EVANSVILLE — Connor O’Donohue isn’t quite sure how it started. He might have tipped the pass or maybe someone else did. What mattered is what came next.
The Memorial linebacker saw the football in the air and twisted his body around to secure the interception. While running to his right, a teammate blocked the quarterback. O’Donohue identified a hole amongst a sea of lineman. He sprinted nearly 65 yards for a touchdown.
A snapshot of what worked not only on this night, but the entire season.
Class 3A No. 1 Memorial stayed perfect on the scoreboard with a 28-7 victory at 4A No. 10 Reitz. Not the prettiest game at times. The Tigers aren’t complaining though if this is the final result. Nor are they unhappy with their identity: physical, tough and opportunistic.
“We want to protect the football and let the defense run,” Memorial coach John Hurley said. “They’re playing fantastic. We see them (do it) every day.”
Perhaps everyone should have seen this coming. The Tigers (7-0) were solid on defense a year ago in running the table against the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference. But graduation took nearly half the starting lineup ― notably an All-State linebacker ― and the final impression (a loss to Heritage Hills in the sectional championship) stung.
What you saw in Week 7 is what’s been there all season. Memorial is allowing only 8.6 points per game (tied for 11th in the state and best in the SIAC). Only two opponents have cracked double digits. It unofficially limited Reitz to 176 total yards, most of which came late. The Tigers were a fourth-quarter touchdown away from their first shutout against the Panthers since 1983.
Memorial had 13 tackles for loss (20 percent of all Reitz plays) and three takeaways.
“I think it’s very close to last year,” O’Donohue said. “We had a good amount of returning starters and got better overall. Being able to provide touchdowns helps flip the field and give the offense some momentum. We’ve been playing phenomenal.”
It wasn’t just the overall play from the Tigers’ defense. They delivered impact plays too.
Trailing 7-0 in the second quarter, Reitz faced third down from its own end zone. A pass to the boundary nearly led to a first down ― until O’Donohue hit the ball free. It took one bounce to Grayson Carter, who went 14 yards for a scoop and score. There was also O’Donohue’s pick-six in the fourth quarter following back-to-back fourth down stops in Memorial territory on the previous two possessions.
Those moments have been an ongoing theme. Wes Kelley had a 104-yard interception return for a touchdown to set the tone against Jasper, a win looking even better with time, in the season opener. The Tigers shut out North the following week. They stuffed Mater Dei at the goal line in overtime. Memorial now has 15 takeaways (Carter also recovered a fumble in the second quarter) and four defensive scores following this show of force against the Panthers (4-3).
“We really came to play,” Carter said. “Everybody did their job, and we shut them down. Our unit is really solid this year. We need to keep the intensity we brought today. Keep doing our jobs. Practice hard and stay focused.”
The offense wasn’t as sharp. Not to say it was a bad effort. Dylen Kendrick had 82 yards on 17 carries, and Luke Dockery found the end zone twice (an eight-yard catch and a 16-yard reverse sweep). The Tigers just aren’t being required to carry the load on that side. Not when the defense plays like this.
It appears to be by design. Memorial had a three-year starter at quarterback and multiple All-State receivers a year ago. The Tigers now favor the run and game plan around limiting turnovers. Memorial is still averaging 35.9 points (best in the conference) but less reliant on running up the scoreboard.
“We’ve been trying to identify ourselves as stop the run and play physical football,” Hurley said. “The defense is going to keep us in the game. We’ve got athletic kids. Really flying around defensively. We’re rotating five up front. As those guys continue to progress, it’s exciting to see what’s coming.”
Lleyton King had 77 rushing yards for Reitz, who has struggled to find consistency the last five weeks. The Panthers were held under 200 total yards for the first time with Landon McCutchan, their third quarterback this season, finding the end zone with 5:52 left on a two-yard touchdown run.
What’s next for Memorial? That answer is simple. Keep repeating this winning formula. The Tigers wrapped up another City title with the win over Reitz. Next could be the SIAC crown ― Vincennes Lincoln at home in Week 8 before a trip to Castle in Week 9. Memorial has not repeated as the conference champion since a three-peat from 2017-19.
“What we’re looking for is consistent effort,” Hurley said. “The coaching staff and players are doing a great job getting themselves ready to go. I want to see us continue to improve each week on both sides of the football.”
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: What has kept Memorial football undefeated in 2025? An opportunistic, tough defense
Reporting by Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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