INDIANAPOLIS
Two-game losing streaks are about as frequent at Center Grove as forward laterals.
After Class 6A No. 4 Lawrence North’s 34-21 victory on Friday night, that’s precisely the universe the seventh-ranked Trojans find themselves navigating through with one game remaining in the regular season.
It marked the Wildcats’ first win over CG since a 35-14 decision on this same field in Week 4 of the 2005 season.
The Trojans (5-3) have dropped two straight for the first time since the 2019 squad opened the season with three consecutive losses. LN is 8-0 for the first time since the 1989 Wildcats started 11-0 before losing a 5A regional game at Carmel.
Lawrence North sophomore speedster Izayveon Moore, a generously advertised 5 foot 8, 175-pounder who would be hard to stop in a game of two-hand touch, scored four touchdowns as part of his 233 yards rushing on 22 carries.
“Just the speed everywhere, and the fact we just played nonchalantly. We got off the bus not ready to play, and that’s not like us,” Trojans coach Eric Moore said. “And we made some mistakes tonight that’s not been like us all year. The last two weeks, we’ve made some critical errors. It’s just the process of playing really good teams all year long.”
The Wildcats held a 20-7 lead at halftime, scoring two touchdowns and receiving field goals of 45 and 38 yards from senior Colton Hughes.
Center Grove struck first after junior linebacker Franky Hayse recovered a fumble at the Trojans’ 33.
Six plays later, including senior quarterback Gabe McWilliams’ 34-yard pass completion to Tristan Baxter and a 28-yarder to junior tight end Dominick Barry, the visitors were on the board courtesy of Nolan Rees crashing in from 2 yards out with 7:28 remaining in the first quarter.
Junior defensive back Vinny Hayse then got into the act for the CG defense, tipping a pass from Wildcats quarterback Tanner Aspeslet and making a diving interception to again put the Trojans back in business at the LN 38.
Center Grove’s offense managed only six yards, stalling at the 32. Eight plays later, the score was deadlocked after Izayveon Moore darted his way through the Trojans’ defense for a 21-yard score. A 63-yard punt from McWilliams pinned the Wildcats back their own 2, but on second down Moore found enough daylight to break into the open field, hurdle a fallen defender and scamper 94 yards at 10:55 of the second period.
Lawrence North eventually padded its lead to 27-7 early in the third, but sophomore Drake McClurg’s 2-yard TD run at 7:49 of the final stanza made it a two-score game.
The Wildcats were called for a late hit and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during the sequence, allowing Center Grove to attempt an onside kick from the home team’s 30. The kick didn’t travel the necessary 10 yards, taking away any chances of another quick score.
Lawrence North coach Pat Mallory, a Center Grove assistant coach under Moore early in his career, patterns much of what his program does from things he learned from Eric Moore. The two men are extremely close, which makes for games that are difficult for Moore.
“I mean, we were 25-1 against them until tonight,” Moore said. “I’ve been out here feeling terrible a lot of times for him, but I’m happy for him. Who knows? Maybe we’ll come back and play them again. If we get better like I think we can, we get a couple guys back like we might, then we could see them again.”
McWilliams finished 25 of 37 through the air for 252 yards and a score, but was intercepted three times. McClurg made eight catches for 73 yards, while Baxter had five for 91.
Austin Hennessy led the Trojans’ ground attack with 86 yards on eight tries; Rees was close behind with 81 yards on 17 carries.
Center Grove closes the regular season against St. Frances (Maryland).
