INDIANAPOLIS
For the first 20 minutes of game time, Franklin held Decatur Central scoreless.
Then the Grizzly Cubs gave up 16 points in the final 3:35 of the first half. The host Hawks went on to cruise to a 36-0 rout to grab a share of the Mid-State Conference title with Martinsville. Decatur Central improved its record to 7-2 and 5-2 in the Mid-State. Franklin, which had a shot to win the title, finished the regular season with records of 5-4 and 4-3.
“We couldn’t move the ball enough to sustain it to get points,” Franklin coach Chris Coll said. “It felt like defensively we competed with them. We gave up a couple of big plays in the first half. We just couldn’t get any traction. I felt like we played hard. We were very competitive in the first half.”
Although much of the game was played in the rain, Coll said it wasn’t that bad. Coll said there have been a couple of other games where they have had problems establishing the running game.
“They’re good up front,” Coll said. “They’ve got a good defense. They’re well coached and play very hard.”
Coll said his team struggled with the Hawks’ size on the defensive line. Franklin quarterback Clay Pinnick was the team’s top rusher with 28 yards on nine carries. Pinnick also completed 9 of 16 passes with an interception.
KC Berry, who finished with 119 yards rushing on 12 carries, scored two touchdowns in the first half to help the Hawks grab a 16-0 lead.
After that scoreless first quarter, Berry gave the Hawks a 7-0 run with a 2-yard TD run with 3:35 left in the second quarter. On the next possession, Berry ran 67 yards for a TD with 1:53 left before halftime. The PAT was blocked. However, the Hawks weren’t done.
After an 18-yard punt, the Hawks took over on the Franklin 38. Ashton Vogel nailed a school record 51-yard field goal as time expired to give Decatur Central a 16-0 lead. Vogel broke his own record of 49 yards, set Sept. 22 against Plainfield.
In the second half, Hawks quarterback Bo Polston threw touchdown passes of 30 and 23 yards to N’po Dodo. The 30-yard TD gave the Hawks a 22-0 lead with 3:19 left in the third quarter. There was a fumbled snap on the failed PAT.
Decatur Central pushed the lead to 29-0 on the 23-yard TD pass with 9:40 left in the fourth quarter. The final two minutes were played with a running clock after Hawks backup QB Braylon Morris scored from 5 yards out.
“I felt the kids were playing hard; it just got away from us in the second half,” Coll said.
The Grizzly Cubs will have a week off to regroup before opening sectional play Oct. 27 at Terre Haute South.
“We’ll see the film and see if we can get better at some things,” Coll said.
