Center Grove’s Nolan Rees leaps over a pile for a touchdown during Friday’s game against visiting Fort Wayne Carroll.
Chris Williams | For the Daily Journal
A pair of games were played at Center Grove on Friday night, most notably the waiting game.
With heavy storms in the area, a delay of just under two hours ensued before the decision was made to cancel the second half of the Trojans’ battle with Fort Wayne Carroll in a rematch of the 2022 Class 6A state championship game.
Seventh-ranked CG held a 28-14 lead at intermission, which is the result that will go in the books, improving coach Eric Moore’s squad to 1-1 entering Friday’s game at Louisville Trinity. The Chargers dropped to 0-2.
“It was still great to get on the field with Carroll,” Moore said. “It was great competition, and hopefully we see each other again because if we do, it would be for a state championship. It was a good game between two good teams.”
Friday night’s game kicked off at 7:30 p.m., was delayed at 9:15 and ultimately called at 11:11 p.m.
Moore and Chargers coach Doug Dinan communicated during the weather delay. Returning on Saturday to finish the game would have been nearly impossible with the two schools being 145 miles apart.
With no sign of the lightning subsiding, Dinan congratulated Moore on the win, the Trojans’ mentor thanked him and wished Dinan safe travels home.
By this point, nearly all the fans had left, leaving only empty bleachers being battered by strong rain. The high winds that factored into the announced cancelation eventually knocked over the bleachers and the goalpost on the south end of the field.
As for the two quarters that were played, the Trojans held a two-touchdown lead at intermission despite being on the short end of a 270-233 ledger in total offense.
Carroll’s senior quarterback, University of Iowa verbal commitment Jimmy Sullivan, accounted for 220 of his team’s sum, capping the game’s opening drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to junior Mason Baughman for a 7-0 lead with 9:55 remaining in the opening quarter.
Center Grove went 1-2-3-punt on its first series, but Gabe McWilliams’ towering kick was fumbled by the Chargers’ return man and pounced on by senior James Soderdahl to put the Trojans’ offense back in business at the Chargers’ 19. Junior running back Nolan Rees eventually got the hosts on the board with his 1-yard TD run.
Center Grove’s next drive covered 83 yards in only five plays. McWilliams 44-yard strike to receiver Tristan Baxter hit the senior in stride at the 1:11 mark of the first stanza for a 14-7 lead. Carroll countered with a 77-yard scoring series, Sullivan threading a 15-yard strike to tight end Brady Rhoad at 8:18 of the second quarter to tie the score.
The tie was short-lived, thanks to CG’s Austin Hennessy juking his way to a nifty 67-yard touchdown run on the ensuing play from scrimmage. The Trojans then struck again with 18.3 ticks showing on McWilliams’ 22-yard touchdown pass to senior Brady Dicken.
Shortly before the third period was about to start, the game was delayed.
Hennessy made the most of his 10 carries, rumbling for 118 yards and the score. Rees added 35 yards on nine tries, while McWilliams was 5 of 9 through the air for 80 yards.
Hennessy’s return proved impressive after he sat out the opener against Westfield due to a high ankle sprain sustained during the preseason.
“This week, Austin came back strong,” Moore said. “He has great speed and great balance. He jump cuts well and has great stride length when he gets out there.”
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Sullivan called his own number 15 times for 78 yards rushing, and completed 12 of 18 pass attempts for 142 yards. Rhoad proved to be his favorite target, making four grabs for 40 yards.
