Last night, Sam Burns of the Pirate football team signed to play football for Wisconsin Lutheran College in front of family, friends, and coaches.

Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) is an independent, nationally ranked Christian college in Milwaukee that serves 1,200 traditional undergraduate, adult, and graduate students through its on-campus and online programming. The college, which prepares students for lives of Christian leadership, is recognized for its academic excellence and superior student experience. Caring, Christian faculty work directly with students, who benefit from numerous research, service, and co-curricular opportunities designed to enhance academic and spiritual growth.

Wisconsin Lutheran College athletic department sponsors 16 (8 men / 8 women) varsity sports, competing at the NCAA Division IiI level. Known as the Warriors, Wisconsin Lutheran College is a member of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC). The NACC began its first season of competition in the fall of 2006, then known as the Northern Athletics Conference. The conference consists of 13 private colleges and universities from the shared-border states of Illinois and Wisconsin, all of which are NCAA Division III members.

When asked about deciding on his future as a Warrior, Sam said, “The reason I chose Wisconsin Lutheran was because their facilities, dorms and football staff were extremely nice and felt like home. The signing process was fun. I had a great time. The staff at Wisconsin Lutheran was very helpful to give me the signing paper and I am glad to have this opportunity to continue playing football while also getting my education.”

Pirate football coach Jason Hawkins said, “Sam has done a great job transforming his body into a player that can play at the next level. He had a very good senior year and is a great kid. We will miss him.”

The Charlestown High School athletic department and WPMQ, The Pirate Network congratulates Sam and wishes him a healthy and prosperous future as a Warrior!

 

Article and photo contributed by WPMQ staff.

Attention, Pirate Nation! The Pirate football team needs your appetite!

Tomorrow evening the The Big X Sports from WXVW will be live at 7:00 with Coach Hawkins, select Pirate players, and representatives from the Providence football program at the River Ridge Zaxby’s on Highway 62 for the Thursday Night Touchdown Showdown.

Here’s where you come in! Bring that appetite from 6-8, order a meal from Zaxby’s, sit back and enjoy the show! A percentage of the proceeds will go back to the school that eats the most Zaxby’s! Hope to see you there.

Do you love painting or need to spruce up your fall football party decor? What better way to do it than at Earth and Fire on Charlestown Rd. in New Albany, where they’ll give 10% back to our Pirate football team next weekend! See more details below….

Pirate Football improved to 3-1 (overall & MSC) on Homecoming Friday night, upsetting the Class 3A #6 and two time defending conference champs from North Harrison, 34-22.  Charlestown’s offense capitalized on great Pirate defensive plays in the second half to roll to a 27-15 advantage at the end of the third; then a 34-15 advantage with just under four minutes remaining in the game.  The Pirate defense minimized the Cougar’s (3-1) leading rusher Jaylen Peake, as he finished the game with 155 total yards on 23 carries; however 142 of those yards where in the first half.  Devin Lukes collected two huge interceptions, which stymied any attempts by North Harrison to muster momentum; while Bo Braunecker came alive in the second stanza to finish with 8 tackles (6 solo) and a sack.

During the halftime Homecoming festivities, Tristan Callaway and Madison Christy were crowned Charlestown’s new Homecoming King and Queen (shown in photo, courtesy of Melissa Stewart)

Once again, the Pirate offense got big ground production by Junior standout Marion Lukes.  Frustrating the Cougar defense, Marion logged 347 yards of rushing on 28 carries; after breaking the Charlestown single game record a week prior after a 475 yard performance.  Marion scored four of the five Pirate touchdowns, on runs of 21 and 6 in the first half; and 61 and 77 in the second half.  Lukes goes into week five of the season with a total of 1,144 rushing yards, placing him solidly among the top five rushers in the nation.

Junior Marion Lukes’ 77 yard rushing touchdown during the 3rd Qtr. vs. #6 N. Harrison:

Pirate quarterback Braiden Murphy scored on a seven yard run midway in the fourth quarter; before North Harrison concluded scoring with 85 yard kickoff return by Zane Armstrong.

The Pirates finished with 439 yards of offense, all on the ground; assisted by Addison Logsdon’s 81 yards on 13 carries.

The Pirates play out of conference next Friday, when they travel to Providence (2-2) High School (Clarksville) for another chapter in the forty plus year history between the two programs.  Kick off is scheduled for 7:00 pm at Murphy Stadium, to be broadcasted lived on WPMQ 99.3 FM Radio.

Indiana’s longest running high school football Homecoming Parade will be held Thursday (TONIGHT), September 6th beginning at 5:00 pm from the south parking lot of the Charlestown High School. The parade route will include traveling south on Monroe from the high school, then west on Main Street before stopping on the city square for a pep rally. Additionally and traditionally, the Pirate Football parents will be selling rib eye sandwiches up on the square from 5:00-6:00 pm during the pep rally festivities like in years past. Pirate Football will host MSC football rival North Harrison Friday night in the Bone Yard with a 7:00 pm kick-off and annual Homecoming ceremony taking place during halftime of the game. HAPPY HOMECOMING PIRATE NATION!

Charlestown Pirate Football (2-1 & 2-1 MSC) traveled to rival Clarksville Friday evening; with hopes of hanging a 12th straight varsity football victory on the Generals and make the all time series 27-22….mission accomplished.  Even though mother nature made Pirate Nation wait til her pregame light show was complete and put away; Junior Marion Lukes and the Pirates wasted no time when the game clock started.

Charlestown cruised to a 41-12 victory, leading 28-6 at the midway point of the evening.  Lukes was simply unstoppable and virtually ran the ball at will finishing the game with 475 yards on eighteen carries and five of the Pirates’ touchdowns; 320 yards on just ten carries during the first half alone.  Lukes’ total against the Generals set a new single game rushing record which had stood since Ryan Roederer’s 350 yard performance against Brownstown in 2000.

Lukes scored touchdowns on runs of 55, 49, 86, 51 and 77 yards; similar to the pregame lightning.  The Pirates also got scoring courtesy of a Devin Lukes touchdown, a Bo Braunecker two point conversion, and three Andrew Mattingly point afters.

The Pirate Defense was led by Sophomore Deke Brown, named the Defensive Player of the Game by The Pirate Network Broadcast on WPMQ 99.3 FM Radio.

“Marion really ran the ball well, looked like he was on another level this evening”, stated Pirate Head Coach Jason Hawkins of his Junior Running back’s performance.

The Pirates are back in action next Friday at home in the Bone Yard, against the defending MSC champs from North Harrison; the Cougars (3-0), who dispatched Corydon 42-7 Friday night.

(photo courtesy of Melissa Stewart)