Excitement is in the air in Knightstown, and head coach Trent Taylor is hoping to bottle that energy and turn it into something special as the Panthers charge into the 2025 football season.

A year ago, Knightstown jumped out to a blazing 4-0 start before finishing 5-5. While the season ended with a tough sectional loss to a strong Milan squad, Taylor says the lessons from 2024 will serve as the foundation for what’s next.

“We were fortunate to get off to a good start. We played good football at the end of the year and just ran into a strong team in Milan to end the season,” Taylor told Indiana Preps. “We were a young team that learned how to compete and win some games.”

Experience Fuels Expectation

Taylor points to last season’s emotional, high-scoring battles with Eastern Hancock and Tri, along with the playoff experience, as key building blocks.

“You can never discount experience and experiences. Our players got both last year,” Taylor said. “We came back to win games. We learned how to finish correctly. We learned how we handle high-intensity, high-scoring rivalry games. We learned what it takes to win.”

Now, with a core group of playmakers returning and an infusion of new talent, the Panthers are poised to turn lessons into results.

Star Power Returns on Offense

At the center of the offense is senior quarterback Bryor Carmichael, entering his third year as starter. He returns after throwing for 2,457 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2024, while also adding two rushing scores.

In the backfield, Jameson Crawford provides a powerful 1-2 punch, coming off a stellar season with 1,235 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. Out wide, senior Gage Broady hauled in 52 receptions for 1,050 yards and 11 scores, giving Carmichael a proven go-to target.

Defensive Leaders Emerging

On defense, Alex Muir (64 tackles as a sophomore) and Aaron Mefford (49 tackles) return as key pieces for Taylor’s unit. The experience and chemistry they’ve developed will be critical as Knightstown looks to build consistency on both sides of the ball.

“We have guys growing into their roles. We have to stay healthy—that got us at the end of the season,” Taylor noted. “These guys have grown up together and are ready to put it all together.”

New Depth and Balance

One major advantage Taylor sees this fall is improved depth—thanks in part to transfers Brody Willard and Billy Stine from Greenfield-Central.

“We have balance within our personnel, and we have balance and depth out there we didn’t have a year ago,” Taylor said. “They give us depth we haven’t had in a while.”

A Community Buzzing with Optimism

Taylor enters his third year at the helm with a confident and grounded outlook. He credits the IHSAA’s offseason allowances for enabling meaningful player development and emphasizes the importance of preparation.

“We are always excited to get started. We are a small school, but we use every chance allowed by the IHSAA to be with our kids throughout the year. It is the next stage of the season. Good seasons go quickly, and we anticipate this season going fast.”

And perhaps most importantly, Knightstown is all in.

“There is excitement in our community,” Taylor said. “We will continue to put the pieces in place to build a good program.”

With strong leadership, experienced playmakers, and growing community support, the pieces may finally be in place for Knightstown to make a deep run in 2025.