Center Grove football wins 10th straight sectional

<p>Center Grove’s month-long break from playing teams from its conference is officially over.</p><p>The Trojans, unbeaten and ranked atop Class 6A, cruised to a 55-7 victory over Columbus East on Friday to seal their 10th consecutive sectional title and 16th overall.</p><p>Coach Eric Moore’s squad, 11-0 for only the second time in school history, prepares for a regional date at home against Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference rival Warren Central (4-5), a team Center Grove defeated 20-0 back in Week 2.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>A thoroughly dominant first half by the Trojans in every aspect of the game saw them take a 48-0 lead into the locker room, ensuring the final two quarters against Columbus East be played with a running clock.</p><p>Center Grove led 14-0 before the Olympians were able to run their first offensive play.</p><p>“I’ve felt we’ve been flat about the last three weeks from the Cathedral game through the break to last week. I just wanted our guys to get out and get on top and play like we’ve played for the first eight or nine weeks of the season,” Moore said. “The kids really responded well and played a great football game.</p><p>“Columbus East is a Hoosier Hills Conference champion team that has played some good games this year. We tried to shorten the field and play downhill, and the kids did a great job of doing that.”</p><p>The Trojans marched 64 yards on 10 plays in the opening drive, one highlighted by junior quarterback Tayven Jackson’s 24-yard pass to senior Connor Delp. Carson Steele crashed in from a yard out with 7:44 left in the first quarter, but the home squad was just getting started.</p><p>Center Grove recovered an onside kick at the Columbus East 45 and then needed only three plays before Jackson threw a slant to junior receiver Harrison Stomps for a 17-yard touchdown.</p><p>From there, touchdowns were scored by Brandon Wheat on a 22-yard run, Jackson’s 6-yard pass to Mason Long, Steele’s 15-yard run, Mitchell Evans’ 71-yard punt return and, finally, Jackson calling his own number for a 26-yard sprint to the end zone.</p><p>Center Grove’s statistical dominance in the first half, 287 total yards to 43, featured 176 rushing yards.</p><p>“I just think it’s all about the kids,” Moore said. “Every year, this is the expectation. They expect to come out and play in November and play well in November. The expectation is to win sectionals, try to win regionals and semistates and get to the state finals.”</p><p>Center Grove certainly looks the part of a finalist, having outscored the opposition this season 465-80.</p><p>The Olympians scored on the first play of the third period, as senior quarterback Malachi Parks ran 80 yards to prevent the Trojans from recording their fifth shutout of the season. The Trojans, who used 12 different ball carriers in the win, countered with a 6-yard touchdown run by junior Austin Green to conclude the scoring.</p><p>“Sometimes we play fast, and you do what you have to do to win,” said Jackson, who completed 6 of 8 passes for 111 yards and ran for 27 more in his two quarters of action. “We have a lot of good halves, but we just had to keep emphasizing the details.</p><p>“Playing a (MIC team), it’s just a lot more physical. But we’re a MIC school, too.”</p>