Shelbyville football head coach Scott Fitzgerald knew the program’s schedule was end loaded with three of its final five games against programs currently receiving votes in the state coaches poll. Surprisingly, it’s not four of five as Mt. Vernon has lost the state recognition it was garnering at the start of the season.
The 3-4 record does not make the Marauders any less intimidating nor any less challenging to defeat Friday at McKeand Stadium on Senior Night.
“They are very athletic,” said Fitzgerald. “They have made a lot of big plays and scored a lot of points this year. Really, the only team that has kept them down has been Pendleton Heights (24-10). They held them to 10 points but they also kept them from making too many big plays.
“I think that will be a big key (Friday) and that’s easier said than done at times.”
With only 19 points scored total in its last three games, Shelbyville’s offense has struggled which has put more pressure on a defense that has allowed 139 points in what is now a three-game losing streak.
The Marauders’ starting quarterback, sophomore Luke Ertel, has completed 60% of his 148 pass attempts this season for 1,181 yards and 10 touchdowns. Ertel appeared to suffer an injury in last week’s win over New Castle, according to Fitzgerald, and missed significant minutes. His availability Friday is unknown.
“He is a good ball player … an athlete,” said Fitzgerald of Ertel, a highly-regarded basketball recruit at Mt. Vernon. “It always looks a little weird because he is a lefty but he does a nice job of finding those kids. They do a good job of getting him opportunities to be athletic, get out in the open and find his receivers.”
Junior running back Joliba Brogan has gained 1,025 yards on 142 rushes this season with 14 touchdowns.
“The running back is a really nice looking kid,” said Fitzgerald. “He hits the hole hard or can bounce it out on his own. If he gets out in the open he is really fast.”
Four different Marauders have double-digit catches this season led by senior Tre Jones’ 24 catches for 359 yards and five touchdowns. Senior Tyler Etherington, who could be pressed into quarterback duties if Ertel is out, has 17 catches for 206 yards. Fellow seniors Chris Edmonds (15 receptions, 281 yards) and Domanic Barnett (15 receptions, 149 yards) also are productive.
Defensively, Fitzgerald went back to the word “athletic” to describe what the Golden Bears will see Friday night.
“They will get to the ball. They are moving guys around a lot,” he said. “It’s a little different defense than what we’ve seen the last few weeks. Again, they will be very athletic and very quick to the ball. We have to make plays when there are opportunities to make plays.”
Senior Night at McKeand Stadium may take on more reverence in several years if the program can continue its rebuild to winning ways. The class has been part of a program that has won five games total during their tenure under three different head coaches. Senior quarterback Eli Chappelow even quipped in the preseason he is operating his fourth offense in that time period.
However, their dedication to the program that has been through 0-10, 1-6 and 1-9 seasons prior to this year is admirable and has the program climbing back toward consistent Friday night success.
“I keep telling those guys they are the foundation right now,” said Fitzgerald (photo). “They have laid the foundation for us building this program back up. They have done a fantastic job. Over the summer and throughout the season, those guys just continue to fight and show our younger groups what it takes to have success.”
Shelbyville’s 14 seniors on the 2023 roster are Axel Conover, Ben Price, Luke Brinkman, Eli Chappelow, Grant Schene, Kohen Myers, Luke Jackson, Bayler Ward, Connor Duncan, Jacob Harker, Ryan Bradley, Jacob Dupont, Jaylen Sturgill and Josh Eikman.
Duncan and Jackson will not play Friday due to injuries. Duncan will need surgery to repair a knee injury. Jackson suffered a concussion in practice last week and did not play at New Palestine. He could return for the regular-season finale at Pendleton Heights on Oct. 13.
With the potential for favorable postseason matchups in Sectional 23, Shelbyville needs to quickly regain some momentum.
“We knew coming into the season where we were at,” said Fitzgerald of the toughest part of Shelbyville’s schedule. “The kids understood where they were at. We’ve talked about it a lot that we were not going undefeated this season. We still have a lot of things to build on, figure out and do.”
The IHSAA will announce the sectional pairings Sunday at 6 p.m. on GIANT fm Sports on WSVX.
The Golden Bears will meet at a downtown Shelbyville restaurant to watch the pairings show and continue celebrating the season.
“We will enjoy the night and enjoy each other. That’s one thing we’ve talked about from the very beginning, enjoy the journey,” said Fitzgerald. “It’s not always about the games. It’s not always about wins and losses. We want to win football games and we are going to work to do that but enjoy the process. And this is part of the process, spending time with your friends and teammates and brothers.”
QUICK FACTS
Mt. Vernon at Shelbyville
Game Time: 7 p.m. at McKeand Stadium at Shelbyville High School.
2023 record: Mt. Vernon 3-4, 2-3 HHC; Shelbyville 3-4, 1-4 HHC.
Head coaches: Vince Lidy, 23-9 in third year at Mt. Vernon; Scott Fitzgerald, 3-4 in first year at Shelbyville.
Sagarin ratings: Mt. Vernon 70.66, No. 15 in Class 4A; Shelbyville, 49.63, No. 38 in Class 4A; Mt. Vernon is an 18-point favorite.
Last meeting: Mt. Vernon defeated Shelbyville, 57-13 in 2022. Link to the Shelby County Post game story can be found here: https://shelbycountypost.com/sports/656462
Series: Mt. Vernon has won seven straight in the series with Shelbyville and holds an 18-10 advantage over 28 games played since 1997.
Around the HHC Friday: Delta (5-2, 3-2 HHC) at Class 4A, No. 6 Greenfield-Central (6-1, 4-1); New Castle (1-6, 0-5) at Class 4A, No. 3 New Palestine (5-2, 5-0); Pendleton Heights (5-2, 3-2) at Yorktown (4-3, 2-3).
Class 4A, Sectional 23 records: Class 4A, No. 1 East Central 7-0; Greenwood 4-3; Shelbyville 3-4; Silver Creek 5-2; Edgewood 1-6; Jennings County 3-4; Martinsville 4-3; Connersville 2-5.
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