The last five seasons have been quite the thrill for Bishop Luers football.
Four sectional titles. Four regional titles. Three semistate titles. The Class 2A state championship in 2023.
Last season, the Knights were bumped up to Class 3A due to the IHSAA’s Success Factor. All they did was advance to the state finals, where they lost to Heritage Hills.
Despite graduation and some transfers, Bishop Luers is poised to make another deep run in Class 3A, and if it isn’t careful, find itself bumped to Class 4A for 2026.
But first things first, this year’s team has business to attend to.
This will be, without question, one of the most dominant units in the trenches that the Knights have had in quite some time. Brothers Ayle and Jarron Taylor anchor the defensive front. Combined, they amassed 30 tackles for loss, 18 sacks and 179 tackles a year ago. Fellow senior Chuck McBride will see action on the edge, as well as brothers Nick Holley, a sophomore, and Darius Holley, a freshman.
Offensively up front, Zack Wall will move to center and bring a senior presence in the middle. Junior Josh Morgan is a talent at guard along with senior Quenten Price. Also in the mix will be senior Jonas Muya, a 6-foot-8 monster transfer from LaPorte that will be a force on the gridiron and the basketball court.
“We should be anchored by large and experienced offensive and defensive linemen,” Bishop Luers coach Kyle Lindsay said. “We feel we have some really quality depth on our lines, which is encouraging for both the present and the future.”
Also encouraging for the future is a talent-laden sophomore class, which is where the starting quarterback will come from. With the transfers of Jayden White (to Wayne where dad Darrion is now head coach) and Devin Patterson (to South Side), the pressure is now put on Thomas Reichert and Knox Johnson, who are still battling for the QB1 job.
Daryea Williams and his 1,490 yards rushing from last year have graduated, and Dee Hogue transferred to Northrop. All told, the Knights are without their top five rushers of 2024. Look for senior Danny Arnold to be looked upon more in the backfield, with sophomores TJ Epperson and Brandon Gaither Jr. each full of immense promise.
As for receivers, senior McKale Woodson is the only player back who caught more than seven passes last season. McBride and Peter Brough are options at tight end, while Dereon Carswell will get some time on offense.
Back on defense, Brayden Mygrant is back after securing 82 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks and a pair of INTs last year. He and Woodson will be looked upon to lead the back two levels of a defense that lost quite a bit.
It is an interesting place that the Knights find themselves in. In recent years, the linemen have been scarce but the proven skill players have been aplenty. Heading into 2025, Lindsay feels the most confident he ever has in his lines, but success will hinge on a lot of sophomores and juniors finding their way on Friday nights.
WHY #9?
Coach Kyle Lindsay has really found his groove with his alma mater. Moving up to Class 3A did not see any real drop in production when it came postseason success, although there were more challenges along the way. With an big, physical cadre of linemen in the stable, Bishop Luers is going to be a tough out for everyone every week. If the sophomore quarterback, whoever it is, can mature quickly and the sophomore class begins delivering on its hype, the Knights will be SAC “B” Division champions again.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
Exiting last season and seeing what Bishop Luers had lined up to return, Blitz felt that this could be a year where the Knights compete for an SAC title. But transfers took away some of the heavy hitters, including Daveon Surry, Hogue and both starting quarterbacks from last season.
There is no doubt that this team can be good, but the margin for error is smaller without some of those pieces from last year. It also puts a lot more pressure on underclassmen to deliver.
The beauty of it, of course, is that SAC contention is secondary to being ready for the Class 3A playoffs. It’s how Luers has always been. Conference is nice, but this program aims to win big trophies over Thanksgiving weekend.
If the sophomores find their groove, another run to state is possible.
CRITICAL GAME
Week 5 vs. North Side
There are not very many gimmies on the Bishop Luers schedule. This game, which will also be Homecoming for the Knights, will likely decide the “B” Division championship.
Prior to this game, Bishop Luers will have played Leo, Andrean, Snider and South Side. Remember, the Archers beat Bishop Luers last year.
North Side is ultra-talented and the schedule lays out for the Legends to where they could very well be 4-0 heading into this showdown.
Should be a fun one off Clinton St. come Sept. 19.
CRUCIAL PLAYER
The Offensive Line
OK, this is kind of cheating. But hey, it’s Blitz’s countdown, he can do whatever he wants.
Whoever is at quarterback is going to be young and inexperienced. Most of the running backs and wide receivers are going to be young and inexperienced.
So that puts the pressure on the offensive front to deliver. It is big, talented and deep. The more dominant the guys in the trenches are, the more opportunity it gains the newbies to the starting lineup to develop and gain confidence.
If the young quarterback has to improvise with constant pressure in his face or their are no holes for the runners, the Knights are going to have issues. This line is built different, and it is expected to perform up to the high expectations the coaching staff has thrust upon it.
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