By Anthony Mock
MaxPreps.com
Lucas Oil Stadium, the new home of the Indianapolis Colts, hosts its first ever football game this weekend. The first player to light up the scoreboard, however, will not be wearing a horseshoe on his helmet.
Two games will take place on Friday as part of the ninth PeyBack Classic, an event sponsored by Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning that gives its proceeds to local area schools in need, as well as to organizations that actively advance the welfare of disadvantaged children.
The Classic changes its participating teams every year, and has included such powerhouses as Lawrence North and Warren Central, state champions in 2003-2006.
This year, the first game pits Fishers against Noblesville, while the second game features Whiteland opening its schedule with New Palestine for the fourth straight year.
Fishers, now in its fifth year of existence, achieved its first winning record in school history last year, finishing 6-4. The Tigers will be counting on several new players to fill in on their offense, having lost nine starters, including their entire offensive line, from last year.
Similarly, Noblesville has several new key components, including head coach Lance Scheib. Scheib is directing a squad that has to replace several starters from a year ago, including their quarterback and their top two running backs. Scheib takes over the Millers’ program after coaching the past nine seasons at Franklin Central High School in southern Indianapolis, where he went 48-27 over his past seven seasons and spearheaded an undefeated season in 2002.
Perhaps the strongest of all the squads, Whiteland is coming off a 7-5 season that ended in a sectional final loss to Cathedral. The Warriors are poised to do big things this year, as they boast 33 seniors and 17 returning starters including standout defensive end Mitch Meador. In the preseason coaches’ poll, Whiteland was voted sixth in class 4A.
“We’ve got 10 starters coming back on offense, so we’re pretty heavily experienced on that side, but we’re pretty balanced overall,” head coach Darren Fisher said. “The thing we’ve really been working on most is our special teams. We lost our kicker/punter, a three-year starter, so now we have to figure out how to compensate for that.”
Conversely, New Palestine is the most inexperienced team in the Classic. The Dragons, who went 5-5 last year, have eight new starters on each side of the ball, but plan to do some damage on the ground with a stable of good running backs and a fast quarterback.
The PeyBack Classic draws good crowds, and it is certainly awe-inspiring to walk into a brand new stadium and play on the same surface as some of the greatest football players in the world. All of the players know the significance of Friday night’s games, but they also know how to get down to business.
“It’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go down (to Lucas Oil Stadium), and the players are all excited about it,” New Palestine head coach Doug Armstrong said. “But once kick-off comes, it’s time to play ball.”
The Marsh Indiana Invitational follows the Classic on Saturday with four games, the first kicking off at 11 a.m. The Invitational features Heritage Christian versus Elwood, Shelbyville squaring-off with Greensburg, Zionsville pitted against Lafayette Jefferson and Hamilton Southeastern taking on Avon.
The weekend’s biggest game will also be the first high school football game in the state of Indiana to be broadcast by ESPN. Saturday at noon on ESPN360, defending 5A champion Carmel faces Indianapolis Cathedral.
Carmel enters the season ranked No. 11 nationally by MaxPreps and features one of the state’s top signal callers in recent Kentucky commitment Morgan Newton.
