PARADISE —
Terre Haute North’s demise could have come when Castle scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 4th-and-7 20-yard pass play.
And for a while, it appeared that’s exactly what would happen as one North drive fizzled.
However, North quarterback Chad Holler wasn’t going to let the Patriots go that quietly.
“I was scared for a second when they scored. I talked to the offense and I said, ‘This is our game right here.’ We had to get motivated to get that score,” Holler said.
North got the ball back again with four minutes to go, but it appeared its fate would be the same. The Patriots faced 4th-and-4 from the Castle 26-yard line with just over two minutes to go.
But Holler found Charles Dillahunt for a drive-saving 11-yard pass, and from there, the Patriots wouldn’t be denied. Holler drove North for the game-winning score as Calvin Blank hauled in a 13-yard touchdown pass with 1:16 left to give the Patriots a dramatic 35-31 victory at Castle.
“I was pleased with the way we kept our composure and faced adversity. We beat a team that going to win a lot of ballgames. I’m proud of our guys,” North coach Chris Barrett said.
Holler, making his first start since 2008, was impressive for North. He threw three touchdown passes and completed 13 of 26 pass attempts for 162 yards. He also rushed for 62 yards.
“All we ask him to do is manage the game. He plays to his strengths and doesn’t try to do too much, but tonight, you might argue that because he was making plays,” Barrett said.
After Holler’s game-saving pass to Dillahunt, he found Aaron Lewis for a 12-yard gain, and after a near interception by Castle, ran for 26 yards to put the ball in Castle territory. A late hit by the Knights was a gift for the Patriots, who got the ball at the Castle 13.
On third down, Holler threw a fade to Blank. The ball bounced off Blank’s chest as he tried to haul in it, but he cradled it in for the decisive catch.
“Calvin is taller than the other DBs and he’s got massive hands. I wasn’t worried [he’d drop it], I trust him to catch the ball I threw,” Holler said.
North’s defense was not effective in stopping Castle throughout the game and the Knights drove to the North 25 in the final seconds of the game. North’s victory was secured when Lee Davis intercepted Schuyler Cooper’s pass with one second left.
Once the scoring began in the first half, it rarely stopped as both teams’ offenses cut a swath through the other’s defense. The Patriots and Knights combined for 466 yards of total offense and 26 first downs in the first half alone.
North set the tone on its first drive, moving 71 yards in just four plays. Gabbard’s 32-yard scamper set up a 25-yard touchdown run by Brother Scank to make it 7-0.
The Patriots waited exactly 10 seconds before they scored again. Cam Grim squibbed the kickoff and it knuckleballed down field before it laid to rest at the Castle 25. The Knights were too late to the loose ball as North’s Dillon Hare recovered.
Holler escaped Castle pressure on the first play from scrimmage, rolling to his right before he threw against his body to find Lewis in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown pass. Less than five minutes of game time elapsed and North had a 14-0 advantage.
Alas, it didn’t last. Castle, using a no-huddle offense when possible, plowed North’s defense on its next two drives. Logan Hayford scored a 2-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal to cap a 49-yard drive to get the Knights on the board. After North’s only failed drive of the first half, Castle parlayed a screen pass to Jon Marc Anderson into a 38-yard touchdown to tie the game.
Both teams drove in a more meticulous fashion in the second quarter, but drive they did, as both teams scored each time they had the ball. A 5-yard touchdown by North’s Gabbard and a 1-yard run by Castle’s Schuyler Cooper made it 21-21 midway through the second.
North’s final touchdown of the half was its most spectacular ... and its most important. The Patriots made quick work of the Castle defense, driving inside the 10 to set up a 3rd-and-goal play from the 6-yard line.
Holler dropped back to pass, but was immediately under pressure by Castle linebacker Jon Beckner, who put a direct hit on Holler. Unfazed, Holler spun away, scrambled backwards 20 yards, but avoided Castle defenders as he made his way back to the scrimmage line. Just shy of it, he lofted a pass into the back of the end zone for Dillahunt, who kept a toe in the end zone and his hands on the ball for a dramatic 6-yard touchdown pass with 2:18 left in the half to put North in front 28-21.
Castle drove to the North 6 just before halftime, but settled for a field goal as North led 28-24 at the half.
Castle converted three third downs to set itself up in North territory for its go-ahead touchdown. The Patriots held the Knights to 4th-and-7 at the North 21, but Cooper found Joe Redburn wide open over the middle for what was a demoralizing go-ahead score until North pulled it out on its final drive.
The teams combined for 788 yards of total offense.
North (1-0) plays Terre Haute South at Memorial Stadium next Friday.
High School
Holler lifts North to dramatic victory
- High School
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THN SECTIONAL: Braves to play Mooresville for sectional title tonight
Terre Haute South continued to show what’s new and Terre Haute North unfortunately reverted back to what’s old in Class 4A high school girls basketball sectional action Friday night at North.
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OWEN VALLEY SECTIONAL: Eagles bring Vikes down to earth
Baby steps. A baby takes that first step and grins, then attempts the second step and tumbles. The West Vigo High School girls took their first step with a victory Tuesday night in the Class 3A basketball sectional at Owen Valley.
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BLOOMFIELD SECTIONAL: Sullivan jumps to early lead in sectional victory
Sullivan jumped out to a 9-0 lead and were never threatened in a dominant 48-25 win over Eastern Greene in a semifinal game of the Class 2A Bloomfield girls basketball sectional inside Glover Gymnasium on Friday.
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North Vermillion Sectional: Panthers, Falcons to meet for NV title
Outstanding defense and quality passing landed Riverton Parke in the championship game of the Class A North Vermillion Sectional. The Panthers will have to get through the host school tonight in order to secure the program’s first sectional crown since 1992.
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South swimmers don’t advance at Finals
Terre Haute South’s trip to the IHSAA girls swimming state finals at the Indiana University Natatorium was a short one Friday night.
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BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Duncan’s OT free throws help Marshall down H-P
Jacob Duncan hit four free throws in overtime Friday night as visiting Marshall defeated Hutsonville-Palestine 51-49 in Little Illini Conference action.
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Davis hits layup in double overtime to lift Terre Haute North at Bloomington North
Playing without their two leading scorers against a team that — most of the time — seemed more determined to win than they did, Terre Haute North's Patriots got a driving layup from Steven Davis with 2.8 seconds left in the second overtime to escape Bloomington North with a 54-52 win in high school basketball Thursday night.
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Sullivan stays on top of WIC for third straight year
Western Indiana Conference boys basketball teams have been trying to storm the Sullivan castle for three years now. The Golden Arrows have endured nearly every kind of strategy in the effort to breech their wall. West Vigo tried a few more on Thursday in a showdown for the WIC championship.
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South girls looking for solid performances at swimming state finals
One individual and one relay team, which includes that same individual, will represent Terre Haute South in the IHSAA girls swimming state finals today and possibly Saturday at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Cesinger, Jones each score 24 in Clay City win
Blake Cesinger and Brylan Jones poured in 24 points apiece to lead visiting Clay City over North Central 67-53 in SouthWestern Indiana Athletic Conference boys high school basketball Thursday night.
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Teutopolis knocks off record-setting Marshall girls in regional championship
Marshall jumped ahead 4-0 only to watch Teutopolis score the next 11 points Thursday in the championship game of the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional.
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Sullivan wins battle in low post
Sullivan dominated the low block at both ends of the court Wednesday to defeat South Knox 43-30.
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State wrestling berths won't come easily
If high school wrestlers thought regional competition was tough last weekend, they can expect the competition, as Keegan Michael Key used to say on MADtv, taken to “a whole notha level” on Saturday.
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South pulls upset
Plainfield’s 16-5 record made the Quakers the team to beat in the Class 4A Terre Haute North Sectional.
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Vikings break long sectional drought
You’ll have to forgive West Vigo for celebrating just a wee bit prior to the postgame handshake with South Vermillion, but its first victory in a sectional game in 11 years was worthy of celebrating.
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PREP ROUNDUP: RP rolls past Attica
Riverton Parke jumped to a 20-point halftime lead and easily defeated Attica 59-34 in the Class A North Vermillion girls basketball sectional on Tuesday.
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They’re the pride of Marshall
With a 24-1 record, coach Kathy Miller’s Marshall team earned the top seed in the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional.
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Union season more fun with Talpas around
The Union boys basketball team has had its share of fun moments in the past, arguably the most fun being its Class A state runner-up in 2000.
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Injury bug follows girls into postseason
Who’s healthy is the question at least three of the four teams will be asking tonight when Class 4A girls high school basketball sectional play begins at Terre Haute North.
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Rockville needs late run to stop West Vigo
It was a game of fits and starts, but host Rockville finally overcame a stiff challenge from visiting West Vigo in a 53-46 victory in boys high basketball action on Saturday.
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Northview holds off Plainfield
Northview got its sixth victory in boys high school basketball action Saturday night, defeating Plainfield 59-56.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Cloverdale helps Rady to career win No. 714
Brandon Dorman and Joe Fidler combined for 37 points and six 3-pointers Saturday night as visiting Cloverdale defeated Turkey Run 63-45 in boys high school basketball.
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North seniors enjoy hot start
The appearance of balanced scoring in the Terre Haute North High School basketball lineup Saturday night was a little bit deceiving as the Patriots held on to defeat visiting Evansville Reitz 62-48 in North’s Senior Night contest.
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Ben Davis Giants top South Braves
Visiting Ben Davis nearly went to sleep on a sizeable lead against Terre Haute South in Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school basketball Friday night.
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No. 3 Panthers too much for Patriots
After trailing by 15 at halftime, Terre Haute North’s boys basketball team got off to a nice start in the second half and cut its deficit to seven against Class 4A No. 3 Indianapolis North Central.
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Clay City gives Shakamak first SWIAC loss
Clay City shook up the top echelon of the SouthWestern Indiana Athletic Conference with a solid 52-41 victory Friday over visiting Shakamak in a boys high school basketball game at the Eel Dome.
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Regional wrestlers know importance of opening-round matches
Eight in each weight class. Four of those advance to the semistate. No byes.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Mahurin leads Rox to victory
Lane Mahurin tallied 10 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter to help Rockville hold off Wabash River Conference foe Fountain Central 80-72 in boys high school basketball Friday night.
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Robinson rolls past Paris
Whenever Paris strung a few plays together, Robinson had an answer Friday night in an Apollo Conference boys basketball game. The host Maroons held on for a 52-36 victory to go to 15-7 overall and 6-4 in the conference.
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Sullivan girls focused only on team success
If you’re looking for a good omen for the postseason hopes of the Sullivan High School girls basketball team, you might want to consider how the Golden Arrows handled the ceremonies and hoopla surrounding Rhagen Smith’s 1,000th point recently.
There wasn’t any — no ceremony, no hoopla. In fact Smith, her family, her coaches and her teammates weren’t exactly sure when the 1,000th point happened (it was actually Jan. 12) — and that seems perfectly fine with everyone. - More High School Headlines
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