Carlisle football: preseason survey

Team: Carlisle Indians

Division/Region: D-V, Region 20; no change from last season.

Affiliation: Southwestern Buckeye League, Buckeye Division.

Location: Laughlin Field, Carlisle (Warren County).

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Head coach: Mike Brown, fourth season as the Indians' head coach; 21-11 overall record at Carlisle, 54-23 combined career. Previously was the head coach at Cincinnati Summit Country Day.

Assistant coaches: Matt Hodge, OC; Brian Woll, DC; Chad Allen; Alex Hemmelgarn; Tony Phillips; Richard Grimes.

2017 records: 4-2 SWBL Buckeye, 7-3 overall.

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2017 highlights: Tagged with the cruelest fate, finishing ninth and one spot out of qualifying for the postseason. That snapped a streak of two straight playoff teams. Bad timing cost Carlisle as much as anything; beaten foes Miami Trace, Waynesville and Northridge all were 1-9.

Rebounded from a season-opening pounding by rival Franklin to win five straight, including a 43-41 OT shootout defeat of Oakwood and a 34-7 Week 6 win at Preble Shawnee. Losses to Madison (11-3) and Milton-Union (4-6) followed, knocking Carlisle out of playoff contention. Took out Eaton and Dixie in Weeks 9-10 to tie Preble Shawnee for runner-up in the Buckeye Division and build momentum for 2018.

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Senior LB Spencer Mayes ranked third in the SWBL with eight sacks and senior DB Jake Moore had four INTs. He also was the starting QB.

Electrifying senior D.J. Chambers saved his best for last, putting a career-high 202 yards rushing and three TDs on Dixie in a blowout win. The speedster accounted for 1,175 yards of offense and 16 TDs. He’ll continue his career at Wilmington College.

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Key returners:

Nathan Berger, 6-2, 185, sr., OL/DL

Dane Flatter, 5-11, 170, sr., RB/LB

Zach Jewell, 6-3, 200, sr., QB/DL

Ryan Neal, 5-6, 140, sr., RB/DB

Chandler Workman, 6-2, 245, sr., OL/DL

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Transfers: None.

About the Indians: Three new opponents. Neighboring rival Franklin (8-3) is replaced by a Week 1 visit to Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (8-3), which lost to Madison in a D-V, Region 20 semifinal last season.

A four-season contract with Miami Trace has ended. Instead, Carlisle will host Springfield Kenton Ridge (6-4) of the Central Buckeye Conference in Week 2.

Also, Eaton (3-7) is bumped with a Week 5 visit to Brookville (6-4) in the SWBL crossover rotation.

“Will be young, but have experienced seniors.” – coach Brown.

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Fun facts: The other Carlisle (Pa.) Indians have a storied place in early football history. That's where Pop Warner introduced the world to Jim Thorpe and proved college football thrived at programs other than Harvard and Yale.

Thorpe would become one of the world’s most recognized athletes after starring in the 1912 summer Olympics at Stockholm. Many of his Native American teammates at Carlisle joined him with the Canton Bulldogs in what served as the NFL precursor.

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Schedule: All at 7 p.m.

Week 1: Fri., Aug. 24 at Cin. Hills Christian Academy

Week 2: Fri., Aug. 31 KENTON RIDGE

Week 3: Fri., Sept. 7 at Oakwood

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Week 4: Fri., Sept. 14 at Dixie

Week 5: Fri., Sept. 21 at Brookville

Week 6: Fri., Sept. 28 NORTHRIDGE

Week 7: Fri., Oct. 5 at Madison

Week 8: Fri., Oct. 12 at Waynesville