HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Red Devils ready to rebound

Aug. 16—JEFFERSONVILLE — Jeffersonville head coach Isaac Parker is hoping that his team's togetherness will tip the scales in its favor this season.

"This offseason we spent a lot of time together and we spent a lot of time discussing what our goals were," the fifth-year bench boss said. "Our goals are, we have to do everything together. That's our motto this year, you've seen it on shirts walking around: 'Together.'

"They've embraced that. This is a team that, in the locker room, they all get along and they're all friends. We walk in one day and see these 10 kids hanging out with those 10 kids. Come back the next day and those 10 are gone and 10 other new kids are in altogether. It's a fun group to coach because they're all friends and they all get along with each other."

Parker is hoping that camaraderie translates onto the field, where the Red Devils look to rebound from last year's 1-8 campaign, the program's seventh straight losing season.

"It's a unique team," Parker said. "It's unique in the sense that we're extremely young in certain spots, as far as age. We're inexperienced at certain spots, but then we also have a lot of experience at certain spots."

One place Jeff has experience is at quarterback, where senior Nik Schindler is entering his third season as a starter. Last year he completed 87 of 153 passes (56.9 percent) for 1,525 yards and 14 touchdowns against only four interceptions.

"He's had a phenomenal offseason," Parker said. "I think he's grown a couple more inches and his arm is strong. He really busted his butt as far as his explosiveness in the offseason, he's a little bit quicker. I'm really pleased with his maturity."

One big player, both figuratively and literally, the Red Devils have to replace from last year is running back Zion Mansfield. Jeff will do that by committee. Leading that committee will be senior Brandon Harris.

"Brandon's definitely not as big as Zion, or as powerful as Zion. But with that being said, he's got a little higher top-end speed and he's a little more slippery," Parker said.

Schindler will also be handing off to sophomore Josiah Owens.

"He's very deceptive and he's so smooth," Parker said. "When you watch him run it's like, 'Man that kid is not that fast.' But he's so smooth you look up and he's gained 7 or 8 yards. He's a bigger-bodied kid too and he moves really well."

Freshman Malachi Starks, who played for Rock Creek's eight-man team last year as an eighth-grader, could also help out.

"He's explosive," Parker said of the frosh. "Any time he touches the ball he's got the chance, if he sticks his foot right, he's gone."

Some of Schindler's receiving targets this season will be junior tight end Raijon Laird and senior wideout Brandon Curl, as well as Daelin Julian, Robert Tucker and Dawson Slaughter.

"He's a smaller wide receiver, but next to the quarterback he knows probably more about the offense — as far as who is supposed to be where and what they are doing," Parker said of Slaughter. "He's a blessing to have out there with us as well."

On the offensive line, the Red Devils will have experience and size.

Leading the way up front will be two seniors — 6-foot-5, 282-pound Brayden Mayfield and 6-2, 265-pound senior center Aidan Kern — and 6-5, 275-pound junior tackle Chance Johnson.

Also in the mix will be 6-2, 270-pound senior Peyton Lavender, Ethan Phillips and sophomore Ayden Gossett.

"I'm real pleased about how well they've been meshing," Parker said of his O-line. "We have got to get them to play a little more downhill and with a little more confidence. I think that once they start playing with confidence you're really going to see something special out of them."

On the flip side, the Red Devils will look for improvement on defense after allowing 31.8 points per game last season.

"Our defense this year is probably our most-experienced group that has returned," Parker said.

Up front in Jeff's 3-4 defense, 6-3, 325-pound senior nose guard Cipher Thompson will anchor the line.

"He's the kid last year that everyone infamously remembers as having the orange helmet," Parker said. "We tried to find a 2X helmet for him (but couldn't). We're proud to say he has a red helmet this year."

Thompson will be joined on the line by senior Mason Timberlake and junior Montreal Monts.

The Red Devils' second line of defense, a.k.a. the linebacking corps will be led by senior Leland Ponce, a returning All-Hoosier Hills Conference performer, and Laird.

"I was really pleased last Friday with the efforts of Ray Laird," Parker said of Jeff's scrimmage. "There were times I watched him play and he just looked like a Division I linebacker, the way he was flying around the field and playing violent. But then again you look back and you go, a lot of his tackles were set up by phenomenal D-line play from Mason Timberlake and Montreal Monts and, of course, big Ciph Thompson."

Aiding Ponce and Laird will be Kaidon Efaw and Luke Church.

Senior Cade Williams is back to helm the secondary.

"I think his greatest attribute is how he leads this team," Parker said. "He's a good kid and it's translated to the field. He's definitely been a field general for us on defense and we're real pleased with his effort this year."

Others in the last line of defense will be Domo Elliott, Julian, Tucker and Curl.

Handling the extra-point duties for the third season in a row will be girls' soccer standout Hannah Magruder.

"It's been a fun run with her and we're glad she's back with us for her senior year. We know she'll do a great job," Parker said.

Sophomore Max Schoonover, a member of the boys' soccer team, will likely handle kickoffs and possibly some of the long field goals as well while Dawson Slaughter will do the punting.

The Red Devils open their season Friday night against Whiteland, which is ranked No. 3 in Class 5A in the Indiana Football Coaches Association's preseason polls.

Jeff will begin HHC play the following Friday, when it hosts defending league champion Seymour on the night of the formal dedication of Bill Ware Field. After that comes road games at Bedford North Lawrence, one of the HHC favorites, and Fern Creek (Ky.).

The Devils will then host Floyd Central on Sept. 15 before back-to-back road games at Silver Creek and New Albany. They'll close out their season by hosting Columbus East and Jennings County.

"Our goal is to take it each week and win one game at a time," said Parker, whose team lost four games by seven points or less last season. "Our goal is to go 3-0 every week. We want our freshmen, JV and varsity to win every game."