By Brandon Jones
Staff Writer
INDIANAPOLIS â??? They say defense wins championships. That was the
case Nov. 26 at the RCA Dome in the Class 3A state football
championship game as the oft-used phrase held true to form in
NorthWoodâ??s 7-0 upset of an extremely young Indianapolis Chatard team.
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The victory provided a storybook ending for the Panthers (9-6), who
rattled off the necessary six wins in a row after entering tournament
play at 3-6 and won their first state championship after falling short
in five previous attempts.
The outcome — a complete reversal of the 49-0 whuppin’ Chatard
laid on NorthWood just two years ago in this game — presents a series
of firsts:
* The first championship game loss for Chatard (12-3), now 7-1 in the finals
* The first championship game win for NorthWood, now 1-5 in the finals
* The first title team with six losses for NorthWood
NorthWood freshman quarterback Skyler Titus hit junior wide
receiver Brant Ehret on a 10-yard TD pass with just 35 seconds left in
the first half for the game’s only points. The Panther defense came up
big not only on the final play, but also on third downs throughout the
game as NorthWood held the Trojans to a feeble 1-of-10 success rate.
Holding No. 3-ranked Chatardâ??s offense to only 166 total yards, the
unranked Panthers came to play on the defensive side of the ball. Both
teams entered the contest wanting control by running the football, but
it would be the defenses that would be the gameâ??s deciding factor.
Both offenses started the opening quarter with a fairly
conservative game plan. Chatard received the opening kickoff, but coach
Vince Lorenzanoâ??s offense could get nothing going as three straight
running plays netted only eight yards, and the Trojans were forced to
punt. NorthWoodâ??s offense followed suit on its opening drive as the
Panthers gained only seven yards, and they, too, were forced to punt.
The theme of the afternoonâ??s first game was established.
Chatardâ??s next drive began on its own 24-yard line, but runs by
junior Joe Holland and sophomore Tyler Kleinschmidt could not move the
chains. The Trojans gave the ball back to NorthWood midway through the
first quarter with the contest still scoreless.
The Panthers chose to mix it up on their next possession as they
threw the gameâ??s first pass. The attempt, however, was unsuccessful,
and only 57 seconds after gaining control of the football, NorthWood
was forced to punt.
Chatard next managed to pick up the afternoonâ??s first moving of the
chains, but penalties stalled the drive with just over three minutes
remaining in the first period. The Trojans, once again, would be forced
to surrender the football.
NorthWoodâ??s next drive showed some promise as the Panthers
maneuvered their way down the field, highlighted by a 38-yard
connection between Titus and senior running back Kodi Diemer. After
faltering on third down, however, it appeared the Panthers would have
to settle for a field goal, and senior Ryan Burkhart connected from 37
yards out.
But the Panthers were forced to try again after an
illegal-procedure penalty, and they would not be as lucky the next time
around. Chatard junior Nik Beery got a hand on the 42-yard attempt, and
it fell to the turf. The game remained tied at zero with just over
seven minutes remaining in the first half.
Chatard, as it had all season long, turned to its horse in the
backfield. Holland touched the football five times on the ensuing
drive, yet could manage only 19 yards on those carries. The Trojans
still picked up two first downs on the drive, one by Holland and the
other on a 24-yard sweep play by Kleinschmidt. But Kleinschmidtâ??s next
carry would be the Trojansâ?? last of this drive as he was dropped for a
six-yard loss, and Chatard punted from its own 28.
The kick gave NorthWood its best field position of the afternoon,
and a nine-play, 47-yard drive put the Panthers in position once again
to score the gameâ??s first points with less then a minute before the
half. They did when Titus (7 for 10 for 98 yards) connected with Ehret
(four receptions, 44 yards) on the 10-yard touchdown pass on the left
side of the end zone. Burkhartâ??s point after was good, and NorthWood —
everyoneâ??s choice as the underdog in this contest â??? had taken a 7-0
lead over Chatard.
â??He (Titus) has played in a few wars playing in our conference (the
tough eight-team Northern Lakes, where NorthWood amazingly finished
tied for sixth at 2-5), and obviously played some very good football
teams throughout the tournament,â? Dodson said. â??Heâ??s a great kid with a
lot of composure, and heâ??s grown up quite a bit.
â??I tried to relate to him that itâ??s no different than playing in the backyard. Iâ??m not sure if he really bought it or not.â?
Very rarely is seven points enough to win a football game, but this time it would be.
â??We had just enough offense, but we brought a lot of defense and
that was the difference,â? said NorthWood coach Rich Dodson. â??â??Anytime
you can pitch the ball to Joe Holland there is always the threat of a
big play.â?
No foolinâ??. Chatardâ??s 6â??2â?, 190-pounder entered the game averaging
155 yards a contest and had scored 30 touchdowns through 14 games. His
numbers against the NorthWood D: 22 carries for 89 yards and zero TDs.
Kleinschmidt fared little better, toting the rock seven times for 38
yards.
In fact, the Trojans as a team came in averaging 252 yards per game
on the ground. They left with only 122, a serious testament to the
NorthWood defense.
â??Defensively they were faster than we were on offense — thatâ??s the
bottom line,â? said Lorenzano. â??Overall as a team, they were faster than
we were. They were reading and running on defense, and that disrupted
our offense.â?
To the second half! NorthWood received the opening kickoff and used
a heavy dose of smashmouth football. The Panthers ran the ball on their
first seven plays of the quarter and looked as if they were poised to
make the contest a two-possession game. On the driveâ??s eighth play,
however, Titus was sacked for a nine-yard loss, and the next play was
an incomplete pass. The Panthers punted the ball back to Chatard with
5:48 remaining in the third quarter.
But the Trojans could not capitalize. NorthWood had figured out the
offensive formations used by Chatard and, though they would add another
first down to their total, the Trojans were forced to give the ball
back.
NorthWoodâ??s next drive was a statement of sorts. The Panthers
methodically moved the ball down the field to run out the third quarter
of play. A 37-yard run by sophomore Kent Biller (NorthWoodâ??s leading
rusher with 48 yards on seven carries) was the key play as it got the
Panthers into Chatard territory. With a chance to put the game away
with another score, though, the Panthers got sloppy as the fourth
quarter began.
Biller could not handle a pitch from Titus, and the ball fell to
the turf. Chatard junior defensive back Ben Buhler pounced on the
pigskin at the 24-yard line, and it appeared the Trojans were in
business. But three consecutive runs by Holland netted the Trojans only
six yards, and they gave it right back to NorthWood.
The Chatard defense stiffened as well, and the Trojans gained the
ball right back after a Panther three-and-out. NorthWood only chewed
1:41 off the clock, and the game was still within reach for Chatard.
With 7:41 to go, Chatard changed its game plan and decided it was
time to go to the air. Senior quarterback Matt Lubbers was unsuccessful
on two consecutive attempts, though, and with 6:37 to go, senior punter
Todd Leone (seven punts for a 36-yard average on the day) used his foot
once again to give possession back to the Panthers.
NorthWood once again failed to run much time off the clock. The
Panthers gained only four yards on their drive and with 4:07 to go,
Chatard had one more chance to find paydirt. And on the gameâ??s final
drive, Chatard finally found some rhythm.
The Trojans took over at their own 15, knowing exactly what was
ahead of them. Like in college football, the clock stops every time the
chains are moved, so Chatard did not abandon the ground game quite yet
— runs by Holland and Kleinschmidt got the ball to midfield with under
a minute to go. Sophomore QB Matt Doyle, the teamâ??s passing specialist,
got the nod over Lubbers on this drive.
â??We might have needed to throw the ball earlier to open things up,â?
said Lorenzano, whose quarterbacks combined to go 6 for 12 for just 34
yards. â??We normally run the football, and they stopped us from doing
that.â?
A series of short passes advanced the ball to the NorthWood 27 with
27 seconds remaining. But a sack of Doyle did not help the Trojan
cause, and the clock ran down to :06 with the ball resting at the
32-yard line before the Trojans called timeout to diagram one final
play.
It was a jump-ball pass to the left corner of the end zone,
intended for tight end Kyle Dietrick, but the sophomore could not haul
it in over two Panther defenders. The clock read :00, and the gameâ??s
decision was final.
â??Iâ??ve been involved in a lot of these first-time ball games,â?
Lorenzano said. â??Congratulations to coach Dodson — they showed why
they made a great run in the tournament.â?
Despite the loss, it should be noted that Chatard did a solid job
of containing the NorthWood offense. Leading the way for the Trojans
were three players: sophomore defensive linemen John Drury (12 tackles,
including nine solos), sophomore linebacker Mike Dum (10 and eight),
and Buhler (eight and five).
Leading a balanced NorthWood defensive attack were junior
linebacker Jed Beer and junior defensive end Kent Schaffer, who each
recorded seven tackles with five solos.
NorthWood Panthers, yourâ?? worst-everâ?? state champion!
At 9-6, Northwood gladly accepts the moniker of â??state champion
with the worst-ever record.â? Coach Ott Hurrle’s Indianapolis Scecina
team, a 28-27 victor over River Forest in the 1990 Class 2A final,
previously held that honor after finishing its run at 9-5.
â??We tried to convince the kids all year long that we were not a
terrible team, we just werenâ??t playing the way I thought we could,â?
said Dodson, whose Panthers finished as state runner-up in 1980 (Class
2A), â??86, â??93, â??98, and 2003. â??We started believing in ourselves a
little bit better, changed our attitude, and we were able to get here.
â??(This is) just a great group of kids. We really donâ??t have any
true Division I kids, but they sure played like a bunch of Division I
kids today.â?
Chatardâ??s Ball wins Mental Attitude Award
Kevin Ball of Indianapolis Chatard was selected as the winner of
the Phil N. Eskew Mental Attitude Award by members of the IHSAA
Executive Committee. The Trojansâ?? placekicker and a backup wide
receiver as well, Ball also is a three-year member of the schoolâ??s
baseball team as a second baseman.
Academically, he ranks fourth in his class of 188 students.
He has been a student council representative all four years, including
class president as a freshman, and has done volunteer work with St.
Lukeâ??s Youth Ministry, St. Augustineâ??s Home for the Aged, and youth
baseball.
The son of Dr. Michael and Mary Ellen Ball of Indianapolis
plans to study Pre-Med in college, where he is deciding between Yale,
Princeton, Stanford, and Notre Dame.
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