There is a Homecoming buzz around Shelbyville High School this week. A little football success has spurred that energy.
For head football coach Scott Fitzgerald, it is tremendous to see but he cannot allow the Golden Bears to lose focus of the Friday night goal.
“I think everybody is excited. The guys are doing a good job of pushing last week behind us and moving on,” said Fitzgerald. “They know there are a lot of activities going on but we’ve talked all week long about how our focus is the game. That is our job for Homecoming … to come out and win a football game.”
Shelbyville (3-2, 1-2 Hoosier Heritage Conference) will seek its fourth win of the season Friday against Yorktown (3-2, 1-2 HHC). Kickoff at McKeand Stadium is at 7:30 p.m.
Yorktown features one of the top quarterbacks in the conference in senior Mason Moulton. His ability to throw the ball has not directly resulted in success this season, though.
Moulton has completed just under 50% of his pass attempts for 844yards and nine touchdowns, but he has thrown six interceptions. As a junior in 2022, Moulton threw for 2,067 yards and 19 touchdowns for a 9-win team.
“He threw one last week from his back foot and I think he threw it 65 yards in the air,” said Fitzgerald. “We’ve told the guys we have to make sure we stay on top (of the receivers).
“The other thing he does is he is elusive. He can make you miss and run the ball. They will use him in the run game as well. And they have some athletes and they have some speed. They don’t necessarily have the size they’ve had in years past but they definitely have some speed.”
Sophomore Ayden Ewing is Yorktown’s leading rusher through five games with 462 yards and eight touchdowns. An injury to senior Jalen Thomas on the first offensive play from scrimmage in the season opener thrust Ewing into a larger role.
“He has a lot of speed. If he gets loose, he can take it to the house in an instant,” said Fitzgerald. “We have to get to him before he can get his speed going. If we can get to him before he really gets up to speed then we are OK. If he gets up to speed we are in trouble.”
Thomas torched the Golden Bears for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the 2022 win. He ran for 1,255 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior but now his senior season is over.
Yorktown has three receivers with double-digit receptions – Ephraim Daugherty (28 catches, 399 yards, 5 TDs), Cole Perdue (13 catches, 153 yards) and Quintin Williams (12 catches, 231 yards).
Shelbyville’s offense was kept in check in a week five loss at Class 4A, No. 5 Greenfield-Central, 47-0. The Golden Bears need to reestablish its ground game to open up the passing attack led by senior quarterback Eli Chappelow (78 for 145, 1,025 yards, 13 TDs).
“(Yorktown) is going to attack,” said Fitzgerald. “They will bring guys from different areas. They like to blitz. They like to line up differently. They like to change the front on you to try and confuse you a little bit. They are going to bring five or six just about every play.”
With its worst loss of the season behind them, the goal is to enjoy the Homecoming events but stay focused on the task ahead.
“We came in Saturday and watched film but we really didn’t watch a whole lot of film,” said Fitzgerald. “We didn’t feel like there was a whole lot we were going to get out of it. We immediately went to the Yorktown film and started prepping for that.”
A win Friday would elevate the Golden Bears to 2-2 in the HHC standings with three tough games left against New Palestine (3-2, 3-0 HHC), Mt. Vernon (2-3, 1-2 HHC) and Pendleton Heights (3-2, 1-2 HHC).
“I hate to keep repeating myself but it’s that 1-0 mentality and understand this is the one in front of us this week,” said Fitzgerald. “Any victory is a sweet victory in my eyes but we want to continue to build.
“I think the kids understand we’re at that point now where they expect to win. That is a huge hurdle sometimes to get over. I think they are coming into this game expecting to win and that’s why a loss hurts because you expect to get after it on Friday night no matter who is in front of you. … With the atmosphere that should be here, I think we will have a great crowd with the school and the student body being out here. I think it will be fantastic for the kids.”
QUICK FACTS
Yorktown at Shelbyville
Game Time: 7:30 p.m. at McKeand Stadium at Shelbyville High School.
Broadcast time: 6:30 p.m. pregame show from McKeand Stadium on GIANT fm (96.5 fm, 106.3 fm, 1520 am and the GIANT fm app) with Johnny McCrory and Jeff Brown.
2023 record: Yorktown 3-2, 1-2 HHC; Shelbyville 3-2, 1-2 HHC.
Head coaches: Mike Wilhelm, 103-99 in 19th year at Yorktown; Scott Fitzgerald, 3-2 in first year at Shelbyville.
Sagarin ratings: Yorktown, 64.70, No. 16 in Class 3A; Shelbyville, 52.89, No. 32 in Class 4A. Yorktown is a 9-point favorite.
Last meeting: Yorktown defeated Shelbyville, 42-0 in 2022. Link to the Shelby County Post game story can be found here: https://shelbycountypost.com/sports/654285
Series: Since joining the HHC in 1999, Shelbyville is 13-11 against Yorktown, but the Tigers have won five straight by a combined score of 231-9.
Around the HHC Friday: New Castle (1-4, 0-3 HHC) at Delta (4-1, 2-1); Class 4A, No. 6 New Palestine (3-2, 3-0) at Class 4A, No. 5 Greenfield-Central (5-0, 3-0); Pendleton Heights (3-2, 1-2) at Mt. Vernon (2-3, 1-2).
Class 4A, Sectional 23 records: Greenwood 3-2; Connersville 2-3; Shelbyville 3-2; Class 4A, No. 1 East Central 5-0; Jennings County 3-2; Silver Creek 3-2; Edgewood 1-4; Martinsville 3-2.
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