Chris Williams | For the Daily Journal
INDIANAPOLIS
The best way to forget about the end of one win streak is to begin another.
At least, that was Class 6A No. 2 Center Grove’s mindset entering Friday night’s game at fifth-ranked Ben Davis, a team the Trojans had defeated seven consecutive times.
Make it eight. Barely.
A furious rally by Center Grove allowed it to eke out a wild 35-34 victory in a game it appeared out of for much of the evening.
Trailing by scores of 20-7 and 27-13, the Trojans stuck to their plan, shook off the unflattering performance they displayed through the first two quarters and improved to 3-1.
“Just a long trip last week (to Louisville Trinity), a very physical game, two overtimes and all that emotion, everybody thought we were going to lay down and quit, but we didn’t,” Center Grove coach Eric Moore said. “I’m real proud they came back and fought against a real good Ben Davis team.
“We caused everything. We were bad at times, and it showed. And when we were good, we were really good.”
Senior running back Jalen Thomeson loomed large down the stretch, scoring the winning touchdown on a 19-yard run with 6:24 remaining in the final quarter. Linebacker Kaden McConnell’s strip of the football from Giants quarterback Thomas Gotkowski deep in Ben Davis territory with 10:35 left was recovered by Thomeson to set up a previous TD.
Also enjoying monster games were junior quarterback Tyler Cherry, who completed 14 of 19 passes for 271 yards and two scores, and junior Noah Coy with six grabs for 180 yards.
Coy’s incredible 53-yard reception 10 seconds into the final period was the play of the game. It set up a 1-yard sneak by Cherry that cut the Giants’ advantage to 27-21.
The win allowed Moore’s program to sidestep consecutive losses for the first time since the outset of the 2019 season — the only 0-3 start in Moore’s 24 seasons as head coach.
The Trojans were their own worst enemy early, with the offense throwing an interception, punting and fumbling the football deep in its own territory by the 4:51 mark of the opening quarter.
Ben Davis led at halftime, 27-14, with Gotkowski passing for 209 yards and two scores prior to intermission.
The Giants scored on their second play from scrimmage when Gotkowski found receiver Lincoln Murff in the left flat for what the senior turned into a 52-yard touchdown.
Center Grove fumbled at its own 21 late in the first period, and the Giants needed only five plays before Gotkowski ran 7 yards up the middle on fourth and goal.
Finally demonstrating some signs of life on the ensuing series, the Trojans covered 75 yards in 10 plays with Eli Hohlt crashing in from 2 yards out. Big plays in the drive were junior Rylan Cook’s 18-yard run and Cherry connecting with Thomeson for a 19-yard gain on third-and-8.
Ben Davis padded its margin to 20-7 before Center Grove cashed in again, this time with Cherry throwing to Thomeson for a 7-yard touchdown with 2:11 before halftime. The Giants went up two touchdowns with a 15-yard Gotkowski scoring pass only 29 seconds before the break.
“I think coming out in the first half, after a tough loss last week, I think we thought the game was going to get handed to us,” Coy said. “That we would just come out and dominate. We came out lackadaisical. A couple bad snaps, and we just weren’t playing our best game.
“I think when we sat down on the bench, we kind of looked at each other, and said we had to kick it into gear or it’s going to be ugly. I think we just played loose in the second half.”
Center Grove returns home on Friday when it hosts North Central.
