Indianapolis — Chris Mills might want to keep his phone close by the next few days.
The Lafayette Central Catholic senior quarterback threw for 230 yards and accounted for five touchdowns to lead the Knights to a 52-0 victory Friday over Fountain Central in the Indiana high school Class A football championship.
Despite leading Central Catholic to a 15-0 record and helping the Knights outscore their opponents 733-42 this season, Mills has drawn little interest from major college football programs.
“Right now, he’s got the 1A stigma on him,” Central Catholic coach Kevin O’Shea said. “I’m telling you right now ... I know a college quarterback. He is one. He can play.”
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Mills said he was more concerned about leading the Knights to their third overall state title than choosing a college.
“It was great, I’ve been trying to do this for four years,” he said. “It feels better than I ever imagined.”
Danny Anthrop had 195 total yards of offense and four scores, while receivers Cody Christopher and Marc Withers each caught a TD for the Knights, who also won state titles in 1976 and 1999.
“A lot of people think these kids were born with a silver spoon, and they’re not,” O’Shea said. “They’re hard working kids, and they come from hard working families. It’s a testament to their parents and how hard they prepared for this day their whole lives.”
Fountain Central quarterback Scott Moore finished with 111 yards passing and was intercepted twice for the Mustangs (14-1), who fell behind 28-0 at halftime in their quest for a second state championship.
“We had a great season, but we were beaten by a great ball club,” Fountain Central coach Rick Malone said. “We’ve got a great bunch of kids, great staff and great community support. I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”
The Knights’ first TD was set up by Scott Windler’s interception deep in Fountain Central territory. Mills connected with Christopher two plays later for a 7-yard scoring reception and a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
Mills accounted for the next three TDs, two by air and one on the ground, to give the Knights a commanding halftime advantage. Central Catholic had 221 total yards of offense at the intermission, compared with the Mustangs’ 65.
Mills tied the Class A championship record with his fourth TD pass, finding Anthrop for a 32-yard score in the third quarter, extending the Knights’ lead to 42-0.
“I had no idea,” Mills said of tying the record. “I was just going out to play. I wish I could have got one more to break it.”
Greg Burns of Central Catholic won the mental attitude award for Class A football.
2A: Fort Wayne Luers defeats Monrovia
Fort Wayne Luers got a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter, then ran out the clock in a 24-17 win over Monrovia on Friday night in the Class 2A final.
It was the 200th career coaching win for Luers coach Matt Lindsay and the eighth state title for the Knights in 12 tries.
James Knapke passed for 140 yards and Ken Mullen ran for 67 yards and two touchdowns for Luers (10-5).
Austin Parks ran for 167 yards and a touchdown and Garrett Johnson ran for 89 yards for Monrovia (14-1), which fell short in its first title game.
Luers had one of the worst records ever for a state champion. NorthWood in Class 3A in 2005 and Indianapolis Scecina in Class 2A in 1990 had been the only teams to win titles with five or more losses.
Illinois
2A: Morrison knocks off Maroa-Forsyth
Running back Josh Vos ran for 172 yards on 27 carries and had three rushing touchdowns to help Morrison gain a 36-14 victory over Maroa Forsyth for the Illinois Class 2A crown.
The victory Friday afternoon gave Morrison (14-0) win its first state title in 104 seasons of football. Indeed, it was the first state championship of any sport at the school.
After giving up an early 10-play, 84-yard scoring drive early in the game, Morrison got down to business and scored the next 29 points at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
“The first drive on a big stage like this we had the nerves or jitters and weren’t doing what we should have been doing,” said Morrison coach Cory Bielema, a relative of Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema. “Once we got acclimated to the speed of the game we did well.”
1A: Tuscola holds off Lexington for title
Phillip Meyer’s 10-yard run with 5:30 left in the game helped give Tuscola a 14-7 victory over Lexington in the Illinois High School Association Class 1A title game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
Friday’s victory was the second state championship for the Warriors (11-3). They also won a title in 2006.
“I can’t say enough about the ability of these guys,” Warriors coach Rick Reinhart said. “I think my coaching staff, by far, is the best around. We beat an awfully good football team.
Tuscola quarterback Jud Wiekne threw for 165 yards and hit Pat Yoakum with a 36-yard pass with 1:12 left in the first half.
Senior running back T.J. Stinde entered the game with a state-record 3,197 yards for Lexington (13-1). He rushed for 128 yards on 30 carries in the title game, including a 55-yard run with 5:30 left in the second quarter.
“They were all over us,” Stinde said of the Warriors defense. “They hit hard. They were fast. There wasn’t a hole to run through.”
