Darrin Fisher’s offense got to the line on its first drive and saw something it didn’t expect to see.
Perry Meridian was determined not to get beat up the middle by Whiteland senior Chase Valentine, one of the state’s leading rushers, so it put three safeties inside the numbers.
So Whiteland simply decided to beat the Falcons outside, and it didn’t have any problem doing so. With big running plays from their receivers and wingbacks, and sturdy work from Valentine, the Warriors rushed for 253 yards in the first half and had a five-touchdown lead by the break. They cruised to a 48-0 win Friday night, improving to 4-1 and dropping the Falcons to 0-5.
“Every week you have to adjust to what the defense is doing and how they’re playing you,” said Fisher, who is in his 16th year as the Warriors’ head coach. “What we got from them defensively was not exactly what we expected and what we’d been practicing all week long, but we were able to adjust very seamlessly and get it done.
"If the edge isn’t set, we have to take advantage of that."
Fisher’s fly offense, a two-back system that relies heavily on shifts and motion, is well built to run the ball on the perimeter to start with. The Warriors bring a wide receiver or wingback in motion through the backfield with a chance to take a handoff on almost every play. Their most productive wingback, senior Dalton Murray, has been dealing with injuries and was limited on Friday, but the Warriors got big plays from senior Desmen Singleton and sophomore Johnathan Crowley, who broke out with 91 yards on just three carries.
Crowley got the Warriors on the board with 5:06 to go in the first quarter, taking a jet sweep handoff around the right edge and breaking loose for a 62-yard touchdown run. A 21-yard run on a similar play on the next drive set up a 1-yard touchdown push by junior quarterback Brant Kunz.
“When you get an opportunity, you have to take advantage of it,” Fisher said of Crowley. “And he certainly has. He’s a strong runner. Some guys are fast and shifty. He’s both of those things, but he’s also strong. He can break tackles. He can make people miss, but he can also run through people as well.”
Valentine was still more than effective, even though Perry Meridian was devoted to stopping him. He rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries and also caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Kunz at the end of the half to make it 35-0.
“Chase wasn’t worried about his carries or his yards at all tonight,” Fisher said. “He was very unselfish.”
The effectiveness of the run game made it extremely easy for Whiteland to throw the ball on the few occasions they decided to. Kunz completed three of his four pass attempts for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Along with the pass the Valentine at the end of the half, he found senior Dalton DeBaun about as wide open as a receiver could possibly be for a 38-yard touchdown pass with 3:14 to go in the second quarter. DeBaun caught two passes for 70 yards in the game.
The teams played with a running clock in the second half and Whiteland went to its bench immediately after the break. Sophomore running back Peyton Emberton and wingback Canyon Valentine added touchdown runs in the second half. The latter score came in the game’s final minute and Whiteland didn’t bother to kick the extra point at game’s end.
Perry Meridian’s offense never got inside the Whiteland 30.
