GREENWOOD — John Quincy Adams once said, “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” Well playas…the Center Grove Trojans are direct examples of that. They started the season 0-3 with a bunch of young players struggling to finish games. Their best player, Carson Steele, better known in these football streets as the “War Horse’ was out with a hamstring injury and Stewart Little was screaming that the sky was falling.
Fast forward to Friday night at about 9:15pm. They were standing at the 50 yard line holding the Semi-State Championship trophy hollering “WE’RE GOING TO STATE!!!” They’d beaten the Ben Davis Giants for the second time this season by a score of 17-10 in a thriller that came down to the final possession. What an unbelievable turnaround for coach Eric Moore’s group.
They persevered, believed in the process and now they’ve got business to take care of at Lucas Oil Stadium next week for all of the marbles against M.I.C rival Carmel. They’ll be playing for the Class 6A state title.
Getting out of Ray Skillman Stadium alive on Friday night was not easy at all. Ben Davis wasn’t going away without a straight up dog fight. On the opening kickoff the Giants pulled the old onside kick on a boy and caught Center Grove sleepin’. On the very first play from scrimmage Trent Gipson hit Jaylen Nolan on a 50-yard strike down the middle of the field and it was 7-0 before I could bite into my hot dog.
Problem? No problem for Center Grove. They methodically marched the ball right back down the field as Tayven Jackson hit Connor Delp on an 18-yard touchdown pass. Carson Steele completed the two-point conversion to put the Trojans up for good 8-7.
On Ben Davis’ very next possession the Giants were flagged for holding in the end zone which resulted in a safety making it 10-7. A defensive battle ensued and that was the score at the break. Ben Davis was held to only 77 rushing on the night and were forced to throw the football. Trent Gipson finished with 249 yards passing with his longest after the first pass from scrimmage only 23 yards.
With 3:21 left in the third quarter Conner Delp scored on a 10-yard touchdown to put the Trojans up 17-7. Ben Davis was able to score on a 37-yard Zach Fox field goal with 10:25 left to play and that’s the closet the Giants got to Lucas Oil Stadium.
Center Grove threw everything but the kitchen sink at them to keep them at bay. With the War Horse out all season his understudies grew up and held them down. On Friday night we watched the War Horse and his band of brothers in the back field control the tempo of the ball game as fresh legs continued to keep the Giants in check.
Steele led Center Grove with 88 yards rushing on 19 carries and now it’s time to play downtown. Who saw that coming when they were 0-3 playing without Carson Steele? Coach Moore said the same thing he’s been saying all season Friday after the game. “This is the most improved team I’ve ever been around.” Congrats fellas on a great season thus far. IT’S GAME TIME!!!
