No.1 Warren Central escapes with the Chinchilla hat and coat at North Central! “4th and 1”

INDIANAPOLIS — The great teams always find a way to win and on Friday night Warren Central did just that. After walking into a hornet’s nest at North Central and having to fight their way out. The No.1 team in the state survived a Battle Royale 42-32 to advance to next week’s semi-state against M.I.C. rival Center Grove.

Back in August in Week 3, Warren Central (12-0) beat the brakes off of North Central (9-3) 58-27 but that was before the Panthers had found their groove. Coach Kevin O’Shea has done a masterful job of turning the program around in just two short seasons winning their first sectional championship in 25 years last week and they had the best team in the state on the ropes for most of the night in the regional.

Going into the break all knotted up at 14-14 had boyz gassed up about an upset in the making. Not just those in the North Central stands but all over the state.Then they came out in the second half and went up 21-14 on an Alexander Tarver 1-yard run after a Harry Ochs pick. Problem? No Problem! Warren answers with a Romeir Elliott 16-yard touchdown to tie it back up at 21-21.

Scott Hoeg kicked a 29-yard field goal to put the Panther up 24-21 with 11:51 left to play. Now it started to get real on a boy. The DubZilla, the three headed monster, hadn’t been on that side of the fence all season long. By this late in ball games the monster has eaten and burped three or four times by now.

My man Chinchilla O’Shea (Kevin O’Shea), as I like to call him, still had on the hat and the coat deep into the fourth quarter looking like Frank Lucas from American Gangster. I call him that because he’s got so much swag on the sideline.

Then all of a sudden North Central makes the critical mistake of punting directly to the most dangerous athlete in the state. Not just the most dangerous football player in the state bruh but the most dangerous athlete.

Let me remind you of who they were punting to before the ball hits his hands. He’s the same cat that led Warren Central’s hoop team to a 32-0 Class 4A state title last season by hitting the game winner in the semi-state on the road in Seymour to knock off Romeo Langford and Co. He hasn’t lost a game in more than a year in football or basketball. He’s an Army All-American that is capable of taking it the distance EVERY time he touches the ball. He’s the biggest big play guy walking and breathing in this state and he;s got ice pouring through his veins.

Now let’s proceed with the unthinkable. On a punt that was instructed to go out of bounds, it was inadvertently kicked directly to him and he takes that joint 63 yards to the house to put the Warriors up 28-24 with 9:54 left. That play knocks the Chinchilla hat off of O’Shea’s head but he’s still holding on to the coat.

Shortly thereafter, Romeir Elloitt punches in a 2-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 35-24 midway through the fourth quarter. Problem? No Problem! O’Shea and Co. answers on a Liam Thompson 29-yard sprint to the end-zone and they go for and get the 2-point conversion to pull within 3 to make it 35-32 with 4:35 left. Crazy game right? Warren had no answer for Thompson running the football all night. He finished with 130 yards on just 15 carries.

And guess what playa? O’Shea had the hat back on looking like a straight gangsta and his team is ballin’ like one too. You can’t make this stuff up bruh!!! Ballin’!!!

Now it just got real!!! North Central’s entire squad has on the Chinchilla hat and the coat forget about coach O’Shea having it on. They are putting in work at this point against DubZilla! The North Central defense is causing all types of problems for the Warren Central offense it comes down to a fourth and one with all the marbles pushed to the middle of the table with less than 2 minutes to play.

DubZilla can’t afford to turn it over on downs because North Central is potent right now. That’s way too much time on the clock to give a boy the ball wearing a Chinchilla hat and coat. The ball snaps and the legend that they call Secretariat from THE FAR EAST SIDE, who by the way finished with 243 yards on 35 carries and 4 touchdowns, goes 43-yards for the score to ice the game 42-32 with 1:32 left. The Warren defense holds and they escape with a win. That was an unbelievable game played by two GREAT teams. Stay tuned for the Hot Joint giving North Central crazy props for being a boss on Friday night!! Stop me when I start lyin’!