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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Hawks clip Orioles
INDIANAPOLIS — In basketball, it is said teams live and die by the three. Last night, the Avon Orioles girls’ basketball team fell victim to the Decatur Central Hawks 3-pointers.
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Bethesda falls to Indiana Deaf
BROWNSBURG — After losing to Indianapolis Deaf 37-24 just over two weeks ago, the Bethesda Christian girls’ basketball team matched up with the Deaf Hoosiers Tuesday night. This game was much closer, but the Patriots’ result was the same as the Deaf Hoosiers knocked Bethesda from the first round of sectional action with a 42-38 victory.
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Speedway shoots down Cadets
CLAYTON —The IHSAA tournament can often bring out the best in a basketball team. It certainly worked out that way on Tuesday night for the Speedway Sparkplugs girls’ basketball team. After taking a 16-point defeat to Cascade just 10 days earlier, the Sparkplugs followed leader JoJo Daghe’s 40-point outburst and turned the tables on the Cadets with a 72-61 decision in the Class 2A Sectional 44 at Cascade High School.
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Hornets sting Warriors
BEECH GROVE — Despite a tough season, any team can make a run come sectional time.
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County sends multiple grapplers to semistate
MOORESVILLE — County wrestling teams advanced 18 grapplers into the Evansville semistate this weekend and came away with six individual champions at the Mooresville regional over the weekend.
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Orioles end drought, win sectional title
PLAINFIELD — Winning 8-of-12 events, the Avon Orioles girls’ swim team took home the hardware from the Plainfield sectional Saturday afternoon. The Orioles celebrated as coach Jon Karr leapt into the pool as the assistant coaches and team followed him into the water after the awards ceremony.
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Mistakes cost Patriots fourth title
INDIANAPOLIS — It would have been the most remarkable final play in Super Bowl history.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wound up from just beyond the 50-yard line and threw a high-arching pass into the center of the end zone. Tight end Aaron Hernandez attempted to box out three New York Giants defenders in the end zone and leap for the ball. -
Simply Super!
INDIANAPOLIS — It was a vintage Manning come-from-behind performance in the ‘House That Peyton’ built.
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Eli(te) status
INDIANAPOLIS – Early this season, Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning made headlines for mentioning that he considered himself among the game’s best quarterbacks.
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Cadets push past Patriots, 50-43
BROWNSBURG —Senior night festivities took place before the Bethesda Christian Patriots and Cascade Cadet boys’ basketball teams took the floor Friday night. Unfortunately for Bethesda and its seniors, the Patriots could not come away with a victory as the visiting Cadets pulled out a 50-43 win.
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