WEST SIDE, INDIANAPOLIS, IN. — In 2017 the Ben Davis Giants sprinted through everything breathing in Class 6A finishing 14-0 and holding the Class 6A state championship trophy in the end. They looked more like a Division 1 college football team than a high school team. BD had 52 seniors and darn near went two deep at every position.
Well playas…nobody gets a fifth year in high school so now they’ve got to restock the cupboard and oh yeah Coach Mike Kirschner dipped and went down to Mount Vernon. So that means that new head coach Jason Simmons has his hands full at one of the most prominent football factories in the country.
Simmons comes in after being the head coach at Noblesville for the past two seasons finishing with a 5-15 record. He was previously at Hamilton Heights as the head man going 21-4 in 2009 and ’10. When asked how it feels to take over a program of this magnitude he said, “It’s humbling for one but you look at the opportunity that we have here at Ben Davis and you come out to this field everyday and you see 9 state championships on the north end zone wall and it’s a humbling opportunity.”
He said that “I’ve just come in and tried to be who I am.” He went on to say, “that was the best advice he got from not only Coach Kirschner but from other people as well.”
Ole boy wasn’t playing while speaking on those 9 state championships hangin’ in the north end zone and he’s got a roster full of kids that knows what it takes to wear that bling. Now they’ve got to step up and represent to hold up the legacy of BD football. There is a ton of inexperience on the field this year for the Giants. However, he’s got a team full of young thunder cats that are hungry to prove their worth. In their words, boyz are ready to get their own shine on.
Coach Simmons told his kids the first time he met with them that “they can thank that 2017 group for two things; One, the state championship ring and two for putting a big bullseye on you.” His team understands that it won’t be easy because everybody and their baby’s momma will be gunning for the defending Class 6A State Champs.
Fortunately, he’s got senior running back Delbert Mimms, who saw a significant amount of playing time last year behind, then starter, and now University of California running back Johnny Adams. Simmons will look to the big back for leadership in his locker room this year.
He’ll also be looking to offensive lineman Dawand Jones for leadership as well. Talk about a kid that understands what winning looks and feels like. He was a sophomore on Ben Davis’ 2017 hoop team that won the state title. Then he turned around and helped the football team win the state title the very next semester.
Yeah I know boyz around the state and especially in the M.I.C. are licking their chops ready to count Ben Davis out but they need to keep in mind that before they sit down to eat. It’s still Ben Davis playboy!
They don’t rebuild they reload. So don’t just think that they’ll easily give up their sneakers and jewelry because you’ve got more experienced players than they do. Pack your lunch and bring your hard hat because Coach Simmons will have them ready to play in 2018. Stop me when I start lyin’!
Playas Thesaurus:
1) Dip: verb – to leave
2) Ole boy: noun – the person that I’m currently talkin’ about.
The G is excluded from the endings of all words because the G is near and dear to my heart because I’m from “The G” which is Gary, Indiana. So I only use the G when I’m talkin’ about “The G!”
The caption under the photo is real talk today!