Tigers trying to overcome key injury, mistakes to secure first win of season

A cleaner performance would have netted Triton Central a season-opening win over Batesville. That’s why despite the 20-17 overtime loss Friday at Mendenhall Field, first-year head coach Tim Kegley felt encouraged by what he saw from the Tigers.

“I like the way we battled,” said Kegley. “The team is feeling good. I am confident in where we are.”

An early unexpected injury has already forced the coaching staff to re-work the depth chart. Senior Cooper Marlin (photo) suffered a broken collarbone in a practice drill two days before the season opener. The Tigers’ top cornerback also was slotted as the No. 1 running back on the depth chart.

Triton Central still took a 6-0 lead over Batesville Friday but failed to extend the advantage.

“In the first half, we were good especially defensively,” said Kegley. “We could have put more points on the board but didn’t.”

As the game progressed, Kegley believes his team wore down too quickly. After three missed tackles in the first half, that statistic grew to 13 in the second half. Penalties also reached double digits for the Tigers. And the offense couldn’t sustain momentum with too many dropped passes.

Batesville scored a 16-yard rushing touchdown in the third and a 37-yarder in the fourth to take a 14-6 lead but Triton Central was not finished. One final drive resulted in a Matthew Wilkins 8-yard touchdown run and Landon Ball ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game and send it to overtime.

“I am really pleased with the way we battled back,” said Kegley.

The Tigers settled for a 25-yard field goal on their first possession of overtime which allowed the Bulldogs to secure the win with a 10-yard touchdown pass on its possession.

Kegley installed a new offensive scheme in the offseason and with the sudden loss of Marlin, there is plenty of room left to improve. Wilkins (photo) completed just 10 of 28 pass attempts for 138 yards and one touchdown.

“We had quite a few dropped passes. (Wilkins) did a good job of getting rid of the ball,” said Kegley.

Wilkins’ statistics would have looked much better if two long touchdown throws weren’t nullified by penalties.

Ball (photo) carried the ball 24 times for 70 yards; Wilkins added 55 more yards on the ground. No other Tiger carried the ball in the opener.

That workload on Ball makes it tough to utilize him as a linebacker on defense. Kegley’s goal in week two is to develop running back depth with sophomore Nolan Thompson and freshman Gavin Pruitt.

Week two is setting up to be crucial for Triton Central’s season. Several Hoosier Legends Conference teams had strong showings in week one. And after the Tigers’ tussle this Friday at Mendenhall Field with Indianapolis Scecina, the HLC schedule takes over in week three.

“We’ve got to win,” said Kegley. “Our conference is really good is my assessment at this point. We’ve got to get this one.”

Triton Central and Scecina are no strangers. The two foes have staged tight-knit battles for years as members of the Indiana Crossroads Conference and in the postseason.

The Crusaders opened the 2026 season with a 35-26 loss Friday at Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran. Quarterback Eli Trout threw for 173 yards and three touchdowns against Scecina and rushed for 178 yards and two more scores.

Triton Central defeated Scecina, 27-7, last season with Braden Brown rushing for 387 yards and four touchdowns.

Scecina quarterback Bryce McDonald, now a senior, completed 21 of 39 pass attempts for 258 yards. As a junior, he threw for nearly 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns.

“He seems to know where he wants to go with the football,” said Kegley of the Scecina quarterback. “I think he’s pretty good.”

Triton Central’s defense will focus on keeping Scecina’s playmakers – senior Tristan Brown (65 receptions, 708 yards in 2025) and sophomore Micah Miller – in check.

Kegley believes in his planning and the growth of the team in leadership skills. He will not blow up the practice routine based on one loss. He believes the Tigers are hungry for that first win.

“I am getting a lot of positive feedback,” he said. “I feel like we are getting what we are wanting. They felt like they let one slip away.”

The Shelby County Post is a digital newspaper producing news, sports, obituaries and more without a pay wall or subscription needed.