The SHS football team will face the Westfield Shamrocks in a Friday night battle tonight at 8:30 at Lucas Oil Stadium. This will be the Cards’ fifth appearance at Lucas Oil, and their second game of the 2017 season.

“It’s a really cool experience obviously,” temporary head coach Brian Dugger said. “Because the kids get to go in and play where the pros play and play where the Big Ten championship is, so it’s really cool for them.”

The Cards are looking to get a win against Westfield and according to Dugger, Westfield is very qualified and very well coached. However, he believes that the key to winning the game is for the Cards to limit mistakes.

When the Cards and Shamrocks met last year, the Shamrocks took the game 27-0 due to the Cards making minor mistakes such as throwing two interceptions early in the game and defensively giving up “one big play.” Dugger believes that without those mistakes, the Cards would have kept the game tied at zero, or could have even taken the lead.

“The key is going to be not having mistakes on both sides of the ball,” said Dugger.

Junior returning quarterback Eddie Schott will make his first appearance playing on the Lucas Oil turf with the Cards.

“I’m really excited, because I haven’t actually played there,” Schott said. “It’ll be pretty cool because the Colts play there, and I’ve always wanted to play on that field.”

Dugger believes that Schott is a pretty steady player and that the pressure playing at Lucas Oil for the first time won’t really rattle him at all.

“Last year, starting against Roncalli was a big game for him (Schott) personally,” Dugger said. “I think it didn’t once phase him. So I think if he can get through that, I don’t see something like Lucas Oil getting to him. I don’t think these moments are too big for him.”

Schott thinks the Cards will be fine in their game against Westfield by preparing a lot by watching a lot of their film and attempting to recognize their blitzes throughout the game. Schott also says he believes the Cards will be really good this year, and that they have made some improvements that will help them throughout the season.

“I think we’re more of a team,” Schott said. “We’re more united as a team than we were last year, so I think that’ll make us better.”

According to Dugger, seniors Gabe Collins-Green and Gage Higgs are some of the best defensive playmakers on the team and big things are expected from them.

Maxpreps.com states that Collins-Green had 53 tackles last season, averaging out to 4.4 tackles per game, and three interceptions, with an average of 20 yards per interception, last season.

Collins-Green thinks that the Cards have a good shot at winning their conference this year, as well as their sectionals and will make somewhat of a deep run in the state tournament.

“I think this year we’re definitely working harder than we ever really have,” Collins-Green said. “Our practices are high intensity, high speed all the time, and I think that’ll carry over into the season for sure.”

According to Collins-Green, he believes that the key for beating the Shamrocks is by the Cards being able to keep their heads strong, as well as going hard in practice until the game and making sure they play as a team.

“I think we’re going to go out and get business done and get a dub,” Collins-Green said.