Center Grove’s Ben Tapak, left, and Owen Bright, right, combine for a tackle during Friday’s game against visiting Louisville Trinity.
Center Grove’s 30-game win streak ended last year at the hands of Louisville Trinity. Coach Eric Moore and his returning players clearly hadn’t forgotten.
The Class 6A No. 3 Trojans proved a most inhospitable host to the perennial Kentucky power on Friday night, pitching three-plus quarters of shutout ball and scoring four second-half touchdowns to pull away for a convincing 34-7 win.
“They celebrated like it was the Super Bowl last year,” senior linebacker Owen Bright said. “Being on the field last year and them snapping our win streak kind of pierced my heart a little bit. It was a very emotional game last year, and it was awesome to be out here and just give them an old-fashioned butt whooping that they deserved.”
It didn’t shape up as a blowout early on.
The Trojan defense forced a three-and-out to start the game, and after a 32-yard punt return by freshman Drake McClurg set the offense up in Trinity territory, Center Grove quarterback Tyler Cherry immediately found Tristan Baxter for a 24-yard gain to the 22. Penalties stalled the drive, however, and a field goal attempt was blocked.
Freshly armed with some momentum, the Shamrocks quickly drove across midfield and advanced all the way to the Center Grove 12-yard line. From there, freshman quarterback Zane Johnson completed a pass across the middle to his tight end, Jacob Castelluzzo, but Trojan defensive back Michael Soderdahl arrived immediately and forced a fumble that was recovered at the 8-yard line.
Center Grove, though, couldn’t capitalize. Noah Coy hauled in a spectacular 38-yard reception in traffic near midfield and the home team eventually moved the ball to the Trinity 25, but the Shamrocks got the ball back by opening the second quarter with a strip sack of Cherry.
But the Shamrocks went three and out again after the turnover, and the Trojans were finally able to finish off a drive and find the end zone. Cherry hit Coy for 24 yards and then converted a third-and-18 when McClurg turned a short pass into a 21-yard gain to the Trinity 23. Three plays later, Cherry hooked up with Baxter at the left goal-line pylon for a 19-yard touchdown to give Center Grove a 7-0 edge with 5:46 left in the half.
The Trojans got another chance to add to the lead before the break after forcing a punt, but their 31-yard field goal try with 1:05 remaining went just wide to the left.
After struggling to run the ball in the first half, Center Grove came out and immediately established the ground game at the start of the third quarter. Rushes of 31 and 14 yards by Matthew Yoder quickly pushed the Trojans into the red zone, and Rylan Cook finished off a quick five-play, 87-second drive with an 11-yard touchdown run.
“We made some adjustments at halftime, and the third quarter we just came out and played football,” Moore said. “Good Trojan football — run the dang ball like we know we can and making opportunity throws.”
Trinity’s first possession of the third period resulted in another punt, and the Trojans went right back to work. A personal foul call and a 24-yard pass to Brevin Holubar quickly put the ball in Shamrock territory to set up a 34-yard TD throw from Cherry to Coy, who finished off the play despite a pass interference play. With 6:19 to go in the quarter, Center Grove had a 21-0 cushion.
The Shamrocks finally crossed the 50 again on their next march but eventually wound up facing fourth and 8 at the Center Grove 37. They went for it, and Johnson was sacked by A.J. Beggs at the 45 to kill the drive off. Two plays later, Cook found a seam and broke free for a 48-yard touchdown run at the 3:34 mark.
Following yet another Trinity three-and-out, Cherry needed just one play to cash in yet again, going over the top to Coy for a 44-yard score with 1:30 still remaining in the third. A celebration flag pushed the PAT attempt back and the ensuing miss left the Trojans one point shy of a running clock at 34-0.
“This has become our Carmel,” Moore said of the nascent rivalry, “and the kids turned it on.”
The visitors averted a shutout by answering with a 12-play, 65-yard drive, one that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to J.C. Wilson with nine and a half minutes to go in the contest. Center Grove went into clock-killing mode, using a host of backs to pick up three first downs and run out all but 15.5 seconds of the remaining time.
Yoder finished with 105 yards and Cook 76 on the ground for Center Grove. Cherry was 13 of 18 passing for 279 yards, with Coy accounting for 172 of those yards on seven receptions. Defensively, senior lineman Nate Johnson batted down a pair of passes and generally made life miserable for the Shamrocks up front.
All in all, it was a fairly complete effort by the Trojans, who have rebuilt momentum after a season-opening loss at Ohio power St. Edward, ranked No. 12 nationally by USA Today.
“We’re just building as a team, getting better every week,” Bright said.
