JASPER, Ind. — John Hurley didn't believe the process was being followed.
That was the Memorial High School coach during summer workouts. His buzzword to open the official practice slate in August? Complacency. Alarm bells rang throughout the facility on Lincoln Avenue hearing those remarks following back-to-back Southern Indiana Athletic Conference championships. Or preparing for a rival on the road with high aspirations to open the season.
Flash forward to Week 1. Nobody on the Memorial sideline was talking in those terms. Far from it.
The No. 3 Tigers delivered a major statement with a 48-14 victory over Jasper on Friday at Jerry Brewer Alumni Stadium. Not only was it a positive start to the 2026 season – it was a historic showing. The most points ever from the Tigers against the Wildcats. The defending SIAC champions were one point from a running clock.
"I though we executed really clean," Hurley said. "In our first seven plays last year, we had two fumbles and an interception. We’ve been working on that all summer. I thought the guys competed. We were pretty explosive."
How did this become so one-sided? Start with the Memorial offense.
The Tigers (1-0) scored touchdowns on their first seven drives. They weren't stoppped until midway through the fourth quarter with the game no longer in doubt. Memorial unofficially had 429 total yards in less than 20 minutes of possession. The starters were not only efficient but explosive.
Luke Brown was 12 of 18 passing for 209 yards and two total touchdowns. Dru Ellis found the end zone four times, including runs of 37 and 33 yards. Gene Aimone added 74 rushing yards on 12 carries. DeAndre Fellows caught seven passes for 88 yards and visited paydirt twice. The offensive line had a productive night.
You name it. This unit did it.
"I just think we want it more," Ellis said. "We come in with the mindset every practice that we’re going to be the best. Not just in the SIAC. We have the mindset that we’re being the best in all of Indiana. After this season, I think we definitely can (prove it)."
It was how quickly the score got out of hand. Jaylen Maners found Blayken Recker for a second time with 3:45 left in the first half to cut Memorial's lead to 20-14. The ensuing kickoff set the tone moving forward. Fellows took the kick at the 3-yard line, raced up the seam and found a gap to his right. The junior out-ran the kicker for a 97-yard score that put the Tigers up two scores.
Ellis scored three times between that sequence and seven minutes remaining in the third quarter. The names may have changed – this group credits last year's receivers Luke Dockery and Maxx Anslinger in preparing them – but the potential never did.
"All the work we put in the offseason," Fellows said. "We helped build each other to get better, faster and stronger. Ran extra. Stayed late. I knew when they kicked it to me, it was over. Saw a hole. It was over."
How good was a new-look unit? Memorial only scored 40-plus twice last season. There were a few wrinkles thrown in – two-back formation with Ellis and Aimone specifically – but the strength of this group became clear in Week 1. The Tigers are faster and possibly more explosvie than last year. Not even a few dynamic offenses from the past scored this many against Jasper.
"When those things are clicking," Hurley said. "That's a nice set up for us. (Ellis) is an explosive player. Throw Dre on top of that. Brown was efficient with the football. I was proud of the O-Line. I probably beat those guys up more than anybody through the summer."
The other piece of the puzzle was the defense. Jasper (0-1) had a big, experienced offensive line and showed it to start the game. Maners found Recker on a 13-yard score to cap a five-minute drive almost exclusively spent running the ball. Not much else went right.
Maners had 266 total yards (a team-high 93 on the ground) but was intercepted twice. The Wildcats had less first downs (21 to 19) despite holding the ball for nearly eight minutes longer. It was a positive first impression for a revamped Memorial defense hit hard by graduation.
"Coach (Ben) Johnson is playing with basically nine new guys over there," Hurley said. "Phenomenal from the standpoint of not panicking on the first drive. We had a chance to pick the first touchdown but mistimed it. I like the way they responded."
What's next for the Tigers? That is what Hurley wants answered. The response following the summer answered his challenge to start fall camp. He wants it replicated on a weekly basis now. The schedule doesn't ease up with a trip to North (0-1), who came within one yard of a victory against Castle, next Friday.
But Memorial's all-time leader in coaching victories saw exactly what he needed to see this week.
"I liked our response," Hurley said. "We’ve been talking about the process. I didn’t feel like we addressed it very well early in the summer. They’ve responded. The question is, how do we respond this week? All you’ve got is this week."
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at kyle.sokeland@courierpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Memorial football sets a positive tone with dominant Week 1 victory over Jasper
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