42 • TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
Coach: Brandon Overdorff
2019 record: 2-8, 2-5 in
Class 4A Big Eight Conference
All-time record: 443-419-36
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 at Armstrong* 7
9.18 at Plum* 7
9.25 Greensburg Salem* 7
10.2 Knoch* 7
10.9 at Highlands* 7
10.16 Hampton* 7
10.23 Mars* 7
GREATER ALLEGHENY • INDIANA MATT NELSON
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Fox Van Leer
15-61, 160 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving Malik Turner*
4-62 yards
Rushing Devin Flint
48-272 yards
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Indiana rejoined the WPIAL
in 1988. It was a WPIAL
member in 1927-28.
• Indiana has won a conference
championship. It shared
the 1989 Greater Allegheny
crown with Highlands and
Kiski Area.
• The Little Indians are 4-8 in
the WPIAL playoffs. The last
time they reached the playoffs
was in 2014.
• This is Indiana’s 101st season
of playing football. The
second game of the season
will be the school’s 900th.
• The late Jim Nance played
football and wrestled at Indiana.
He was the PIAA heavyweight
state champion in 1960
and 1961. He played football at
Syracuse and went on to play
for the Boston Patriots and
the New York Jets in the AFL.
He was also a two-time NCAA
heavyweight champion (1963
and 1965).
ZACH HERRINGTON
INDIANA SEES BRIGHT
FUTURE IN YOUNG ROSTER
As Brandon Overdorff begins
his third season as coach at Indiana
High School, he’s starting to
see an improving future.
“When I took over, our numbers
were in the 30s,” Overdorff said.
“Now we’re close to 60, and I’m
excited about the future. The offseason
was really good until the
coronavirus. But we were able to
install our offense and defense
on Hudl and we’re ahead of the
game.”
Overdorff coached five years at
Purchase Line, his alma mater. He
was an all-state running back as
a junior in 1990 under Ed Dalton,
who has also coached at Altoona,
Mt. Pleasant and McGuffey. He
went on to play at Lehigh.
“I see a bright future,” Overdorff
said. “Our freshman and sophomore
(classes) have a lot of skilled
players. We just have to develop
some toughness and we must get
bigger.”
Indiana was 2-8 in 2019. One of
the victories came by forfeit when
West Mifflin was found to have
used an ineligible player in a 44-0
victory. Indiana’s win on the field
was against Ringgold, 28-13.
The Little Indians were 3-7 in
2018.
Overdorff will rely on four returning
senior starters on the offensive
line — guard Matt Nelson,
center Tanner Smith, tackle Gavin
Millen and guard Gavin Prebish.
“We played a lot of young kids
that weren’t ready to play varsity
football,” Overdorff said. “Now
they’re developing and getting
stronger. They have to take that
next step.”
Indiana’s offense struggled in
2019, but Overdorff hopes the year
of experience will be beneficial.
Also back are junior quarterback
Fox Van Leer and junior running
backs Devin Flint and Zach
Herrington.
Herrington had a team-high
66 tackles from his strong safety
position. Nelson returns at nose
tackle, Smith at tackle, Prebish at
defensive end and Millen at defensive
end.
Others back on defense include
Van Leer at free safety, Elijah Mauk
at linebacker and Gavin Bernard at
middle linebacker.
The Little Indians will scrimmage
Burrell and then open
WPIAL Class 4A Allegheny Conference
play at Armstrong on Sept. 11
The other teams in the conference
are Greensburg Salem, Mars,
Hampton, Highlands, Knoch and
Plum.
“One thing we developed since
last year is togetherness,” Overdorff
said. “I worked hard getting
kids interested in football. We want
to build on that.”
And if he keeps players interested,
he hopes things will continue
to improve.
by PAUL SCHOFIELD