Scecina, Eastern Greene to meet for first time

The Eastern Greene Thunderbird football team (shown above during a time-out) will look to snap a three-game losing streak when they face Indianapolis Scecina at 7 p.m. Friday in the Class A Sectional 38 match-up. The game will take place at Indianapolis Manuel High School. (By B.J. Hargis/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

Indianapolis Scecina and Eastern Greene are two football teams with completely different histories.

The Thunderbirds have just been a high school varsity program for seven years. Eastern Greene (3-6) is looking for its first post-season victory.

Scecina on the other had has won five sectionals, the last in 2002, four regionals, two semistate and two state titles (1990 and 1991).

The two will meet for the first time on the gridiron at 7 p.m. Friday when Eastern Greene will take on the Crusaders at Indianapolis Manual High School in a first-round match-up in Class A Sectional 38. Eastern Greene had been playing in Class 2A until the new tournament realignment this season.

"They are a solid football team with a great program," said Eastern Greene coach Luke Dean. "Their record is deceiving because they play such bigger schools like Indianapolis Ritter, Indianapolis Roncalli and Indianapolis Ritter just to name a few.

"They are not going to make a lot of mistakes. They are disciplined football players."

Ott Hurrle, a 1970 graduate of Scecina, is in his 18th season in charge of the Crusaders (111-93 record).

"Our tradition is over 50 years old. Bill Sylvester started this program.

"We have kids come back each year at a big dinner we have. We point out to the kids that a lot of people have worn those jerseys. It is important to carry on the tradition of playing hard and hitting hard."

Scecina is averaging 16 points per game, seven less than they allow.

Hurrle said they have been very inconsistent this season.

"We are used to playing this schedule and we don't expect to get beat by those teams," he said. "We always want to play well.

"But to be honest, we have been up and down this year. We are still searching to find consistency. We play well early in games, but sometimes forget what we are doing in the second half."

Gunnar Porter has been pivotal for Eastern Greene this season. He has rushed for 11 touchdowns and has thrown for 1,089 yards and nine TDs.

Michael Love (39 catches, 531 and two TDs), Zach Ingram (28 catches, 432 yards and four TDs) and Tanner Bailey (13 catches, 291 yards and three TDs) are the top Thunderbird receivers.

"Eastern Greene is a talented team with some good skill kids," said Hurrle. "They throw the ball around a lot so our secondary has to be on their toes.

"Gunnar Porter throws a very nice ball and is dangerous running. We have to keep him inside the ends. We know that the Love kid, the Bailey kid and the Ingram kid are good players. We have to be ready for them."

Quarterback Jimmy Davis, a 5-8 junior, runs the Crusader offense.

He has rushed for a team-best five TDs and has thrown for 441 yards with four scores.

Pat Stark (328 yards, three TDs), Joe Doucleff (314 yards, two TDs), James McKenney (236 yards, four TDs) and Nick Branson (92 yards and three TDs) pace the Crusader rushing attack, which has used a 70-30 run-pass ratio, Hurrle said. He added that Branson and Stark have just recently returned after being injured early in the season.

"They have a little quarterback that is pretty crafty," said Dean. "They have four or five different guys that run the ball well."

The Thunderbirds have lost three games in a row, as a chance for a .500 season slipped away.

"We had a talk Monday and tried to figure out what direction we are going in," said Dean. "We let two games (Union (Dugger), Eastern (Pekin)) get away from us.

"It is difficult to bounce back at this time of the year. Everybody's record is thrown out. Everybody is 0-0. That's the way we look at it. We will try to get something going Friday. It is a new season."

Hurrle said that 250-pound center Reid Smith anchors their offensive line while linebackers Ryan Tooley and Pat Barton set the tone defensively.

"With the schedule we play, we have to try and attack and get after people and hit them," said Hurrle. "It will be no different for us Friday night."

Indianapolis Manual is located at 2405 Madison Ave, just south of downtown Indianapolis.

Thunderbird fans can take Highway 37 through Martinsville and Waverly until reaching 465.

Take 465 east (right) until the next exit (2A). Take East Street (31 North).

Take a slight left onto Madison Avenue and follow for several miles to the school.

Tickets are $5.

Eastern Greene, Indy Scecina

have never met in football

Eastern Greene

Post season results

(0-6)

HOME TEAM IN CAPS

2003 Class A Sectional

LINTON 54, Eastern Greene 6

2004 Class A Sectional

W Washington 47, EASTERN GREENE 14

2005 Class A Sectional

W Washington 51, EASTERN GREENE 14

2006 Class A Sectional

PERRY CENTRAL 41, Eastern Greene 0

2007 Class 2A Sectional

Mitchell 20, EASTERN GREENE 16

2008 Class 2A Sectional

PAOLI 49, Eastern Greene 24