EIAC opponents better than their records show

If in nothing else, there’s at least one area where Corydon Central and Greensburg will be similar coming into Friday night’s Class 3A Sectional 23 opener: both have first-year head coaches.
For the Panthers, it’s Jason Timberlake, who has guided his club to a 7-2 mark.
The host Pirates have Eric Schreiber in their corner. Schreiber formerly coached at Bishop Noll. He and his Greensburg team are heading into sectional play after winning their first game of the season, defeating North Decatur (1-8) last Friday, 21-13.
Greensburg is primarily a running team, having gained 1,887 yards in 449 plays (4.2 ypc.). The team has run 92 pass plays for 592 yards.
The Pirates have shown a propensity to give the ball away, averaging 3.2 turnovers per game.
Greensburg averages 12 points a game and gives up an average of 30.7. The Pirates have been shut out three times this season and finished last in the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference.
Returning starting quarterback Tyler Porter (6-2, 170), a scrambler, leads the offense. He’ll be flanked by junior fullback James Ogle (5-9, 200), who was averaging just over 100 yards a game early in the season. Ogle gained over 200 yards in one matchup this season.
Sophomore halfback and kicker Stew Smith (5-6, 156) and tight end Rod Fiske (5-10, 175) will also see action.
The Pirates, who lost two games in the waning minutes this season, have eight seniors.
The last time Corydon Central and Greensburg squared off in 1998, the Pirates humbled the host Panthers, 22-8. The same was true in the 1997 playoffs in a 50-0 shutout by Greensburg.
The winner of Friday’s Corydon-Greensburg matchup will host Brown County on Oct. 29.
Batesville will throw a roster of backfield players at North Harrison Friday night at the tournament opener in Ramsey. Kickoff is at 8 p.m.
The Bulldogs, who were fifth in the six-team Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference, are led by quarterback Korey Padgett, who threw for 230 yards in a victory over rival Greensburg earlier this year.
Senior running back Chris Heil will see a bulk of the carries, but David Barber, Travis Cook and Justin Rowland could all get touches, too.
The passing corps is filled by Padgett’s favorite target, Jimmy Moorman (four catches, 98 yards vs. Greensburg), Kyle Green, Colin Becker, Shawn Morton and tight end Abe Sitterding. Matt Krieger is the kicker for the Bulldogs.
While Batesville started the season primarily as a run-oriented offense, the Bulldogs have thrown for more than 200 yards in a pair of late-season wins.
In its four wins, Batesville rushed for 130 and threw for 65 against Jennings County; rushed for 337 and threw for 79 against Milan; rushed for 128 and threw for 207 against Lawrenceburg, and rushed for 323 and threw for 230 against Greensburg.
The Bulldogs are three-time Sectional 23 champions and haven’t lost an opening game in the tournament since 1998. North Harrison hasn’t won a sectional opener since 1999.