FORT BRANCH – Following a 7-3 season in 2024, one that ended with a 35-18 Sectional-opening loss to eventual IHSAA Class 3A State Champion Heritage Hills in late October, Gibson Southern High School Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Nick Hart and all in the program immediately got back to work and began the process of preparing for the 2025 campaign, which, following the program’s ‘between-seasons’ schedule, officially started with the beginning of practice on August 4, and will continue with the Maroon-Gold intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday before the team then competes in its official IHSAA preseason scrimmage at Evansville Central on August 15. Following the scrimmage at Central, the Titans will make their official 2025 debut at Jack Jewell Memorial Field on August 22 when they host Danville (Indiana) at 6:30 p.m. Central.

“We have a lot of guys on this team that have played a lot of football, and guys that are three-and-four year starters. It’s a group we’re excited about,” said Coach Hart of the 2025 Titans’ squad, which was ranked No. 3 in the Indiana Football Coaches Association Preseason Class 3A Poll that was released earlier this week.

Following the program’s first loss in its postseason opener since 2016, “It was a lot longer offseason than what we’ve been used to, which is good and bad,” said Hart, who enters his 14th season as the Titans’ Head Coach. “With our Sectional, if you’re able to win that, you’re going to have a chance to go on a really-long run (in the postseason). With the way the draw played out (in 2024), we played the (eventual) 3A Champs in the first round.”

“You never want it to end early, but in looking ahead, it gave us some more time to kind of get things going for this year,” Hart added. “These guys have done a great job all offseason and throughout the Summer to get us to this point.”

Having a senior-and-junior-laden team figures to benefit the Titans in the season ahead, as they will again play a challenging schedule both in the Pocket Athletic Conference and in its non-conference slate.

Following the 2024 season, “I got in great shape because of wrestling and carried that into the spring and was able to continue building strength, while also training to improve my speed and agility,” said Brody Klem, a three-year All-State Football selection who is also an accomplished wrestler for the Titans as a two-time Semi-State qualifier.

“As the summer started, we started lifting more, and our practices started, which was pretty awesome,” Klem added. “The team really came together (over the summer).”

“I was still lifting throughout the spring, but not with the team (because of playing baseball),” Foster, who also was a valuable contributor for the 2025 GSHS baseball team that won a share of the PAC Championship. “I focused on my weight and my strength. I put on about 10-or-15 pounds, and my weight-room numbers skyrocketed up.”

“I felt like we had a great summer,” Foster added. “We played in two ‘7-on-7’s’.”

“We’re not there yet as a team, but these guys know what it takes in the offseason and know what it takes from a week-to-week preparation standpoint,” Hart added. “Our team will go as our seniors go, so to have that group that’s played a lot of football and has quite a bit of experience, they’re setting the tone for the rest of our football team, whether that’s in the weight room, in our speed work and our Summer practices. They’re a group, so far, that has competed at a really-high level and has set a tone for how the offseason, summer and now the season ahead are going to go.”

“We’re not quite there yet, but we’re excited about what we can become offensively as the season progresses,” Hart stated while also noting that the team will look to continue increasing its explosive (big) plays as the season progresses. “Across the board, I feel like we’re more explosive. It’s kind of been a focus for us in the offseason to improve in that area. We’ll look to mix in those ‘explosives’ to help us get down the field.”

“It’s great to compete against our defense each day,” said Foster. “For our ‘O-Line’ to go against our ‘D-Line’ every day, it’s definitely preparing them and getting them a lot better. We just have to keep competing and getting better with each rep.”

While the Titans graduated quite a bit in the backfield and on the perimeter, there is a solid core returning, led by senior QB Zach Foster (2024: Passing: 162-of-203, 2,053 Yards, 20 TD, 12 INT; Rushing: 115 carries, 483 yards, 5 TD).

“I thought Zach played well last year. Getting that year (of starting at quarterback) under his belt was huge for him,” said Hart of the Titans’ senior signal-caller, who started in the Titans’ secondary as a freshman and sophomore before taking the reins of the offense as a junior. “Other than practice and one half of Varsity football, entering last year, he hadn’t played quarterback since the eighth grade. He missed out on the natural progression of playing quarterback at the freshman/JV levels.”

Hart noted that Foster’s “understanding of defense and where to go with the football is something that you can see. The ball’s coming out quicker, and how much more confident he is on where the ball needs to go. He’s gotten a lot bigger and stronger, which has helped him with throwing the football. As a dual-threat guy, we’re a little bit more comfortable running him this year. What he’s done with his body to get stronger, that’s big for him and will help sustain him throughout the season. He’s made a big commitment and has really done a great job.”

“I feel like I grew a lot last year,” said Foster. “This year, I definitely feel more comfortable back there with my progressions, my reads and throwing the ball.”

At running back, the Titans will have a new look following the graduation of 2024 leading rusher Chase Thaxton, who ran for 654 yards and five touchdowns while also contributing 117 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Junior Eli Foster looms as a potential candidate and showed bursts of potential as a sophomore a year ago, as he had a 103-yard rushing effort at Princeton Community last September, while sophomore Tucker Deputy figures in as another backfield option.

“We have two great guys there with Tucker and Eli,” said Foster. “They come out here, compete and push each other every day. I think they’ve both grown and improved tremendously. It’ll be a scenario where we can’t go wrong with either one of them. They complement each other.”

“I thought Eli played really well as a sophomore,” said Hart of the Titans’ junior tailback. “He’s another guy that’s improved a lot in the offseason. I feel like he’s going to have a good year.”

Klem noted that “Neither one of them is afraid to step up. Both those guys run hard.”

“Tucker will (also) run it back there for us some,” added Hart. “Those two are kind of leading things at the moment, as a ‘backfield by committee’, at least to start the year, and have been splitting reps. There might be another guy or two that ends up back there. With our system, if we can kind of balance it out and keep guys fresh, it can pay off in the long run.”

The Titans graduated quite a bit of production from its wide receivers in the form of Maddux Potts (35 catches, 541 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024), Grant Stinson (42 catches, 507 yards, four touchdowns a season ago) and Seth Parsons (35 catches, 466 yards, one touchdown last season), which means that competition is ongoing to see who will emerge as perimeter threats in 2025.

“This is a group I’m really excited about,” said Hart of the Titans’ receivers. “They’re capable of being explosive at those spots.”

“The receivers have come a long way since the spring,” noted Foster. “We have some new faces and some guys that have played for three years. I’ve been able to work with the guys, getting reps and working on the timing and route-running. We’ve just been continuing to build chemistry and connection.”

“(Junior) Peyton Johnson’s a kid that played JV last year, played on the scout team and gave our defense fits the entire year,” stated Hart. “He’s had a great Summer.”

Senior Noah Kuester, who also plays basketball and competes in track and field for the Titans, returns to football after not playing a season ago.

“Those two (Johnson and Kuester) are going to be our two outside guys,” noted Hart. “I thought throughout the Summer and the 7-on-7’s, those guys really excelled and played at a high level.”

“I think they’ve both done a great job of going up to get the ball, working back to the ball, and using their big bodies as an advantage to go up over ‘DB’s’,” Foster added.

Competing for time in the Slot positions are senior Toby Pullum, senior Lloyd Sellers and senior Jake Mazzier, while Hart mentioned that junior defensive end Ben Reinhart (14 Solo Tackles, nine Assisted Tackles, 23 Total Tackles, two Tackles for Loss, one Sack, two Fumble Recoveries, two Pass Break-Ups in 2024) may also see some time at tight end.

“Jake is just an overall athlete,” Foster added. “We can get him the ball in different ways. Toby’s a very-versatile guy that can both block and run routes. Lloyd has a lot of speed. We can get him the ball in space and let him go to work.”

“Toby had a good year last year, and he’s gotten a lot stronger and more athletic,” said Hart, while noting that Sellers and Mazzier may platoon. “Where we can, with as good as those guys are, we have to figure out a way to get some of those guys (receivers and tight ends) on the field some more.”

Though the Titans graduated senior offensive lineman Kylin Eads, the Titans’ ‘O-Line’ figures to be a strength in 2025, as the Titans return three senior offensive linemen in the form of Spencer Staggs, Bobby Robinson, Blake Ulm, as well as junior Owen O’Neal, each of whom have extensive experience. The Titans’ offensive linemen paved the way for the Gibson Southern rushing attack, which ran for 1,594 yards, 5.0 yards per carry, and 22 touchdowns, and also passed for 2,064 yards and 20 touchdowns, in 2024.

“We kind of get this stereotype of being a flashy, throw-it-around, spread-it-around team, but games are won in the trenches on both sides of the ball. That’s something that hasn’t changed as offenses have evolved,” said Hart of the Titans’ veteran group of trenchmen, whom Hart shared will enter the season with 93 combined starts at the Varsity level.

“Spencer enters his fourth year as a starter, while Blake and Bobby will both be three-year starters,” said their Head Coach. “O’Neal is a junior, but started last year for us as a sophomore. With all those starts under their belt, we think there’s not going to be a whole lot of fronts, stunts or movements that can throw them off. At the other spot, we’ve got a competition going. I think the one thing that group needs to get a little bit more of, while they do everything right and do a great job, we’ve got to get a little bit more ‘nasty, mauling with physicality’ from those guys instead of being too ‘technician-like’. I think they’ll get there.”

“We return four guys back there, and they definitely have a lot of experience,” added Foster. “They’ve definitely grown from last year to this year.”

“We have a great ‘O-Line’ to go against,” shared Klem. “We each get better-and-better. In our Scrimmage against Jasper and New Albany, I feel like we played pretty well.”

“I could tell over the summer that their chemistry has gotten a lot better,” noted Klem of the offensive line, while noting that they’ve improved in multiple specific aspects of line play, such as pass blocking.

“In practice, they’re going against what I think is one of the best defensive lines in (Class) 3A and the state,” Hart added. “They’re getting pushed every single day. Those two units are going to make each other so much better throughout the season.”

(Editor’s Note: All defensive statistics cited are through the game at Boonville on October 18, 2024.)

“We’re really excited defensively with what we have on that side of the ball,” Hart shared.

There is a common adage in football that games are won and lost in the trenches, and the Titans’ combination of its aforementioned offensive and its returning production on the defensive line (all four starters on the ‘D-Line’ return from a year ago) figures to serve as the foundation of the 2025 squad.

“This is a really-unique position to be in, because we have five starting defensive linemen back for a four-man front. We’re really excited about that group in the trenches. They’re a group that can both get after the passer and stop the run,” said Hart of the Titans’ 2025 defensive unit, a group that yielded 19.6 points per contest a season ago. “There have been some years where we’ve returned the whole defensive line, but we have five guys back for four spots. Each of those five guys will bring a lot of different things to the table for us with what they can do, which we think will really help set the tone for the rest of our defense.”

The Titans’ defensive-line efforts begin with senior DT Brody Klem, a three-time All-State selection, who as a junior compiled 48 Solo Tackles, 14 Assisted Tackles, 62 Total Tackles, 26 Tackles for Loss, one Sack, one Forced Fumble, one Fumble Recovery, two Pass Break-Ups, one Blocked Punt and one Blocked Punt Return for Touchdown.

“On the line, we’ve only added. Over the summer, everyone improved in their own way,” stated Klem, who noted that the linemen have continued to focus on improving its footwork, its ability to change direction and its quickness in getting off the ball. “We didn’t lose anybody from last year, so the chemistry’s all there. We just have to keep ‘sharpening up’, fine-tuning and improving our game to see where we can get better.”

Klem, one of the premier defensive linemen in the state in 2025, is a tough-and-versatile defender that truly contributed in all ways for the Titans in 2024, as his blocked punt (and ensuing touchdown on the return) went a long way in the Titans earning a season-opening win at Danville (Indiana). He also made multiple appearances for the Titans’ offense in short-yardage and goal-line situations, where he provided a big-time impact with his blocking. Klem also converted a two-point conversion run as part of that short-yardage/goal-line package.

“Our defense starts with Brody as a three-time All-Stater,” said Hart. “He does a lot of things that don’t show up if you look at a box score and see how many tackles or how many sacks that people have. His ability to impact the game is huge. Protection gets sent to him every single time. He gets the slide (protection) sent to him and faces a lot of double-teams.”

Also returning on the defensive line for the Titans will be standout junior DT Khale Campbell (27 Solo Tackles, 15 Assisted Tackles, 42 Total Tackles, nine Sacks), senior DE Noah Ott (15 Solo Tackles, 19 Assisted Tackles, 34 Total Tackles, two Tackles for Loss, 0.5 Sack, one Forced Fumble, one Fumble Recovery), Reinhart and senior Maverick Deputy (nine Solo Tackles, nine Assisted Tackles, 18 Total Tackles, four Tackles For Loss ahead of a season-ending mid-season injury in 2024).

“Khale had a great year last year,” said his Head Coach, “and I thought Noah Ott also had a really-good year at defensive end last year. Maverick was playing very well before his injury, and then Reinhart really competed and played well last year despite being undersized at the time. Since then, he’s grown two-or-three inches taller and he’s put on a lot of good weight. He may be the first one we send off the bus on Friday nights.”

“Our two interior guys, Brody and Khale, definitely create havoc,” said Foster. “On the outside, Maverick, Noah and Ben can really set an edge and it can make it tough on the offense (with what they want to do). They’re special.”

Following the loss of then-senior All-State standout linebacker Beau Rose in the fourth week of the season, the Titans ‘backers had a ‘next-man-up’ mentality and were able to capably fill the void, beginning with the emergence of now-senior Colin Scherer (2024: 68 Solo Tackles, 32 Assisted Tackles, 100 Total Tackles, 13 Tackles for Loss, one Sack, one Forced Fumble, one Fumble Recovery, two Pass-Break-Ups; Offensive Stats: three rushing touchdowns).

In addition to Scherer, senior Gunner Alexander, who will also be a three-year starter between his time spent playing on both the offensive-and-defensive sides of the ball, emerged as one of the team’s linebackers as the season progressed a year ago.

“Colin’s going to be a three-year starter,” said Hart. “In the Semi-State a couple years ago, we started nine sophomores, and Colin and Gunner were two of those guys. Colin may be looked at as undersized for a ‘Mike’, but makes up for it in his physicality and the way that he naturally gets to the football, which is something you can’t teach. He has a nose for the ball and finds it.”

“After Colin had to bump to ‘Mike’, I think he grew a lot last year,” said Foster. “He’s a leader of the defense.”

“Gunner, I thought, played really, really well last year, especially as the year progressed,” Hart stated. “He started the year rotating at running back before he moved over and stepped up into being our ‘Will’. As the year went on, he got more-and-more reps.”

“Gunner played last year, and he can really get downhill,” added Foster.

Along with Rose, the Titans graduated Max Wahl, a 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar who accumulated 36 Solo Tackles, 18 Assisted Tackles, six Tackles for Loss, one Forced Fumble and four Pass Break-Ups a season ago on the gridiron, from its linebacker corps.

While the competition for the other linebacker position is ongoing, Hart noted that junior Ian Maikranz “has progressively gotten better as the summer has gone on. He had a great practice (on Tuesday), and he’s been playing really, really well. He’s a very-smart kid, and is kind of the ‘communicator’ on defense. His athleticism and physicality lead him into fitting into our defense very well.”

“Ian has overall had a great offseason, and coming into Fall Camp, he’s really progressing well,” added Foster.

“I feel like those guys are all doing a great job, especially with their coverages and filling the gaps. They’re a group that always hustles,” added Klem.

Aside from the return of Mazzier (13 Solo Tackles, 12 Assisted Tackles, 25 Total Tackles, one Interception and three Pass Break-Ups last year as a junior), the Titans’ secondary figures to have a new look this Fall following the graduation of key contributors Jake Richter (17 Solo Tackles, nine Assisted Tackles, 26 Total Tackles and one Forced Fumble), Waylon Finney (20 Solo Tackles, nine Assisted Tackles, 29 Total Tackles, one Tackle for Loss and one Forced Fumble, two Interceptions and two Pass Break-Ups) and Connor Wirey (who had an interception return for a touchdown against Boonville).

“Those guys are playing really well,” said Hart in discussing Titans’ 2025 secondary, while noting that Mazzier and Sellers have emerged as early candidates at the cornerback position. “We have some other guys that we just have to keep working with and figure out how the pieces to the puzzle come together and fit together.”

Hart noted that sophomore Isaac Dill and junior Lukas Kiesel have also played well at cornerback, and that “we’ll see how (Fall) Camp shakes out and how the Secondary shakes out with that Slot position as well.”

In terms of the team’s Safeties, “I think they’re all playing really well and playing at a high level,” said Hart. “We kind of have three guys competing for the two (starting) spots. Cole Ridens is a junior, Wyatt Finney is a senior and Elijah Ortiz is a junior. They’ve played really well throughout the summer and at the start of Fall Camp. That’s been a really-fun competition to watch. We feel confident in all three of those guys, and where we can, we may look to get all three of them on the field at the same time.”

“Competing against those guys (in the secondary) every day is making us all better,” said Foster.

The Titans’ special teams will have a brand-new look this Fall following the graduation of do-it-all standout Cam Novotny (36-of-38 Extra Points; Field Goals: 7-of-9 – with a program-record long of 51; Kickoffs: 39 Touchbacks on 56 Kickoffs; Punts: 26 Punts, 37.8 Yards Per Punt in 2024).

“Will Redden is a soccer player that decided to come out and kick for us,” Hart added. “We’ve been happy with what Will’s done for us, especially with no football-specific experience. He’s going to continue to get better as he gets more reps. Mazzier can kick too, if needed.”

Hart noted that competition is ongoing to identify the team’s punter, and that Tucker Deputy and Caden Rochleau (who is also the team’s backup Quarterback) loom as prospective candidates at that position.

Hart also stated that Maikranz and Robinson will, in some form, combine to handle the long-snapping duties, while Zach Foster returns as the team’s holder.

Hart mentioned that the team is still a work in progress in the return game in the early stages of Fall Camp, but noted that Scherer returned a kickoff for a touchdown a year ago, and that Mazzier and Sellers loom as potential options in the Titans’ return game.

To have the most successful season possible, “We have to ‘Win Today’ every single day, have consistency and stay focused,” said Hart, “which kind of goes back to the first year that I was here. In everything we do, we have to be better today than we were yesterday. Tomorrow, we’ll wake up, have the same approach and make each other better.”

Foster and Klem both noted the importance of the team getting out to fast starts in games as the program pursues its goals in 2025.

“We’re really honing in on being ready to go from the first play,” Klem concluded.

“Expect to see a team that gets out to a fast start,” concluded Foster. We’re going to put our foot on the gas pedal from the opening kickoff and keep competing for a full four quarters,,” added Foster. “Our goal is always a State Championship. That’s where our minds are.”

“It’s still early in the process, but I think we’re very talented, and we have a lot of experience,” said Hart. “All the ingredients are there to do some great things, but it won’t matter if we just kind of rest on that. We have to come out every single day and compete at a high level as we go through Fall Camp and then as we get into the season.”

Head Coach: Nick Hart (133-27 in 13 years at Gibson Southern); Entering 14th season as the Titans’ Head Coach.

2024 Recap: 7-3 (4-1 Pocket Athletic Conference Large School Division); Aug. 23 at Danville (Indiana) (W, 21-14); Aug. 30 v. Mount Carmel (Illinois) (W, 42-6); Sept. 6 at Princeton Community (W, 62-7); Sept. 13 v. South Warren (Kentucky) (L, 34-31); Sept. 20 at Southridge (W, 31-22); Sept. 28 at Heritage Hills (L, 28-0); Oct. 4 v. Washington (W, 39-10); Oct. 11 v. Mount Vernon (Posey) (W, 62-26); Oct. 18 at Boonville (W, 42-14); Oct. 25 v. Heritage Hills (L, 35-18).

2025 Schedule (All times Central): Aug. 22 v. Danville (Indiana) – 6:30 p.m.; Aug. 30 at Rochester (Illinois) – 2 p.m.; Sept. 5 at Mount Vernon (Posey) – 7 p.m.; Sept. 12 v. Henderson County (Kentucky) – 7 p.m.; Sept. 19 at Southridge – 6:30 p.m.; Sept. 26 v. Heritage Hills – 7 p.m.; Oct. 3 at Washington – 6:30 p.m.; Oct. 10 v. Boonville – 7 p.m.; Oct. 17 v. Princeton Community – 7 p.m.