AUDIO: All Eyes On Tigers, Trojans As Football Rivalry Renews Friday Night

By Mike Perleberg East Central and Lawrenceburg’s first regular season meeting since 2012 will be the opening game of the 2017 Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown high school football showcase event. File photo by Reggie Owens. (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – Lawrenceburg and East Central high school football teams will meet in one of the most-anticipated regular season opening games in southeastern Indiana in quite some time. “It’s going to be a big stage tonight here in Lawrenceburg. We’re expecting a big crowd,” says Lawrenceburg seventh-year head coach Ryan Knigga. Not only is Friday's game the kickoff to the 20th Annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown high school football showcase. The Tigers and Trojans have not played since 2012, before the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference divided into the 4A “big school” division and 3A “small school” division. The series has not been much of a contest over the decades, with East Central winning 23 of the past 26 meetings. But this is not the same Lawrenceburg program of old. The Tigers are coming off a 2016 season in which they finished 13-2 and IHSAA Class 3A state runner-up. Returning from that team is highly recruited senior linebacker/tight end Mason Parris. The 2016 EIAC 3A Defensive MVP racked up 191 tackles, three sacks, and three interceptions as a junior. “He just wants to win. It’s his first shot at East Central in his high school career, as well as his classmates', and we are as well,” says Knigga. HEAR THE EAST CENTRAL VS. LAWRENCEBURG FOOTBALL GAME ON EAGLE COUNTRY 99.3 FM AND WWW.EAGLECOUNTRYONLINE.COM ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 18. COVERAGE STARTS AT 6:40 P.M. This may be Mason’s final year of football at any level. Parris recently told FloWrestling that he would exclusively wrestle in college, instead of playing both sports. He has had football offers from programs including Cincinnati and Ball State. Lawrenceburg also returns senior running back Hunter Privett, who only carried the ball 10 times last year as he spent much of his time on the field blocking for 3,000-yard rusher and EIAC 3A Offensive MVP Austin Bowling. Listen to Lawrenceburg football coach Ryan Knigga’s interview in the audio player below. [audio mp3="https://eaglecountryonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ryan-knigga-lawrenceburg-football-08182017.mp3"][/audio] If the audio player does not appear, click here to listen to the interview. Don't forget that East Central was pretty good last season, too. Fifth-year coach Justin Roden’s Trojans nearly earned a state finals appearance themselves if not for a last-second field goal by postseason rival Roncalli in the 2016 IHSAA Class 4A State Semifinals. The team finished 11-3. EC has lost experience in some groups, but preserved it in others. “We graduated our entire offensive line and will start five new kids Friday night against a very talented Lawrenceburg defense,” says Roden. “In addition, we will also be starting four new kids in the secondary. That is eight kids who have never started a game on a Friday. Makes me more than slightly nervous,” says Roden. Having to start four sophomores doesn’t sit well, either. Roden says, “The old rule is for every 10th grader you play, is a game you are going to lose. We need to grow up fast!” The Trojans will look to the duo of junior quarterback Alex Maxwell and senior running back Logan Storie to lead their offense. Maxwell passed for 848 yards and 10 touchdowns with just five interceptions last year, while also rushing for 1,302 yards and 17 scores. After another player ahead of him on the depth chart went down with injury, Storie made the most of the opportunity and amassed 1,832 rushing yards and 21 TDs. He also caught eight passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. “(Logan) is very talented and we will rely on him a great deal,” says Roden. “Our QB Alex Maxwell is back and he also gives us a great deal of experience.” On the defensive side, EC returns leading tackler (88 tackles) Tanner Yocum and three other senior linebackers: Landon Foster, Logan Moser, and Jayden Williamson. Keegan Gindling and Elliot Johnson are seniors on the D-line with junior Gaar Ertel. The secondary is all-new. Roden believes his team will be a real threat for a state title come November.

@rodenjustin's Trojans will be wearing some new helmets for their battle against Lawrenceburg in the Showdown this year! pic.twitter.com/vcNKViEJi7