Shelbyville hasn't had much luck against Pendleton Heights recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Golden Bears will take on the Arabians at 7:00 p.m. Shelbyville is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 27.9 points per game this season.
Shelbyville took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They claimed a resounding 49-21 win over Mt. Vernon. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Golden Bears considering their three-point performance the game before.
Donavon Martin
| 08/29/25 vs Rushville | 225 |
| 10/10/25 vs Mt. Vernon | 216 |
| 09/05/25 vs Delta | 138 |
| 09/12/25 @ New Castle | 124 |
| 08/22/25 @ Greensburg | 111 |
| + 3 more games |
It was another big night for Donavon Martin, who rushed for 216 yards and four touchdowns. Shelbyville is 4-1 when Martin posts 100 or more rushing yards, but 0-3 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Camden Thoman, who picked up 100 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Shelbyville was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 313 rushing yards. They are 3-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Meanwhile, Pendleton Heights entered their tilt with Yorktown on Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They skirted past the Tigers 24-22.
Shelbyville better keep an eye on Brandt Gray. He was instrumental in Pendleton Heights' win, rushing for 97 yards and two scores, while also throwing for 184 yards and one touchdown while completing 82.4% of his passes. Those 184 passing yards gave Gray a new career-high. A healthy portion of Gray's aerial production (84 yards to be exact) went to Cooper Sims, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
One reason for the win was Pendleton Heights' imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for six sacks. In that department, Rylan Keesling was the leader with four. He also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with ten.
The victory got Shelbyville back to even at 4-4. As for Pendleton Heights, their record is now 7-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Shelbyville has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 194.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pendleton Heights struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 197.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Shelbyville was taken down by Pendleton Heights 42-14 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Golden Bears, Keaton Jones (who rushed for 124 yards and four TDs) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
