The Carroll Cougars come into this season after a strong 2024, but a disappointing loss to Pioneer in the Sectional semi-final.
“I learned a lot of things,” Carroll head coach Blake Betzner said. “It’s driven our program. It’s refocused me, it’s refocused our team, it’s refocused our coaching staff. You have to take bad things and use them for your program. We’re taking that and using it to continue to build our program.”
The Cougars finished 10-1 last year and outscored opponents by an average of 23 points.
The Cougars graduated a handful of talented players, but still return some strong pieces.
Fullback Aiden Wiles and running back Emery Deaton highlight the skill position group, while Travis Tinsman and Kingston Ayres anchor the trenches for the 2025 season.
“Emery and Aiden Wiles are two big pieces of our program,” Betzner said. “How those two perform and how healthy they stay will determine a lot. I’m not sure we’ve had two better skill guys at the same time at Carroll since I’ve been here.”
The wide receiver room took a hit, with Cayson Fellows, Carter Mullins, and Eli Falkenberg all graduating. The Cougars also look to a new signal caller, after three-year starter Luke Tanner graduated.
Cale Peters steps in under center, a versatile running quarterback who spent two years backing up Tanner. Peters is coming off an injury suffered during baseball season, but is expected to be ready to go for week one.
Carroll will open up with two games on the road against Caston and 3A Maconaquah before the home opener against Taylor.
“Caston is going to be a good opponent because they know us,” Betzner said. “We picked up Maconaquah because we wanted to play a 3A opponent, and it will be a good opportunity to see where we stand. If we stick with them, we know we’re pretty good; if they blow us out, we’ll know we have a lot of work to do.”
In week four, the Cougars get their first appearance on Hoosierland TV when they take on Delphi in the Game of the Week.
Listen to the full interview with Blake Betzner by clicking here: