For the first time since 1985, Brownsburg is an Indiana high school football champ. The Bulldogs beat Westfield 22-17 Friday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, for the Class 6A high school football champ.
Both teams entered the game highly-ranked in the High School Football America 300 national rankings, powered by NFL Play Football. Westfield was ranked No. 79, while the Bulldogs were No. 106.
The title is the first for Brownsburg since winning back-to-back titles in 1984 and 1985.
The game came down to the final play with Brownsburg intercepting a pass at the goal line as time expired.
With the victory, Hart became the first coach in championship history to guide three different schools to a title after winning with 4A Evansville Reitz in 2007 and 5A Warren Central in 2009. He is just the third to take three different schools to the title game, joining Russ Radtke and Craig Buzea.
“I’m just really grateful,” Brownsburg head coach John Hart told IHSAA.org. “They do humble me – the community does, the school does, and obviously this team. I think a lot of people called us about a 5-5 football team starting out the year, and I don’t know that I was arguing with them. That’s how far they’ve grown and fought together and made believers of everybody.”
Brownsburg QB Iosua Stephens named Mental Attitude Award recipient
During the awards ceremony, Iosua Stephens of Brownsburg High School was announced by the IHSAA Executive Committee as the recipient of the Phil N. Eskew Mental Attitude Award in Class 6A Football.
The award is annually presented to a senior who is nominated by his principal and coach, and has demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability during his four years of high school.
Iosua ranks in the top 15 percent of his class, has made Academic Honor Roll every semester, and is a member of Brownsburg’s chapter of the National Honor Society.
A team captain for the football team, Iosua is an Athletic Ambassador, and an academic mentor for elementary school students. He also plays basketball and runs track and field for Brownsburg.
The son of Joshua and Lorena Stephens of Brownsburg, IN, he is currently undecided on where he will attend college but is interested in studying Finance.
The award is named in honor of Commissioner Phil N. Eskew, who served as the IHSAA’s third commissioner from 1962-76. Under his leadership, the IHSAA football state tournament was initiated in 1973.
The Indianapolis Colts, the presenting sponsor of the state tournament, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Brownsburg High School’s general scholarship fund in the name of Iosua Stephens.
Click here for game box score
