Woodmen win double-OT thriller at New Castle

<p>NEW CASTLE</p><p>The first football game between Greenwood and New Castle in 27 years proved worth the wait.</p><p>Lex Logan’s extra-point kick in the second overtime proved the difference as the Woodmen escaped Henry County with a pulse-accelerating 35-34 victory to open Class 4A sectional play.</p><p>Greenwood (3-7) moves to the semifinal round, where it hosts Mt. Vernon (Fortville) on Friday. The Trojans close their season with a record of 5-5.</p><p>The game-tying score setting up Logan’s heroics came on fourth down from the 5. Backup sophomore quarterback Luke Hommell threw a touchdown pass to junior Bryce Hoffman on the right side of the end zone.</p><p>New Castle’s offense scored first in the second OT. However, a high snap from center contributed to kicker Skylor Stevenson sailing his conversion kick left.</p><p>“We kind of drew it up in the dirt. We don’t have a real good route from there. We’re just not a team that throws the ball around,” Trojans coach Mike Campbell said. “We got the coverage we liked for what we called.</p><p>“We put in on the people we needed to, and I thought our special teams were solid tonight. I told our guys we’re just fighting to play one more week and get a home game against a very good Mt. Vernon team. Credit to New Castle, though. Those kid battled and played hard. They have some unbelievably skilled athletes.”</p><p>Greenwood’s season looked to be in serious jeopardy late in the fourth quarter as New Castle drove the football to the Woodmen 4-yard line. Instead of setting up for the potential game-winning field goal, though, Trojans quarterback Drew Barber threw right into the arms of Greenwood linebacker Dillon Cloyd.</p><p>Senior running backs Nick Willham and Anthony Williams rushed the ball for 174 and 93 yards, respectively. They combined to carry the pigskin 61 times.</p><p>“That was the game plan coming in knowing they hadn’t seen a power running game,” Campbell said. “We also had to chew up clock because their offense is so explosive.”</p><p>Willham, who carried 38 times, was understandably exhausted afterward.</p><p>“We were just exhausted and never thought it was going to end,” Willham said. “I’m glad we fought hard and got the result we did. We knew coming from a tough conference this would be a good game. We were ready to lay it all out there.”</p><p>Campbell couldn’t have envisioned a better start for his team as the Woodmen held a 14-0 lead after one quarter on touchdowns by Willham and Williams.</p><p>On the game’s third play, Willham found running room on the left side and didn’t slow down until he had a 49-yard touchdown run. Williams blasted up the middle from 8 yards out with 7.1 seconds left in the first period to cap a 12-play, 73-yard series.</p><p>The same quarter saw New Castle twice drive into Woodmen territory and then come up empty on fourth down. In the second stanza, the Trojans began completing what they started.</p><p>New Castle put together a 73-yard scoring drive of its own at the midway point, scoring its first touchdown on Drew Barber’s 9-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Luke Bumbalough.</p><p>Greenwood did nothing on the ensuing series and was forced to punt. Taking over at the visitors’ 44, the Trojans took five plays to cash in with Barber’s 1-yard touchdown run tying the score.</p><p>Willham scored three touchdowns, including a 5-yard run to start the first overtime.</p>