Injuries mounting for Shelbyville ahead of Senior Night at McKeand Stadium

There is a clear and specific goal Friday for Shelbyville football on Senior Night at McKeand Stadium. One more win guarantees the Golden Bears (5-3) their first winning season since 2017 (7-3).

The five wins already matches last season’s total and the 10 combined wins the last two seasons is more wins than the previous seven seasons combined.

“This is a big game for us as a program because it guarantees a winning season,” said Shelbyville head coach Scott Fitzgerald. “All our focus this week has been on that.”

To get that coveted sixth win, Shelbyville will have to defeat a dangerous Monrovia squad (3-5, 2-4 Hoosier Legends Conference) that has found an aerial attack to go with its vaunted wing-T running approach.

Through its first six games this season, Monrovia senior quarterback Michael Terrell had thrown for 537 yards and five touchdowns. The last two games – a 28-27 loss at Triton Central and a 40-35 win over Greenwood – Terrell has completed 42 of 63 passes for 580 yards and five touchdowns.

Against Greenwood, Terrell threw for 209 yards and three touchdowns, and the ground game racked up 152 rushing yards and three more touchdowns.

“They’ve been able to throw the ball. They will get into some different looks,” said Fitzgerald. “They threw early on (this season). We saw on film them get into spread and got into some empty (backfields). I know they were out this summer doing some 7-on-7s.

“They knew (passing) was something they were going to have to get into. The quarterback throws a nice ball. They want to move him, get him rolling out and in some (bootlegs) and throw out of that.”

From the opening kickoff this season, Shelbyville has battled injuries to key players. A 41-20 win at Speedway last Friday did not come without more consequences.

Leading rusher Grantland Fitzgerald (644 yards, eight touchdowns) suffered a right hamstring injury in the third quarter. The senior (photo) will not play Friday and his season and career is likely complete.

Leading receiver Austin Martzall (433 yards, four TDs) (photo) is dealing with a back injury that kept him out of practice Monday and Tuesday.

Senior receiver/defensive back/long snapper Jackson Myers (photo) suffered a shoulder injury at Speedway but is recovering well and could be available Friday.

Leading tackler Cooper Thoman (photo) also is dealing with a foot injury as the season winds down.

“We are getting to the end of the season. That’s what we talked about with the guys. We’ve been going strong for five months now,” said Fitzgerald. “We are getting into that mental and physical grind to where you have to take care of your bodies. You have to get the rest, get the fluids and get the food in your body – and ice a lot.”

Dealing with injuries has forced Shelbyville to build depth and it will be needed Friday against the Bulldogs.

Senior Kameron Holland (290 yards, three TDs) will get the start at running back with sophomores Layden Fitzgerald (326 yards, two TDs) and Kendrick Hook (photo) rotating in for carries.

If Grantland Fitzgerald, Martzall, Myers and Thoman are unavailable, the receiving corps then becomes really inexperienced.

In 2007, Shelbyville rode the wing-T offense to an 11-1 record. The head coach was Pat Parks and Scott Fitzgerald was an assistant coach. Both are still on staff – in reverse roles – so there is familiarity with the ground-heavy running attack Monrovia relies on.

Ryder Bain (570 rushing yards, 10 TDs) is the fullback in the system and typically the first through the line of scrimmage.

Shelbyville’s defense will need to keep the 215-pound junior in check or that will increase the effectiveness of the wings – Coewan Stinson (533 yards, three TDs) and Gavin Wolfsiffer (225 yards).

“First and foremost, they want to run that wing-T. If they can’t do it, they now have other things they can go to,” said Fitzgerald.

Class 4A, Sectional 23

The seven-team sectional features top-ranked East Central (7-1), two programs with weak Sagarin ratings, and four teams with similar resumes.

East Central (87.68 Sagarin) will open against Madison (4-4, 36.13 Sagarin). The winner hosts Jennings County (2-6, 17.35 Sagarin).

The four remaining teams were thrown into the bottom half of the bracket.

Columbus East (4-4, 60.47 Sagarin) will host Charlestown (6-1, 54.94 Sagarin) and Silver Creek (5-3, 51.80 Sagarin) will host the Golden Bears (61.73 Sagarin).

Shelbyville has the second highest Sagarin rating in the field and the third toughest strength of schedule behind East Central and Columbus East.

“It’s about as good as we could have it with East Central on the other side (of the bracket),” said Fitzgerald. “Silver Creek is a good football team. They have the same record as we do, but I don’t know a ton about them yet.

“I know it’s a long drive and unfortunately, we have to go all the way down there. We are excited about the opportunities that are there in front of us.”

If Shelbyville wins, it will host either Charlestown for a first-ever meeting or renew an old rivalry with Columbus East on Oct. 30.

Two wins means Shelbyville hosts the sectional championship game on Nov. 6.

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