29/07/2025
The Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference features teams with State Championship aspirations, and tight competition amongst the middle of the pack. It is one of the most exciting mid-size conferences in Indiana, and here is the outlook for the EIAC.
*The EIAC is split up into two divisions: Big School and Small School. We will look at the “Big School” division first, then the “Small School” division.
Big School Division
5A East Central Trojans (8-4; 3-0 EIAC; Lost 21-16 to Decatur Central in Regional)
Head Coach: Jake Meiners (65-13; 7th Season)
Key Returners
RB: Ryan Minges
QB: Nolan Maple
MLB/DE: Jake Beare
Key Departures
Def: Cole Sebastian
Def: Alex Kuhn
FS/SS/CB: Carson Pieczonka
The jump from 4A to 5A didn’t slow East Central down too much, but it was enough to end their dreams of three straight State Titles. Still, they enjoyed a solid season, featuring only one regular season loss to an in-state opponent and extended their conference winning streak to an impressive 54 games. The last time the Trojans failed to take home a conference/division title was all the way back in 2009.
The Trojans have some top talent returning for 2025 as well, led by star running back Ryan Minges, who is already garnering Division I interest after his Sophomore season. Colton Bellmans should be a nice wingman in the backfield with Nolan Maple also returning at Quarterback. On defense, East Central graduates their top five leading tacklers, so guys like Jake Beare are going to be asked to step up into major roles.
The Trojans have the talent on offense to win the EIAC Big School division, and a scheduling gauntlet at the beginning of the season featuring Lawrenceburg, Harrison (Ohio), and 6A Lawrence North in weeks one through three means the Trojans will be battle tested. The key will be filling the holes along the defense, especially in 5A Sectional 14 against teams like Whiteland and Franklin Community. The Trojans fell just five points shy of defeating the eventual 5A state champions last season, so watch for East Central to make a run at the 5A state title.
3A Lawrenceburg Tigers (10-2; 2-1 EIAC; Lost 21-7 to Batesville in Sectional Championship)
Head Coach: Ryan Knigga (130-42; 15th Season)
Key Returners
CB/QB: Crue Gilmour
WR/CB: Keaten McGrath
MLB/FB: Kinser Pope
Key Departures
RB/CB: Landon Cornett
LB: Noah Knigga
OLB/SB: Cole Holder
One of the most consistent 3A programs in the state, Lawrenceburg enjoyed its seventh 10+ win season in nine years in 2024, but a loss to Batesville in the Sectional Championship for the second season in a row put a sour note at the end of a solid year. It is the only time in Ryan Knigga’s tenure that Lawrenceburg won 10 or more games and failed to secure a post season title . However, with a boatload of returning production, the Tigers are primed to come back stronger in 2025.
Dual threat Quarterback Crue Gilmour and his favorite target Keaton McGrath are returning for their Senior seasons. Juniors Kinser Pope and Jacob Baker made some big contributions on defense last fall, but filling the hole left by Noah Knigga will be tough. Much like East Central, the question marks are more prevalent on defense than on offense.
To win a Conference title, Lawrenceburg simply has to beat East Central in the season opener, something that hasn’t been done since 1992. With 3A Sectional 30 being essentially an EIAC round robin aside from Purdue Poly, who has never had a winning season, Lawrenceburg will be building a notebook for the postseason from week three onwards. We saw last year how regular season success does not always translate to the postseason as the Tigers lost to Batesville in the Sectional Championship despite blanking the Bulldogs 24-0 in the regular season. That being said, Lawrenceburg might be the favorite heading into this Sectional, and the Tigers could be positioned to make a deep run.
3A Batesville Bulldogs (9-4; 1-2 EIAC; Lost 42-0 to Heritage Hills in Semi-State)
Head Coach: Evan Ulery (61-42; 10th Season)
Key Returners
RB/WR: Zadiin Small
MLB/FB: Brycin Hoegeman
QB/MLB: Dylan Shane
Key Departures
QB/RB/FS: Will Jaisle
RB/DE: Gage Pohlman
TE/LB: Judd Renck
WR/DB: Damien Dance
Evan Ulery has taken Batesville from middle of the road to a genuine contender the last two seasons. In 2024, he led Batesville to their first Regional since 1986 before falling to the eventual state champions, Heritage Hills, in the Semi-State. It’s a season that Ulery and the Bulldogs can be proud of, but 2025 is a new year with a new-look team.
The Bulldogs lose their starting quarterback (Will Jaisle), leading rusher (Gage Pohlman), and each of their top five leading receivers, and these individuals accounted for nearly 80% of Batesville’s offensive touchdowns last season. Zadiin Small is the lone key contributor on offense returning. On defense, the Bulldogs graduate their top five tacklers, meaning Brycin Hoegeman and Dylan Shane will have to step up after nice seasons as Sophomores.
With the fight that Lawrenceburg will put up in 3A Sectional 30, it will be a tall task for Batesville to win a third Sectional in a row. The conference race will come down to beating East Central, whom the Bulldogs play week five and have not beaten since 2013. With a lot of new faces and stiff competition on all fronts, Ulery has his work cut out for him in 2025.
4A Connersville Spartans (2-8; 0-3 EIAC; Lost 40-20 to Silver Creek in Sectional)
Head Coach: Ryan Lynch (11-21; 4th Season)
Key Returners
QB: Noah Patterson (Cambridge City Lincoln Transfer)
RB/DB: Parker Flanigan
LB/RB: Brayden Keller
Key Departures
RB/FS: Micah Buchanan
DB/WR: Aric Fox
Connersville has come back to earth the last two years after going 7-5 in Ryan Lynch’s debut season in 2022. The Spartans started with a promising 2-1 record averaging 28.6 points per game, but they proceeded to lose their last seven in a row, failing to score more than eight points in six of those games including three shutouts. It was essentially the same story as 2023, but, does Lynch have enough to recapture the magic of his first season?
The Spartans have picked up Noah Patterson via transfer, who was asked to carry the load for a lackluster Cambridge City Lincoln team in 2024, and he’ll probably compete with Rylan Keen for the starting quarterback job. Aside from that, most of the same cast returns as Connersville had only two seniors that contributed at skill positions, Micah Buchanan and Aric Fox.
The Spartans have made some schedule adjustments for 2025. They’ve dropped South Dearborn and Speedway in favor of Madison and Indianapolis Crispus Attucks. Time will tell if that leads to more wins, but the Spartans conference schedule does not begin until week seven, so, the team has some time to gel before EIAC play begins.
Small School Division
3A Rushville Lions (6-4; 3-0 EIAC; Lost 33-19 to Franklin County in Sectional)
Head Coach: Rick Zimmerman (1st Season @ Rushville; 72-119; 21st Season Overall)
Key Returners
RB/OLB: Quinn Barada
LB/RB: Sam Pavey
TE/LB/QB: Eli Pavey
Key Departures
QB/FS: Nick Jarman
WR/SS: Braydon Wilson
MLB/TE/DE: Adrian Apodaca
Rushville enjoyed its’ best season in years in 2024, as they had their first winning record since 2013 and their first conference title since 1988. Isaac Sliger did a nice job with the Lions, but he has sice departed for Greensburg Rick Zimmerman makes his return to the sidelines, and it is his first time coaching a 3A team.
The offense is built around the running back duo of Quinn Barada and Sam Pavey. However, Rushville is looking for a new quarterback and top receiver with Nick Jarman and Braydon Wilson graduating. The defense has some returning talent including Sam and Eli Pavey.
The Lions start off the season with four consecutive road games, and that stretch is capped off by a critical conference game against Franklin County and a measuring stick game against Batesville. Those two games could be very telling for how good Rushville is this season. Being in 3A Sectional 30 along with all of the other EIAC 3A schools, Rushville will be prepared for Sectionals, but, like they found out last season, beating a team twice is no small task.
3A Franklin County Wildcats (7-4; 2-1 EIAC; Lost 28-21 to Batesville in Sectional)
Head Coach: Wes Gillman (33-38; 8th Season @ Franklin County; 47-61; 12th Season Overall)
Key Returners
RB/MLB: Mason Wewe
G/Def: Nathan Schallick
OLB/WR: Blake Stephenson
Key Departures
QB/FS: Quinn Gillman
WR/CB: Braylon Kruthaupt
DE/T: Lane Westerman
Franklin County has primarily been a solid, but not spectacular program over the last decade and a half. The move to the “Small School” division meant the Wildcats had their best chance in years at a conference title, only to lose by 3 to the Rushville Lions. Franklin County still got the last laugh over Rushville in the Sectional, but another heartbreaker against Batesville the following week ended the Wildcats postseason ambitions.
Quinn Gillman has graduated, leaving Franklin County with a gaping hole at quarterback. Mason Wewe can help to make up for some of that production loss on the ground, but the loss of Braylon Kruthaupt and Jack Seals will put a spotlight on Carter Dozier as a receiver. On defense. Nathan Shallick was the third leading tackler, and both Wewe and Stephenson will contribute on defense as well.
That week three contest against Rushville will go a long way towards deciding where the EIAC Small School Division goes this season. Keep in mind that the Wildcats came within a touchdown of beating Batesville for the Sectional Championship last year so watch for that week eight matchup to give us a sneak peek at what could be a solid Sectional matchup.
3A South Dearborn Knights (4-6; 1-2 EIAC; Lost 34-8 to Lawrenceburg in Sectional)
Head Coach: Rand Ballart (46-56; 11th Season)
Key Returners
WR/TE: Wyatt Adams
MLB/OLB: Brady Ballart
OLB/WR: Tyeler Gulden
Key Departures
QB: Conor Huff
RB: Carson Cheek
DE/MLB: Caden Thompson
2024 started off strong for South Dearborn with a 4-1 record and a narrow loss to Batesville, only to lose five straight games to finish the season. The year ended with a whimper as they lost by four touchdowns to Lawrenceburg in the Sectional. In 2025, a new crew will be tasked with finishing the job for Rand Ballart and the Knights.
Wyatt Adams is the leading returning contributor on offense with Conor Huff and Carson Cheek graduating. Finding a new quarterback to get Adams the ball will be critical to South Dearborn’s success in 2025. Brady Ballart returns on defense alongside Tyeler Gulden in what should be a solid linebacking corps.
Like last season, the schedule starts off easier for South Dearborn before ramping up in weeks six through nine with East Central, Franklin County, Rushville, and Lawrenceburg. If South Dearborn can get some wins in that stretch, that could be the boost they need to make some noise in the sectional, and a Conference title could be in play in these games too.
3A Greensburg Pirates (1-10; 0-4 EIAC Lost 59-6 to Lawrenceburg in Sectional)
Head Coach: Isaac Sliger (1st Season @ Greensburg; 11-29; 5th Season Overall)
Key Returners
RB/MLB: Austin Cruz
WR/FS: Carson Kilgore
QB/MLB: Bryson Abplanalp
Key Departures
G/NG: Zion Ford
DT/T: Reed Hungerford
NG/C: Xander Friend
Greensburg finally broke their 20 game losing streak in the Sectional opener last fall against Purdue Poly. It turned out to be the only win of Wes Anderson’s tenure, as Isaac Sliger comes in from Rushville. This is an interesting hire, as Sliger was able to turn Rushville around from a winless team in his first season to Conference Champions.
Sliger does have some nice young talent returning, notably two-way stars Austin Cruz, Carson Kilgore, and Bryson Abplanalp. Now, considering the team went 1-10 last season, we’ll see if Sliger intends to make changes with this trio or not. However, they were easily the three best players on the team last year.
Sliger knows that rebuilds take time, and, if Rushville was any indication, Greensburg might not turn it around right away. The Pirates also have a tough schedule featuring every EIAC team plus 4As Shelbyville and Greenfield-Central. Hopefully they can get an upset win or two to get things pointed in the right direction.
