Young Shelbyville football squad ready for first official practice of 2024 season

With victories in three of its first four games of the 2023 season, Shelbyville football felt a seismic momentum shift roll through the program.

In its five previous seasons under head coaches Michael Clevenger and Brian Glesing, the Golden Bears won a total of three games. A strong senior class pulled the program up and spurred a new found interest in Friday night football at the new-look J.M. McKeand Stadium.

That momentum did not translate into greater success in the ultra-competitive Hoosier Heritage Conference where the Golden Bears lost their final five games – then suffered bad luck in drawing East Central, who went on to win a second-straight state championship, in the sectional opener,

Shelbyville finished 3-7 with its final six losses of the season coming to programs with a combined 54-19 record.

So what can second-year head coach Scott Fitzgerald orchestrate with a much-younger program in 2024, including starting a sophomore at quarterback in Tyler Gwinnup?

“We cannot have him throwing as much as we had (Eli) Chappelow throwing,” said Fitzgerald (photo) at Tuesday night’s Media Day event for the Golden Bears. “We can’t put that on his shoulders as much. We have to be able to run the ball a little bit better and not put (Gwinnup) in those situations where he has to throw the ball 50 times a game.

“We want to be able to throw our play action. We want to be able to throw our quicks and we will still have some drop back stuff. We have to live a little bit more on the quick side and the play-action side and in order for the play-action side to work we have to be able to run the football.”

Chappelow threw for 1,701 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior. His two top targets – Axel Conover (40 receptions, 419 yards) and Luke Brinkman (39 receptions, 644 yards) – graduated as well.

Offensive linemen Jacob Harker and Connor Duncan also graduated but there is experience returning in Michael Creech, Jack West and Anthony Stafford. Freshman Nolan Cord is expected to have an impact on the line this season.

“We will win and lose games, and I’ve told kids this for years and years, we will win and lose games with what we do up front, whether it’s the offensive line or the defensive line.”

Donavon Martin, 110 rushes for a team-high 395 yards in 2023, will be the feature back with Grantland Fitzgerald and Keagan Turner potentially carrying the ball more this season. Neither had a rushing attempt in 2023.

The roster is limited with a small freshman class joining the program. For Fitzgerald to put the best players on the field, several players will be active on both sides of the ball.

“We have to have rotations of guys,” said coach Fitzgerald. “We play four down defensive guys but we have six kids that can play. If you have six kids that can play, you have to rotate them in and out and making sure they are getting off the field.

“As the season goes along, if we can find other guys that we feel can fill in and play only one way, that’s what we will do. If we need to continue to play two-way players we will put the best 11 on the field. I really feel like that is the only way you can win football games.”

Conover, who is playing collegiate football at Hanover College this fall, led Shelbyville defensively in tackles (64) and interceptions (3) last season but starting linebackers Brayden Schultz (57 tackles) and Julian Eads (56) return and will be joined by the returning Turner, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the Golden Bears’ 26-14 win over Rushville in week two last season.

Shelbyville’s 2024 schedule is a mirror image of the 2023 schedule but the Golden Bears know East Central is no longer in its sectional that now features Bedford North Lawrence, Charlestown, Connersville, Greenwood, Jennings County, Martinsville and Silver Creek.

Shelbyville will host Jennings County on Aug. 16 at McKeand Stadium for its preseason scrimmage.

“You are excited for the beginning of the season,” admitted Fitzgerald. “You are excited to get started on Monday and get everyone here and get into that routine. That’s always the biggest part.”

The 2024 Shelbyville Schedule

Aug. 23     vs. Greensburg                      7 p.m.

Aug. 30      at Rushville                            7 p.m.

Sept. 6       at Delta                                   7:30 p.m.

Sept. 13     vs. New Castle                      7 p.m.

Sept. 20     vs. Greenfield-Central         7 p.m.

Sept. 27     at Yorktown                           7:30 p.m.

Oct. 4        vs. New Palestine                 7 p.m.

Oct. 11       at Mt. Vernon                        7 p.m.

Oct. 18      vs. Pendleton Heights          7 p.m.

Oct. 25       Sectional                                TBD

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