HCHS finishes 6-7 in Elliott’s first campaign
Henderson County’s postseason run ended Friday night in the Class 6A Quarterfinals with a 49–21 loss to South Warren, but the Colonels hung in early and used some explosive plays to surge late.
John Elliott’s first season as head coach closed with a 6–7 record, with back-to-back road playoff wins carrying the team deeper into November than most expected.
South Warren opened the scoring late in the first quarter, finishing a steady drive with a 16-yard reverse to Jake Carter. Henderson County punted on its first two possessions, but the defense held firm behind strong tackling from seniors Jack Ryan Reusch, who finished with 13 tackles, Hayden Turner (11), Myron Wright (10), and Zarian Rideout (10). The Spartans led just 7–0 after a quarter.
Early in the second quarter, South Warren extended its lead to 14–0 on a one-yard run by junior quarterback Camden Page. A couple drives later, Henderson County answered. After a Spartan punt, the Colonels started at their own 48. Kingston Shidler ran for six, then a Brody Belt scramble moved the chains.
After both teams used timeouts, Belt hit Hezekiah Harris on a deep post for a 41-yard touchdown with 2:50 left in the half. The score cut the deficit to 14–7 and kept the Colonels in it.
South Warren responded quickly with a 39-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Justin Capps, pushing the margin to 21–7 before halftime.
The Spartans opened the third quarter with another methodical drive, using passes of 15 and 18 yards and a 25-yard run from Kayden York before Page punched in his third rushing touchdown. On Henderson County’s next possession, a fumble at the Colonel 34 set up another South Warren score, stretching the lead to 35–7 with 8:16 left in the third.
Henderson County grabbed momentum on the next defensive series when Harris intercepted a pass in the end zone. He cashed in a few plays later when Belt found him on a screen. Harris slipped a tackle and burst upfield for a 49-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 35–14 with 5:26 remaining in the third.
South Warren responded again, piecing together a run-heavy drive capped by a 13-yard touchdown from running back Jamir Boards. An interception on Henderson County’s next drive set up a 44-yard touchdown screen early in the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 49–14.
Still, the Colonels kept fighting. Starting at their own 20, Belt completed a nine-yard out route to Reusch and ran for 11 more. A pass-interference call moved the ball across midfield. Avant Baxter added catches of 10 and five yards, and Belt followed with runs of 10 and 16 to get into scoring range. Baxter then took a direct snap and bounced outside for a six-yard touchdown with 2:50 left, making it 49–21.
Miles Pryor executed a clean onside kick, and Turner recovered it at the South Warren 39. Belt hit Christian Haygan for a 14-yard gain, but the drive ended as the clock expired at the Spartan 25.
South Warren, now 12–0 and ranked No. 3 statewide by KSR regardless of class, advances to face Ryle next week in the 6A semifinals.
Looking back on the season, there were several notable individual performances.
Senior standout Baxter delivered one of the best two-way seasons in recent program history, finishing with 31 receptions for 635 yards and seven touchdowns while leading Class 6A with seven interceptions.
Henderson County also produced one of the most effective rushing offenses in 6A, finishing sixth in the class in rushing yards per game.
Every major contributor in the backfield returns in 2026. Jack Dalton totaled 524 yards and nine touchdowns. Anzerion Marigny added 436 yards. Kingston Shidler contributed 377. Kieran Cole averaged a dynamic 9.5 yards per carry on 322 yards. Belt added 265 more on the ground.
The latter half of the season saw Dalton and Belt give the offense a physical edge on the ground while still letting Belt attack the perimeter through Harris, Baxter, and Haygan.
Defensively, the Colonels lose nearly all of their core contributors. Reusch again set the tone in the middle, routinely posting tackle totals in the mid to high teens.
Seniors Myron Wright and Jack Logan were key up front, while Rideout and Reusch handled cleanup duties from linebacker. In the secondary, Turner and Baxter helped stabilize the unit that played its best football in the postseason.
Players credited head coach John Elliott—an Indiana Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer—for bringing steadiness to Henderson County in his first season.
“Coach Elliott has brought a calm sense to our program,” Dalton said. “Coach (Eric) Schnur has been our hype man and a great defensive coordinator. They keep us even-keeled.”
Turner praised Elliott’s leadership throughout the year. “Coach Elliott really respects people, and we really respected him,” he said. “I was glad to play for him and this coaching staff.”
Logan pointed to how far the group came down the stretch. “We really bought in and got hot at the right time,” he said. “I’m proud of the seniors and all the work we put in.”
Haygan noted how much the outgoing group meant to the locker room. “These guys meant a lot to me,” he said. “We’re going to keep pushing and get ready for next year.”
The Colonels graduate 17 seniors, a class that helped guide the team through a playoff run and left an imprint on the program. Their departure opens the door for a large group of returners, especially on defense, to step into bigger roles.
Elliott’s structure is firmly set, and his quarterback returns ready for what comes next.
“We’re coming in with Coach Elliott again,” Belt said. “We’re more comfortable with everything now, and we have a chip on our shoulder for next year.”
BOX SCORE
South Warren 49, Henderson Co. 21
Henderson Co. South Warren
12 First Downs 22
21-55 Rushes-Yards 33-196
15-27-1 Comp-Att-Int 17-20-1
213 Passing Yards 255
268 Total Yards 451
1-1 Fumbles-Lost 1-0
1-10 Penalties-Yards 5-47
4-32.5 Punts-Avg. 1-21.0
Henderson Co. 0 7 7 7 — 21
South Warren 7 14 21 7 — 49
SW – Jake Carter 17 pass from Camden Page (Alen Alic kick)
SW – Page 1 run (Alic kick)
HC – Hezekiah Harris 41 pass from Brody Belt (Miles Pryor kick), 7 plays, 52 yards
SW – Justin Capps 39 pass from Page (Alic kick)
SW – Page 1 run (Alic kick)
SW – Page 1 run (Alic kick)
HC – Harris 49 pass from Belt (Pryor kick), 4 plays, 80 yards
SW – Jamir Boards 13 run (Alic kick)
SW – Carter 44 pass from Chase Bell (Alic kick)
HC – Avant Baxter 6 run (Pryor kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing
Henderson Co. – Brody Belt 5-40, Avant Baxter 1-6, Kingston Shidler 6-5, Jack Dalton 8-3, Gabe Sheffer 1-1.
South Warren – Kayden York 15-100, Jamir Boards 8-60, Camden Page 5-13, Chase Bell 2-11, Jake Carter 1-5, Isaiah Bridges 1-5, Walker Summers 1-2.
Passing
Henderson Co. — Belt 15-26-1 213, Baxter 0-1-0.
South Warren – Page 12-14-0 184, Bell 5-6-1 71.
Receiving
Henderson Co. — Hezekiah Harris 7-133, Baxter 4-40, Christian Haygan 3-33, Jack Ryan Reusch 1-7.
South Warren – Carter 5-94, Justin Capps 3-73, Griffin Reynolds 3-22, Tucker Sears 2-41, York 2-16, Bridges 1-7, Boards 1-2.
