North is 2-1.
KENNEDY QUOTES ON THE FRANKLIN CENTRAL GAME:
"They gift-wrapped us 12 points, but our offense didn't do much all night. Our offense was kind of dormant; credit Franklin Central."
"I don't know if we tightened up (on FC's 80-yard drive before the half). We lack confidence. We're so fragile mentally right now. We're not good at maintaining momentum or taking momentum from our opponents."
"Franklin Central didn't panic. That shows you don't need trickery and fancy stuff to win football games."