The 1A schools will face off this Friday at Rock Creek’s home complex in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

by Leah Lowe for Indiana Preps

(#45) Indiana School for the Deaf – 1A,  Indianapolis (1-1)

(#62) Rock Creek Academy Lions – 1A, Sellersburg (0-1)

7:30 PM Kickoff (Changed from 7:00 PM)

Woehrle Athletic Complex, 1400 Charlestown Pike, Jeffersonville IN.

September 2nd, 2021 – Indianapolis, IN – This week’s Southern Indiana coverage features the Rock Creek Lions, who welcome the Indiana School for the Deaf to Woehrle Athletic Complex for the team’s first home game of the season.

The Lions are 0-1 heading into week three following last Friday’s 48-12 loss to Providence on the road. The team was forced to cancel their first game of the season the week prior, their roster ravaged by Covid quarantines.

Indiana Deaf has fared better in pandemic luck so far, with two games behind them and a 1-1 record heading into their third matchup. The team lost to Clarksville last week 48-12 on the road, but the week prior defeated Purdue Poly 56-8 at home.

Monday practice found both teams reeling from stinging losses and looking to this Friday’s matchup for redemption.

The opponents appear to be fairly matched for numbers with modest rosters made up of athletes who are accustomed to playing both sides of the ball. Size matters, and judging by their schedules both will find themselves outnumbered on several occasions this season – a disparity that wears on stamina and impacts outcomes. Strength in limited numbers on both sides of the field will be an equalizer in this matchup. The two are also both underclassmen heavy, each with a few upperclassmen who are playmakers for their teams.

Rock Creek quarterback Jaylan Barnicott (Junior) made headlines yesterday, dubbed a Rising 2023 Prospect by Indiana Preps. Barnicott has flown under the radar to this point – this is his first season starting at QB, but he’s a versatile athlete who has served the team in multiple positions in years prior. At 6’4 he looms over the rest of the field, plays with composure and has a strong and accurate arm.

25 Indiana athletes made the Rising 2023 Prospect list, see who they are and check out the list of our 10 Most Notable 2023 Prospects here.

Rock Creek Offensive Coordinator Jordan Zweydorff says this summer has been a critical period in Barnicott’s development and a catalyst to harnessing the athlete’s athleticism.

“Jaylan is actually very raw and inexperienced at the QB spot, he had a solid summer and is growing every week,” Zweydorff said.

“Once he gets his confidence to where it needs to be, the entire team will be better for it. He has a cannon for an arm, he’s 6’5 – when he learns how to work in his body, he should be really good for us.”

Be on the lookout for an Indiana Preps in-depth interview with Jaylan Barnicott later next week.

Best of luck to Rock Creek and Indiana Deaf in their matchup. We’ll be back after Friday night’s game with a recap.