With two Decatur Central players trying to bring him down, Whiteland’s Scott Harden(56) scores a touchdown with the help of teammates Carlos Ogega (5) and Abraham Gonzalez (57.
Rob Baker | For the Daily Journal
Separated by two spots in the latest Class 5A poll, No. 6 Whiteland and fourth-ranked Decatur Central were much further apart on the field on Friday.
The host Warriors meshed all three phases of the game — offense, defense and special teams — into a 31-15 victory over the previously unbeaten Hawks to open Mid-State Conference play.
Since 2006, Decatur Central held a 10-7 series lead, taking the field for Friday’s matchup with wins in six of the last seven meetings.
Senior defensive lineman Scott Harden pulled off a rare double by scoring two touchdowns, the first on a DC pass attempt after a deflection made by junior teammate Carlos Ogega.
“When you play hard, you take advantage of mistakes,” Whiteland coach Darrin Fisher said. “Those bad snaps where we recovered the football, that’s dudes playing hard. Every ball that bounced, they bounce your way because you’re hustling to get there.
“Our kids played with relentless effort tonight. Our guys played with that kind of passion, and when the ball bounces, it bounces your way.”
While Ogega and Harden were doing their thing defensively and later on special teams, Warriors junior running back Slate Valentine, carried 19 times for 130 yards and a score to pace Whiteland (2-1, 1-0) offensively.
Whiteland led at halftime, 17-7, its final score coming with only 2.8 ticks showing in the second period.
Decatur Central faced third and 8 from its own 16 when junior backup quarterback Brycen Bonawitt dropped back for a pass that was tipped by Ogega.
With the ball still in the air, Harden corralled it and tumbled into the end zone.
The game started strangely when the Decatur Central return man lost the opening kickoff in the sun, setting the home squad up at the Hawks’ 16. Whiteland was unable to produce a touchdown and instead settled on a 31-yard field goal from soph kicker Noah Pope.
DC responded by marching 66 yards on nine plays on the ensuing series for the go-ahead points. Sophomore back Mykul Campbell ran it in from 4 yards at 5:43 of the first.
After the Hawks’ next offensive series stalled, the Whiteland special teams stepped up large by deflecting a punt on fourth down. Junior defensive back Ji’von Smith recovered, and two plays later, Whiteland senior receiver Gunnar Hicks tested the right side on a run that found paydirt from 24 yards out.
Valentine nearly achieved the century mark in the opening half, carrying 11 times for 94 yards. He padded that sum at 7:36 of the third with a 32-yard touchdown run up the middle one play after the Warriors recovered a Hawk fumble.
Harden recorded his second TD to up the count to 31-7 when he dove on the pigskin in the end zone with 11:19 left in the fourth after a high snap from center sailed over the head of the Hawks’ punter.
With 4:46 left before halftime, Decatur Central was driving when starting quarterback Bo Polston was dealt a hard hit by a Whiteland defender at the Warriors’ 21. Polston, a sophomore, was immediately tended to on the field by medical personnel and taken off in an ambulance approximately 15 minutes later.
Polston’s condition was not immediately known.
Whiteland is at Franklin next Friday.
