DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
The high school football season in Z-Land ended with a state championship in 2024, confirming what many in our area knew – that Adams County athletes can compete with anybody in the state of Indiana when they get the chance to play other public schools their size in postseason play.
It also underlines one of the truths of high school football in the state of Indiana: there’s only six teams whose seasons end with a happy ending. Everyone else eventually puts the pads back in storage with some level of disappointment.
But there’s also another truth to the sport: the calendar cycles back and last year’s sophomores and juniors are joined by a new group to form another version of their team.
At WZBD we are thrilled to partner with local businesses and organizations who support our attempt to bring a coverage that is unsurpassed in the state of Indiana. With minimal exceptions over the season’s nine weeks, WZBD (along with its sister station WPGW in Portland) are set to bring local high school football fans every game for the teams in our primary coverage area.
Here’s a look at the Week 1 Matchups and some of the storylines we will watch on opening night.
(Teams are listed with last season’s final record)
Heritage (8-2) at Bellmont (0-10) (live on 92.7 FM, WZBD)
These two next-door neighbors have been playing each other to start the season for the last three years and all three matchups have gone to the Patriots.
For Bellmont, there is little discussion as to what the narrative is. Nobody on Bellmont’s roster has ever experienced winning a high school varsity football game. In order for that to change, the team will have to get the best out of senior leaders like Grady Baker, Oliver Werling and Oliver Goble, while also relying on younger players who could turn the tide in Decatur.
The Braves will start freshman Charlie Faurote at QB after a strong middle school career. That leaves the team with no experience at the position. Last year’s quarterback, Easton Curtis, will play tight end and defensive end in his senior season. Daniel Selking, who threw for two TDs last year as a freshman backup, did not return to the team this season.
Bellmont had just 343 yards of rushing last season in ten games and 107 of those belonged to Grady Baker, who does not seem likely for any rushing cameos this season. Through graduation and players choosing not to play again this season, that leaves the Braves with just 138 yards returning.
Ashton Lykins joins his brother, Jason, as a running back for the Braves, while Oliver Werling begins his final campaign with the team as an option to carry the ball.
The game will also feature a new quarterback for the Patriots, although the name on the back of the jersey will not be different. Eli Tigulis threw for 1800 yards and 23 touchdowns last season and after graduating in May, he hands the reins of the offense over to his little brother, Zeb.
The key to a good start to the season for coach Hullinger will be to open up the ground game to allow the younger Tigulis to grow into the position. The Patriots ran for 2200 yards last year, but 1200 of those belonged to the now-graduated Nasir Martin and Braden Walter. That leaves Lucas Weber as the key man in the running game.
Weber ran for 824 yards and ten touchdowns – both tops on the team – and should be one of the best backs in the ACAC this season. He has an outstanding line blocking for him with four juniors and one senior on the O-Line.
Could the Patriots challenge the defending state champion Adams Central Jets for ACAC supremacy? It could be tough with a sophomore starting quarterback, but he should have enough time to feel comfortable in the role when Week 5 rolls around and the team heads to Monroe. It should be a fun season for the Patriots.
South Adams (8-6) at Marion Local (Ohio) (16-0) (Can be heard live on our YouTube channel)
The way some people talk, you’d think Marion Local could win a few games in the AFC South. They’ll take on South Adams, who had played Tipton the last two seasons to start the year, after going 16-0 last season.
The Flyers won the Division VII state championship game last season by a score of 74-0. Interestingly, they opened last season with a game against Linton-Stockton, beating the Miners 45-6. Linton, of course, went on to the 2A title game and lost to Adams Central.
The program out of Maria Stein has won 64 games in a row and last year’s senior class did not lose a game, capturing all four state titles. No school in Ohio has more state championships in football than Marion’s 15 titles.
Ok, so maybe they could give the Jaguars a run for the money.
In all seriousness, this promises to be an exciting year of South Adams football no matter what the score is Friday night in Ohio. Tytus Lehman is back for his senior year at quarterback after throwing for 2,728 yards a year ago. The Starfires came out of nowhere last year to thrive in the playoffs, beating teams like Tri and Madison-Grant in absolutely thrilling games and making it all the way to semi-state.
With two strong backs in the backfield in Will Patterson and a healthy Wes Summersett, along with Derek McKean challenging the 1000-yard mark in receiving yards, this offense should be one of the best in the area.
All-State linebacker Nathan Plattner will lead a defense that was able to bend but not break last year in those exciting playoff wins, developing a knack for creating turnovers at the right time.
The Stars have five home games this year in Berne and fans should be treated to a great season at the beautiful stadium this fall.
Away from home, though, is where coach Moser can butter his bread. The Week 1 game in Maria Stein is not really an opportunity for a win, but a chance to really tune up for the rest of the year. The Starfires were hung out to dry by Tipton and had no choice but to take one on the chin – something many coaches simply would refuse to do to open the season.
The real results that matter will be in those other three road games (all of which can be heard on WZBD): At Bluffton, At Adams Central and At Woodlan.
Garrett (13-1) at Adams Central (14-1)
What a difference a year makes. Questions abounded last year after Adams Central’s disappointing loss up at Garrett to the Railroaders.
Of course, the Jets did not lose again and some may have even forgotten the game happened with the euphoria of a state title, but the truth is, that Garrett team was undefeated all the way through mid-November as one of the four teams left in the 3A tournament.
The Railroaders railroded their way to 4000 rushing yards last year, but Cam Ruble and Calder Hefty are off to college now and the team will feature a new quarterback and new ball carriers in a much different environment in Monroe Friday.
The Jets graduated two 1000-yard rushers from last years juggernaut of an offense, but with QB Jamison Roach back at the helm with a state title under his belt, the team will likely be even more dynamic on offense than in 2024. Don’t forget that the Jets could have handed Roach a few more runs at the end of last year’s game at Lucas Oil and gotten him the 34 yards he needed to get 1000 himself.
Joey Everett was explosive last year every time he touched the ball and Thomas Laughlin will also see more carries. This program has never had a problem getting the right guy the ball and don’t expect any difference in 2025.
As we saw last year, this Week 1 game with Garrett is exactly what coach Mosser wants for his team. A meaningful game against a good opponent from a bigger class, where a win or a loss won’t matter to the team’s long-term goals.
The thing is, a regional title in 2025 for the Jets means next year’s Week 1 matchup between Garrett and Adams Central would feature a pair of 3A teams.
Eastside (6-6) at Woodlan (5-5)
Two teams with prominent storylines regarding Z-Land teams should give us a good preview of what Adams Central can expect in Week 2 (when AC travels to Butler for a WZBD Game of the Week) and what the Heritage Patriots will see in Woodlan in Week 3. Eastside, who fell in the sectional championship game last year to AC, beat Woodlan 25-11 last season.
Blackford (2-8) at Jay County (3-8)
This game was all Jay County last year as the Patriots won 49-0 without a fight from the Bruins. Jay has a new coach this year in Eddie Fields. The old Fort Wayne South Side coach takes over a program that, sans Southern Wells, has only won two other ACAC games in the last five seasons despite being the biggest school in the conference. Listen live to the game on our sister station, WPGW.
Bluffton (6-4) at Shenandoah (6-5)
The Tigers have not played a regular season game against Shenandoah in decades, with the last meeting between the two schools coming in the sectional all the way back in 1994. The Raiders have not won a sectional title since 2014, but are a worthy opponent for Bluffton, and the represent a big step up from last year’s opener, when the Tigers played Blackhawk Christian.
Coach Kunkel will hope for a confidence boost with a road win Friday before coming back for two home games – against Manchester and South Adams in the next two weeks. The Week 3 game between Bluffton and South Adams is our WZBD Game of the Week that night.
Southern Wells (0-10) at Elwood (1-9)
Southern Wells’ only win in the last five seaons is over Elwood. Elwood’s only win last year was over Southern Wells, and it wasn’t close.
This is the most winnable game of the year for both teams, so it matters about as much as a game can in Week 1.
The Raiders scored just 38 points last season and did not trend in the right direction. 26 players are out for this year’s team. Any win would be a big deal for the tiny school in Wells County.
Mississinewa (11-1) at Norwell (2-8)
The Indians have been outstanding for the last four years, challenging area 3A teams for sectional titles in each season, but head coach Kyle Buresh has moved on to Muncie Central. Jeremy Lochner is now in charge of the Indians, but not after he left the team in the offseason to take the Delta job, only to come right back when Buresh left for Muncie.
No matter who is in charge, the Indians will be heavy favorites to run the Knights off their own field with a blowout win. Mississinewa allowed just two touchdowns in the first eight games of last season.
Columbia City (8-2) at NorthWood (6-6)
Eastbrook (4-6) at Huntington North (9-4)
Angola (4-6) at DeKalb (4-6)
East Noble (13-2) at FW Wayne (4-6)
FW Northrop (2-8) at New Haven (1-9)
FW Bishop Luers (10-5) at Leo (8-3)
Muncie Central (2-8) at Delta (5-6)
Delta has kicked off the previous four seasons with a win over Muncie Central. The Eagles will look for a fifth before traveling to Heritage for a rematch in Week 2 of last year’s sectional game, when Delta ran over the Patriots and knocked them out of the tournament.
Muncie Central, meanwhile, will be hosting the defending state champions, Adams Central, in Week 3. That game will be heard on WZBD’s YouTube channel in two weeks. The Bearcats are now led by Kyle Buresh, who had great success at Mississinewa for the last four years.
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