By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor
CRAWFORDSVILLE – The difference in the Class 3A Sectional 21 opener Oct. 24 between upset-minded Brebeuf and third-ranked host North Montgomery? The visitors turned the ball over five times inside North Montgomery territory, with the home team turning a pair of those fumbles into 16 points.
The result was a 22-10 come-from-behind victory for North Montgomery in a game the Chargin’ Chargers really had no business winning. The W also avenged a 28-26 sectional semifinal defeat last year at Brebeuf.
“You can’t win games doing that,” said Brebeuf second-year coach Ryan Gallogly, who refused to blame his team’s demise on a chilly, very windy night that saw pockets of brief rain showers in the decisive second half. “We were inside the 30 four times and got no points.
“There’s a reason they’re 9-0. They made the plays when they needed to.”
No doubt about that. In a game that was unbelievably balanced as far as statistics go (North Montgomery had 14 first downs to 13 for Brebeuf, while the Braves had 335 total yards to the Chargers’ 334), the host’s ability to not self-implode was critical.
Both squads committed two turnovers in the first half, but North Montgomery (10-0) stopped its bleeding with zero second-half miscues while Brebeuf (7-3) gave it away three more times. Game, set, match.
The loss tarnished an outstanding individual effort by Brebeuf running back Ryan Kroot. The 6-foot, 190-pound junior carried 24 times for 228 yards, with 153 of them coming in the first half and many on his own after busting through the line of scrimmage.
“He’s a good little back, and he’s got another year to go,” Gallogly said. “He’s closing in on 3,500 yards and 50 touchdowns (for his career).”
But Kroot was part of the problem as well. He fumbled once in each half – one of three Braves’ fumbles, with another two interceptions added on – the latter coming at the end of a 19-yard jaunt with under four minutes to play and Brebeuf once again driving into Charger territory for the potential go-ahead score.
The dagger came two plays later, when senior running back Isaac McGaughey busted up the middle and rambled untouched for a 50-yard touchdown to give North Montgomery a 10-point lead with 2:32 left to play.
The Chargers’ second successful two-point conversion made it 22-10, and McGaughey sealed the deal three plays later when he intercepted Brebeuf quarterback Mitch Overley (3 of 11 for 39 yards and two INTs) from his linebacking position and returned it 31 yards to allow North Montgomery to run out the clock.
“They threw that interception, and I was happy because I was there at the right time,” said McGaughey, who finished with 112 yards on 19 carries. “Then I got a lot of great blocking on that run.”
North Montgomery coach Charley German was literally all smiles after watching his team escape.
“We’ve been down a couple times at the half and have come back,” German said. “On a night like this you don’t want to shoot yourself in the foot, and they did that with five turnovers.”
The Chargers’ 20th-year mentor also had much praise for Kroot, Brebeuf’s own version of the Energizer bunny.
“You gotta shut that 25 down,” said German, who led the Chargers to back-to-back 2A state titles in 1995 and ’96. “Our defense with coach Josh Thompson took control in the second half.”
Yup. After Kroot & Co. gashed the Chargers’ defense for all those first-half yards en route to a 10-8 halftime lead, North Montgomery limited Brebeuf to only 57 yards over the final 24 minutes.
But with two exceptions throughout, Brebeuf – usually behind an up-the-gut long run by Kroot – would move into Charger territory only to come away empty-handed.
That wasn’t the case midway through the second quarter, when Kroot carried six times for 82 yards and ended a 10-play drive with a five-yard touchdown run. Senior Nick Miller’s extra-point kick gave the Braves a 7-0 lead, and they were in business again when junior linebacker Mike Witczak intercepted North Montgomery QB Clayton Dale (12 of 18 for 155 yards and one TD with two picks) at the Brebeuf 33.
But the Braves gave it right back on the next play when Overley’s pass behind the line of scrimmage got to Kroot just as he was being stuck by a defender. The ball jarred loose, and North Montgomery took over at the Brebeuf 23.
Dale scored on a one-yard run five plays later, and the sophomore’s two-point conversion scramble to the right put the Chargers up, 8-7, with 89 seconds left in the half … plenty of time for Brebeuf to go back on top heading to a warm locker room.
With Kroot leading the way with a 40-yard charge off left guard, the Braves moved into field goal position. A fumbled exchange between Overley and Kroot nearly resulted in yet another turnover, but Miller was able to put the ball just over the crossbar and inside the right upright with a stiff wind at his back for a 40-yard trifecta.
North Montgomery got the lead back on the fifth possession of the third quarter. Utilizing another short field following a 21-yard punt from deep in Brebeuf territory, the Chargers tallied two plays later when Dale rolled right before lofting a 35-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Brett Stamper (five catches, 84 yards) in the right corner of the end zone.
A halfback pass from sophomore Elijah Webster to a wide-open Stamper was well short on the ensuing two-point conversion, making it 14-10 at the 5:06 mark.
“Our offense was able to put together a couple drives, and we had that beautiful pass there in the third quarter,” said German, whose Chargers travel Nov. 1 to West Vigo (8-2), a 14-0 winner over Crawfordsville, for a Sectional 21 semifinal clash.
The survivor will face either Southmont (5-5) or Western Boone (4-6) Nov. 8 for the sectional title, with a Nov. 15 regional date likely looming against top-ranked defending state champion Indianapolis Chatard (8-1).
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