Sagamore
Conference teams opened the season 4-2 on opening night. Of the six league
teams that began play Wednesday night, only Lebanon and North Montgomery tasted
defeat. Crawfordsville, Western Boone, Southmont, and Frankfort all scored
victories. Danville and Tri-West open their seasons Saturday night against each
other in the first conference contest of the year.
North
Montgomery fell to a solid Noblesville squad 78-54 despite 30 points from D.J.
Byrd. The Chargers were victimized by early foul trouble and never led after
the first quarter. Lebanon fell to highly regarded Hamilton Heights 73-60.
On the plus
side, Crawfordsville got 36 points from transfer Trent Crabtree in downing
Greencastle 51-39. The win marked the first career victory for new coach John
Blackwell. Southmont used solid defense in dismantling North Putnam 68-42. The
Mounties put four players in double figures for the game. Western Boone also
turned to defense, a staple of the Stars, in their 34-38 victory over visiting
Covington. Frankfort used 24 points from Steve Lovelace, and forced Clinton
Prairie into 18 turnovers in downing the Gophers 55-41.
In addition
to the Danville game with Tri-West, three other Sagamore teams will see action
Saturday night. Lebanon hosts Merrillville. Crawfordsville will travel north to
Benton Central, and Western Boone will entertain dangerous 1A Rossville.
THORNTOWN – Western Boone’s Brandy Woody
and Crawfordsville’s Lexi Stevens are both outstanding point guards, but they
are quite different players. Woody is a dynamic scorer who can carry a team
offensively, while Stevens is the ultimate floor general and the undisputed
leader of the Class 3A sixth-ranked Athenians.
The two players hooked up Nov. 21 in the
first round of the Sugar Creek Classic in a battle for the ages. Stevens, who
makes sure Crawfordsville’s big guns, Alex Gasaway and Mandi Johnson, get the
ball in position to be productive, had the last laugh in a scintillating 58-57
Crawfordsville victory.
That is, if she had enough strength left to
laugh.
The
key to this contest was Western Boone’s game plan. The Stars harassed Stevens
mercilessly from the outset in an attempt to get the ball out of her hands.
After
all, the best way to **** a serpent is to cut off the head. If Stevens did not
have the ball, it stood to reason, she could not get it to the big guns.
For
16 minutes, the plan worked to perfection. Western Boone grizzled Stevens,
forcing her into several turnovers. When the ball was not in her hands, the
Crawfordsville offense was a turnover waiting to happen.
In
all, the Athenians committed 15 first-half miscues. To make matters worse,
Johnson picked up her second foul with a minute to play in the first quarter,
and Gasaway was not far behind.
After
a 12-12 tie at the end of one, Crawfordsville was forced to switch to a passive
zone for most of the second quarter to survive the early foul trouble. And it
looked for awhile like the tactic might work.
After
giving Western Boone a 5-0 run to start the second quarter, Crawfordsville
scored five points of its own to again forge a tie. It was at this point,
however, that the Stars tactics began to pay real dividends.
Western
Boone ended the half on a 15-2 run that was punctuated by a flurry of Athenian
mistakes. The Stars went to intermission with a 32-19 cushion, and it looked
like Crawfordsville was in real trouble.
Whatever
was said at halftime, Crawfordsville returned to the floor in the third quarter
with a renewed sense of purpose. The Athenians went on a 12-4 run to start the stanza
and bring the margin to five at 36-31.
Woody
immediately responded with an old-fashioned three-point play to push the lead
back to eight. But reserve Athenian post player Betty Elliot made two huge
plays in the final minute of the quarter and, at the end of three periods, it
was 39-35 in favor of Western Boone.
A
funny thing happened as the tense fourth quarter began. Suddenly, Stevens no
longer seemed bothered by the Western Boone pressure.
She
began to assert herself, and the Athenians went on an 11-4 run to take a 46-43
lead. The spurt was capped when Stevens aggressively drove against the tight
defense she was facing and was fouled, and she calmly sank both free throws.
From
this point to the end of the game, the two point guards put on one heck of a
show. Woody scored on each of Western Boone’s next three possessions. Stevens,
meanwhile, assisted on three straight Crawfordsville scores, one by Johnson and
two by Gasaway.
The
fireworks brought the score to 52-51 in favor of Crawfordsville.
After
another Gasaway bucket, Woody canned a 3-pointer to tie the game at 54. Once
again, Elliot came to the Athenians’ rescue, grabbing an offensive rebound and
sticking it back in for a 56-54 lead.
Then
Katie Brewer, the other perimeter threat for Western Boone, found the mark with
a three with 22 seconds remaining. Suddenly, the Stars held the lead at 57-56.
After
a Crawfordsville timeout, Western Boone spoiled a sideline inbounds play,
knocking the ball out on the baseline. The Stars’ defense remained stout,
knocking a second baseline inbounds pass out of play.
That
left 2.1 seconds for Crawfordsville to take one last try.
This
time the Athenians sprung Johnson open on a roll back to the basket after a
screen at the foul line. Care to take a guess at who delivered the pass?
That’s
right. Stevens triggered a perfect inbounds pass to her mate, and Johnson did
the rest in canning a short shot from the right block.
After
its careless ballhandling in the first half, Crawfordsville committed only two
turnovers in the second half. Stevens survived and eventually outsmarted a
defensive effort as stern as any she will face all year.
Perhaps
most importantly, a Crawfordsville team that had trouble playing under pressure
last season responded with flying colors on this night. On the other hand,
Western Boone served notice the Stars are anything but frightened of the Athenians.
Woody
ended the night with a game-high 24 points, while Brewer added 16 markers to
the effort. Gasaway led the Athenians with 23 points.
The
evening’s first game supplied a math lesson to both Southmont and North
Montgomery. The Mounties learned 27 does not equal 32. Meanwhile, North
Montgomery learned five can equal three.
Southmont
controlled much of the first half of this game and enjoyed a 12-10 lead midway
through the second quarter. Then the Chargers went on a 14-2 run spanning the
last three minutes of the second period and the first two minutes of the third
stanza.
The
resulting 24-14 lead was all the cushion the Chargers would need. They played
evenly until the final minutes and eventually took a 48-34 victory.
With
the exception of the five-minute lapse, Southmont played the heavily favored
Chargers evenly throughout. For North Montgomery, the five-minute surge was
enough to garner its third victory of the season without a defeat.
Crawfordsville
and North Montgomery will meet at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday for the championship,
while Western Boone and Southmont will meet in the consolation at six o’clock.
SOUTHMONT GIRLS BASKETBALL: Mounties run out of gas With two seniors injured, Southmont falls to Greencastle
By Cale Stephens For The Paper
GREENCASTLE – With two of their normal starters on the bench, the Southmont High School girls basketball team didn’t have enough scoring power, suffering a 39-28 loss at Greencastle.
Seniors Creasy Clauser and Elizabeth Sparks both sat out because of injuries Tuesday night.
For that reason, the Mounties had to look elsewhere for points and unfortunately didn’t find enough.
Southmont (1-1) couldn’t find an offensive rhythm until halfway through the first quarter, as the Mounties went on an 8-3 run to tie Greencastle 10-10 at the quarter break.
Any sort of spark the Mounties had went away in the second quarter, as they scored only three points
“We executed OK,” Southmont coach Reasley Thompson said. “We’ve just got to learn when to cut and when not to cut against a zone defense. We also need some of the girls to be a little bit more aggressive on offense. We got in a hurry. That’s when we tend to turn the ball over. We’ve just got to slow down.”
Southmont attempted just 10 field goals in the first half and turned the ball over nine times.
Luckily, the Tiger Cubs (2-0) were having the same sort of problems. The two teams tied 13-13 at halftime.
The same slow start plagued the Mounties in the third quarter.
They were outscored 7-3 in the first four minutes and had to rely on a late-quarter surge to bring them back within three points, 26-23, going into the fourth quarter.
By then, Southmont had ran out of gas and was on the wrong end of a 13-2 Tiger Cubs’ scoring run.
“I think we just ran out of energy,” Thompson said. “We’re not in very good shape. That’s my fault. Obviously we need to spend more time on conditioning. I’ve been more worried about other things. Once we get back into shape, I think we’ll start to execute better.”
Senior Cayla Porter led the Mounties with 11 points. Senior Brittany Byers pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.
Two Greencastle players scored in double figures, as senior Becky Grivas and sophomore Mallory Miller each had 11 points. Grivas also pulled down 11 rebounds.
Southmont has a lot of healing to do before it takes on Sagamore Athletic Conference and county-rival North Montgomery in Friday’s Sugar Creek Classic at Western Boone.
Thompson is hopeful that both Clauser and Sparks will play Friday night.
“I think some girls have been given opportunities [with the injuries] to step up and play some more minutes,” he said. “The extra minutes will help those girls out and, in turn, will help the team ou
l fieTri-West
is continuing to serve notice they will be a force in Sagamore Conference play.
The Bruins improved to 3-0 Tuesday night with a convincing 59-24 rout of
Danville in the opening round of the Hendricks County tourney. Jesse Jansen led
Tri-West with 15 points while Sam Ricks chipped in 14. The Bruins scored 53 points
over the last three quarters to pull away.
North
Montgomery also remained undefeated. The Chargers became the third conference
team to down North Putnam this season when they beat the Cougars 45-34 Tuesday
evening. Schyler Bane led the way with 13 points while Sarah Sparks added 12.
Things were
not so positive for two other Sagamore Conference schools. Frankfort dropped
their second straight decision. The Hot Dogs were trampled 59-33 by Benton
Central in the first round of the J&C Hoops Classic in Lafayette. 27
turnovers spelled doom for Frankfort. Brooke Howe led the effort with 16
points. Meanwhile, Southmont struggled to score in a 39-28 loss to Greencastle.
The Mounties were playing shorthanded as Creasy Clauser and Elizabeth Sparks
sat this one out with injuries.Cayla Porter scored 11 points to lead Southmont
on the night.
Frankfort
and Tri-West will continue in tournament action this week. The big event is, of
course, the Sugar Creek Classic at Western Boone Friday and Saturday evening.
That event boasts the traditionald of Crawfordsville, North Montgomery, Southmont
and Western Bone.
CRAWFORDSVILLE
– It sure felt like football season the evening of Nov. 7 with a strong, biting
wind to chill your bones. The weather, then, matched two of the hottest teams
in west-central Indiana for a bone-crushing chase to the Class 3A Sectional 21
championship.
No.
3 North Montgomery had won back-to-back sectionals in 1995 and 1996. Visiting Southmont,
meanwhile, has never won a sectional title. Would this be night that the upstart
Mounties make history, or would the Chargers remain undefeated on the season?
Turns
out it was the latter. North Montgomery (12-0) scored the game’s first 24
points and held on for an easy 24-8 victory. The Chargers’ reward is a road
trip next weekend to face top-ranked defending state champion Indianapolis Chatard.
Southmont
(6-6) entered the game looking to avenge a 42-19 loss to its county rival back in
September. Riding a five-game winning streak, a re-energized Mountie program brought
out approximately 500 fans for the battle against North Montgomery.
It
looked like it would be a slugfest from the onset as both teams tried to
establish their offensive dominance in the first quarter. After trading several
possessions, the Chargers were able to take advantage of a short field with a
six-play, 47-yard drive that culminated in an 11-yard touchdown run by Isaac McGaughey.
A
two-point conversion – the Chargers are averse to extra-point kicks, it seems –
made it 8-0.
Two
plays into the second quarter, Southmont quarterback Logan Petry had a pass
deflected at the line of scrimmage. The ball seemed to hang in the air for an
eternity before finally bouncing off a helmet and into the arms of North
Montgomery senior Chuck Logan at the Chargers’ 45-yard line.
“We
took advantage of Logan Petry’s aggressiveness in run support,” said North Montgomery
coach Charley German, whose team went up by 16 on the next play. “Brett Stamper
worked all week on running a back-side post pattern, and Clayton Dale used his
cannon arm to perfection.”
Dale’s
pass to an untouched Stamper went for 55 yards, and the lead became 16-0 after another
two-point conversion.
That
sort of play would have crushed most young teams in such a big game. The
Mounties, however, were looking to cut into the Chargers’ lead, and they had
three golden opportunities to do so before halftime.
Petry
scrambled for a 37-yard gain, setting up 1st and goal at the North Montgomery
10. But the Mounties fumbled on the next play, and North Montgomery took over
at its own 11.
Southmont
stopped the Chargers at their own 46 and, behind the running of Petry, moved
the ball at will down to the North Montgomery 16. But once again the drive
stalled, resulting in no points.
Then
Petry intercepted Dale just before halftime, setting the Mounties up at the North
Montgomery 26 with only 1:24 left in the half. Once again, the Charger defense
stepped up to the challenge and turned Southmont away.
If
the Mounties could have scored one time in any of those three possessions, the
second half might have been completely different. As it was, the halftime score
was North Montgomery 16, the scrappy Mounties 0.
But
the Chargers put the game away early in the second half. Going 64 yards in four
plays, North Montgomery needed only 1:36 to take a commanding lead 24-0 lead on
a 45-yard burst by senior Ethan Carpenter and yet another two-point conversion.
The
Mounties finally scored on a 12-yard pass from Petry to Lucas Long with 45
seconds remaining in the game. Still the young Mounties refused to give up,
recovering an onside kick at midfield.
But
the tenacious defensive rush of the Chargers was just too much on this night,
and the Mounties turned the ball over one more time with 6.3 seconds remaining.
“I
am very proud of these young men – they kept on fighting to the very end of the
game,” said second-year Southmont coach Desson Hannum. “It was tough once we
got inside the 10-yard line.
“They
did a great job of disrupting our plays and caused turnovers.”
The
main improvement for the Chargers over last season, according to German, was
his defensive unit.
“We
might give up a long run, but not a touchdown,” said the 20th-year
mentor. “The defense gave itself a chance to regroup due to better tackling in
the secondary, and no one is going to outrun Elijah Webster.”
The
Mounties, meanwhile, are an extremely young and talented group of kids that are
trying to establish a long-lasting tradition and program of their own – much
like that of their Sagamore Conference and cross-county rival.
In
the next “Civil War” game, as it is being called in Montgomery County, the
Mounties should be a much better team because of the experience they gained
from tonight and their entire season. Congratulations to coach Hannum and his
staff for a terrific season and an even brighter future.
And
best of luck to the undefeated Chargin’ Chargers!
The Paper photo by Lori Poteet North Montgomery senior Chuck Logan sacks Southmont junior quarterback Logan Petry in Friday night’s IHSAA Sectional 21 championship game.
The Paper photo by Lori Poteet Southmont sophomore running back Micah Hatch had 22 yards on six carries.
Football
Friday
IHSAA Sectional 21
Championship game
At North Montgomery HS
North Montgomery 24, Southmont 8
Southmont 0 0 0 8 – 8
North Montgomery 8 8 8 0 – 24
Scoring
First quarter: NM – Ethan Carpenter 11 run (Clayton Dale pass to Ethan Carpenter), :20.6.
Second quarter: NM – Clayton Dale 55 pass to Brett Stamper (Ethan Carpenter run), 11:04.
Third quarter: NM – Ethan Carpenter 45 run (Elijah Webster run), 10:34.
Fourth quarter: S – Logan Petry 12 pass to Lucas Long (Logan Petry run), :45.1.
Team statistics S NM
First downs 12 10
Rushes (yds.) 45-157 31-161
Passing 10-20-137-1-3 8-15-117-1-1
Total yards 295 278
Fumbles (lost) 4-1 0-0
Penalties 3-25 6-49
Records: North Montgomery 11-0, Southmont 6-6
Individual statistics
Rushing: Southmont – Logan Petry 30-117, Micah Hatch 6-22, Jordan Burkett 5-12, Tanner Hill 4-6. North Montgomery – Ethan Carpenter 10-72, Isaac McGaughey 14-66, Elijah Webster 5-15, Clayton Dale 2-8.
Receiving: Southmont – Lucas Long 3-53, Tanner Hill 3-40, Jordan Burkett 2-25, Scott Paris 2-19. North Montgomery – Brett Stamper 5-94, Ethan Carpenter 2-17, Elijah Webster 1-6.
IHSAA SECTIONAL 21 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Seasoned title taste North upends county-rival Southmont, wins first sectional championship in 12 years
LINDEN – Ethan Carpenter finished off a family tradition.
North Montgomery High School’s senior running back had watched just one of his three older brothers each earn sectional football championships.
Only five- or six-years old at the time, he still remembers sitting in the stands, cheering the Chargers on as his brother, Ben, and teammates lifted up the trophy.
He wanted that feeling. And in his final season, the youngest brother chased it down.
Carpenter rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns, including a 45-yard third-quarter score, to give Class 3A No. 3 North Montgomery a 24-8 IHSAA Sectional 21 championship-game victory Friday night over county- and Sagamore Athletic Conference rival Southmont.
Ethan brought home one more sectional title and didn’t let his older brothers down.
“[Ben and I] each have one. I’m the last one,” said Carpenter, who now has a sectional title along with older brother Ben Carpenter – a 1998 graduate. His other two older brothers, Luke (2002 graduate) and Eli (2004 graduate), had also played in sectional title games. “We all got to play on the field. I’m glad I got a sectional championship. I’m proud of all my brothers and this team. We’re all playing together and that’s what we need to do next week to win.”
North Montgomery (12-0) advanced to play Bishop Chatard (9-1) in a Class 3A regional final game next Friday. Bishop Chatard defeated Rushville 41-13 in the Sectional 22 championship game.
North Montgomery won its first sectional title in 12 years, with its last victory coming in 1996 when the Chargers defeated Speedway and went on to win the second of back-to-back Class 2A State championships.
Both times North Montgomery won sectional titles, the Chargers defeated the Trojans in the regional final.
North Montgomery coach Charley German last coached them to those back-to-back IHSAA sectional and State titles.
“It’s for the kids,” he said. “None of these kids were around. Or if they were, they might have been in first or second grade when we won last time. We didn’t even get the chance to sing the school song when our fans got on the field.”
Southmont (6-6) finished with its first winning season since 1998, when the Mounties ended 6-6 and lost to conference rival Western Boone in the sectional title game.
They ended their season winning five out of their last six games, making the sectional title game and exceeding expectations in coach Desson Hannum’s second year.
“We’ve got a great foundation right now to build off of,” he said. “Even [Friday] night we kept fighting.”
Known for its prolific and high-scoring offense, North Montgomery won this historic county sectional battle – a first in Montgomery County football history – with its defense.
The Chargers forced Southmont into four turnovers (including three interceptions) and sacked Mounties’ junior quarterback Logan Petry seven times – with all seven coming in the second half.
North Montgomery also limited Southmont to only 1-of-7 fourth-down conversions and stopped the Mounties in all but one of their trips inside the Chargers’ 30-yard line.
While the defense created turnovers, the offense capitalized off quick drives and plays.
Carpenter scored in the first quarter on an 11-yard rush, while sophomore quarterback Clayton Dale hooked up with senior wide receiver Brett Stamper on a 55-yard bomb early in the second to give North Montgomery a 16-0 lead.
Carpenter added his second score early in the third before Southmont answered with a late fourth-quarter 12-yard touchdown pass from Petry to junior wide receiver Lucas Long with 45.1 seconds left.
Petry scored on a two-point conversion and the Mounties then recovered an onside kick to make things interesting. But they ended up turning the ball over on downs.
“When we got that onside kick, it showed the character of our kids,” Hannum said. “We got the ball in their territory. We just couldn’t convert.”
Southmont rushed for 157 yards, with Petry accounting for 117 of them.
He had six rushes of 10 yards or more, including a 38-yard run on the second play of the game. But the Chargers didn’t allow him to score on any of them.
“We don’t give up the long, long touchdown runs,” German said. “Last year, that was our problem. This year, we’re able to make the tackle, which gives us a chance to regroup and make a play.”
As for Southmont, Hannum said now they’ll take some time off before starting to prepare for next season.
They’ll have most of their offensive corps back – including Petry, running backs Jordan Burkett, Micah Hatch and Tanner Hill, along with Long.
It’s the defensive and offensive lines where they’ll be hit harder.
“We bring back leadership and experience,” Hannum said. “We’ve got some guys into their third year as starters. We’ve got a lot of positives coming back. “
The Paper photo illustration by Lori Poteet Southmont sophomore Erik Garcia has been named The Paper’s 2008 Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
The Paper’s 2008 Boys Soccer Player of the Year
Name High school Year
Erik Garcia Southmont So.
The Paper’s 2008 All-County Boys Soccer Team
Name High school Year
Erik Garcia Southmont So.
Austin Evans Crawfordsville Jr.
Matt Mummert Crawfordsville So.
Klajdi Osmani Crawfordsville Sr.
Max Parker Southmont Sr.
Kal Airey North Montgomery Sr.
Reece Oliver North Montgomery Jr.
Tyler Witherspoon Southmont Sr.
Nathaniel Borden Southmont Sr.
Chris Rash Southmont So.
Miguel Salazar Crawfordsville Sr.
Nick Truncone Southmont Sr.
The Paper’s 2008 All-Senior Boys Soccer Team
Name High school Year
Klajdi Osmani Crawfordsville Sr.
Kal Airey North Montgomery Sr.
Miguel Salazar Crawfordsville Sr.
Nick Truncone outhmont Sr.
Josh McBee orth Montgomery Sr.
Cameron Nunan orth Montgomery Sr.
Tyler Whittington rawfordsville Sr.
Max Parker Southmont Sr.
Nathaniel Borden Southmont Sr.
Tyler Witherspoon Southmont Sr.
The Paper’s 2008 All-Underclassmen Boys Soccer Team
Name High school Year
Erik Garcia Southmont So.
Matthew Bupp Southmont So.
Chris Rash Southmont So.
Matt Mummert Crawfordsville So.
Phillip Burger Crawfordsville So.
Rafael Escobar Southmont So.
THE GARCIA FILE
Name: Erik Garcia
High school: Southmont
Year: Sophomore
Age: 16
Sport: Soccer
Accomplishments: The
Paper’s 2008 Boys Soccer Player of the Year . . . Scored team- and county-high 25 goals and also added seven assists . . . Helped lead Southmont to a school-record 12 wins and finish 12-5-1 this season, along with clinching the Montgomery County championship . . . Also helped lead the Mounties to a record four Sagamore Athletic Conference wins and claim first winning conference record
(4-3) in school history.
Other sports: Track-and-field
Parents’ names: Vickie and Juan Garcia
Siblings: 2 sisters – Misty (30), Brittany (21)
Hobbies: Working at Hutson’s Lawn Care, playing indoor soccer
Favorite athlete: Ronaldino
Career plans: He’d like to go to college and play soccer.
College plans: He’d like to
attend Indiana University.
One thing people don’t know about him: “It looks like I’m a sprinter during soccer. I’m not a sprinter. I’m a long- distance runner (mile and 800 meters).”
THE PAPER’S 2008 BOYS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Garcia scores top honor Southmont sophomore forward selected as The Paper’s 2008 Boys Soccer Player of the Year NEW MARKET – It’s tough to match Erik Garcia’s quick-strike net attack.
But it might be more challenging to crack his humble demeanor.
When talking about his scoring abilities, the Southmont High School sophomore likes to deflect the attention off of himself and give his teammates an assist.
Garcia recorded a county- and team-high 25 goals this season and with his quick-strike goal-scoring ability, he’s earned The Paper’s 2008 Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
Speedy, swift and smart, he’s developed a knack for putting balls into the back of the net.
“I just really like to score. I guess my speed helped me a lot of times,” Garcia said. “Most of the time it was because of my teammates. I don’t think I could have done it by myself. They would give me great passes and I would try to get it in back of the net . . . I never thought I was going to be able to score that many goals. It just came out of nowhere.”
Score he did.
He netted three or more goals four times, putting in a school-record five in a Sept. 16 match against conference foe Frankfort and scoring four each against county- and Sagamore Athletic Conference rival North Montgomery and Cascade. He also finished with seven total assists.
Southmont ended its season with a school-record 12 wins and went 12-5-1, taking the Montgomery County championship and posting its first winning conference record (4-3) in the team’s history.
It’s also the most wins the Mounties have ever had in the conference.
Southmont also advanced to the Indiana High School Athletic Association Crawfordsville Sectional final for the third-straight year, losing to county- and conference rival Crawfordsville 1-0 in the championship match.
It’s one of the few matches Garcia was shut out in.
“It was kind of [disappointing],” he said. “That’s what we had worked all year for, that sectional championship. It didn’t come out like we had thought it would. It’s pretty disappointing. We’ll try our best next year, too.”
This season, the Mounties showed they should be near the top of the conference for years to come.
After returning to the program he started, Southmont coach Alan Clifton developed a well-conditioned, team-oriented group.
With 10 seniors and a handful of juniors and sophomores, including Garcia, the Mounties steered themselves into new territory.
“Outside of a few games, when we needed scoring Erik generally found a way to get it done,” Clifton said. “He did it through a number of ways. The ball distribution on the team was absolutely at a level I’ve never seen. Nathaniel Borden, Tyler Witherspoon – those guys made sure we got the ball into vital scoring position. With Erik, just perpetually moving, he knows how to find space and he just never gives up. That’s really an attribute to him. He’s great young man to have on the team and he’s only going to get better.”
With those 10 seniors graduating this year, Clifton will need Garcia to step into more of a leadership role next season. But he’s confident Garcia can do that.
With Garcia playing in an indoor soccer league in Indianapolis and then with summer practice, Clifton also hopes his footwork will become even better.
“He’s a young sophomore and has got some things to work out with his foot skills and how to create opportunities in traffic,” Clifton said. “He’s made some nice progress in his ability to strike with his left foot. He’s incredibly coachable, a young man that’s full of energy and effort and he’s committed to the team.”
Garcia’s actions and work are all for next year’s team. He’s hoping they can finally reach that goal of a sectional championship and knows if he puts the extra work in, it’s possible.
“Hopefully we’ll win a sectional championship and another county championship and to be in the top in the conference,” Garcia said. “By working hard, that’s how we’re hopeful we’ll do it – by working hard in everything. Anything we can do to get to the point where we can win and get those championships, we’ve got to do it.”
The Paper file photo Southmont junior Lucas Long returned a punt for a touchdown in last week’s IHSAA sectional semifinal win.
SOUTHMONT (6-5)
AT
CLASS 3A NO. 3 NORTH MONTGOMERY (11-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Radio: Thunder 103.9
Web Cast: Southmont HS
Last Meeting: North Montgomery 42, Southmont 19 (Sept. 5, 2008)
SOUTHMONT FOOTBALL: Mounties up for their chance NEW MARKET – Only two days before Friday night’s Indiana High School Athletic Association Sectional 21 title game and Logan Petry still remains a little stunned.
He’s never played in a game with a magnitude quite like this.
There’s a Class 3A sectional championship on the line pitting two county- and Sagamore Athletic Conference foes against each other, along with the chance for Southmont to win its first football sectional.
Plus, the junior quarterback will be involved in the first match-up between Montgomery County teams for an IHSAA sectional football championship.
“It’s unbelievable right now,” Petry said. “It’s crazy to think that we’re here. We believed in ourselves at the beginning of the season. But not a lot of people believed in us. Our offensive line has really stepped up. When they step up and play well, our running backs can step up and get the job done.”
Southmont (6-5) travels to Class 3A No. 3 North Montgomery (11-0) for a 7 p.m. IHSAA Sectional 21 championship game. North Montgomery defeated Southmont 42-19 in a Sept. 5 regular-season match-up.
North Montgomery has won 11 straight games, scoring 40-plus points in all but three of them.
The Mounties enter this game on a five-game winning streak, having knocked off conference foe Western Boone (33-12) and non-conference opponent Greencastle (21-14) in their two sectional wins.
They already have their first sectional wins in seven years and now are aiming for their first sectional football title.
Until this season, Southmont hadn’t reached a sectional championship game in a decade and has only played in three in its school history.
But the Mounties must remain focused on their goals. They remember their loss to the Chargers, a game which they led in during the first half. But North Montgomery reasserted itself in the second half, with its running game and big-play offense, scoring on three plays of 20 yards or more.
This time around, Hannum has challenged the Mounties to shut down the Chargers on third-down conversions and take care of the ball.
“We have to eliminate the big plays and create big plays for ourselves,” Hannum said. “Defensively, we know they have a good running game. We have to make sure we get off the ball and tackle.”
One of Southmont’s four-headed rushing attack members was out sick Wednesday.
Junior running back Jordan Burkett (61 carries, 390 yards, four touchdowns) missed Wednesday’s practice with strep throat, Hannum said. He said Burkett went to the doctor’s office to get some antibiotics and he expects him back for practice today.
Petry and the Mounties have had a busy week, studying for finals along with preparing for this game.
After struggling a little with the blitz and going only 2-of-5 for 29 yards in last week’s win against Western Boone, Petry has worked on improving his movement in the pocket.
During practice and seven-on-seven drills, Hannum has sent lots of blitzes coming Petry’s way. That’s forced him to step into his throw so he can complete the pass.
“Last week, when [Western Boone] brought pressure, our line did a good job of picking it up,” Petry said. “Last week, I was antsy. I threw a bad ball trying to avoid the hit. As a quarterback, you have to take the hit. They brought a lot of pressure and I have to step up and step into my throw. I have a lot more confidence and it helps.”
Before the season started, Petry and the Mounties’ defense set seven interceptions for their team goal.
They’re well ahead of that goal (19) and have that many interceptions in the past three weeks – recording two against Sagamore Athletic Conference rivals Western Boone and county- and conference rival Crawfordsville and three against Greencastle in their opening-round sectional game.
Besides being a force on the offensive end, Petry is also tied for the team-high in interceptions (five) with Burkett.
“Our defensive line has helped us in that aspect,” Petry said. “They’ve put more pressure on the quarterback. Our linebackers have filled the holes a lot better. The [defensive backs] just sit back and pick off passes. It’s fun when you’re playing centerfield.”
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