Indiana State | Archive | October, 2007

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,â�?� Moyers said to a thundering ovation. â�?��?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.â�?�

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
werenâ�?��?�t playing the tradition of Ben Davis,â�?� Moyers said. â�?��?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.â�?�

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,â�?� Moyers said. â�?��?They fly to the football and
get turnovers, and there is no doubt our defense kept us in this football
game.â�?�

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 12^th 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,â�?� Moyers said. â�?��?We answered the bell a
couple times tonight.â�?�

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 4^th 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 3^rd and 12
at the Pike 20, en route to running out the clock.

���?I���?�m so
happy for our kids â�?��?? they played so hard,â�?� Moyers said. â�?��?We want to be like
them (Ben Davis) with the tradition and all those state championship banners.â�?�

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,â�?� Moyers said. â�?��?We just need to take it one game at a time
right now.â�?�

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SHERIDAN ���?? The streak will continue, at
least for one more week for Class A No. 1 Sheridan.

The
two-time defending state champion Blackhawks, winners of now 32 consecutive
games, steamrolled past No. 11 Clinton Central, 49-0, in a Sectional 36
semifinal that could have been a lot worse if Sheridan had left its starters in
past the four-minute mark â�?�¦ of the THIRD quarter.

���?We came
out and played with a lot of intensity,â�?� said junior quarterback Nick Zachery.
���?The last time we played them we came out soft and didn���?�t play well at the
beginning, so we wanted to take it to them from the get-go today.â�?�

Zachery,
along with classmate running back Ty Perkins, spearheaded a rushing attack that
gained 362 yards for the game, including 250 in the first half. The powerful
running attack made it so Zachery didn���?�t have to attempt a pass the entire
game.

The duo
combined for 317 of those 362 yards, with Zachery barely outgaining Perkins 160
to 157.

���?The
offensive line played a great game,â�?� Zachery said. â�?��?They made the huge holes
for us all game long. Without them, we donâ�?��?�t score all those points.â�?�

The
scoring started on the Blackhawks���?� initial possession when Seth Burgen returned
the opening kickoff to the Bulldogs���?� 42 to put Zachery & Co. in prime
scoring position. It took just seven running plays ���?? five from Zachery and two
from Perkins ���?? to get the ball in the end zone when Zachery snuck it in from a
yard out.

On the ensuing
kickoff, Clinton Central fumbled the ball on its own 32. After two Perkins runs
got it in the red zone, Zachery went around the left edge for a 19-yard
touchdown run.

After a
three-and-out by the Bulldogs, Sheridan
started with the ball in its own territory for the first time at the 49. The
result was still the same, however, when Zachery went around the left side
again on the first play for a 51-yard touchdown, and the rout was on.

The
Blackhawks would get one more touchdown run from Zachery in the half ���?? sandwiched
between two from Perkins ���?? to make the score 42-0 at intermission.

After
forcing a turnover on downs to start the third quarter, Sheridan made it a perfect 7 for 7 with
another Perkins run on a right option, bringing us to the final score.

���?All the
hard work in practice paid off,â�?� Zachery said. â�?��?We wanted to go right at them,
and we did. I think that will be the game plan from now on.â�?�

It was all
smiles after the game for Sheridan coach Bud Wright, who said there were some
adjustments made after the first meeting between these two teams (a 24-0 road win
by Sheridan in Week 4) that have really worked out.

���?I was
really happy with the way we came out,â�?� Wright said. â�?��?I thought we were going
to come out like that, but they did some things to us the last time and it hurt
us offensively.

���?So after
that game we worked with the offensive line, and it has helped us ever since. I
think it really helped up front tonight.â�?�

Another
key to the game may have been the weather.

After
raining much of the afternoon, the rain subsided for the game. But it still
created wet conditions â�?�¦ conditions that may have helped turn a close game into
a blowout.

���?I thought
it would be a closer ball game,â�?� Wright said. â�?��?I think we are a lot bigger than
they were on the lines, and with the wet ground that could have been the key.â�?�

Chase
Simmons, who gained 122 yards on the ground in his last game for the Bulldogs,
was one of the few bright spots for Clinton Central (7-4).

Next up
for Sheridan
will be another home game, this time for the Sectional 36 championship against Guerin
Catholic (4-7).

���?They have
a pretty good running back, so we will have to focus in on him,â�?� Zachery said.
���?It will be a tough week of practice, and we will prepare well like we always
do to play the Golden Eagles.â�?�

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GREENWOOD ���?? The hype was there all week as
the Class 5A Sectional 7 showdown between No. 5 Columbus North and third-ranked
host Center Grove appeared to be perhaps the sexiest showdown from the state���?�s
slate of sectional semifinals. What resulted, however, was an old-fashioned
**** kicking by the senior-laden visitors that was greatly assisted by a beyond-injury-riddled
Center Grove squad that simply couldn���?�t compete.

After
falling behind 7-3 early in the second quarter, the road Bull Dogs responded
with touchdowns on three of its next four drives ���?? it would have been 4 for 4
were it not for a fumble inside the Center Grove 5 ���?? as Columbus North thumped
the Trojans, 23-7.

The Bull
Dogs (10-1) were equally lethal with the pass and the run. Senior running back
Alex Turner carried the ball 31 times for 193 yards and two touchdowns, while
senior quarterback Mike Hladik finished 14 of 25 for 246 yards and another
score.

The
latter���?�s 80-yard TD pass off gorgeous play action to senior Taylor Crompton with
4:22 left before the half served notice that a splendid Center Grove season spoiled
by a half-dozen critical injuries to linemen was quite likely going to grind to
a halt.

���?We���?�ve run
that play a couple times and always had success,â�?� Hladik said. â�?��?When we get it
early, weâ�?��?�re usually golden.â�?�

With the
exception of two plays ���?? an interception by Hladik and the aforementioned
fumble near the goal line by Turner ���?? the Bull Dogs played a practically
perfect game.

The
near-perfection started immediately on the game���?�s opening drive, one that began
with first downs on its first four plays. The 12-play drive resulted in a 19-yard
field goal by junior Jonathan Franz and a quick 3-0 lead less than four minutes
into the contest.

Although
Center Grove (9-2) responded with two first downs, the Trojans���?� drive stalled
at midfield. But that was cool because Mike Wood���?�s gorgeous punt to the left
coffin corner went out of bounds at the Columbus North 2, setting the stage for
Center Grove���?�s only score of the night.

Following
a three-and-out effort that reached only the 8, senior Brayden Barthlow���?�s punt
went just 22 yards, giving the Trojans outstanding field position at the
Columbus North 30. On the fifth play of the drive, however, sophomore
quarterback Jordan Luallen (7 of 16, 59 yards) fumbled on a 2^nd-and-15
scramble, with senior defensive end Stephan Henderson recovering at the Bull
Dogs���?� 23.

Once
again, however, that was OK because linebacker Anthony Elias intercepted a
Hladik pass two plays later, giving Center Grove great field position again at
the Columbus North 32. The Trojans made it count seven plays later when Luallen
went in on a quarterback sneak from the 1, and Wood���?�s extra-point kick gave the
hosts a 7-3 lead with 10:25 left in the first half.

It would
be the last bit of pleasantry the Trojans would enjoy all night.

Columbus
North answered with one of the best drives this writer has seen all season,
going 68 yards in eight plays and taking only 3:04 to go back on top 10-7. So
efficient was the effort that the Bull Dogs never even got to a third down
situation, Turner carrying six times for 51 yards and Hladik connecting on both
his passes for 17 more.

The drive
was capped by Turner���?�s five-yard run with 7:15 to go before the break, Franz���?�s
extra point giving the visitors the lead back at 10-7.

It would
be the next series that symbolized exactly what kind of night it was for each
side.

Center
Grove seemed to be in response mode when Tanner Riley returned the kickoff 45
yards from two yards deep into the end zone to the Trojans���?� 43. The drive moved
forward to the Columbus North 40, from where the Trojans decided to go for it
on 4^th and 7.

But Center
Grove was whistled for an illegal substitution penalty, and coach Eric Moore
sent it the punt team. It would be an extremely fateful move as, instead of
perhaps approaching the red zone, the Trojans instead were handing a loaded gun
to Columbus North after Wood���?�s 25-yard punt rolled out of bounds.

On the
next play, Hladik faked beautifully to his left, then rolled right to find
Crompton open deep. The 6â�?��?�3â�?� receiver/defensive back outwrestled closing
cornerback Nic Jackson for the slightly underthrown pass, then spun and headed
to the house with Jackson flying just out of reach behind him every step of the
way.

���?Our
offense stepped up and made plays when it needed to,â�?� said Columbus North coach
Tim Bless. ���?Fortunately, we���?�re a veteran team and were prepared for an intense
atmosphere like this.â�?�

Franz���?�s
kick was blocked, but it made no difference as the life had been ****** out of
Center Grove on the lightning-fast 80-yard scoring strike that gave the Bull
Dogs a 16-7 lead â�?�¦ a lead that lead should have grown to 23-7 following a
three-and-put on the ensuing Trojans���?� possession.

That���?�s
because Columbus North responded with a brutal seven-play drive that went from
the 50 to inside the Trojans���?� 5, at which point Turner fumbled just 13.6
seconds ahead of the half after picking up a first down on a run up the middle.

When a
surprise pooch kickoff by the Bull Dogs was successful to start the second
half, one could hear the fat lady revving up those vocal chords. Four plays and
38 yards later, Turner converted an easy-as-pie three-yard touchdown run, the
PAT giving Columbus North a 23-7 lead just 64 seconds into the third quarter.

From
there, it was all about the Bull Dogs���?� defense as Columbus North limited Center
Grove to three-and-outs on its next two possessions and forced a turnover on
downs on the following two.

After
holding the Trojans���?� vaunted Wing T offense to just 68 yards on 22 carries in
the opening half, Columbus North slammed the door by keeping the Trojans under
150 yards of total offense for the first time all season.

Moore, whose team was forced to go with
four reserves on the offensive line and another two on the D-line following an
unprecedented bout with injuries, was left to wonder what could have been for a
season that began in such promising fashion.

���?We���?�re not
the same team we were in Week 5,â�?� Moore said in
reference to a healthier squad that trashed big-name opponents such as Roncalli
(35-6), Carmel
(a one-point road win in double overtime), Ben Davis (37-7), and North Central
(42-7). ���?I���?�d love to have that team back.

���?We just
couldn���?�t get on track. They were more physical and played the game better in
every aspect.â�?�

Next
weekend, Columbus North will shoot for its third sectional title in the last
four years when the Bull Dogs host Decatur Central (8-3), a 40-21 sectional
semifinal winner at Terre Haute North.

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INDIANAPOLIS ���?? The sixth-year Heritage
Christian football program has reached the highest point in its brief history.

Guided by the aerial assault of senior quarterback Garrett Meador, a
complement of steady-handed receivers, and an underrated defense, the Class 2A
No. 11 Eagles got redemption on 2A sixth-ranked Triton Central for their only
loss of the season with a 31-3 home victory Oct. 26 in Round 2 of Sectional 29 action.

â�?��?Oh, my!â�?� Heritage Christian coach Ron Qualls gushed after the game. â�?��?Itâ�?��?�s
an indescribable feeling.â�?�

The feeling combines Heritage Christian���?�s first-ever shot at a football
sectional championship with a win in the rematch versus the only team to beat
the Eagles all season.

As has been the case most of the season, Heritage Christian (10-1) got
a big-time performance from Meador, the state���?�s leading passer in touchdowns,
attempts, and completions who rolled up 299 yards and three TDs on 20-of-31
passing despite wet turf and rainy conditions early in the game.

Not to be overlooked was an HC defense that limited Triton Central (10-1)
���?? a team that was sixth in the state in averaging more than 44 points per game
���?? to just a field goal and forced five turnovers, three of them interceptions
by junior Tommy Eggleston.

â�?��?We knew our defense can play,â�?� said Qualls. â�?��?(But) nobody thought
31-3. Nobody.â�?�

Despite the fact that both teams came in averaging over 40 points per
game, there was little scoring to be found early. In fact, the game was
scoreless until Meador and junior receiver Morgan Cook hooked up on a 32-yard
score with just 33 seconds remaining in the first half.

Prior to that, the teams ���?? or, more accurately, Triton Central ���?? had
moved the ball but were unable to find the end zone, due mostly to a combined
four turnovers over the first two quarters.

Particularly significant was Triton Central���?�s first drive of the night,
which went 14 plays and 77 yards before junior running back Garrett Pritt
fumbled a reception inside the Eagles���?� 1-yard line. The ball rolled into the
end zone then out of bounds, resulting in a touchback for Heritage Christian.

But Meador threw an interception on the ensuing drive, one of two
interceptions in the Eagles���?� first four drives that assisted in keeping them
off the scoreboard early.

Another Triton Central turnover ���?? the Tigers���?� third of the night ���?? was
a catalyst for the Heritage Christian offense late in the third quarter. That���?�s
when Eggleston picked off a pass in Triton Central territory and weaved across
the field, returning it to the TC 12 at the 5:15 mark of the third stanza.

On the next play, Meador threw another touchdown pass to Cook to
extend the lead to 14-0.

A kickoff return to the 49 and two Heritage Christian penalties gave the
Tigers their best starting field position of the game, and eight plays later that
translated into a 30-yard field goal with 0:58 left in the third.

The Eagles���?� offense, though, didn���?�t reach its beak ���?? er, peak ���?? until
the fourth quarter. Just two plays into the quarter came the biggest play of
the night: a 71-yard bomb down the sideline from Meador to junior receiver
Michael Breiner that put the lead at 21-3.

As the Heritage Christian offense was peaking, the HC defense came up
with another series of plays to continue the momentum.

After pushing the Tigers back to their own 22 following a holding
penalty on the kickoff return, the Eagles forced quarterback Jordan Martin to scramble
on two straight plays. They then pounced on a fumbled snap at the Triton
Central 29.

After a pass to Breiner got them inside the 5, the Eagles punched it
into the end zone on a one-yard keeper by Meador.

The Heritage Christian defense kept the pressure on, forcing Triton Central
into a three-and-out after pushing the offense back seven yards. That preceded a
37-yard field goal by the hosts that resulted from Eggleston���?�s third pick of
the game (and 10^th of the season).

â�?��?It feels great,â�?� said Meador, who leads the state with 37 touchdowns
and more than 2,700 yards passing. â�?��?We wanted to get these guys, and we did.â�?�

���?I���?�ve been telling people all year long that we���?�ve got good
receivers,â�?� said Qualls. â�?��?If you try and take Eggleston out of the equation,
then you���?�ve got to deal with Cook. If you take Cook out of the equation, you���?�ve
got to deal with Houck.

â�?��?If you take Houck out of the equation, youâ�?��?�ve got Breiner.â�?�

Cook and Breiner finished with nearly identical stat lines on the
night and the majority of Meador���?�s completions. Cook had nine catches for 138
yards and two touchdowns, while Breiner had nine catches for 138 and one
touchdown.

Eggleston caught one pass for 14 yards, while sophomore James Houck
latched on to one for nine yards.

After reaching the pinnacle of the short Heritage Christian football
history, it���?�s clear the team isn���?�t satisfied just yet.

Before hitting the locker room, Meador made it a point to mention
â�?��?weâ�?��?�ve got next week to take care of.â�?�

And when asked if the night���?�s win was the biggest in school history,
Qualls ���?? the head coach for all six seasons ���?? quipped, ���?This is the biggest one
this week.â�?�

Heritage Christian will host Lawrenceburg (6-5) next weekend in the
Sectional 29 championship game. The Tigers advanced by defeating Centerville, 30-7.

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DANVILLE ���?? Sometimes you win, sometimes you
lose â�?�¦ and sometimes you just donâ�?��?�t show up until the second half. The latter
was the case Oct. 26 for highly regarded Danville
in the Warriors���?� Class 3A Sectional 21 semifinal against visiting Crawfordsville.

The
fourth-ranked Warriors played a first half that can only be described as dismal, yet somehow
they were tied with a quality Crawfordsville team at the intermission. The
Athenians probably should have called it a night at that point as Danville
returned to form and posted a 31-14 victory.

To say Danville was fortunate to
be tied at halftime is an understatement. Consider the following â�?�¦

Quarterback
Colton Cooper���?�s first pass of the evening was picked off near midfield. Crawfordsville
immediately drove 54 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead midway through the
first quarter.

On its
second possession, Danville
got one first down and then fumbled. And although the Warriors eventually
recovered, they lost 20 yards on the play and had to punt.

After
punting, they were saved from being further behind only because a 34-yard pass
play deep into Danville
territory was nullified by a Crawfordsville holding penalty.

On its
fourth possession, Danville
would fumble again, this time losing the ball.

To their
credit, on the other hand, the Warrior defense stiffened as the half went
along, and that was all that was needed. You knew sooner or later the offense
would strike, and strike it did.

Cooper hit
Devin Mabbin on a 10-yard scoring strike with 1:56 left in the half and, at
least on the scoreboard, all was forgiven. Intermission arrived with the teams
in a 7-7 deadlock.

After
halftime, Danville
showed why itâ�?��?�s one of the top teams in 3A â�?�¦

On their
first possession, the Warriors drove for a go-ahead 24-yard field goal before Crawfordsville
went three and out.

The second
Warrior possession of the half ended on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Cooper to
Brock Scott, and it was 17-7.

Once again,
Crawfordsville could not sustain a drive, and any remaining suspense was soon
over as Danville���?�s
next drive resulted in another 20-yard Cooper scoring strike.

It was
24-7, and the only question remaining was the final score. Each team added a
late touchdown, but the Athenians never threatened.

Certainly,
the weather did not aid Danville���?�s
wide-open offense. Most of the game was played in a light drizzle, and the rain
also put a damper on the crowd, which was far from a sellout.

Next up
for the Warriors is another home game with 14^th-ranked Brebeuf in
the sectional final ���?? and a whole week of practice where they will be
constantly reminded of the importance of playing four quarters.

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