Center Grove’s Kaden McConnell, right, makes a tackle on Cathedral quarterback Danny O’Neil during Friday’s game at Butler University.
Chris Williams | For the Daily Journal
INDIANAPOLIS
The venue was unique, but not the intensity.
Three-time defending Class 6A state champion Center Grove, ranked second, held off No. 7 Cathedral, 45-38, at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl on the campus of Butler University.
In typical Trojans-Irish fashion, Friday night’s regular-season finale contained its usual suspense, hard hits and some moments of chippiness.
“I don’t think we’ve played in a rain game like this for almost two years, so it was great to have this before playoffs,” said Center Grove senior Noah Coy, who played a big part in the win with eight catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns.
“It’s another element you have to play in, and you’re going to have to deal with it. Our offense handled it well. Not the finish we were looking for, but we ended up winning the game, and that’s all that matters.”
Ah, the finish.
The Trojans led comfortably, 31-10, with 4:09 remaining in the third quarter, but the Irish continued to claw back on the strength of some quick scores offensively and successful onside kicks.
Center Grove remained a two-TD leader at the eight-minute mark of the final period, but the Cathedral scored on a 25-yard pass play with 30 seconds left. The Irish were offsides on their final onside kick attempt, and chose to kick the second try deep.
A Trojan player batted the ball out of bounds at his own 4, then Center Grove proceeded to get a first down to ice it.
“Cathedral has great athletes, and we have great athletes. Their kids made plays, our kids made plays. Their coaches didn’t quit, and our coaches didn’t quit,” Center Grove coach Eric Moore said. “That’s a great high school football game between two great schools.”
Center Grove scored the game’s first 16 points, and took a 16-7 lead into halftime.
The Trojans took a 2-0 advantage at 5:53 of the first when Cathedral’s high center snap on fourth down went over the head of sophomore punter Van Krisiloff, who wisely guided the ball out of the back of the end zone.
After the free kick, Center Grove took over at its own 42. Four plays later, quarterback Tyler Cherry found junior Brevin Holubar open for a 40-yard touchdown pass to increase the lead to 9-0 with 3:53 left in the opening period. The Irish made it as far as the Trojans’ 35 on the next series, but senior quarterback Danny O’Neil threw incomplete on fourth and 4.
Center Grove went right back to work, this time Cherry throwing 63 yards to Coy, who caught the ball in stride at the Cathedral 25 and took it home on the final play of the quarter.
With 9:23 remaining in the second stanza, O’Neil connected with senior tight end Keith Long for a 54-yard touchdown for the final points of the half.
Cherry was 5 of 6 through the air for 130 yards in the first quarter alone. He finished 20 of 24 for 335 yards and four touchdowns, with Holubar hauling in six balls for 124 yards.
Center Grove fumbled the second-half kickoff return, which led to Krisiloff’s 33-yard field goal at 10:43 of the third period to trim the lead to 16-10. Unfazed, the Trojans marched 70 yards in eight plays, a series capped by Cherry finding a sliding Coy in the front of the end zone from 15 yards out.
The Trojans needed only five plays to cover 93 yards on the next series, Cherry hitting Holubar and Coy with 49- and 37-yard passes, respectively. Cherry snuck it in from the 1, then hit senior back Matthew Yoder on a conversion pass to make it 31-10.
Cathedral responded with a pair of touchdowns separated by recovery of an onside kick to make it 31-24 inside the final minute of the third. But again the Trojans responded, Cherry finding Coy from 3 yards out at 8:00 of the fourth quarter for a two-touchdown spread.
Center Grove’s defense appeared to have sealed the win with 6:56 showing when an Irish fumble was pounced on by senior defensive back Connor Cannon. But the Irish continued to make things interesting down the stretch.
Both teams are off next week, but open sectional play on Oct. 27.
Center Grove (8-1) hosts Franklin Central, while Cathedral (6-3) hosts winless North Central. The Trojans and Irish could meet again in a 6A semistate, though Cathedral’s path appears more difficult with the Ben Davis-Brownsburg winner its likely regional opponent.
