Woodmen football is on a search to get the bad taste out of their mouth from last year’s loss to Perry Meridian in front of a big crowd for their homecoming game. Perry is the lone 6A contender in the Mid-State conference. However do not let their enrollment portray them as a superpower. Perry entered the Mid-State prior to the 2018-19 season and since entering they hold a conference record of 4-31, their best showing being a 2-5 conference season last year with wins in close battles between the Greenwood Woodmen and the Decatur Central Falcons.
The Falcons, coming off a 4-7 record, are fighting hard for an over .500 season with a (1-3) start with a loss to a rising Franklin Central team and two close conference games with a 20-26 overtime loss to Franklin Community and a 20-21 loss to Plainfield . After last year’s 1-9 season, the woodmen are looking at an up season with an 3-1 record going into the matchup. The Woodmen are on seeking revenge as last season was the first time in four years the falcons won the matchup.
With a historic start to the season, Senior Quarterback Brock Riddle thinks this matchup will be no different.
“We know we can score the ball against anybody. I think we’ve proven that all year. We need to keep the same energy we’ve had going to this matchup and keep proving we are a completely different team than people saw last season,” Riddle said.
Defensively, the woodmen have been taking a step in the right direction each game they have played.
“It is a new system, new coordinators, first year varsity players, everything was new this year. Early on we faced some growing pains when adjusting to it all but as the season goes on we are figuring it out,” senior linebacker Cooper Smith said.
The woodmen have a plethora of key returners on defense, but there is also a good amount of first year varsity players getting big time this season.
“We have a good core of senior linebackers with varsity experience leading the defense. Our defensive line is full of varsity experience as well, but our secondary only has one returning starter from last year being me. Early on it definitely showed with some big defensive breakdowns, but as the year has gone on we have cleaned it up and we have a fine-tuned defense going into this game,” senior cornerback Josh Amburgy said.
The players accredit their early success this season to offseason work with Strength and Conditioning coach Jerrod Watson
“We all worked hard this offseason. A big thanks goes to Watson for sure. We lifted with him over the summer before our practices and scrimmages and he made sure we were going to be playing at our best this season,” senior Running back Alan Burnett said.
