INDIANAPOLIS
Friends and family members of Whiteland offensive lineman Garrett Curtis should use his jersey number as a way of finding him Friday night.
Locating the Warrior helmet won’t be easy.
The decal exchange, a tradition of the annual North-South All-Star Football Game believed to have started in the early 1990s, makes helmets virtually unreadable by the time kickoff arrives.
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“The first day we got here (Monday), everyone was in the hallways running around saying, ‘You got any decals?’ ” Curtis said. “We all just started passing them out, and I think that’s a good conversation starter.
“I’ve had a lot of fun getting to know people. Some of the schools I didn’t even know existed, to be honest with you.”
Curtis is one of three South All-Stars from Johnson County schools at camp this week at the University of Indianapolis. The others are Center Grove defensive back Tyler Watson and Greenwood defensive tackle Nick Young.
Players design helmets based on where they feel logos look best.
North Central athletic director and former assistant coach Paul Loggan has been associated with the All-Star game for 33 years.
He believes the decal tradition began with the 1992 game, when North Central receiver Derrick Mayes had the audacity to place a decal from rival Ben Davis on his helmet.
Others noticed, and it caught on.
Curtis will take the field with Guerin Catholic’s gold Eagle in the front, Greenwood’s white G on the top and logos belonging to Danville, Triton Central, Franklin Central and Roncalli positioned elsewhere.
By Friday he hopes to have swapped a Warrior head for a Brownsburg decal — the word “Dogs” written in cursive — with South All-Star teammate Kaden Adams, a fellow offensive lineman.
“It’s pretty cool, and I think it will make the helmet pop a little bit,” Curtis said.
By the end of Wednesday morning’s practice, Young’s green helmet sported seven new decals. A few are the same as Curtis, though Westfield’s shamrock, the word “East” for Columbus East and the Southridge decal gives Young a look of his own.
“I think all the sticker exchanging has been done. Ben Davis ran out real quick and some people didn’t bring a lot,” Young said. “I brought a bunch. I grabbed a couple sheets and have tried to give out as many as possible.
“Plus, the more I gave out, the more stickers I get. It’s super cool. The practices are definitely not easy, but it’s fun. You get to meet a whole bunch of new guys and you’re surrounded by great athletes. It’s definitely a good time.”
Watson’s three new decals actually looked like two; Greenwood’s white G is barely visible when placed on Center Grove’s white helmet. A Danville decal covers most of the red award stickers (skull and crossbones) Watson collected during the season.
Trojans players usually don’t have much to exchange given the simple look of their helmets (white with red stripe and player’s number on the left).
“If I can find some guys who have stickers, I’m going to try to get a couple more,” Watson said. “You just kind of make friends, see what they’re doing and see if you can get one of theirs.”
The only part of the helmet Watson considers off-limits is the red 35. This could lead to even more confusion considering his South All-Star number is 19.
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IFCA North/South All-Star Game
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: North Central High School
Local players: Garrett Curtis, OL, Whiteland; Tyler Watson, DB, Center Grove; Nick Young, DT, Greenwood.
Last year: North defeated South, 21-14
Series: South leads, 27-24
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