New coach, new attitude taking hold for Owen Valley football entering 2024 season

It was nearing the end of a hot day on the turf last week, all the more reason for Eric Crouch to not ease up.

The new Owen Valley head football coach is trying to set a tone and moving from the end of one play to another, from one drill to another, even hydration breaks, needed to be done at tempo. It's important given the number of two-way players OV will be leaning on this year. It's the "no quit" mentality from the 2021-22 teams that this one needs to embrace.

"It's got to be a mindset," Crouch said. "Our practices are designed so we don't have to run and condition after. So we want our pace of practice to be quick, fast, just like at game speed. We're going the whole time."

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What he's looking for is a player-led spark when the pace lags. There are enough players back who understand the pace and urgency of Friday night's demand, but their roles are bigger and for many of them. This is their team now.

"We have some older guys but some of our younger guys are some our better players, so it's who wants to be the guy who steps up and notices when a practice is going awry," Crouch said. "Coaches are getting after it when they know things are going downhill, but we've got to figure out who those guys are going into the season."

Also to be figured out is which freshman will be the new starting quarterback. Injuries put former Patriot QBs Brody Lester and Daniel Burkett (now a member of the staff) on the field as freshmen but this will be their gig from the start.

It's a gamble Crouch is willing to take. He sees Parker Greene and Parker Phillippe as the best options.

"We told them it's a battle until Week 1 as to who is going to win the spot," Crouch said. "Both of them have accepted the challenge. Both have strengths that are better than the other.

"Parker Greene has played multiple positions growing up, so he's a good well-rounded football player. Parker Phillippe, the amount of improvement we've seen from January to now, I'm really proud of him how he's progressed, especially with his reads and the passing game and his toughness in the running game."

They'll need plenty of support from the older players and Crouch is seeing just that.

"It's a different level," he said. "If you're going to put a 14-year-old kid out there with 18-year-old men, there's going to be some overwhelming thoughts maybe. But both of them are in a good place right now where they've got guys around them who are going to help them lead. They've both stepped up as far as being vocal in practice."

Owen Valley will see some big changes in its schedule, opening with three straight home games (including one against new foe Speedway) before its first road game at Edgewood. A neutral site game vs. Angola will take place on a Saturday in Week 7 at Avon.

OV also finds itself in a wide-open seven-team 3A sectional as the Patriots (2021-22) are the only one to win a sectional title since 2011 and three programs have never won one.

Owen Valley by the numbers

HEAD COACH: Eric Crouch, 0-0 in 1st year. LAST YEAR: 3-7, 1-3 WIC Gold. SECTIONAL: 3A No. 31 (Corydon Central, Edgewood, Indian Creek, Madison, North Harrison, Scottsburg).

RETURNING STARTERS (7): Carter Salyers, Jr. WR/S; Calvin Dean, Sr. WR; Eli Anderson, Sr. RB/CB; Rhett Manuel, Sr. WR/SS; Dakota Heidrick, Sr. ILB; Nolan Gonser, Jr. OL/DL; Kolby Pardue, Sr. DL/OL.

Owen Valley outlook

OFFENSE: As the QB battle ensues, last year's QB, senior Eli Anderson, is better suited at running back, where his size and running style work best. Crouch is ready for the freshman rollercoaster running his spread offense but also likes the battle taking place to see who earns the starting spot. Also looking for carries at RB are junior Zach Shelley, sophomore Braddock Nickless and senior Tim Wheeler who bring different qualities to the job. At receiver, Dean is a three-year starter and Salyers a two-year starter back, with Manuel and state qualifying high jumper Noah Hall , a junior. TE is a four-way battle between sophomores Tye Voss and Jacob Heidrick, junior Ezra Powell and senior Christian Adams. The O-line has two veterans in three-year starter Purdue and Gonser also back from last year. Junior William Doty, seniors Ben Strong (the new center) and Xander Pendley and junior Spencer Buchanan. Kicking duties will fall to either Hall, last year's kicker, soccer player Maddox Reuter and freshman Jotham Powell.

DEFENSE: Manuel is a third-year starter at safety, Heidrick is a second-year starter at inside linebacker and Carter Salyers second-year starter at strong safety. "Those three are really the key in the cog to how our defense will be successful," Crouch said. Salyers and Manuel in particular know the defense and will be in charge of communication and getting everyone lined up in the 3-4 scheme. Up front will be Buchanan (DE) and seniors Strong and Pardue with Gonser and Voss in the rotation. "The three-man front will curb them getting tired since we have guys going both ways," Crouch said. The linebacking corps includes Powell, Adams (who played DE last year) and Nickless. Wheeler will play a bigger role in the secondary this year, working with Anderson and Dean. Anderson will continue to hold down the punting duties.

SCHEDULE: Aug. 23: Brown County, 7 p.m.; Aug. 30: Speedway, 7 p.m.; Sept. 6: Indian Creek, 7 p.m.; Sept. 13: at Edgewood, 7 p.m.; Sept. 20: Northview, 7 p.m.; Sept. 27: at Sullivan; Oct. 5: vs. Angola (at Avon), 6 p.m.; Oct. 11: South Putnam, 7 p.m.; Oct. 18: at Cascade, 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: New coach, new attitude taking hold for Owen Valley football entering 2024 season