TERRE HAUTE —
When Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South went into overtime tied 7-7 last Aug. 27, it was one of the lowest scores in the 47-game series between the two high school football teams. Only in 2001, when South won 7-6, and in the fifth game of the series back in 1975, when the Braves prevailed 10-0, had fewer points been scored in regulation time.
“Both teams were not converting on offense,” said North senior Brother Scank this week in recalling the 2011 game. “We know we have to finish more this year.”
Tonight when the two teams get together at 7 o’clock at Memorial Stadium, both teams may be finishing better, and that storyline may not repeat itself. A pair of lineups studded with Division I recruits, in fact, would seem ready to threaten the series’ all-time points record of 62 set in 1998, when South won 35-27. That record almost fell three years ago, until a late fumble recovery by freshman linebacker Lee Davis stopped a late South drive and preserved a 30-28 win for the Patriots.
So what kind of game can fans expect to see tonight? Asked that question, coach Mark Raetz of South just shook his head this week.
“It’s hard to predict,” he said. “Whatever I’d say, [the game] would be just the opposite.”
Coach Chris Barrett of North gave a little bit more of a hint when asked the same question.
“We’re going to have to score a lot of points to win,” he predicted. “I can see a very high-tempo game, and that could lead to the prospect of a lot of touchdowns.”
Four of the captains of the two teams — two of them defensive players, one an offensive player, one who goes both ways — were asked the same thing. And, like Billy Martin in the old beer commercial, they feel very strongly both ways.
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“I think it will be a high-scoring game,” predicted Scank, a running back. “[The Braves] have that passing game, and they’ll make big plays, but we’re going to make big plays too. We’ve got lots of weapons.”
His teammate, linebacker Vasco Billberry, begged to differ.
“[The Braves] have a good quarterback [in Purdue recruit Danny Etling] and good depth of running backs,” Billberry said, “but I think our defense will do really good this year.”
“I feel like our offense will be a fast-paced team,” said Brandon Russell-Cherry, who plays both offensive guard and defensive tackle for South. “We had a couple mistakes [last week on offense], but we can fix them easy.”
“If we play like we can play,” countered South linebacker Derik Whalen, “it will be low-scoring [tonight] … but if we make [defensive] mistakes like last week, it will be high-scoring.”
South won a 34-24 game last week, North lost a 35-24 decision. That’s a combined 58 offensive points, and just the elimination of turnovers — the Braves had four last week, the Patriots five — would seemingly have added another touchdown or two.
The 59 points allowed by the two defenses come with an asterisk too, though. Those North turnovers put the Patriot defense in bad spots all evening at Castle, and the South defense had taken over its game at Indian Creek until some untimely penalties and a blocked kick restored momentum to the home team.
“Last week [Castle] was inside the 20[-yard line] the whole first half,” Billberry noted, “but we held them to three points in the second half, and they had to punt three or four times.”
“We were flat [during the Indian Creek comeback]. We got comfortable with where we were,” said Whalen, who had a trio of quarterback sacks, “but we picked it back up [to win the game].”
Both teams will probably play better defensively tonight than they did a week ago — history suggests the emotions involved bring out the best in defensive units — but both can also play better offensively. Besides the elimination of turnovers, South can be steadier this week — although some big plays from Etling to Tyler Seibert made the Braves’ yardage figures impressive — and the Patriots are expected to have Scank back in the lineup.
“They actually did good [without me],” Scank said of North’s running game last week. “Kai [Stratten] did his job [in Scank’s spot] … and I hope this week we’re a little better.”
“Kai Stratten and Ricky Brookins can be tough, and Brother too,” said Russell-Cherry in preparing for the North offense. “And they can throw the ball.”
“I don’t play offense,” said Billberry when asked about his teammates on that side of the ball, “but I have great belief in them.”
Although he won’t have to play against it, Whalen expressed respect for North’s defense too.
“They’ll be a tough team,” he predicted, “They’ve got Lee Davis, [Western Michigan recruit] Austin Lewis, [Ball State recruit] Calvin Blank …”
“They’re pretty solid,” Russell-Cherry said of the North defenders, “but this could be a tough game for them.”
“I think [North’s defense is] going to show up and play well,” Scank predicted. “Get some turnovers, make big plays, get the offense the ball back.”
But the Braves are a big challenge, Scank added.
“They have a lot of people coming back [from last year],” he said. “It’s the same as every year.”
“Same as every year” is not a bad thing, from a fan’s perspective. With that 30-28 game in 2009 followed by back-to-back overtime games — North a 22-21 winner in 2010, South prevailing 14-7 last year — tonight’s game figures to be close, whether its score is high or low.
Unless, as Raetz indicated, you can’t predict that either.
High School
Related Photos
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Xs and Os-Ready to Rumble: Terre Haute North's Vasco Billberry and Brother Scank and their Patriot teammates will face Terre Haute South's Brandon Russell-Cherry and Derik Whalen and their Brave teammates at Memorial Stadium tonight in the annual North-South showdown.
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Xs and Os-Ready to Rumble: Terre Haute North's Vasco Billberry and Brother Scank and their Patriot teammates will face Terre Haute South's Brandon Russell-Cherry and Derik Whalen and their Brave teammates at Memorial Stadium tonight in the annual North-South showdown.
Discussion
Potential shootout? North-South could end recent history of low-scoring games
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