Dragash: MIC to have a new look this fall
By CRAIG DRAGASH
ISL Correspondent
For a number of years, the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (MIC) has proven to be a powerhouse among football conferences in the state of Indiana.
With the additions of Lawrence Central and Pike for the 2013 season, the MIC has now graduated from a powerhouse to a juggernaut.
LC and Pike take the place of Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South, creating a conference that will be improved not just in competition, but in geographic proximity as well. You can expect to see plenty of marquee matchups this fall among these Central Indiana schools.
Speaking of Central Indiana, the Indianapolis Metropolitan region was recently rated #3 for football in the nation by Max Preps magazine. Needless to say, the teams that make up the MIC play a large part in that distinction. Since Ben Davis captured the 5A state title in 1999, MIC teams have claimed that same title in 11 of 14 seasons. And one of the three that wasn’t won by a MIC team was last year’s winner Lawrence Central, who now represents the same conference.
But the changes don’t stop with the addition of two schools, there will be plenty of new faces on the sidelines as new head coaches. Here’s a look at those changes:
|
School |
Former coach |
New coach |
|
Lawrence Central |
Jayson West |
Jed Richman |
|
Lawrence North |
Tom Dilley |
Patrick Mallory |
|
Warren Central |
Steve Tutsie |
Jayson West |
The most interesting of the changes is Jayson West moving from Lawrence Central to Warren Central. West’s Warriors will clash against his former team, and defending 5A champions on October 11. Jed Richman takes over at LC, coming from Western Boone where he posted an 18-4 record in his two seasons there after serving as offensive coordinator under Mo Moriarity at Carmel. And Patrick Mallory takes over for Tom Dilley at Lawrence North. The Wildcats are coming of a winless season in 2012, and Mallory is faced with the task of making LN a factor in such a powerful conference.
There won’t be a week that goes by in this conference where you won’t see an entertaining game. Max Preps rates Lawrence Central as the #11 team in the nation, followed by Ben Davis at #55, Center Grove at #102, Pike at #125, and Carmel at #126. Whoever emerges at the top of the MIC will surely be well prepared for the inaugural class 6A state tournament in November.
