TERRE HAUTE — Terre Haute North’s football survival was frought with field position peril all night against Indianapolis Pike.
In the first half, defensive derring do by North and mistakes by the Red Devils helped the Patriots dodge one bullet after another.
But when the field position problems for the Patriots became self-inflicted in the third quarter, it was too much for North to overcome.
Class 5A No. 6 Pike scored 31 unanswered points in the second half, none on drives that began deeper than the North 47-yard line. The Red Devils moved on to the second round of the sectional with a 31-15 victory, eliminating North in the first round of the sectional for the first time since 2006.
The outcome was unjust to North’s defense, which had to endure an average starting field position for Pike at the North 42 — with four series starting inside the North 30. Despite that, the Red Devils’ vaunted offense managed just two first downs in the first half.
“Our defense played extremely well, especially in the first half. We just gave them terrible field position,” North coach Chris Barrett said.
Pike’s defense, on the other hand, probably made the difference. The Red Devils’ stout defensive line, led by standout tackle Malcolm Exford, put pressure on North quarterback Chris O’Leary all night. But they made their presence felt the most when North tried to run. The Patriots managed just 37 yards on 28 carries, averaging a paltry 1.3 yards.
“Their defense is very good, probably as good a one as we’ve seen all season. It was the key to the game. Other than Carmel, we moved the ball on people, but we struggled tonight. Our inability to run the ball really showed,” Barrett said.
Pike fumbled at its own 7 and missed a field goal in the early part of the first half as the Patriots’ defense held firm. North’s offense struggled until a Homeric 19-play, 80-yard drive finished off all but the last seven minutes of the second half. North’s Daniel Gabbard scored on a 1-yard touchdown pass from O’Leary with 14.9 seconds left in the half to put North up 7-0 at the break.
The momentum was short-lived. North was stopped three-and-out on its first second half series at its own 21. On the ensuing punt, the snap to punter Logan Valentine was low, but Pike wasn’t pressuring the kick. Valentine scooped the ball up and tried to run it. He gained six yards, but North needed nine, and Pike had been gifted envious field position at the North 27.
One play later, Anthony McClung caught a 27-yard touchdown pass to tie the game.
North dodged a bullet when Pike intercepted an O’Leary pass at the North 19, but came up empty. The Patriots weren’t as fortunate on their next drive.
Pinned on the North 10, O’Leary dropped back into the end zone to pass, but was under immediate pressure. As O’Leary escaped the pressure, he stumbled and he pointed the ball towards the ground to try and maintain balance. However, O’Leary’s momentum carried him over the ball and he lost the grip on it. Exford recovered the loose ball at the North 2 and Steffon Martin scored Pike’s go-ahead touchdown two plays later to make it 14-7.
North (4-6) didn’t threaten again as Pike’s offense fed off the momentum of the two easy scoring drives. Quarterback Kitcoff amassed 176 of his 190 passing yards in the second half. The Patriots’ only response was a late 14-yard O’Leary-to-Chad Holler touchdown pass. Pike (9-1) will go on to host Avon next Friday.
“When our kids decided to play on offense, we’re pretty good. But when we had mental lapses like we did [in the first half], we’re not very good, no matter who we play. Our kids made plays and we took advantage of some things,” Pike coach Derek Moyers said.
Twenty-one seniors called it a career for the Patriots.
“These guys re-established a certain level of commitment we haven’t had here in a while. The coachability with this senior class was phenomenal. There’s no pretenders in this group,” Barrett said.
Pike 31, TH North 15
Indianapolis Pike 0 0 17 14 -- 31
TH North 0 7 0 8 — 15
THN — Daniel Gabbard 1 pass from Chris O’Leary (Logan Valentine kick), :14.9 2Q
IP — Anthony McClung 27 pass from Grant Kitcoff (Taylor Kerr kick), 10:56 3Q.
IP — Steffon Martin 1 run (Kerr kick), 6:48 3Q.
IP — Kerr 32 FG, 3:44 3Q.
IP — Cameron Crabtree 19 run (Kerr kick), 11:52 4Q.
IP — Crabtree 1 run (Kerr kick), 7:04 4Q.
THN — Chad Holler 14 pass from O’Leary (Calvin Blank pass from O’Leary), 4:32 4Q.
IP THN
First downs 16 10
Rushes-yards 30-140 28-37
Passing yards 190 237
Com-Att-Int 15-25-1 21-37-2
Punts-avg. 3-34.3 7-26.4
Fumbles-lost 3-1 1-1
Penalties-yards 5-46 6-50
Individual statistics
Rushing — Pike — Crabtree 15-71, Andre Moore 7-41, Martin 8-28. TH North — O’Leary 15-26, Ben King 3-4, Logan Valentine 1-6, Gabbard 9-1.
Passing — Pike — Kitcoff 15-21-1, 190. TH North — O’Leary 21-37-2, 237.
Receiving — Pike — McClung 5-82, Dyjuan Lewis 4-29, David Simmons 3-35, Crabtree 2-19, Jeffrey Harmon 1-25. TH North — Gabbard 8-64, King 6-101, Blank 3-26, Holler 2-24, Aaron Allen 2-22.
Next — Pike (9-1) plays host to Avon. TH North finishes its season 4-6.
High School
Field position woes hamper North effort
- High School
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It’s a rivalry-filled Memorial Day for sectional contenders
Longtime rivalries figure to determine high school baseball sectional champions throughout the Wabash Valley today, with semifinal and final games scheduled at four sites and a stand-alone championship game at a fifth.
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South tops Oldenburg to win tennis semistate
There was no evidence of rally caps, rally towels and certainly no rally squirrels, but Terre Haute South’s No. 1 singles player Maddie Kesler needed a rally in the worst way.
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New route leads to same place for South girls tennis
For so many years, the road to the IHSAA girls tennis state finals for local teams ran through Vincennes (regional) and Jasper (semistate). In other words, south and more south.
This year, their trip was re-routed through Greencastle (regional) and Center Grove (semistate). So it cnahged to east and more east. -
PREP ROUNDUP: Robinson tops Greenville in sectional semifinal
Robinson jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, then cruised to a convincing 12-3 victory over Greenville in a IHSA Class 2A Vandalia sectional semifinal game on Thursday.
Ashlyn Sullivan was 2 for 3 with a double, home run and three RBIs to lead the winning Maroons. -
West Vigo baseball falls in sectional to Owen Valley
West Vigo overcame the odds to win 20 high school baseball games this season with a lineup that often included four freshmen and few seniors.
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South Vermillion softball's late-season surge comes to end
A late-season surge by South Vermillion wasn’t quite enough to halt a high school softball sectional winning streak by the host team Thursday night, as Edgewood got on top early and held on for a 5-2 win in the championship game of the Class 3A Edgewood Sectional.
The loss was just the second in the last 12 games for the Wildcats. The Mustangs, however, haven’t lost a sectional softball game for eight years in a row. -
South takes second, North third at boys track regional
Terre Haute South finished second and Terre Haute North third on Thursday night at the boys track and field regional at Evansville Central, with 11 individuals and three relay teams qualifying for the state finals June 2.
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PREP ROUNDUP: White River Valley baseball holds off Eminence
Three Eminence errors in the top of the sixth inning finally enabled White River Valley to score in high school baseball Thursday night, and the Wolverines went on to a 5-0 win in Class A Shakamak Sectional action.
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Feeling cursed: South bitten in sectional final again
Terre Haute South softball is not even close to being as cursed as a certain northside baseball team in Chicago, but it might just seem like it.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Mundy, Porter, Knight individual regional winners
Chanli Mundy and Keirra Porter of Terre Haute North were among the individual winners in the IHSAA Evansville Central girls track and field regional that ended late Tuesday night.
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Thornton puts away South Vermillion
Cody Thornton’s three-run blast over the left-field fence was the finishing touch to West Vigo’s 10-3 victory over South Vermillion in the opening game of the Class 3A Greencastle Sectional on Wednesday.
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Lakers triumph, go home for regional
Shakamak took Class A Clay City Sectional honors in high school softball for the first time since 2009 Wednesday, defeating White River Valley 9-5 in the title tilt.
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North Vermillion avenges losses
North Vermillion avenged two high school softball losses during the regular season to win the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional championship Wednesday with a 3-2 triumph over the host Panthers.
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Pats, Knights will meet in sectional
Adler Ingalsbe pooh-poohed his lack of velocity Wednesday night, yet the Terre Haute North pitcher was throwing BBs in the first game compared to Mooresville’s Brandon Topie in the nightcap.
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South outbattles Northview to reach sectional final
Even the best of high school softball pitchers can’t keep all the batters in the middle of Terre Haute South’s lineup down.
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Panthers get 20th win in sectional
Riverton Parke will face North Vermillion in the Class A softball sectional championship at Riverton Parke today, with action commencing at 6 p.m.
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Plainfield Sectional all about parity
Considering Terre Haute South has won five consecutive Class 4A sectional titles in high school baseball, naming the Braves as favorites to capture the 2012 Class 4A Plainfield Sectional would not seem far-fetched.
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PREP ROUNDUP: North Vermillion in title game
Casey West had a triple and three runs scored to help North Vermillion softball advance to the championship game of the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional on Tuesday.
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North takes second in track regional
Terre Haute North finished second with 74 points, six behind team champion Evansville Reitz, during the Evansville Central girls track and field regional that ended late Tuesday night.
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Wildcats advance to sectional softball final; West Vigo falls
Patience, patience.
South Vermillion exhibited great patience, being very selective at the plate and it paid off royally in the fourth inning. -
South, Crawfordsville win in regional tennis semis
Terre Haute South outlasted Fountain Central 4-1 in the first round of the girls high school tennis regional Tuesday, advancing the Braves into today’s championship match against Crawfordsville.
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Braves, Knights open with wins
It was an excellent night for starting softball pitchers to help their own cause Monday night in the Class 4A Northview Sectional.
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Lough dreamt about McMillan
A two-time state finalist in wrestling and a two-time all-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference football player and wrestler, Tsali Lough of Terre Haute South was named the male recipient of the 2012 McMillan Award on Monday night at South’s Senior Awards Night.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Panthers cruise in sectional opener
Sarah Burnham pitched a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in high school softball Monday evening as host Riverton Parke defeated defending champion Rockville 10-0 in opening-round action at the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional.
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Notable tradition bodes well for Riverton Parke
Located practically in the shadow of a high school that sets one state standard in track and field, Riverton Parke has a tendency to be overlooked in that sport.
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Vikings get 18th win over Shakamak
West Vigo began a busy week of high school baseball Monday on a winning note, defeating Shakamak 6-3.
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Greencastle new site for girls tennis regional
The starting times might prove to be a bone of contention, but otherwise coaches Bill Blankenbaker and Emily Goff are thrilled their respective girls high school tennis teams will begin play today at the Greencastle Regional.
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Northview sectional groups 3 20-win teams
Three teams with 20-plus victories will attempt to claim the Class 4A Northview Sectional crown for high school softball this week, and most of the other Wabash Valley sectional fields also appear to be wide open.
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Terre Haute South softball takes Riverton Parke tournament
Terre Haute South is going into the Class 4A Sectional at Northview on Monday with momentum, confidence, a deep bench and a healthier pitching staff than it has had in quite a while.
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North baseball splits doubleheader with Indy North Central
Some of their incentive could have been sapped a couple of nights earlier, when Center Grove achieved an eight-inning victory over Warren Central to clinch the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball championship.
- More High School Headlines
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