Greencastle ready to kick season off against Cloverdale

Greencastle head football coach David Stephens needs no reminders about what happened the last time his Tiger Cubs played Cloverdale. 

The last time the two teams played, Cloverdale secured a 26-21 victory over Greencastle in 2024. After not playing last season, the two will renew the rivalry Friday at Cloverdale with a 7 p.m. kickoff.

"We are excited to be in a county rivalry game week one and play a week one game that has some meaning to it. Cloverdale got the best of us the last time we played. The kids who played in that game remember that game, and they are fired up and ready to get back after it," Stephens told The Putnam County Post. 

While there was a year gap in the series, the fourth year Greencastle coach said his team hasn't forgotten what happened on their home field against the Clovers. 

"I think there is a certain aspect where you want to make sure you are focused on what you have to do and the here and now, but there is a certain aspect to it as well where you feel like you let a team off the hook and didn't perform as well as you could have. It is a lesson where you have to remind people of that feeling after that game. They were celebrating and taking pictures on our field, so it wasn't just a loss, but for a full week we watched those guys celebrate. If you don't think about and are not reminded of that, you are probably setting yourself up for the same kind of heartache," Stephens said. 

Greencastle enters with four year starter Cole Stephens under center. Stephens comes in having recently committed to Lehigh University and ready to lead the Tiger Cubs on offense. 

"He is a guy who the team will go as he goes. If he performs well and gets everybody in the right spots, gets the ball and distributes the ball to our playmakers and doesn't turn it over, we have a chance. Everyone is a piece of a puzzle and everyone has to be their own puzzle piece. Our role players have to be role players. Our support guys have to be support guys and our stars have to be starts," Stephens said. 

Cole Stephens will benefit from having the likes of Parker Welker, Nash Dobbs and TJ Jordan back on offense with him. 

"We feel really good about our young offensive linemen. I feel like we are due to have a good defensive game plan. We are excited about guys who may be rotational guys but are good for us on the defensive line," Coach Stephens said. 

Greencastle will look to open the season 1-0 for the first time under Stephens and first time since 2022. 

"It would be huge for us. Every year I've been here, we had a lead on Danville week one and lost by seven. We had a lead on Monrovia in year two and lost at the end of the game. Eastern Hancock came in with a great team last year. We have started off seasons where we have had to play catch up after week one, so we are hoping to get the monkey off our back and start 1-0," Stephens said. 

As for what it will take for the Tiger Cubs to do just that, Stephens said there are a few things. 

"We have to play together. We have to communicate, play smart, fast and physical. We have to match their intensity. It is their home opener in front of their crowd, and we have to take that us against the word mentality into week one and really get after those guys and match their effort and intensity. We have to take care of the football. If we take care of the football and match their intensity, I like our chances at the end of the night," Stephens said.