There will be talent on the Fishers football field this season, and there will be some familiarity as well.
The Tigers begin their season tonight by hosting North Central at Reynolds Tigers Stadium. Fishers will have solid experience on offense, including two explosive players, and will be presenting something new when it comes to the defensive end.
“Practice has been going well and the players seem eager to improve from last season,” said second-year Fishers coach Curt Funk. “We will continue to build throughout the season and keep working on the fundamentals.”
First, the offense. Tight end Jeffrey Simmons, a star since his freshman year, will be a force on the receiving end. He led the team in catches with 50, including two touchdowns. Meanwhile, junior Carson Dunn broke out for the Tigers in a big way last season, carrying for 787 yards and scoring five touchdowns.
Left guard Caleb Hart and center Jaxon Hyatt are Fishers’ returning offensive linemen. Senior Collin McPeek and junior Aidan Zimmer bring back experience at wide receiver, and senior Dom Oliverio is another returner; he is slated for the H-back position on offense. The quarterback will be junior Luke Minns; he played in a couple varsity games last year.
Other offensive starters are sophomore left tackle Grant Haworth, junior David Jacobs at right guard and Tony Crane at right tackle.
“I think our strengths on offense will be another year familiar with a new system,” said Funk. “We are young in some areas, but we feel like we can improve as the season progresses. Our players are eager to learn and grow on offense.”
The defense has several returning players as well. Senior nose tackle Curtis Kearshner had 55 stops for the Tigers last season, including a team-leading 10.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks.
Oliverio will also play defense, as one of the linebackers. Senior Caleb VanDer Kamp returns as one of the defensive ends, while senior Jake Gates and junior Grady Stanley also bring back experience at linebacker. Three more returning players that will start on defense are senior Dawson Scally at free safety, senior Jack Alvarez at strong saftey and junior Grant Shelton in the cornerback position.
Other defensive starters include sophomore Brady Wolf at defensive end, senior Zach Willard at linebacker and junior Jaz Boykin at corner back.
“On defense, we are implementing a new scheme and the players have adjusted well,” said Funk.
“Our defense is picking up on it, but we still have areas to improve.”
After hosting North Central tonight, Fishers plays at Pike next Friday. The Tigers open Hoosier Crossroads Conference play on Sept. 3 at Noblesville.
