By Anthony Mock
MaxPreps.com
After getting trounced 42-21 by Warren Central earlier this year, Ben Davis returned the favor on Friday, beating the host Warriors 45-23.
The Giants had lost nine-straight games to Warren Central, but earned their 14th regional title behind a stout defense and running back Miles Wright, who looked unstoppable against a tough Warrior defense.
The Giants defense struck first as defensive back Keith Suggs recovered a fumble in the end zone, one of two fumbles Ben Davis returned for a touchdown.
Warren Central struggled to move the ball, gaining just seven first downs and 201 total offensive yards. Running back George Cheesebourough scored on a 59-yard run late in the fourth quarter. Outside of that run, the Warriors averaged only 2.78 yards per play.
Wright carried the ball 27 times for 211 yards and three scores, the first of which came in the third quarter after the Warriors had narrowed the lead to 17-9 at halftime.
Quarterback Greg Rice went 4-of-5 passing for 32 yards and added 64 yards on the ground.
Ben Davis (10-3) will face No. 1 Center Grove (12-1) in the semi-state. The teams have already met once this year with Center Grove winning 44-22.
This is by no means the same Giant team, however. After back-to-back losses to Center Grove and Lawrence North, Ben Davis went on a tear, including an improbable win at then-No. 1 Carmel. The Giants have outscored their postseason opponents 150-61, making Friday night’s match-up the most intriguing in the state.
Ritter Dominates Lapel
Class 1A No. 1 Cardinal Ritter continued on its warpath, crushing Lapel 47-9.
The Raiders, who have been an offensive juggernaut all season, proved their worth with an impressive defensive performance that limited the Bulldogs to 187 total yards.
“We had some adjustments that we had to make, defensively but (the players) did a great job adapting,” said head coach Ty Hunt. “Our inside linebackers were good against the run and it helps that our defensive ends are 6-7 and 6-4 and are able to get pressure on the quarterback.”
The Raider defense has held opponents to less than 10 points per game average this season, and the players’ commitment to the scheme was evident on Friday. Lapel running back Josh Owen, one of the state’s top 20 rushers, was held to 81 yards on 18 carries.
Even more impressive is that 51 of Owen’s yards came on a single play in the third quarter when the Cardinals were already up by four touchdowns. In the first half, the Bulldogs managed just 48 yards on 22 carries.
Offensively, quarterback Ross Hendrickson led a typically flawless attack, going 8-of-17 passing for 143 yards and two touchdowns while adding 75 yards on the ground. Running back Isaiah Norwood tallied 95 yards on 17 carries and scored twice.
Next, the Cardinals (13-0) will travel to Linton (13-0), who dispatched of a previously unbeaten Rockville team in the regional. The last time these two squads clashed, Ritter came away with a 21-20 overtime win. Though that battle was waged in 2004, Hunt knows that it is not a forgotten one.
“They bring in fans from all over, probably like three counties worth of people to every game, so it’s a tough environment,” Hunt said. “(Linton) has been in some close games this year, so that’s probably an advantage for them. My guys know how to get geared-up, though, and they know how to maintain their intensity for an entire game.”
Chatard Earns Eighth Straight Trip to Semi-State
Chatard earned its eighth consecutive regional title on Friday by beating North Montgomery, 42-20.
The Trojans have won seven of the last 11 3A state championships. It is an edge that head coach Vince Lorenzano believes will help his team as it looks its third straight state crown.
“It’s very low-key in our locker room right now,” Lorenzano said. “When you’ve gotten (to the semi-state) consistently, the rest of the school doesn’t pay too much attention. It lets us just focus on what we have to do.”
Though beatable, the Trojans have looked every bit the champion throughout the season. Seven of Chatard’s nine regular season games were against 4A and 5A opponents, all of which were wins except for a 15-14 loss to Cathedral, the state’s winningest program.
Much of the Trojans’ success can be attributed to its offensive line, which again delivered against North Montgomery. Running back Ari Pappas found holes all over the place, gashing the Chargers for 227 yards and five scores.
“We got on all our blocks and really tried to push them around, and that allowed us to control the tempo of the game,” Lorenzano said.
Defensively, the Trojans were just as strong. The Chargers mustered 314 yards of offense against Chatard, but turned the ball over four times on top of recovering three of their own fumbles.
Chatard will head to Evansville Memorial on Friday. They will face an 11-2 Tiger team that is under the leadership of a first-year head coach and riding a nine-game winning streak. The Tigers’ last loss was by three points to 4A Evansville Reitz, the second-winningest program in the state.
Carmel Saved By Crossbar
Defending state champion Carmel almost missed out on its second straight semi-state.
After hitting a 26-yard field goal to take the lead, host Fort Wayne Snider drove to the 25-yard line to set-up the tying kick. With less than a second on the clock, Panther kicker Andy Roop delivered a kick that went barely wide. Carmel head coach Mo Moriarity had called a timeout prior to the snap, though, so Roop had another opportunity.
On his second try, the ball was aimed perfectly between the uprights but did not have enough leg. As the ball bounced off the crossbar, the Greyhounds secured a 24-21 victory.
The Greyhounds have come from behind to beat Warren Central, Cathedral, and current No. 1 Center Grove. Their match-up with Fort Wayne Snider fit the exact same mold.
A 59-yard fumble returned for a touchdown coupled with a 72-yard scamper by Panther running back Jason McGraw gave Snider a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Then, it was time for Morgan Newton to don his cape and take the game over. Newton scored three consecutive touchdowns on runs of 11, 20 and 50 yards. In the game, Newton went 11-of-21 passing for 141 yards and carried the ball 24 times for 169 yards.
Carmel continues its quest on Friday, hosting unranked Penn (10-3). The Kingsmen are a surprise at this level, coming off of a 19-0 whipping of Merrillville in the regional final.