Defense ruled the final 41 minutes of Saturday night’s Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association All-Star Game at Rose-Hulman’s Cook Stadium after spectators spent half the first quarter wondering about their all-time scoring record. the times.
The Gold Division, coached by Linton’s Brian Oliver, won the game 34-14 over the Black Division, getting a field goal in both the second and third quarters for the only points scored after six touchdowns were on the scoreboard in less than seven minutes. .
“We only gave up two big plays,” Oliver said after the game. “It was a complete game for us.”
“The first quarter was explosive, but the difference was the two times we put the ball on the floor,” said Monrovia and Black Division coach Andy Olson. “It took us away from some things we wanted to do on offense.”
Black scored on the first play from scrimmage, a 77-yard bomb from Monrovia quarterback Eli Welch to North Vermillion’s Cody Tryon.
Gold drove 65 yards in seven plays — the game’s only real score as it turned out — and tied it when Eastern Greene’s James Lewis took a 32-yard reverse for a touchdown, which set off the explosive portion of the game. In the next 34 seconds on the clock, Black turned the ball over twice and gave up another touchdown.
The first turnover was a fumble on Black’s second offensive play of the game, recovered by Marshall’s Luis Lopez. Quarterback Kyle Cottee scored two plays later, and a surprise kickoff — Casey’s Brian Wright lined up with the starting lineup and kicked instead of South Putnam’s Wyatt Kendall, who set up as if he were the kicker — ended with Paris’ Kalvin Rigdon having football for the Gold team.
It took nearly three minutes for Cottee to convert that turnover into a touchdown, but the outbursts weren’t over yet. Lawrenceville’s Tanner Waller returned this kickoff 76 yards to the 1-yard line from where Black’s Dom Kindle of Monrovia scored on the next play and the first play after the kickoff Cottee hit Greencastle’s Brendle Brennan for a 64-yard bomb and a score 28-14 with more than five minutes remaining in the first period.
Obviously the game was a little different the rest of the way.
Cottee, who played only the first half, finished with 124 yards passing and 36 yards rushing.
“I think I had a concussion,” he said after the game. “There was some direct contact [late in the first half]. It was good to be back. . . playing football with guys who love the game as much as I do. I’m happy we won the game. It was a team effort.”
If there was a defensive star for the Gold team — and there were plenty of candidates, including Linton’s Ty Boyd and Christian SHonk — it might have been Paris linebacker Ethan Curl, who helped keep the Black team off the scoreboard in the final three quarters. and who will attend Division III power Mt. Union in the fall.
“It was a big deal to be a part of,” he said excitedly after the game. “I got to play with the best talent among the Wabash [Valley] schools, and with great training. And you get here and find that the people you’ve hated all year become your best friends after a few days.”
Both coaches said after the game that they would be happy to do the same next year, and for the same reason.
“The Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association is amazing and I’m happy to be here and help in any way I can [in the future],” said Olson. “And being here [as head coach] it means my team had a great year [in the fall].”
“I’ve had some losses and some close ones,” Oliver said, asked if Saturday’s game was his most decisive victory as a star. “We were able to bring in a lot of guys tonight and they made some plays.
“Sick [be head coach] every time because it means my team will have earned me that privilege,” Oliver added, “and it’s always fun to see the kids play high school football once again.”
• Scholarships — As always, the WVFCA had money to distribute to players who earned it through their play in practice and during the game.
Coaches awards went to Curtis Gault of Indian Creek (Black) and Ty Boyd of Linton (Gold); Barrett family scholarships were awarded to Imer Holman of Terre Haute South (Black) and Curl (Gold); Lineman scholarships were won by Chase Brown of Terre Haute South (Black) and Seb Ortiz of Sullivan (Gold); the Eitel Scholarship for Scholars went to Aaron Kersey of South Vermillion (Black); the Good Night Irene Award from the family and friends of the late Wayne Stahley went to Brennen (Gold); and longtime coach Rene Foli’s family scholarship also went to Holman.
“It was one night, wasn’t it,” Holman said after the game. “I wouldn’t change it for the world.” The Foli scholarship is earned by conspicuous plays or plays, and Holman played both offense and defense and even finished the game as the Black Division’s quarterback.
“It was more than a game tonight,” said DePauw University-bound Holman. “I got to play with Chase Brown once again; we’ve been playing together since we were 4 1/2 years old in preschool, playing football against first and second graders. His family is the reason I play football and the money . [from the scholarships] It’s a blessing too.”
Dark Division 14 0 0 0 – 14
Gold Division 28 3 3 0 – 34
B — Cody Tryon (North Vermillion) pass 77 from Eli Welch (Monrovia); Kick by Carter Jessie (North Daviess), 11:42 1st
G – James Lewis (Eastern Greene) 32 runs; Kick by Wyatt Kendall (South Putnam), 9:39 1st
G – Kyle Cottee (Northview) 21 runs; Kick by Kendall, 9:10 1st
G — Cottee 1 run; Kick by Brian Wright (Casey), 6:15 1st
B — Dom Kindle (Monrovia) 1 race; Jessie’s Kick, 5:55 1st
G – Brendle Brennen (Greencastle) 64 pass from Cottee; Wright Kick, 5:20 1st
G – Kendall 30 field goal, 7:49 2nd
G – Kendall 34 field goal, 9:40 3rd
GB
First downs 13 16
Rushing yards 36-124 27-117
Passing yards 139 191
Comp-Att-Int 9-14-1 15-22-1
Return yards 28 42
Fumbles lost 3-2 2-0
Punts-average 2-16.5 2-48.5
Penalties-yards 7-60 7-50
Individual statistics
Rushing – Black: Jerome White (North Vermillion) 11-69, Tanner Waller (Lawrenceville) 3-25, Tryon 3-17, Brayton Belcher (Monrovia) 7-14, Kindle 2-5, Imer Holman (Terre Haute South) 6 -5, Welch 4-under 11. Gold: Lewis 2-60, Cottee 11-36, Lamar Moore (Greencastle) 5-31, Kolby Harcourt (South Putnam) 3-14, Jonas Hawk (Eastern Greene) 3-4, Jashun McKinley (Olney) 1-3, team 2-minus 31.
Passing – Black: Welch 5-6-0, 99 yards; White 3-7-1, 21; Holman 1-1-0, 19. Gold: Cottee 9-15-1, 124; Falcao 6-7-0, 63.
Receiving – Black: Tryon 2-80, Belcher 2-20, Holman 2-4, Blake McMechan (Cumberland) 1-19, Caleb Rector (Parke Heritage) 1-14, Gavin White (Terre Haute South) 1-2. Gold: Owen Huff (Greencastle) 6-39, Kaden Matzke (Marshall) 4-36, Brennan 2-104, Lewis 2-8.
