Greencastle looks to extend streak against North Putnam

Greencastle won both matchups a season ago, defeating the Cougars, 17-9 in the regular season finale and then 30-29 in the sectional opener.

For the third time in the calendar year and the final time as members of the Western Indiana Conference, the North Putnam Cougars (7-1) and the Greencastle Tiger Cubs (2-6) will square off tonight at North Putnam. Pregame coverage begins at 6:40 pm and kick at 7 pm on GIANT fm WREB. The two teams will be joining the new Monon Athletic Conference next school year.

Greencastle won both matchups a season ago, defeating the Cougars, 17-9 in the regular season finale and then 30-29 in the sectional opener.

"We want to play the role of spoiler and run their night. They are going to run a lot of different formations and different ways to run the ball with Christian Kramer. People from Roachdale and Bainbridge want to beat Greencastle and people from Greencastle want to beat people from Roachdale and Bainbridge. It's a big deal to people in Putnam County and this is the third time we have played them in 365 days. They feel like they let us off the hook twice, and we are hungry to show we are better than we've shown. We are going to come out and do the best we can in a rivalry game," Greencastle coach David Stephens said.

For the Tiger Cubs, the 2024 season has been a bit of a mixed bag for a team that, according to Stephens, has yet to put four solid quarters together.

At 2-6, Greencastle is on a three game skid, falling to the likes of Linton-Stockton, Cloverdale, and Cascade. On the season, the Tiger Cubs have averaged 17.9 points per game and are allowing just over 34 points per contest. Sophomore quarterback Cole Stephens, who holds an offer from Miami (OH), has thrown for 1,557 yards and 15 touchdowns for Greencastle.

As for North Putnam, the Cougars have been absolutely dominant this season, aside from a loss to Cascade in September. Scott Moore's squad is 7-1 and finds itself in first place in the Western Indiana Conference Green Division at a perfect 4-0 in conference play. The Cougars average 41.6 points per game and have surrendered an average of 25 per contest. North Putnam has gone north of 50 four times this season.

A major reason for the success this year can be traced back to the shoulder and legs of junior quarterback Christian Kramer, who continues to make his case as the top player in the WIC. On the season, Kramer has completed 65 percent of his passes (104-of-160) for 1,527 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has also added 1,358 yards and 19 more touchdowns on the ground for the Cougars, who open the sectional tournament next week at home against Western Boone.