Crawfordsville football is 2-0 for the first time since 2014. Coach Brad Clark has brought excitement and energy back to the Athenian football program. But now the real test begins for CHS as they open up Sagamore Conference play at home against Western Boone. The Stars have long been a powerhouse in the SAC and also come into the game with a 2-0 record after wins against Sheridan and Western.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to play Western Boone,” Clark said. “They’re one of the premier programs in the state and we’re looking to see where we stack up. I think these first couple of weeks gave us a good look at who we are as a team. Fountain Central was a great test for us and now we’re looking forward to playing in one of the toughest conferences in the state.”
The Stars as they typically have in years past will feature a very heavy run attack. In their first two games Western Boone has run the ball 83 times and thrown it just 23. Senior running back Trevor Weakley is among the state-leaders in rushing yards with 327 yards through the first two games. Senior signal caller Rowen Durbin has also ran for 144 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Through the air Durbin has thrown for 204 yards and three touchdowns with senior receiver Ryan Taylor catching four passes for 130 yards.
Clark knows it will be a challenge to contain the high-powered Stars as coach Justin Pelley will have his team fully prepared and ready for nearly any situation.
“When you watch Western Boone, what really sticks out is how they’re so well coached and disciplined,” Clark said of the Stars. “Their kids execute everything they do at a high level and you can tell they’ve been in coach Pelley’s system for a long time. If you want to be able to play with them and potentially beat them, you have to play really good football because they won’t beat themselves.”
Through their first two games of the season, The Athenians have had a balanced attack as they’ve thrown for 299 yards and ran for 279. Senior quarterback AJ Hall has been very accurate with the football completing 15-19 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns. Hall has relied heavily on junior Ethan McLemore who has nine catches for 201 yards and senior wide out Kaiden Underwood who also has six catches for 94 yards including the game-winning score last week against the Mustangs.
Before the season Clark noted how in these tough conference matchups that he would like to see improvement from last season by not necessarily winning the game, but showing that his team can compete in the tough SAC.
“Week after week this conference is a challenge and brings a new test for you,” he said. “This will be good for us to see if we indeed are improving as a program and are able to make these games more competitive than they’ve been in the past. We recognize that it’s a challenge, but we’re excited for it.”
The Stars and Athenians kick things off at CHS at 7 p.m. You can listen to the game live on WIMC 103.9 beginning at 6:30 as Kevin Jett and Blake Largent will have the call.
