AURORA, Indiana – Tenacity and a never-quit attitude is what carried the 2024 edition of the Batesville Bulldogs to a regional title and an Indiana Class 3A semistate appearance.
It appears the 2025 edition of the Bulldogs has the same type of attitude and drive.
In a last-second thriller Friday night, Batesville won their first conference tilt of the season, edging out their Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference rivals, the South Dearborn Knights, by a tally of 17-14.
For the Knights, Friday night’s contest against their conference rivals Batesville was a measuring stick of sorts, after opening the 2025 season with two routs of Jennings County and Madison, outscoring those squads by a combined total of 69-6. The 2024 season started the same way for the Knights – 2-0 – but a 26-21 Week 3 loss last season at Batesville sent the Knights spiraling on their way to a disappointing 4-6 campaign.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, which made an Indiana Class 3A semistate appearance in 2024, were looking to build upon their 27-20 Week 2 victory over Milan, an impressive bounce back after a heartbreaking 11-10 loss to Triton Central to open the season.
The first quarter allowed both squads to illustrate their stout defenses, as neither team could muster any true offensive threats. The Bulldogs notched a first quarter interception which they couldn’t do anything with, while the Knights blocked a Batesville punt and could not capitalize themselves.
Some of the defense’s performance was due to South Dearborn senior linebacker Brady Ballart – a University of Louisville commit — who notched a sack to go along with several tackles in the first quarter. Ballart’s presence put a kink in the Batesville running game, and even the passing attack as Ballart could be found causing backfield disruption and pressuring Batesville QB Dylan Shane often.
“He’s a great football player,” Batesville head coach Evan Ulery said regarding Ballart.
The first quarter ended scoreless, and the second quarter was looking like it would be much the same. South Dearborn finally got its running game going a little bit, with fullback Mason Lane carrying the Knights down to the Batesville 20 yard line on the opening drive of the quarter. But Knight quarterback Griffin Sturgeon, a freshman, tossed his second pick of the game and the Bulldogs snuffed out the threat.
Batesville was able to get into South Dearborn territory on the ensuing drive, but shot themselves in the foot with penalties and had to once again punt away. The Knights backfield duo of Lane and halfback Colton McClure then took South Dearborn down to the Bulldog 2-yard-line, where Lane then powered in for the first score of the game. Lane would go on to convert the two-point attempt, and South Dearborn would take an 8-0 lead into halftime.
South Dearborn is on the scoreboard, as fullback Mason Lane takes it in from 2 yards out. The 2-pt conversion is also good by Lane. 3:32 left in first half, SD 8-0 over Batesville. @sdsportsreport @BatesvilleFB @tsfootball #FridayNightFootball #Football pic.twitter.com/mURwDkyIMI
— James Sprague (@bizarroworld77) September 5, 2025
The start of the third quarter would see both teams exchange possessions before Batesville and its quarterback, junior Dylan Shane, began to warm up. Three completions and a run by Shane, aided by defensive holding and offsides penalties by the Knights, took the Bulldogs down to the South Dearborn 4-yard-line, where halfback Ajon Herbert took it in to finally put Batesville on the board. The two-point conversion failed, but the Bulldogs were in the game, trailing only 8-6 with 5:28 remaining in the third quarter.
“(Dylan) Shane settled down about midway through the third quarter, “ Ulery said. “He was kind of putting a little too much on himself, but he settled down and we finally got some big plays.”
Meanwhile, South Dearborn began to shoot itself in the foot, with penalties killing its next offensive possession, and then after a punt, a pass interference penalty putting Batesville at the Knight 28-yard-line. The Bulldogs took advantage of the errors, as Shane hit wideout Isaac Enneking on a rainbow 28-yard TD pass to give Batesville its first lead of the game. The two-point conversion was good, and after being scoreless for over half the game, the Bulldogs had exploded for 14 points in roughly four minutes to lead 14-8 going into the fourth quarter.
“We had to open it up,” Ulery said.
A good kick return on the ensuing kickoff for South Dearborn put them near midfield, but the Knight running attack – which had been somewhat effective in the first half – was absolutely smothered by the Bulldog defense, resulting in yet another punt by South Dearborn to open the final quarter.
But while the Knight offense continued having its woes, their defense was keeping them within striking distance after giving up two scores in the third quarter. South Dearborn forced the Bulldogs to go three and out on three straight possessions, but the Knights – behind a freshman quarterback – had become one-dimensional offensively, and Batesville’s defense capitalized on that, stuffing the Knights ground attack.
But with 5:38 left in the ballgame, South Dearborn’s ground attack began showing life again. The Knights converted a fourth-and-2 inside their own 30, then fullback Lane and his backfield mate Ballart took the Knights down to the Bulldog 7-yard line with 55 seconds left in the game. The next handoff saw Lane bulldoze his way into the end zone. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful, and with 50 seconds left in regulation, it was knotted at 14 apiece.
With 50 seconds left in the game, SD fullback Mason Lane takes it in from 7 yards out for the score. The two point conversion is no good. Batesville and South Dearborn knotted at 14 with 50 seconds left in regulation! @sdsportsreport @BatesvilleFB @tsfootball #Football pic.twitter.com/kbl7JobEg5
— James Sprague (@bizarroworld77) September 6, 2025
The drama didn’t end on the next possession, as Batesville’s Shane – with one pass to his halfback Herbert – took his squad from their own 36-yard line to the South Dearborn 18-yard line. Two straight runs took the Bulldogs down to the Knight 12-yard line to set up a field goal attempt with 4 seconds left in regulation.
That 22-yard attempt, by Batesville kicker Brady Wonnell, was straight and true to give the Bulldogs a 17-14 victory.
“It’s just a gritty win,” Ulery said of his team’s comeback victory. “That’s what I’m really proud of (with) our guys. It’s not how we drew it up, it wasn’t pretty, it was a gritty win and it was a full team effort. I’m really proud of them.”
Batesville moves to 2-1 on the season, 1-0 in the EIAC, and will host Rusvhille next week, while South Dearborn falls to 2-1, 0-1 in the EIAC, and will host Richmond next Friday.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW
SCORING SUMMARY
Batesville 0-0-14-3-17
South Dearborn 0-8-0-6-14
SCORING PLAYS
SD: Lane 2-yard run (2-point conversion good)
B: Herbert 4-yard run (2-point conversion no good)
B: Shane 28-yard pass to Enneking (2-point conversion good)
SD: Lane 7-yard run (2-point conversion no good)
B: Wonnell 22-yard kick
RECORDS: Batesville 2-1 (1-0 EIAC); South Dearborn 2-1 (0-1 EIAC)
UP NEXT: Batesville vs. Rushville; South Dearborn vs. Richmond
