Tell City football expects to remain a PAC contender under third head coach in 4 years

Evansville Courier & Press

Tell City Marksmen fans stand for the National Anthem ahead of the North Posey Vikings vs Tell City Marksmen game at North Posey High School Friday evening, Sept. 10, 2021.

TELL CITY, Ind. — The past few months have been chaotic for Tell City coach Malin Webb.

"It felt like all summer I've been trying to play catch-up," he said.

There's been plenty of work to do since he took over in May for his brother, Mac, who stepped down following two seasons as head coach. Webb struggled to fill the Marksmen's five permitted summer competition days because other schools were already booked, though Tell City eventually landed an 11-on-11 with Eastern Greene.

Nevertheless, despite having limited preparation time, Tell City has been happy to feel some continuity considering they had been learning from his brother. That's been a significant benefit for all now that the Marksmen seniors are playing for a third head coach in four years.

"We kept our whole month of June and whole month of July the exact same practice structure-wise," Webb said. "That was important for me is to make sure that these kids had a little bit of continuity going from one head coach to the other."

Malin Webb was named the new Tell City football coach

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The Marksmen went 5-5 last year and have finished three straight seasons at .500 or better for the first time in three decades. They want to keep trending upward and contend for Pocket Athletic Conference Small School Division titles.

Senior running back Trent Cail has now been coached by both Webb brothers and Aaron Clements. (Webb has been around the entire time as he was on Clements' staff as the offensive coordinator.) The only difference Cail has noticed between the Webbs is the one currently in charge puts his word more frequently.

"We want to be that blue-collared team," Cail added. "We want to go hard every rep. Expectations are still all the same."

Cail returns as the second-leading rusher from last year (579 yards, five touchdowns). Also highlighting the offense will be quarterback Tyce Dupont (358 yards passing, 248 yards rushing, nine total touchdowns), running back Aiden Ferrand (124 yards), wide receiver Kelby Glenn, and linemen Alex Stiff and J.C. Buckendahl — Buckendahl, Glenn and Ferrand also play defense.

Dupont, a senior, has started under center since the middle of last season after seeing limited playing time as a backup. Webb refers to him as a playmaker rather than a game manager.

"I'm super excited about the opportunity to work with him for his third year," he added, noting how much he progressed from a sophomore to a junior.

Tell City’s Kelby Glenn (5) attempts to swat a pass to North Posey’s Devin Lintzenich (15) as the North Posey Vikings play the Tell City Marksmen at North Posey High School Friday evening, Sept. 10, 2021.

Tell City's senior class has never experienced a losing season but has yet to win a postseason game. The Marksmen's last playoff win came back in 2014. Cail knows while his team is capable of continuing their winning momentum, they're determined to keep taking the next steps. Webb, meanwhile, highlighted his seniors' leadership for taking the effort to show underclassmen what's expected.

"That's really what we want this program to become is player-taught," Webb said. "And this senior class has really embraced that."

Cail added: "I believe that this year should be the season where we go pretty far. Our senior group has been here four years now. We know what's going on. We know what's expected. We know how to execute."

The Marksmen's underclassmen include the Terry twins, Noah and Landon. Webb believes the sophomores were more than capable of playing under the lights as freshmen because they thrived on JV, so he's excited to see what they do on varsity as running and defensive backs.

"They're too good to be playing on Monday nights," Webb said. "They're probably two of the fastest kids in the area. They have all the physical traits. They're very smart kids as well and quick learners."

North Posey’s Devin Lintzenich (15) and Zach Blaylock (65) tackle Tell City’s Aiden Ferrand (9) as the North Posey Vikings play the Tell City Marksmen at North Posey High School Friday evening, Sept. 10, 2021.

Juniors Kaiden Casebolt and Cole Stiff and sophomore Isaac Lindover are other names to remember. Stiff is a strong piece on the offensive line while Casebolt (56 tackles) and Lindover should strengthen the defense.

"They're ready to step up (this season)," Cail said of the underclassmen.

Courier & Press sports reporter Treasure Washington can be reached via her email, treasure.washington@courierpress.com, and on Twitter @Twashington490.

Tell City Marksmen

Last year: 5-5 (3-3 Pocket Athletic Conference Small School Division)

Head coach: Malin Webb (0-0 in 1st year at school)

Key players to watch for Tell City

Trent Cail (RB, Sr.), Tyce Dupont (QB/P, Sr.), Aiden Ferrand (RB/DB/KR, Sr.), Alex Stiff (OL, Sr.), Landon Terry (RB/DB, So.), Noah Terry (RB/DB, So.)

The Markmens' three biggest games

Aug. 19 at Perry Central: These teams have opened the season against each other for the past eight years. While Perry Central also has been on the rise lately, the Marksmen have won three straight in the series.

Aug. 26 vs. Heritage Hills: The past two meetings couldn't have been more different. Heritage Hills won 35-0 last season in Lincoln City while Tell City pitched a 32-0 shutout in 2020 on its home turf. The Marksmen could benefit again from being home.

Sept. 16 at Hancock County (Ky.): These schools are only about 15 miles apart with the Ohio River in between. The Hornets are a high-scoring team, so this could be an exciting matchup in the middle of the season.

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