INDIANAPOLIS
It’s rare for a football team to lament a small handful of missed opportunities when it loses by 28 points, but Greenwood could stake a fair claim to do so after Friday’s game at Decatur Central.
The Woodmen had a potential first-quarter touchdown drive stall that seemed destined to give them a 14-0 lead. They lost two fumbles in the second half that led to two Hawks touchdowns and couldn’t take advantage of 130 Decatur Central penalty yards.
While Greenwood didn’t capitalize, the Hawks cashed in on their opportunities. Short fields and the Woodmen’s own penalties (12 for 85 yards) helped Decatur Central shake off Greenwood’s game-opening touchdown and cruise to a 49-21 Mid-State Conference victory.
“We had a drive going that we killed ourselves with penalties, and another couple big plays … we’ve just got to hang onto the football,” Greenwood coach Mike Campbell said. “(Decatur Central was) opportunistic, and you can’t give a team with the kind of athletes they’ve got those opportunities.”
Greenwood (3-4, 1-4 Mid-State) scored first, when a 55-yard Luke Hommell-to-Jaydin Sheppard pass on the game’s first play from scrimmage set up Gavin Ruppert’s 2-yard touchdown run. The Woodmen forced a three-and-out on the Hawks’ first possession and then marched to the Decatur Central 13-yard line. But three consecutive false-start penalties stalled the drive; Greenwood ran 15 plays and drained 5:06 off the clock but couldn’t score any points.
It took a while for Decatur Central to take charge. The Hawks played sophomore backup quarterback Aycen Stevens after regular starter Peyton Horsley separated his shoulder in the Hawks’ win over Plainfield last week.
Stevens and the Decatur Central offense looked sluggish at first but then scored touchdowns on each of the last two first-half drives, including one with 2.1 seconds left in the half, to take a 14-7 lead into the locker room. On both touchdowns, the Hawks took over possession in Greenwood territory.
Decatur Central (5-2, 4-1) scored another touchdown on the second half’s opening possession, but Greenwood responded with an impressive 11-play, 56-yard touchdown drive of its own to pull within 21-14 with 3:40 left in the third quarter. Ruppert found the end zone on a 1-yard run to conclude that drive, and his 22-yard keeper on a third-and-7 was the longest play of the drive.
The Woodmen fumbled in their own territory on each of their next two possessions, however, once at their own 20 and again at their own 41. The Hawks converted both fumbles into touchdowns, extending their lead to 35-14 with 10:44 to play.
Ethan Haessig burst through Decatur Central’s defense for a 65-yard touchdown run on the Woodmen’s next play from scrimmage, but Greenwood never drew closer than that 35-21 margin.
Haessig finished with a game-high 109 yards on just 17 carries, but he also lost the two fumbles that led to Hawks touchdowns.
Despite the loss, Campbell found reason to praise the Woodmen’s effort against the Class 5A No. 6 Hawks.
“We were as physical as we’ve been, especially defensively, in a long time,” Campbell said. “We were hitting and we were playing hard, but I think a lot of (the loss) was self-inflicted.”
Greenwood hosts Franklin next Friday.
