By Anthony Mock
MaxPreps.com
Fresh off a win over Southport, Roncalli walked into Franklin Central with something to prove. The Rebels are coming off a 3-7 season program’s first losing record since 1979.
Roncalli certainly made a statement on Friday, as it handed the 5A seventh-ranked Golden Flashes a 30-7 loss. The Rebels looked solid on the ground, amassing 202 rushing yards on 42 carries. Ben Polizzi led the attack with 21 carries for 137 yards and three touchdowns.
The Rebels also got solid play from senior quarterback Kevin Banich. After throwing an interception returned 50 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession, Banich led Roncalli on four scoring drives and accounted for 106 total yards.
On Friday, the Rebels, now ranked seventh overall, will play host to Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, who is 2-0 after beating Lexington (Ky.) Catholic 31-7. Meanwhile, the Flashes travel to Bloomington South to face the 2-0 Panthers.
Royals Edge In-town Rival Tigers
Hamilton Southeastern played host to Fishers in a standing room only game that brought out over 7,500 fans to Reynolds Royals Stadium. Southeastern bashed its way through the Tigers’ defense and won the in-town bragging rights, 24-17.
The Royals (2-0) were led by Matt Ripp, who put on an impressive display against the rival Tigers. The junior halfback tallied 203 yards on 24 carries, including three touchdowns on runs of 24, 33, 60.
Southeastern was in control for most of the game, leading 24-10 until an 80-yard touchdown pass from Fishers quarterback Alex Hines to receiver Sean Hildebrand toward the end of the fourth quarter.
The Royals, now ranked No. 6 in class 5A, will visit 1-1 Brownsburg on Friday.
Plainfield Falls, Warriors Roll; To Play Each Other Next
Plainfield allowed two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter as visiting Lawrence North squeaked by the Quakers, 21-14.
After giving up a 99-yard kickoff return to open the game, Plainfield answered with a pair of rushing touchdowns in each of the first two quarters, but could not get into the end zone in the second half.
Whiteland, however, had a very impressive win over visiting Arlington, 54-27. The Warriors were led by running back Luke Harris, who scored four touchdowns and accounted for 162 of the Warriors’ 362 total rushing yards. The defense also played solidly, only allowing the Golden Knights 287 yards of total offense and forcing three interceptions.
Whiteland will take its 2-0 record into Plainfield on Friday, who will certainly look to rebound from last week’s tough loss.
Cross Country: Carmel Tops Columbus East Kickoffs
Carmel took the top team spots in both the boys and girls Columbus East Kickoffs on Saturday, edging out Bloomington South in both races.
The girls team won handily 20-44 and was led by meet medalist Renee Wellman with a time of 19:13.
The boys, however, got by on the strength of their sixth runner, Taylor Flannagan. Tied at 52 with the Panthers, Flannagan pulled in right behind teammate Nick Berry to seal the win, an impressive feat considering half of the varsity squad was sent to Zionsville to compete in a different tournament. The meet’s overall medalist was Tyler Byrne of North Harrison.
Tennis: North Central Finishes Fourth at Home
North Central hosted its invitational on Saturday, finishing fourth in the very strong John Shirley Division, of which all eight competitors are ranked in the state’s top 12..
Despite the finish, North Central still holds on to the No. 2 spot in the coaches’ poll behind Carmel, who edged out the Panthers by five points to claim the third spot in the invitational. The top two places were taken by Cathedral and Center Grove, both tied for third in the coaches’ poll.
Defending No. 1 singles state champion sophomore Nick Chappell again looked like the best player in the state, breezing through the tournament to claim the individual title and remain unbeaten on the year. Cathedral walked away with the No. 1 doubles crown.
Volleyball: Ben Davis Wins Home Invitational
After suffering through two opening losses to Brownsburg and No. 7 Scecina, the Ben Davis Giants have rattled off four wins in a row, including a sweep of their home tournament on Saturday.
Ben Davis fell in its first set to Whiteland 22-25 in the opening match, but came back to win the next two sets 25-14 and 25-22. Junior outside hitter Elizabeth Whitis spearheaded the victory with impressive play on both offense and defense, notching 13 kills and 16 digs in the match.
The Giants then proceeded to dominate a solid Southport team, 25-11, 25-19. Whitis again came up big with 9 kills and 3 aces in a quick match.
In the Invitational final, Ben Davis again rose to the occasion against Shelbyville, winning in three sets 25-20, 20-25, 25-14. The Giants were led by junior outside hitter Becky Gramer, who tallied 5 aces and 11 kills in the match.
