FOOTBALL: Taylor cruises through Maconaquah

The only thing that could stop the Taylor offense Friday night was the final gun. Certainly the visiting Maconaquah Braves couldn’t.The Titans scored on their first eight possessions, racing to a 53-16 victory over a game but fumble-prone Maconaquah squad. Taylor not only scored at will but did it with frightening efficiency, converting just 39 offensive plays into 462 total yards and eight touchdowns. The result was a startling average of almost 12 yards per snap and a touchdown every five plays.The steady Maconaquah ground game (282 yards on 58 rushes) was able to move the ball and eat large chunks of time off the clock but lost four fumbles.Titan wide receiver/quarterback Austen Conwell, who scored three TDs, summed up the offensive onslaught.“We wanted to get it going this week because the last few weeks we haven’t played real well on offense. We showed a lot [Friday night],” said the junior, who accounted for 187 yards of offense on just five touches.Indeed, Taylor opened by moving 63 yards in just five plays to score on Teddy Nolley’s five-yard run. After a three-and-out by the Braves, the Titans went 61 yards in four plays, cashing in on freshman Gordon Jenkins’ 33-yard scamper around left end.The Braves slowed the Titans temporarily with a 13-play, 65-yard march that quarterback Phillip Newell sneaked in from the two to cut Taylor’s lead to 13-8. But the Titans struck back, covering 57 yards in four plays with Conwell notching his first score on a QB keeper from 27 yards out.Mac tried to answer with strong running by sophomore tailback Josh Morgan, but a fumble let Taylor convert again on Josh Steward’s one-yard blast. That made it 26-8 with 4:16 left in the half.The Braves drove to the Titan 21, but a fumble on fourth down gave Taylor the ball at their 27 with 32 seconds left. QB Jake Leicht immediately hit Conwell on a 73-yard pass for a 32-8 halftime lead.Mac coach Bob Freije said, “Turnovers were a big factor, and you saw that in the outcome. Moving the ball was not a problem at all; it was just getting inside the red zone and scoring.”In the third quarter Taylor converted two more lost Braves fumbles into TDs — one by Conwell on a 47-yard Leicht pass and one by Nolley on a one-yard run. Steward added another in the fourth on an eight-yard plunge.Newbill closed out a 15-play Mac drive with an eight-yard keeper for the final TD.Taylor coach Josh Ousley praised his 19 seniors, the first class he coached for all four years. The Titans finished tied for third in the MIC at 4-3 and were 6-3 overall.“If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we were a couple of wins from being 7-2 or 8-1,” he said, referring to close losses to Western and Hamilton Heights. “But we’ll take where we’re at.”Taylor begins sectional play at Northwestern next Friday in a rematch. The Titans took a 27-24 win in Week 5.Mac hosts Culver Academy as the Braves try to snap a school record 15-game losing streak.

FOOTBALL: Tipton powers past Delphi

TIPTON — Tipton’s domination on offense, defense and special teams led the Blue Devils to total domination of Delphi, 42-0, in Friday night’s regular-season finale.Tipton finished Hoosier Conference play at 4-2 and takes a 6-3 record into Friday’s first-round sectional game at Alexandria.“We challenged the team a little bit to execute in all phases — offense, defense and special teams — and I felt we did that,” Tipton Coach Aaron Tolle said. “We challenged the special teams to get a touchdown and they did. I’m extremely happy with our performance on all levels, and we got out with no injuries for the most part.”The Blue Devils gained 357 yards of total offense to Delphi’s 57.After having to punt after the first series, Tipton scored on its next five possessions.Jason Dye’s interception set up Tipton’s first touchdown drive that covered 38 yards and was capped by Sean Hickman’s 5-yard run. Taylor Maxey’s 3-yard run then finished off a 60-yard march. Tipton’s next possession was just two plays and covered 72 yards — the big play being Jake Dye’s 69-yard TD pass to Seth Jacobs. Maxey capped off a 42-yard drive with his second TD run of the night, from 2 yards out. Jacobs then returned a punt 35 yards as the Blue Devils extended their halftime lead to 35-0.The two teams played with a running clock in the second half.Tipton’s final TD came on its first possession of the third quarter when the Blue Devils marched 60 yards in eight plays. Ben Harlow scored on a 3-yard run. Dye finished the game by completing 9 of 12 passes for 191 yards and the 1 TD. Ford in a senior night performance he won’t forget, had four receptions for 96 yards. Jacobs also caught four passes for 91 yards.“We’re finding out what [Dye] can do well,” Tolle said of his freshman quarterback. “We’ve said all along he’s a great athlete. He’s very competitive and is used to being very successful, so it was a matter of him getting comfortable. He executed extremely well tonight.”

FOOTBALL: Kats thrash Giants

Apparently Kokomo’s Wildkats were in no mood to share.A week after assuring themselves of at least a tie for the North Central Conference championship, the Wildkats put an exclamation point on the 2008 regular season Friday night at Walter Cross Field.The Kats needed a meager 10 offensive plays to put a 21-0 stranglehold on Marion, led 42-6 at half and using backups and a running clock in the second half, mercifully completed a 49-13 victory.“We didn’t want to share the championship,” said Wildkat running back Braxton Shelton. “This was a very good game to win.”In winning, the Kats:• Finished 8-1 overall and 7-0 in the NCC.• Won the school’s 14th league championship (eight outright, six shared).• Provided KHS with back-to-back outright titles for only the second time in school history, and first time since 1964-65.• And extended the school’s longest string of NCC victories ever to 15 over parts of three seasons.Marion coach Randy Sehy tipped his hat to the NCC’s finest.“[The outcome] wasn’t necessarily what I thought it would be, but it was what I knew it could be,” he said. “Kokomo is just very good. It isn’t so much their size, but they are strong and quick. Their offensive line is outstanding. They fire off the ball so low that if our defensive line doesn’t react instantly, we’re done.”That’s exactly what happened from the very beginning.After Kokomo forced a quick 3-and-out, the Kats took control and needed just three plays to cover 56 yards for the game’s first TD. Jairus Johnson ripped off the first 21 of those yards and then Shelton rolled 35 yards off right tackle for the TD.Another 3-and-out, gave Kokomo the ball at the Kats’ 49. Three plays into the possession, it was Shelton again through the heart of the Giants’ defense — 46 yards and the TD.“Our offensive line is awfully good, Shelton said. “I don’t think I was touched on either one of those touchdowns. [The offensive line] spent a lot of time in the weight room over the summer and it shows.”Shelton, the area’s leading scorer with 23 TDs, wasn’t finished yet. On the Kats’ third possession, a perfectly lofted pass by quarterback T.J. Weir that was snared by tight end Devin Schacht covered 31 yards. From there, it was more of Shelton — this time 10 yards for the TD.It was 21-0 at the quarter and to that point, Kokomo had owned the line of scrimmage, amassing a 164-29 margin in total yards.It never got any better for the Giants, who closed their season at 3-6 overall and 2-5 in the NCC.“I’m proud of our kids because they’ve brought their hard hats into every game,” said Wildkat coach Brett Colby, who stands 14-0 in NCC play after two seasons.“Last year we won a couple of conference games in rather unconvincing fashion and that didn’t happen this year other than against Huntington [North] — which is a very good team. This team came out determined from day one with a little different fire in its eyes. Now we want to go to [Anderson] Highland next week, get a win, and get this monkey off their backs.”Kokomo teams have lost 10 straight sectional openers and the Kats hope to end that streak of nastiness Friday, against a 7-2 Highland squad.The Kats picked up just their third passing TD of the season in the second quarter when Weir hit Tyrone Brown for 22 yards and after Marion scored on a 40-yard run by Ervin McClung, Kokomo’s Casey Shipley raced 70 yards for a TD on the ensuing kickoff.Kokomo closed out its 42-6 halftime lead when Jairus Johnson picked up two blocks by Shelton and skirted left end for a 17 yard TD.Kokomo used backups throughout the second half, including quarterbacks Austin Colby and Evan Humbert. Senior Terrail Johnson, who hadn’t carried the ball all season, brought smiles to the faces of teammates when he scored his first career TD on a five yard run midway in the fourth quarter.Marion’s Michael Mable closed the scoring with a 50-yard run.Wildkat senior Kurt Hutchins spearheaded the Wildkat defense with 11 tackles. In all, Kats defenders registered eight tackles for loss.

FOOTBALL: Tigers dominate Comets

GREENTOWN — When Northwestern traveled to Eastern for a high school football game Friday night, most in attendance expected a competitive game. The Tigers entered with a 4-4 record and, while Eastern was just 1-7 on the season, the Comets were a fun team to watch, averaging just over 25 points per game.The game was anything but competitive. Northwestern dominated all aspects of the game, pounding the Comets 48-7.Eastern’s potent offense managed just one first down and 11 yards in the first half, while Northwestern piled on 28 points.Tigers’ head coach John Hendrix thought a tough 24-21 loss to Peru last week may have motivated his squad.“We weren’t very happy after last week’s game,” Hendrix said. “We felt like we had that game taken away from us. All week we stressed playing hard, with emotion. We’ve played a few games where for a quarter, or a quarter and a half, we’ve just felt our way through. We wanted to come out at 7 o’clock and start playing hard and executing, and we did.”Eastern couldn’t move the ball and they also lost the battle for field position. The Comets didn’t cross their 40 until after halftime.“Northwestern had a good game plan,” Eastern coach Josh Edwards said. “Their man-to-man coverage of our wide receivers was excellent and the rush they got from their front seven was the straw that broke the camel’s back. We had some receivers open, but we couldn’t get the ball to them due to the pass rush. Their front seven set the tone early on. We got outplayed by a better team.”Northwestern sophomore running back Derek Mumaw had a career night, rushing for 126 yards on 20 carries and scoring five touchdowns. Mumaw raced through the Comets for touchdown runs of three, 15, eight, 23 and eight yards. “Mumaw had a great night due to some help from our people up front,” Hendrix said. “We played about seven different linemen who played a very physical game. We didn’t throw as much as we usually do since they were coming after our quarterback so hard. We didn’t want to get Gibby [quarterback Trevor Gibson] hurt, so we decided to keep pounding the ball at them on the ground to keep him from getting hit.”Gibson did complete five passes, including a 14-yard scoring strike to Danny Turner who demonstrated great hands catching that ball in a crowd. Mitch Daily and Tanner Martin took most of the second half snaps for the Tigers. Joel Hoover finally got the Comets on the scoreboard on the first play of the fourth quarter, catching an 18-yard touchdown throw from Jonathan Keith. Keith completed 14 of 31 pass attempts for 127 yards.Kylan Dubbels closed out the scoring, displaying some speed with a 46-yard dash to the end zone for the Tiger in the final seconds of the game.Northwestern improved its record to 3-4 in Mid-Indiana Conference play, and 5-4 heading into next Friday’s sectional play. The Tigers will host MIC rival Taylor, a team they are eager to get second shot at after the Titans beat them 24-20 on Sept. 19.The 1-8 Comets dropped to 1-6 in the MIC and hope to regroup before Guerin Catholic visits Cogdell field in the first round of sectional play.

FOOTBALL: Cass holds off Western

WALTON — Kyle Moore and Keith Lee refused to let the Mid-Indiana Conference championship slip away Friday night at Owens Memorial Field.Lewis Cass held a 24-17 lead, but Western had dominated the second half when the Kings took possession with 4:52 remaining. The Panthers’ Jake Lazar had just kicked a 29-yard field goal to make it a one-possession game.Cass picked up a quick first down, but then faced third-and-nine from midfield at 3:02. Moore broke at least two tackles to gain nine yards and the first down. Later, Cass faced third-and-five after Western had used its final timeout at 2:16. Lee used a nice move to free himself on his way to a six-yard pickup and a first down that slammed the door shut on the 24-17 win and the conference championship.“The thing we talked about in the huddle was, you have to dig down deep. You have to want it more than the other team does, and we wanted the MIC [title],” Moore said.Moore finished with a game-high 69 yards rushing on just six carries to lead the Kings. He also spearheaded an outstanding defensive effort.“He is probably one of the best football players I’ve had here,” Cass coach Scott Mannering raved. “He is a really tough kid. That first down he made late, I know two or three guys hit him and most guys would have gone down on that. We had to get [a first down] and he got it.”The Class 2A No. 5 Kings finished 7-0 in conference play to claim their third championship in the last four seasons. The Class 3A No. 3 Panthers settled for second place — also for the third time in the last four seasons.Cass bolted to a 21-0 advantage in the second quarter and took a 24-7 lead into halftime. At that point, Cass had 230 yards of offense and 13 first downs — and Western had seven yards and zero first downs.Western came alive in the second half, but the 17-point halftime deficit proved too much to overcome.“If you start the game at halftime, right? But all the credit in the world to the Cass Kings. They deserve the MIC [title],” Western coach Alix Engle said. “I thought we played two quarters and they played two quarters. Their two quarters just happened to include bigger plays and more points on the board.”The Kings owned the first half. They scored touchdowns on two of their first three possessions — and they forced the Panthers into three-and-outs during the same stretch. Moore had tackles for loss to stop the Panthers’ first two drives.Next, Damon Foreman picked off a Western pass at the Western 32. Two plays later, Lee took an inside reverse and raced 28 yards for a touchdown. Justin Hicks’ PAT kick made it 21-0 with 3:21 remaining in the half.The Panthers received a spark when Kyle Brown returned the kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, but the Kings followed with another impressive drive that Hicks capped with a 21-yard field goal with less than a second remaining.Cass ran 40 offensive plays in the half while Western ran just 11 as the Kings’ defense dominated.“I challenged them at halftime — ‘Guys, we’re playing so slow and we’re playing soft.’ When you play a team that takes pride in being tough and punishing you, you can’t play slow and you can’t play soft and we did,” Engle said. “But I am proud of this team because they responded in those last two quarters and played their guts out.”Cass left the door open in the third quarter and Western took advantage. The Kings had to punt on their opening drive, then they fumbled on the second drive and the Panthers’ Bart Shepherd recovered at the Cass 14. Four plays later, Mike Jakubowicz scored on a 1-yard TD plunge at 4:01 of the third quarter.Dean Shepherd picked off a Cass pass in the final minute of the quarter, but the Panthers lost a fumble two plays later. Still, the Panthers kept coming. They forced the Kings to turn the ball over on downs with 9:46 remaining. The Panthers followed with a 12-play drive that Lazar capped with his field goal at 4:59 — but the Kings slammed the door with their game-ending drive.The Kings finished with 277 yards rushing. Moore led the way and Colton Zeck (14 carries, 58 yards), Lee (7-52) and Foreman (14-50) also had solid efforts. Foreman, Derrick Worden and Lee had touchdown runs.The Panthers managed just 61 yards rushing and 100 yards total.“That was an outstanding effort by the defense. Scott Rouch, our defensive coordinator, deserves all the credit,” Mannering said. “That’s about as good as we’ve played all season. I’ve seen Western enough to know what they’re capable of and we beat a good team.”

True Nobility

In a calm sea every man is a pilot. But all sunshine without shade, all pleasure without pain, is not life at all. Take the lot of the happiest—it is a tangled yarn. Bereavements and blessings, one following another, make us sad and blessed by turns. Even death itself makes life more loving. Men come closest to their true selves in the sober moments of life, under the shadows of sorrow and loss.
In the affairs of life or of business, it is not intellect that tells so much as character, not brains so much as heart, not genius so much as self-control, patience, and discipline, regulated by judgment.
I have always believed that the man who has begun to live more seriously within begins to live more simply without. In an age of extravagance and waste, I wish I could show to the world how few the real wants of humanity are.
To regret one’s errors to the point of not repeating them is true repentance. There is nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.