If the Center Grove-Cathedral rivalry hasn’t adopted “Jump Around” as its theme song, let it be known there are far worse ideas out there.
By playing at Marian University on Friday, the last five games between the Trojans and Irish have unfolded between the stripes at five different facilities — Butler Bowl (2023), Center Grove and Arsenal Tech (2022) and the now-famous Mud Bowl at Arlington Middle School (2021).
Constants were present in this 12th version since the 2014 season, the Class 6A No. 7 Irish rallying for a wild 49-45 victory over the fifth-ranked Trojans.
Mostly, it represents the eighth time the final point spread has been seven or fewer.
“It felt like we’re in the old WAC conference where guys were just making plays back and forth,” Center Grove coach Eric Moore said. “They made a couple more plays in the fourth quarter, and we didn’t, and they got a win.
“There were periods when we should’ve taken off and scored more. Stopped more. They’re a good football team, we’re a good football team, and they got some breaks at the end. I think our offensive line did a really good job, but we just made some poor decisions at times, and that hurt us.”
Center Grove racked up 541 yards of total offense, including 314 through the air, as senior quarterback Gabe McWilliams spread his 22 completions among six different targets. Sophomore Drake McClurg hauled in eight passes for 118 yards, while also rushing for two touchdowns.
The Irish countered with sophomore running back Xavier Dangerfield rushing for 177 yards and three scores. His spinning 29-yard scoring run with 4:32 remaining accounted for the final tally.
Moore’s squad held a 45-35 advantage after McWilliams’ 13-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Dominick Barry with 40 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
With 6:03 left in the fourth, Cathedral crept closer on a 1-yard sneak by junior quarterback Cameron Koers. The Irish then recovered the ensuing onside kick for what was one of the two biggest plays of the game.
The other was Dangerfield’s game-winning TD run.
McWilliams, trying to throw over the middle to McClurg on the second play of the next series, had his pass tipped and eventually plucked out of the air by senior defensive back Jack Lockhart. Center Grove got one more series and moved the ball from their 20 to the 42, but McWilliams was intercepted on fourth and 10 with only 31 seconds showing.
The teams combined for 375 yards of offense in the first period alone, with 227 belonging to the Trojans. Nonetheless, the Irish held a 17-14 lead.
Cathedral scored first on a 64-yard TD run by Dangerfield on the game’s first play. The Trojans then mounted a drive, but McWilliams’ pass was intercepted at the Cathedral 2 and run back 59 yards. The hosts eventually settled for a 37-yard field goal from junior Van Krisiloff for a 10-0 spread with 5:24 left in the first.
Center Grove got on the board on the next play from scrimmage. Junior back Nolan Rees blew through a huge hole in the middle of the line and sprinted to an 80-yard touchdown. The Irish pushed the lead to 10 again on a 72-yard pass play on third-and-10.
Center Grove responded with 17 straight points, with Dallas Cornpropt’s 23-yard field goal sandwiched between McClurg TD runs of 22 and 3 yards.
Krisiloff split the uprights on a 44-yard field goal try, but a McWilliams to Tristan Baxter scoring pass made it a 31-27 halftime advantage for the Trojans.
By halftime, CG had rolled up 408 yards of offense to Cathedral’s 253.
Center Grove plays on the road again in Week 8 when it travels to former conference rival Lawrence North.
