MADISON TOWNSHIP — Shelby is back with a vengeance this season.
Madison bore the brunt Friday night of the Whippets’ pent-up frustration from last year’s loss to Ontario in the Division IV regional semifinals. Shelby wasted no time picking up its first win of the season in convincing fashion, 56-14 on the road.
Shelby senior Brayden DeVito, an Air Force commitment, said the taste from last year’s playoff stunner remained heavy in his mouth all offseason.
“I’m super proud of our guys. With all the preseason lists and stuff, we didn’t let that beat into our heads and we came out here and played hard,” DeVito said.
The Whippets took a 35-point lead to halftime, which meant the record-setting quarterback saw limited action in the game’s final 24 minutes — about one offensive drive.
But DeVito’s stats remained par for the course. Completing 12 of his 20 passes, the senior tallied 189 passing yards, three TDs and no interceptions. On the ground, DeVito scurried for 77 yards and a score on eight rushes.
“That’s our goal this season, is to prove everyone right,” he said. “In the past, we’ve had a mindset to prove them wrong, but this year we’ve got something else to prove.
“Prove everyone right. They’re right about us. This isn’t a fluke.”
2025 season is a new opportunity for Shelby
The Whippets boasted a trio of scores in both the first and second quarter.
Points came fast by land and by air. Junior Gavin Baker scored both of his TDs in the first half. He finished the game with 63 yards rushing on six carries.
Junior speedster Brady Bowman did the same, catching a pair of TDs and totaling 126 receiving yards from seven catches in 24 minutes of play.
Shelby coach Rob Mahaney knows these results exemplify his message of being a process-driven team. But in order to land where the Whippets want to be by Week 10, that message must remain constant.
“We’re going to continue to get better every single week,” Mahaney said. “But this team needs to continue to grow. We have got to be better next week than we were this week.
“A lot of these guys are back from a 12-1 team that was back-to-back MOAC champs and they were proud of that, but obviously we’re not satisfied with how it finished. I think for them, it’s a new opportunity.
“To represent our community is a special thing for these guys. We get 10 guaranteed weeks. We want to make sure every night that we do that,” Mahaney said.
Below are photos from Friday night’s game between Shelby and Madison. This story continues below the photos.
Whippets flex their depth in second half
A second half running clock meant opportunities under the Friday night lights for some of Shelby’s younger athletes.
Freshman Luke Blevins certainly made the most of his chance, leading the Whippets in rushing with 89 yards and a TD on seven carries. Junior QB Trent Rodman passed for a 16-yard TD to junior Kayden Paz on his lone attempt.
Junior Michael Shepherd was the seventh Whippet to score Friday. His lone reception was a seven-yard TD.
For the Rams and Kobi Johnson, who was introduced as the new football coach this season after being a longtime assistant, Friday night presented an opportunity for Madison to learn.
Senior Kaleb Gordon had a successful night, rushing 12 times for 86 yards and a score. The Rams senior quarterback Colton Adkins added a trio of runs for 27 yards and a TD. Adkins completed 7-of-14 passes for 37 yards and one INT.
Madison (0-1) will travel to Caledonia next Friday to take on River Valley (1-0).
Shelby (1-0) will clash with Lexington (1-0) in its home opener at the Whippet Athletic Complex. The Minutemen beat Ontario 36-16 on Friday night.
Below are photos of the halftime performances from the Shelby and Madison high school marching bands.
