2025 Football Preview: Central Hardin Bruins
2024 Record – 4-9
Head Coach – Lance Gregory
2024: The Central Hardin football program will be going through some changes once again. After longtime coach Tim Mattingly stepped down after the 2023 season, Phillip Stockdale took over in 2024 and the team weathered a rough transition going 0-6 to start the season being outscored 4-1 against a top ten schedule before seeing some light at the end of the tunnel going 2-2 to end the regular season and making a regional final before Ryle ended that. The team will be under new leadership again as Lance Gregory takes over the reins and will have some work to do as the team lost a big senior class and skill players as well to replace.
Offense: The Offense struggled plenty as they scored just 58-points in their first six games, but seemed to adjust as the season went on. Although they scored 211 points, it was all gearedaround the running game which gained 2,739-yards, but lost their top runner in Seth Laudermitt, but seniors Gage Gregely and Caleb Irwin are back. The passing game only accounted for 528-yards and attempted just 76-passes, but senior Caleb Irwin is back, but three of his top receivers are gone with only Brayden Begley returning, so hopefully backups Cordae Matthews and Cannon Elmore can pick up the slack. The Offensive Line will return only center Carsen LaMothe and Jeffrey Council so Gregory will look for other replacements.
Kicking: Micah Chenault is gone and so are his 23-24 PATS and four made field goals, so the Bruins will need another kicker.
Defense: Early in the season, the defense was overrun allowing 251-points in the first six games, but they finally adjusted and played much better. The rushing defense did allow more (1,901 compared to 1,477 in 2023) and must improve and that will be the case as they lost a large chunk of the defense as well. The Defensive Line only returns Carson LaMothe with Jaxson Jones and Grayson Decker gone. The Linebackers will return Han Tran, Aiden Peterson and Blake Hockman. The defensive backfield will look very different with almost everyone gone from a group that sacked the QB 14-times, intercepted 10-passes and recovered 12-fumbles.
Summation: Who would have thought the Bruins would go through two coaching changes in two years, but that’s what happened. Central Hardin should be a quick reload with the size of the school, but the question being can Gregory have the kids adjusted faster with so many different kids in skill positions. The District could help although whether switching South Warren (a state power) for North Hardin is a blessing or not will remain to be seen.