By Anthony Mock
MaxPreps.com
Class A No. 1 Sheridan won its school-record 40th consecutive game, knocking off Clinton Central at home, 26-6.
Senior Nick Zachary led the way on both offense and defense for the Blackhawks, accounting for three of Sheridan’s four touchdowns. After struggling through the first quarter, Zachary took an interception 40 yards to the house. He followed that with a one-yard touchdown plunge, giving the Blackhawks a 14-6 halftime lead that they never relinquished.
After a touchdown pass from running back Ty Perkins to Corey Hamersley and a 72-yard scamper by Zachary later, Sheridan (4-0) closed the door on the Bulldogs and secured the longest win streak in school history.
“It’s not really something that we’ve even talked about this year,” head coach Bud Wright of his team’s record-setting feat. “The records and (the prospect of winning the state title) are nice, but the only way to get there is to focus on each game.”
The Blackhawks will next visit Benton Central as they look to extend their winning streak on the way to a fourth consecutive state championship.
Warren Central Handles Giants
Warren Central has been among the most successful football programs in the state in recent years, notching four-straight 5A titles before falling short last year. The Warriors’ recent dominance has extended to their rivalry with storied Ben Davis, a football powerhouse in its own right.
The Warriors and the Giants have combined to win 13 of the past 23 state championships, including six of the past seven.
The clash between the No. 2 and No. 4 teams in the state didn’t meet expectations, however, as the Warren Central got out of the gate early and never looked back, winning 42-21. This win marks the Warren Central’s eighth consecutive win over Ben Davis.
In the first half, it was the Warrior running game that had the Giants back on their heels. Senior running back Eric Williams notched the first two touchdowns of the game, runs of five yards and 67 yards, respectively.
The Giant defense stepped up admirably to the task of shutting down arguably the best running back tandem in the state afterwards, but could do little to derail the Warriors’ special teams and quarterback Derek Hart.
After a 98-yard kickoff return by Shakir Bell, Warren Central’s next three touchdowns would came through the air. Hart had passes of 38, 30, and 15 yards on the scores and went 6-for-14 overall for 137 yards. The Warriors did not turn the ball over.
Ben Davis looked stumped by Warren Central’s defense. In the Giants’ three previous games, they totaled nearly 1,000 yards on the ground. Against Warren Central, though, they managed only 160 rushing yards to go along with four turnovers and 10 penalties.
Both teams should have time to recuperate from the battle, as the Warriors will travel to North Central (0-4) and the Giants will host Terre Haute North (1-3) on Friday.
Irish Survive Mistakes, Even Record Against Chatard
Class 4A No. 4 Cathedral was very close to slipping to 1-3 last Friday. The Irish battled through a muddy field, a pair of turnovers and a safety to win their fourth consecutive game against 3A No. 1 Bishop Chatard, 15-14.
The Trojans built an 8-0 lead over the Irish in the first quarter off a snap that went out of the end zone and an Ari Pappas one-yard touchdown run.
The Irish managed to come back on the arm of quarterback Kofi Hughes, who threw a 24-yard strike to Tom Bemenderfer. Running back Nick Najem marched to the end zone for the two-point conversion, leaving the score tied at the half.
Najem would prove to be one of the heroes of the game, along with defensive back Jake Zupancic. Zupancic halted a fourth-quarter, go-ahead drive by the Trojans when he intercepted a pass and took it back to Chatard’s 37-yard line.
The pick set up Najem’s 11-yard touchdown run and allowed the Irish to put the pressure on the Trojans.
In typical Cathedral-Chatard fashion, the game came down to the end. With less than two minutes left, Pappas gave the Trojans a chance to tie after a nine-yard touchdown run.
Instead, Chatard head coach Vince Lorenzano chose to go for the win, mainly due to his team’s fatigue and cramping issues. The pass was denied, though, and the Irish squeaked out a sloppy win.
Cathedral will try to get above .500 for the first time this year Friday, but face a difficult test in Indianapolis Arlington, a 3-1 team coming off of a 61-12 blowout of Northwest.
Chatard will visit Anderson Highland.
Volleyball: Speedway Downs Scecina, Wins Greenwood Invitational
Speedway took care of business on Saturday, beating Class 2A No. 9 Scecina in three games to win the Greenwood Invitational.
The Sparkplugs lost their first game against the Crusaders 18-25. They came roaring back, taking the second game 25-16 and winning the tie-breaker decisively, 15-8.
It was a good win for Speedway, giving it a mental edge over the team that beat them in the first round of sectional play last year.
“Since I’ve been here over the past few years, it seems like they’ve really been our main nemesis,” head coach Scott Stevens said. “To come back and win was big for us.”
The Plugs are coming off a 23-win season, which tied the school record, and are 11-1 after Tuesday night’s win against Arsenal Tech. The Plugs return almost their entire team, including three West Central All-Conference selections.
Senior outside hitter Whitley Emerson, junior setter Jacklyn Dizney, and sophomore middle hitter Corrinne Owens lead a team looking to capture its school’s first sectional volleyball title.
“I’m really proud of them,” Stevens said. “There’s a great atmosphere around the team. The trust between players is there, which is something I’ve really been pushing. I think we’ve got a good shot this year.”
Speedway should be battle-tested and prepared for the harsh, urgent environment of the postseason as it plays seven of the next eight games on the road, starting with tonight’s match at Westfield.