With the fall season right around the corner, it’s time to head to high school football stadiums and sit under the Friday night lights to watch teams take the gridiron. In 2024, the four Delaware County teams are all in a similar position.
Last year, area rosters graduated a number of athletes. Now, it’s time for the next class of upper and underclassmen to make a name for themselves and to represent the names on the front of their jerseys.
Delta
Coming off their first sectional championship since 2016, the Delta Eagles know how hard it is to repeat success. However, there is one thing the Eagles have already decided about the new season: their motto.
The 2023-24 Delta boys’ basketball team used “family” as their motto. Because that team finished their season one game away from the state finals, the football team wanted to borrow it for the fall and wear it on the back of their practice jerseys.
“Every year before Christmas break, we meet one-on-one with every single kid, and that's our time to sit down with me and we go with a series of questions,” Delta head coach Chris Overholt said. “We evaluate them from the previous season.”
“It's just a nice time for all of us to get our cards on the table before going to the new season, and the seniors were adamant that they wanted to incorporate the term ‘family.’”
Throughout last season, the Eagles proved to be the best squad in Delaware County as they finished with an 8-5 overall record and a 3-4 Hoosier Heritage Conference (HHC) record. One of the driving factors behind the success was the previous senior group. Yet, Overholt said this year’s seniors have the edge and grittiness to get the job done.
“The previous [senior class] left a lot of really nice characteristics with this group and gave them the foundation of how to be leaders,” he said. “They're very close, and this might be one of the closer senior groups we've had. They've been all in since January.”
Senior quarterback Bronson Edwards will return to lead Delta’s offense this season. In his first year as the Blue and Gold’s starter, he threw for 1,754 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. He used the offseason to improve in every aspect.
“I’ve been getting stronger, faster and working on my awareness in the pocket,” he said.
The Eagles will open the 2024 season with a county matchup with the Muncie Central Bearcats on Aug. 23. The game will be played at Muncie Central and starts at 7 p.m.
Wes-Del
In 2023, the Warriors went 4-6 — the program’s best record in the last five seasons. With this growth, there also come expectations. Third-year head coach Matt Nuckols said to him and his players, the team's expectations have risen even more.
“They have a lot of good sets of high expectations, as they should,” Nuckols said. “We bring back our entire line, tight end group, our entire box on defense and our fullback … I know they've seen the growth in themselves, the team, and the program.”
After losing a senior class that included quarterback Triton Blevins and running back Trey Adams, some holes needed to be filled. Yet, Nuckols credited this year’s senior group and believes multiple underclassmen have taken full advantage of those opportunities.
“This group of seniors is a lot of straight-up football players and are dudes who want to grind and work hard,” he said. “So I think that [attitude] has rubbed off on the young guys.”
Some faces the Warriors expect to lead the Black and Maroon are senior linebacker Grayson Mealy and junior running back Brock Nauman. Both showed their skills last season and are ready to take the next step in 2024.
Whether it’s the returning players or the new names who will wear a Wes-Del uniform, one goal is shared: improve.
“We're gonna prove that we're not some team people scheduled to get an easy win,” Nauman said. “We're gonna prove that we can hit you in the mouth.”
The Warriors open the year with a home matchup against Alexandria Friday, Aug. 23., starting at 7 p.m.
Muncie Central
For the last two seasons, the Bearcats have stayed consistent with their play and overall records. In 2022 and 2023, Muncie Central went 4-6 and had a North Central Conference record of 4-3. In year three of head coach Kyle Padgett’s tenure, he wants things to improve.
“Year three in any program is where everyone knows the system,” Padgett said. “You know the expectations on and off the field, and you feel like everyone has to be on the same page.”
One of the biggest changes in the program’s history came last year when the school built a brand new football stadium to replace the original, which had stood since 1950. The school added a new football building over the summer, which included new locker rooms.
However, the school corporation is also looking at football on every level. This year, every elementary school will have its own football team, and there will be a middle school team.
“We have a real community vibe of football going on right now and are just excited for everyone to compete in the fall,” Padgett said.
Padgett said he’s impressed with the Bearcats and the way they have invested in the program this year. From athletes and their families moving vacations to players making sure they never miss a practice, he believes things are changing around the team.
“It's really nice to see the buy-in from our families and our players this year,” he said. “I just can't speak highly enough about the kids. It's been a really good summer, both in the weight room and out on the field.”
While most positions are decided, the quarterback role is one still up for grabs. Currently, Muncie Central has three quarterbacks — freshman Mason Ferguson, junior Fletcher Kahle and junior Yorktown transfer Alakai Wallace — who are fighting for the spot.
“They're all splitting reps evenly, and I couldn't tell you what guys are going right now because all three are really good,” Padgett said. “We're in a good position, and I've never had this problem as a head coach, let alone since I've been here.”
Whoever the starter turns out to be, they and the rest of the Bearcats will kick off 2024 with a home contest with Delta.
Yorktown
The 2023 season may have been a little underwhelming for the Tigers, being just one year removed from winning a sectional championship. After notching a record of 5-6 and 2-5 in the HHC, the green and white will need to move on after losing a senior class that included their starting quarterback Mason Moulton – Hillsdale College – and starting running back Ayden Ewing – Ball State.
“A lot of people probably think we’ll be down,” Yorktown head coach Mike Wilhelm said. “But we have a lot of guys who have stepped up this summer and want to be playmakers.”
Being yet another team with a quarterback battle, it will be a game-time decision as to who starts for the Tigers. But like Delta, which has a key senior class, Yorktown has multiple upperclassmen who have taken it upon themselves to be the leaders their team needs.
One of those upperclassmen is wide receiver and free safety Ephraim Daugherty. Last season, he had 43 catches for 562 receiving yards, eight touchdown receptions and 34 tackles.
“He wants to be like those [previous seniors],” Wilhelm said. “He wants to be like [former wide receiver Kolton] Nanko. He wants to be like the best playmakers in Yorktown football history.”
Though a younger and less experienced roster, the Tigers have an idea of where they want to be in 2024.
“This team wants to compete in every single game they play, regardless of who it is or what conference it is,” Wilhelm said. “We want to compete and give ourselves a chance to win football games.”
The Tigers will begin their campaign when they face Anderson on the road Aug. 23. The game will begin at 7 p.m.
Contact Zach Carter with comments at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or on X @ZachCarter85.
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