Chargers Spoil Indians Homecoming

Sr. Max Johnson takes off on his second kick-off return for a touchdown on Friday. His first was called back due to a penalty.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Chariton Chargers have been on a roll this year, but questions swirled if their recent stumble would play a factor on Friday night. The Indians were fresh off a road victory, and carried that momentum all week.

Homecoming is always an emotional game, with a week filled with events, pep rally and parade. On Friday, that moment and heart found its way from the locker room to the field. The Indians fought the Chargers until the last minute, always within striking distance.

Oskaloosa Indians Head Coach Mike Sterner talked about his team, and their performance on Friday night. “Like I said many times, I love this team. This is a team that’s going to bounce back. They are gonna continue to fight every single play they’ve got in them.”

Sterner said that the team suffered some setbacks during the evening, but that the team bounced back “and never quit. I love the look in our guys eyes. They’re hungry. They’re ready to go.”

Sterner praised the visiting Chargers team, calling them a fine team with some very fine athletes. “They made just one more play then we did,” said Sterner, who said he could see his team continue to fight until the end, expecting the win.

The Indians have been plagued this season with some penalties, and Friday was no different, as an approximately 80 yard kick-off return by Max Johnson was called back due to holding in the backfield. “Those wounds that are self-inflicted are not the fun ones,” said Sterner, who said our team “Is making errors that are defeating ourselves. So those are things we obviously have to get fixed.”

Sterner added that you can see the explosive potential of the team, but they need to “clean up” what they are doing to be a more sound football team.

On the question about the team’s 1-4 season record, Sterner said, “We don’t really watch the record. We pay attention to our growth. Our team is going to be our best and if we stop making our errors and we clean that up, we’re going to be a team that grows. You’re going to see that. This is a team that’s got a lot of heart.”

The Indians travel to Grinnell on Friday to take on the Tigers. The Tigers will be looking for a homecoming win, but the Indians have played the spoiler before.