6A
Warsaw at Homestead
Final Score: 30-22 Homestead
Make it back-to-back sectionals for the Spartans. Evan Ormsby lit up the stat sheet once again for 217 yards and 3 touchdowns on 15 of 19 passing. Nate Anderson had 113 yards receiving, his sixth 100-yard game this year, and a touchdown. WR Gage Sparrow also pitched in for 3 total touchdowns as Homestead was able to fend off Warsaw with another terrific second half. This marks Homestead’s 7th sectional all-time and the 5th for head coach Chad Zolman. Homestead will make the trip to 10-1 Westfield next week.
5A
North Side at Bishop Dwenger
Final Score: 20-12 Dwenger
How would you define domination over a period of time? By overwhelming stats, wins, and championships? Probably. For most, this would satisfy the notion that a team has been in command of whatever it is that they play in. However you want to slice it, Bishop Dwenger football currently has a dynasty going. Some would probably be quick to point out that it’s always been that way. And they’re right. The Saints just tied Snider for 3rd all-time in sectional titles (regardless of class) in the Hoosier State, with 27. Sure, they’re not a 6A school and no they don’t have any sectionals in Indiana’s highest class. But none of the other classes have seemed to figure them out yet. At least, not on the sectional level.
Friday night’s win over North Side marked the 3rd sectional in three years for coach Jason Garrett. And before Garrett, coach Chris Svarczhkopf had his own reign of terror in 4A with 11 sectionals. Last night, Bishop Dwenger won their 12th sectional in 15 years. That’s something that only the three teams tied or ahead of them can say, Snider, Bishop Chatard, and Carmel.
So now that you’ve been overloaded with statistics about what Dwenger has accomplished, let’s get into how they accomplished it.
The Legends was giving Dwenger an even better game this time around. North Side scored an early touchdown on a Duce Taylor to Jordan Turner pass and was in full control early on. The defense was playing with energy and took advantage of two Dwenger turnovers. The only thing that Dwenger had to be thankful for was that Duce lost the football when he tried to punch it in from just a yard out. That score would have put North Side up by two scores in the first half. Instead, the Saints were still in the game, but trailing 6-3 at halftime couldn’t have been the greatest feeling in the world.
QB Brenden Lytle had struggled in the first half. He had completed only 4 passes as Dwenger lacked any kind of short to medium passing game. The lack of a passing game caused the Saints to struggle to run the football too. They were very fortunate to still have a chance to take the lead in the second half.
“I wasn’t playing so well the first half,” Lytle said. “But I’m a senior and I want one more week with these boys.”
And with that, as they’ve done in just about every big game this season, Dwenger found a way to rally and take a commanding lead out of the second half. It all started though with a deep pass on the opening drive in which Lytle found Henry O’Keefe for a huge gain.
“I was just thinking to myself, ‘I gotta hit this one,’” Lytle said. “I missed him last time when he was wide open. He ran a great route and I put it right where it needed to be.”
Lytle finished the drive with a QB sneak for six and followed that up with a 33 yard touchdown run to put Dwenger up 17-6. All the momentum was with the Saints and Dwenger appeared to be on their way to another double digit win in the second half, just as they had done against the likes of Carroll, Sni- wait hold on a second! Who’s this running down the field in footrace to the end zone?! It was WR Rodney Woods who ran 50 yards to set up a first and goal after Duce flipped it to his receiver when he looked dead in the pocket.
The Legends capitalized as RB Jasuan Lambert ran it in to bring North Side back within 5. Lambert would finish with 58 yards and a score, while Duce had 254 yards and nearly 2 touchdowns had it not been for Dwenger’s Adam Lee with the tackle on Woods. Still there was work to be done but the Legends now had some life on defense. Lytle and the Saints drove the ball down the field, but were forced to attempt a field goal. Dwenger went up 20-12, still a ballgame.
Duce Taylor, trying to save the season and keep hope alive, went to his go to receiver on the last drive, Jordan Turner. Turner caught it, took a few steps, and had it stripped. With the ball on the ground, Adam Lee fell on it to put the ball back in Lytle’s hands.
But Dwenger couldn’t pick up the first down and time still remained on the clock. North Side, with one last gasp of air, would have to go on a miraculous drive. It resulted in a fourth down interception by the heart and soul of the Saints defense, practically playing with one hand, with a cast on the other, Devon Tippmann.
It would give the Saints the win and bring the Legends memorable season to a close. Duce Taylor, arguably the best high school quarterback in Indiana, will finish his senior season with 3,033 yards and 33 touchdowns.
In the meantime, QB Brenden Lytle, also a senior, would end up with 154 yards passing and 2 touchdowns rushing. He and this time will live to see another week. The phrase “good teams find a way to win” could not ring more true than with this Dwenger team. They seem to always find a way to win. And even if you do somehow manage to beat them, they’re going to give you one heck of game doing so (see triple overtime with Homestead).
We’ll see what’s in store for the Saints as their quest for another state championship is still alive and well. As is their incredible historical success, that you’ll find in few other places in the state.
Dwenger will face Zionsville in 5A regionals next week.
3A
Norwell at Concordia
Final Score: 24-0 Concordia
Like Homestead and Dwenger, the Cadets have now also made it consecutive sectional titles. They did so by dismantling a Norwell team that some thought could win this game. Instead, the defense held for their fourth shutout of the season. QB Brandon Davis ended a tough stretch of games for him by playing his best game all year, 213 yards, 2 touchdowns, and completing two-thirds of his throws. It was also a good night for RB Amir Drew who ran for his fifth 100 yard game this year. This will be Concordia’s 6th sectional title and 4th for coach Tim Mannigel. Concordia travels to Bishop Chatard next week.
2A
Eastside at Bishop Luers
Final Score: 56-49 Luers
The Knights really couldn’t have asked for a more exciting game as the Luers won an offensive shootout. The teams combined for 42 points in the fourth quarter, but QB Carson Clark and the Knights got the best of Eastside. Clark continues to outdo himself with a new career high 354 yards and 6 touchdowns with a 72% completion percentage. WR Brody Glenn hauled in 6 receptions, 4 for touchdowns, on a 164 yard night. RB Ramon Anderson was the Knights leading rusher with 117 yards and 1 touchdown to go along with a 6.9 yard average. This is sectional title #25 for Luers and the 4th for coach Kyle Lindsay. Luers will play at Tipton for regionals.
