ROACHDALE — Trailing 4-0 with 2:50 left in Friday’s sectional semifinal against North Putnam, Tri-West needed 98 yards for a game-winning touchdown.
But on the torn up, swamp of a field, that distance might as well have been a mile.
The Bruins managed to reach their own 20, but there on 3rd-and-10, North Putnam’s Caleb Vondersasar intercepted John Frederick to preserve the 4-0 win for the Cougars.
The final score may suggest an offensive struggle — North Putnam’s only points were on safeties — but both teams had chances inside their opponent’s 20 to crack the end zone.
“Nobody got it in,” Tri-West coach Chris Coll said. “When anybody sees the score, it’s obvious that it was all about field position.”
The Bruins started with a short field.
Cody Coll took the opening kickoff to the Cougars’ 49, but Tri-West’s first drive stalled when Coll couldn’t convert a 4th-and-8 from the North Putnam 23.
The teams traded punts.
Tri-West caught its first break of the game with 39.9 seconds to go in the first, when Andrew Keck recovered a fumble at the Cougars’ 23.
But the Bruins gave the ball right back on a fumble by Frederick.
Fumbles were a common occurrence all night, thanks to a steady downpour and a slippery ball.
“Obviously, it set both teams back,” Coll said of the weather. “Both teams have quick backs who can run, cut and do some things out on a good field, but I don’t think either one of us had an advantage tonight.”
Midway through the third quarter, Tri-West stuffed North Putnam’s Hank Spencer on 4th-and-inches near the Bruins’ goal line. But on the next play, Cougar Tyler Watson dragged Cody Coll down behind the goal line to give North Putnam a crucial 2-0 advantage.
From that point on, the ball remained in Bruins territory.
The Cougars notched their second safety with 5:10 left in the game. Frederick took a bad snap on a punt, and purposely ran out the back of the end zone to prevent North Putnam from gaining possession inside the Bruins’ 5.
Tri-West forced North Putnam to punt with less than three minutes to play, but Cougar punter Brock Jones pinned the Bruins at their own 2.
The Bruins finish the season 5-6.
“I’m satisfied with the fact that the boys fought through a lot of things this year,” Coll said. “I’m proud of the fact that they came back week after week and got better.”
kevin.leibrock@flyergroup.com
Sports
Cougars blank Bruins
- Sports
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Bethesda makes history with sectional win
BROWNSBURG — Senior Olivia Harrison literally helped build Bethesda Christian’s field four years ago and Thursday night she was instrumental in breaking ground in another area for the Patriots — a sectional championship.
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Cadets fall to Eagles in sectional final
CLAYTON — Despite all of Cascade’s best efforts, the Cadets came up short in their sectional softball final for the second consecutive year. Three Cadet errors late in the game set up the South Putnam Eagles’ win.
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Heartbreaking loss ends Orioles’ season prematurely
INDIANAPOLIS — It was not supposed to end like this.
Graduating only two seniors from last year’s Class 4A state runner-up softball team and returning the core of its squad, this was going to be to the season the Avon softball team took the crown.
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Bulldogs bite Orioles
AVON — The contest between the Avon and Brownsburg baseball teams would have ended as a 1-0 advantage for the Bulldogs had the second and third innings not gotten away from the Orioles. Brownsburg caught fire in those two innings of Thursday’s sectional game and won convincingly, 7-1.
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Patriots eliminate Quakers
PLAINFIELD — Baseball legend Willie Keeler once said the secret of hitting was to “hit ‘em where they ain’t.” Unfortunately for the Plainfield Quakers baseball team, too many of their key at bats went to Terre Haute North fielders as the Patriots won a 5-1 decision over the host Quakers in the opening game of Class 4A Sectional 12 on Wednesday.
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Bulldogs wake up in sixth inning, pull off comeback win
INDIANAPOLIS— For five innings, it looked like Brownsburg’s postseason run would end the same night it begun.
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Cadets blow by Bulldogs, 9-0
CLAYTON — Following a 9-1 win over Cloverdale on Monday night, the Cascade softball team returned to the field for second round play against Monrovia on Tuesday in the 2012 2A Sectional No. 44 semifinal.
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Avon's doubles team advances
INDIANAPOLIS — Avon’s top doubles girls’ tennis team could have lost concentration after an early advantage.
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Bruins win late to advance in sectional, 3-2
BEECH GROVE - With three hits through five innings, the Tri-West softball team needed some offense and the bottom of its lineup came through.
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Bulldogs fall in sectional final
BROWNSBURG — Heading into the sectional final last Saturday, the Brownsburg girls’ tennis team sought its 10th sectional championship. After four matches had finished, it was knotted up at 2-2 with the No. 2 singles match heading into the third and deciding set.
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