Staff Writer
INDIANAPOLIS ���?? The message from Pike coach
Derek Moyers was simple when he talked to players, coaches, and Red Devil fans
who had gathered around him following Class 5A second-ranked Pike���?�s 20-12
Sectional 6 victory at 5A No. 7 Ben Davis.
���?You
showed everyone out there tonight what everyone here already knew ���?? that is you
are a very good football team,�� Moyers said to a thundering ovation. ���?This is a
Giant win for us!
���?Everybody
has doubted us all year. They said we had to finally beat somebody, and I think
we beat a great team with a great tradition tonight.��
Pike may
be the new kids on the block, but they refuse to let anything stand in the way
of their quest for the school���?�s first sectional championship. Not the three
turnovers they committed Friday night, and not a Ben Davis team they last beat
33 years ago.
���?We
weren���?�t playing the tradition of Ben Davis,�� Moyers said. ���?We were playing Ben Davis
High School tonight, and
our kids believed in that. We believed if we went out and took care of our
responsibilities, we were better than them.
���?I think
we proved that tonight.��
Despite
the three turnovers, Pike rode a stout defense that forced three turnovers on
its own.
Pike couldn���?�t
have scripted the opening any better. The Red Devils���?� defense forced three
turnovers on the Giants���?� first three possessions, setting the tone for a unit
that stepped up to the task all night.
���?Our
defense was outstanding tonight,�� Moyers said. ���?They fly to the football and
get turnovers, and there is no doubt our defense kept us in this football
game.��
On the
third play of the Giants���?� first drive, Pike defensive lineman Dustin Weber
recovered the first fumble of the night at the Pike 44. Six plays later, however,
Pike quarterback Josh Carpenter was picked off by LaVarus Williams at the Ben
Davis 19.
A mere two
plays later, though, another Ben Davis fumble was recovered by Pike. This time
it was linebacker Darrell Ricker recovering the ball and returning it to the Giants���?�
22.
Ben Davis���?�
first two drives: five plays, two fumbles.
Three
plays later, Carpenter hit Jeremy Turner on a 24-yard touchdown pass. The extra
point from Weber gave Pike a 7-0 lead seven minutes into the game.
Ben Davis
started its next possession at its own 34. On the 12th play of the
drive, senior quarterback MarQueis Gray hit Camron Barnes in the end zone ���?? but
the ball popped into the air and was intercepted by Pike���?�s Jay Davis.
After
forcing a three-and-out, Ben Davis finally got on the board.
It didn���?�t
look like that was going to happen when the Giants punted on the drive���?�s fifth
play. But a roughing the kicker penalty gave Ben Davis the ball back at the
Pike 40.
Nine plays
later, Gray connected with Tandon Doss for a nine-yard touchdown pass on third
and goal. The extra point by Ben Kissick was wide left, allowing Pike to
maintain the lead at 7-6 with 2:40 left before the half.
Just under
three minutes was plenty of time for the high-powered Pike offense. Starting at
its own 42, Pike needed only five plays and 1:46 to score.
After a 45-yard
run by Dakotah Tyler put the ball at the BD 1, Carpenter found paydirt on a quarterback
sneak. The extra point from Weber made it 14-6 at the intermission.
The second
half didn���?�t start nearly as well for Pike. On the third play of its first
drive, the snap went over Carpenter���?�s head and was picked up by Dominick
Taylor, who took the fumble to the house and put Ben Davis was right back in it
at 14-12. The Giants decided to go for two to tie the game, but Doss was
stopped.
The Red
Devils responded by converting three third downs on a 12-play, 67-yard drive
that covered nearly five minutes. Pike increased its lead when Ryan Taylor scampered
into the end zone from 14 yards out to make it 20-12.
���?Our
offense has answered the bell all year,�� Moyers said. ���?We answered the bell a
couple times tonight.��
But the
extra point was missed by Weber, keeping it a potentially one-possession game.
At the
start of the fourth quarter, Pike got the ball at its own 39 with a golden
opportunity to put the nail in the coffin. Moving quickly, Pike got into Ben
Davis territory. But on the sixth play of the drive, BF defensive back Rapheal
Williams recovered a Taylor
fumble with 9:26 still to play.
Ben Davis,
though, failed to capitalize on the chance. The Pike defense forced the Giants���?�
hand on 4th and 13 at the Giants���?� 49 with 4:50 left. Ben Davis coach
Mike Kirschner had two choices: go for it, or punt and hope his defense gets
the ball back.
Kirschner
elected to punt. Only problem was, the Pike offense would have none of that. The
Red Devils converted two crucial third downs, including a 3rd and 12
at the Pike 20, en route to running out the clock.
���?I���?�m so
happy for our kids ���?? they played so hard,�� Moyers said. ���?We want to be like
them (Ben Davis) with the tradition and all those state championship banners.��
The loss
ends the season for Ben Davis in the sectional round for only the third time in
the last 14 years. The Giants finish at 7-4 in Kirschner���?�s first season at the
helm.
With the
win, Pike improves to 11-0 and moves on to the Sectional 6 final next week
where the Red Devils will host Conference Indiana rival No. 13 Franklin Central. These
two teams met in the last game of the regular season at Pike, a game the Red
Devils won 30-17.
���?We���?�re not
where we want to be, we���?�re not where we should be, but thank goodness we���?�re not
where we used to be,�� Moyers said. ���?We just need to take it one game at a time
right now.��
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