For the first time in 22 seasons as Center Grove’s football coach, Eric Moore is preparing to play a second Columbus team in as many weeks.
The top-ranked Trojans opened Class 6A sectional play on Friday by pounding host Columbus North, 42-7. The win sets up Friday’s finale at home against Columbus East, which won its semifinal at Franklin Central, 41-14.
Junior quarterback Tayven Jackson put together one of the best, if not <em>the</em> best, performances of his career, completing 15 of 16 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown and running for two more scores.
“Probably his most complete game as a high school quarterback,” said Moore, whose squad improved to 10-0. “Columbus North was stacking the box and were very physical against us. But we’re a pretty humble team and will take what you give us.
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Click here to purchase photos from this gallery“We had to throw it, and Tayven ran the ball well, too. We started slow, making some mistakes with penalties, but Tayven kind of took over. And our defense set us up a couple of times with really good field position.”
Moore is now 8-1 against Columbus North in his time as the Trojans’ coach, including a 5-0 record on the Bull Dogs’ home field. Center Grove has outscoring Columbus North in those games, 206-35.
Jackson’s pinpoint accuracy, combined with some electrifying footwork, proved impossible for the Bull Dogs to stop. Columbus North seemed determined to slow Center Grove workhorse Carson Steele (nine carries, 48 yards), but the Trojans were happy to demonstrate other weapons in their offensive arsenal.
In the first half alone, Jackson threw for 262 yards to lead his team to a 21-0 cushion. Senior Connor Delp made all four of his five catches prior to intermission, totaling 121 yards and getting the scoring started with a 22-yard touchdown reception late in the first quarter.
Another favorite target of Jackson’s, senior Trent Veith, finished with four grabs for 46 yards; senior Mason Long’s three receptions totaled 79 yards and sophomore speedster Drew Wheat scored on runs of 10 and 2 yards.
Wheat made it a 14-0 game at 5:02 of the second quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run.
With the Trojans’ defense refusing to yield much yardage, or hope, Center Grove started its next drive at midfield and took only four plays to add a third score. Jackson’s 20-yard run down the right sideline set up his nifty zigzag 7-yard run into the end zone two plays later.
Jackson’s 20-yard TD run at 8:26 of the third made it a 28-0 game. A 1-yard plunge by junior Daniel Weems a little over four minutes later capped a drive set up by a long punt return by Mitchell Evans and put a running clock into effect the rest of the way.
The Trojans’ defensive reserves were trying to complete the team’s fifth shutout of the season, but Columbus North scored on 21-yard run up the middle with 1:01 showing on the clock. By the time the Bull Dogs split the uprights on conversion kick, time had run out.
Center Grove’s defense limited Columbus North to 179 yards of offense.
