Some consider football to be almost as critical a component of Thanksgiving weekend as turkey. And pro teams weren't the only ones battling it out, as the 36th Indiana High School Athletic Association state football championships were held in Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 29 and 30. Four of the five champions are from the Indianapolis area. And the winners are . . .
Final Score:
Ritter Raiders, 34
Sheridan Blackhawks, 27
The top-ranked and undefeated Raiders, under the direction of head coach Ty Hunt, won their third state title over the #3-ranked Sheridan High School Blackhawks, coached by Larry (Bud) Wright.
Final Score:
Heritage Eagles, 17
Cass Kings, 14
One year after losing the 2A title to Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, #4-ranked Heritage made it all the way to the final game once again, this time edging third-ranked Lewis Cass High School of Walton by three points. Heritage's football program, which originated just seven years ago, is under the direction of head coach Ron Qualls. Scott Mannering is head coach of the Kings.
Final Score:
Bellmont Braves: 28
Memorial Tigers: 14
Prior to this year, Bellmont's football team had never won so much as a sectional, but this year was very different, indeed. The 4th-ranked Braves, under the direction of head coach Toney Bergman, were victorious over the #5-ranked Tigers of Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville. Head coach for the Tigers is John Hurley.
Final Score:
Cathedral Fighting Irish: 10
Dwenger Saints: 7
Fort Wayne's Bishop Dwenger High School was undefeated and ranked second in the state going into the title game, but #4-ranked Cathedral held its own in the low-scoring game to win by three. The Fighting Irish are coached by Rick Streiff, while the Saints' head coach is Chris Svarczkopf.
Final Score:
Center Grove Trojans: 36
Carmel Greyhounds: 33
The top-ranked Trojans fought their way back from a 19-point deficit in the final 8 minutes of the championship game to win the title by 3, thus setting a record for the biggest comeback in state finals history. The Trojans, coached by Eric Moore, held onto the ball for 27 plays in a row. The Carmel High School Greyhounds, under the direction of head coach Mo Moriarity, were ranked #3 heading into the title game.
