Built to Win
When Indiana football completed its historic season, the achievement resonated far beyond Bloomington. A perfect 16 – 0 record, a Big Ten Championship, a Rose Bowl victory, a Peach Bowl win, and a national title marked one of the most remarkable runs in college football history.
For longtime Hoosier fans, it was a moment years in the making. For former players, it was validation. And for the small, but deeply connected community of Center Grove, just under an hour north of Memorial Stadium, it felt personal.
Because woven throughout Indiana University’s championship season were graduates of Center Grove High School, former Trojans whose paths eventually led them to Bloomington. Players, student managers, cheerleaders, athletic trainers, alumni, and a head coach watching from afar all shared a common foundation shaped long before this season unfolded.
This was not just a story about wins or trophies.
It was a story about connection.
It was a story about roles.
The Standard That Connects It All
No one understands the power of roles better than Eric Moore, Center Grove High School’s Varsity Football coach.
Moore was a player at Indiana University long before Indiana football tasted success. For the last 27 years, he’s built one of the nation’s most respected high school programs, teaching young men that success is rooted in hard work and dedication. So when the Hoosiers finally broke through and finished a perfect 16–0 season, it struck Moore on a deeply personal level.
“I gave my body to that place,” Moore says. “The Rose Bowl was it for me.”
Moore watched as Indiana dismantled Alabama, a program long viewed as the gold standard of college football, on one of the sport’s most iconic stages. For him, the moment carried decades of meaning.
“Getting to play a team like Alabama, the big bully of the South for the last 25 years, and beating them the way they did, that was so gratifying,” Moore says. “That was so emotional.”
Even amid an undefeated season and a national championship, Moore admits the Rose Bowl stood apart.
“The undefeated season was great. The national championship was phenomenal,” he says. “But the Rose Bowl, that was my national championship.”
Those emotions were layered with pride, not just for IU Football, but for the Center Grove graduates who were part of the journey.
“They were great practice players,” Moore says of Center Grove alumni Tyler Cherry and Kaden McConnell. “I’m really proud of them and their efforts.”
Cherry, a former Center Grove quarterback, spent the season as a player-coach after suffering a season-ending knee injury. McConnell, a linebacker, embraced his role on special teams and as a dependable presence in practice. Neither role came with headlines, but both came with responsibility.
Those are the kinds of players Moore has built his program around at Center Grove.
At CG, success has never been defined solely by rankings or recruiting stars. Moore’s philosophy mirrors what Indiana ultimately displayed on the national stage: a top-down commitment to culture, built on preparation, where every role matters.
Inside the Quarterback Room
That standard was perhaps most evident inside Indiana’s quarterback room.
For Tyler Cherry, CGHS class of 2024, the season became a study in leadership without the ball in his hands. A Center Grove graduate and former Trojan quarterback, Cherry’s year took an unexpected turn when a knee injury ended his playing season early. Instead of stepping away, he stepped deeper into the process.
“This football season was a full experience for me,” Cherry says. “I was focused on rehab, but I was also committed to the quarterback room.”
Cherry served as a player-coach, charting coverages, reading defenses, and listening closely to play calls from the offensive staff. On game days, he worked alongside the quarterbacks and coaches, offering insight from a different perspective.
“I learned so much this season,” Cherry says. “Working closely with our QB coach and offensive coordinator during games was awesome. I was able to see defenses on every play and go over what I was seeing with Fernando and the coaches.”
Cherry watched two elite quarterbacks lead in different ways over consecutive seasons and learned that leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all.
“I learned a lot about leadership,” he says. “I saw two great quarterbacks lead in different ways and still be very successful.”
Cherry credits his readiness for that role directly to Center Grove.
“Center Grove football thoroughly prepared me,” he says. “I played on three state championship teams in high school. The bar was already high.”
That foundation helped Cherry remain patient, committed, and engaged throughout a long rehabilitation process.
“I learned a lot about patience, hard work, and determination,” he says. “The support I received reminds me a lot of Center Grove.”[Text Wrapping Break]
Cherry’s season may not have unfolded the way he envisioned physically, but it expanded his understanding of the game and of leadership.
“I am so grateful to have been a part of this national championship team,” Cherry says. “I’ve grown as a person and a player through this experience.”
Embracing Every Role
For linebacker Kaden McConnell, CGHS class of 2024, success was defined by consistency and readiness.
McConnell embraced his role as a dependable linebacker and special teams player, even when the spotlight didn’t follow.
“My role was to be strong, dependable, and knowledgeable,” McConnell says. “Even though I didn’t see the field during the playoff run, I took pride in preparing every day.”
McConnell valued the daily work, the intensity of practice, meetings, and film sessions.
“I define success by how consistently I show up for my teammates,” he says. “Doing the little things helps the team win.”
That mindset was forged at Center Grove.
“Center Grove built the foundation for everything I’m doing now,” McConnell says. “The habits I built there continue to guide me.”
Being part of a national championship team raised McConnell’s expectations.
“I’ve seen what it takes to reach the top,” he says. “That motivates me in football and in life.”
Behind the Scenes
Another Center Grove graduate lived the championship run through tireless behind-the-scenes work.
Grant Long, CGHS class of 2024, experienced the season from the equipment room.
A student manager for IU football, Long’s role demanded long days, early mornings, and relentless attention to detail. During the postseason, the workload increased significantly.
“Throughout the postseason run, we definitely had more work on our hands than normal,” Long says. “On top of setting up practice and running practice, we were sorting, building, and passing out gear bags to all of the staff and players.”
Each new bag represented another destination.
“It was a lot of extra work,” Long says, “but every time we made a new bag, it meant we were heading to another bowl game.”
Long’s experience was unique. Assigned to the quarterback room, he worked closely with the Heisman Trophy winner and the rest of the QB group.
“Working with the quarterbacks is a special job,” he says. “Making sure they have everything they need, warming them up, throwing and catching, helping in drills, whatever the quarterbacks or coaches needed, it would get done.”
Winning the national championship still feels surreal.
“I still wake up and have to realize that we really did win it,” Long says. “It was so gratifying knowing how much went into the season.”
Center Grove’s impact on Long extended beyond football.
“Center Grove taught me what it means to be hardworking and persistent,” he says. “That resilience helped me grind through a season that started in July and didn’t end until January.”
Long hopes to return to Center Grove one day as an educator.
“The habits I learned this season, consistent behaviors leading to positive outcomes, are things I want to bring into my classroom,” he says.
Energy That Traveled Nationwide
Championships are won on the field, but they are fueled everywhere else.
For Adalynn Lyon, a 2024 Center Grove graduate and IU cheerleader, the season meant representing Indiana University and Center Grove on the biggest stages in college football.
“Our job gets even bigger on the road,” Lyon says. “We’re not just cheering during the game, we’re setting the tone all weekend.”
From fan events to pregame performances, Lyon and her teammates worked to keep the energy up.
“Our biggest job was making sure the energy stayed high no matter the moment,” she says.
Certain moments remain etched in her memory.
“The Peach Bowl, being about 90 percent IU fans, was unreal,” Lyon says. “Every time the school song ended with everyone shouting ‘I-U,’ it was the loudest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Representing Center Grove carried special meaning.
“I was truly blessed during my time cheering for the Trojans,” she says. “Those experiences prepared me for this.”
Care Behind the Curtain
While the spotlight shines on game day, championships are sustained in training rooms and treatment tables.
Lauren Cooley, a 2020 Center Grove graduate and IU graduate student athletic trainer, lived the grind daily.
“The pace of in-season football is demanding,” Cooley says. “We were there almost every day, providing care for the athletes.”
Her role included rehabilitation, taping, hydration, and injury care, often with long hours and little recognition.
“Seeing athletes return from injury is one of the most rewarding parts of this profession,” she says.
Singing the IU fight song after wins became a cherished tradition.
“The postseason wins were special because the fans joined us,” Cooley says. “Hearing thousands of voices singing together is something I’ll never forget.”
Cooley credits Center Grove for shaping her path.
“Center Grove taught me compassion and work ethic,” she says. “It made pursuing sports medicine feel natural.”
Waiting for This Moment
For former Center Grove and IU players, the championship carried a different weight.
“This season proved something,” Drew Conrad, CGHS class of 2016, says. “You don’t need top recruits. You need a culture of excellence.”
Eric McClurg, CGHS class of 2002, described disbelief.
“I’m still in shock,” he says. “Seeing longtime fans in tears was overwhelming.”
Nick Stoner, CGHS class of 2011, watched alongside his sons
.
“These are core memories,” he says. “It made years of sacrifice feel worth it.”
Dan Thompson, CGHS class of 1989, felt a sense of fulfillment.
“It’s amazing what Hoosiers can do with the right people and the full support of the University,” he says.
Aaron Halterman, CGHS class of 2000, summed it up simply.
“Surreal,” he says. “It took belief, culture, and leadership.”
Full Circle
For Coach Eric Moore, the moment arrived quietly. No headset. No sideline. No play sheet in hand. Just a former Hoosier, sitting back and watching a program he once gave everything to, finally reach the top of college football.
It wasn’t just the win. It was the way it happened. The discipline. The togetherness. The belief that every role mattered.
That same shared belief is woven into the fabric of Center Grove football.
