Cathedral Edges Warren Central at Gridiron Classic

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By Damani Dickerson

For VYPE Magazine (Central Indiana)

Heat, exhaustion, cramps, bumps, bruised and of course some great football were just a few of the items on the menu Saturday night in the finale of the Warren Central Gridiron Classic when two of the state’s top football programs went head-to-head in a war of attrition.

Host Class 5A No.2 Warren Central (1-1) went toe-to-toe in a heavyweight bout with Class 4A No.2/1 Indianapolis Cathedral (1-1) that went the distance. In the end, behind a late rally and strong ground-and-pound game the Irish edged the Warriors 14-7.

“We ran extra earlier in the week and we kind of reminded the kids late in the game this is why we did that,” Cathedral head coach Rick Streiff said. “It was a great football game. They had chances, we had chances and fortunately we made plays in the end.”

The Irish ground attack was led by senior running back Gino Gillum who had 112 yards on 19 carries with one touchdown.

“It feels great to beat a top team like that. I think it had a lot to do with our stamina,” he said.

Cathedral set the tone early. On their first possession of the game the Irish had a nine play, 73-yard drive capped off by a 37-yard Gillum touchdown run. The extra point gave Cathedral an early 7-0 lead.

Midway through the second period the Warriors evened things up.  After senior quarterback Anthony Cooper-Taylor went to the sideline with an injury, junior quarterback Jeff George led Warren Central on a five-play, 60-yard scoring drive that was highlighted by a 44-yard throw and catch from George to sophomore receiver Tyrone Young. George finished the drive off with a one-yard sneak for their only score of the night.

“When Anthony Cooper got hurt Jeff George came in and did some nice things,” Warrior head coach Steve Tutsie said. “We just have to keep doing what we’re doing.”

Anthony Cooper finished 4-of-8 for 39 yards and also had 12 carries for 54 yards rushing. George finished 7-of-14 for 116 yards but also had two interceptions. The game winning score was set up by one of those interceptions.

With 8:14 remaining in the game Irish junior linebacker Kyle Loechel picked off a George pass giving Cathedral great field position on the Warren Central 25. Four plays later on fourth-and-2 Irish senior quarterback Conner Rice found senior receiver Wyatt Wood on a quick out. Wyatt broke a tackle and hit the sideline for a 17-yard touchdown that put Cathedral back in front 14-7.

Rice completed 21of his 29 attempts for 174 yards and two interceptions. Wyatt finished with eight receptions for 60 yards. Senior receiver Sampson Levingston also had eight catches for 64 yards.

On Warren Centrals final possession with just over three minutes in regulation the Warriors decided to punt on fourth-and-6 from their own 39 yard line. The next five touches all went to Gillum. He picked up two first downs, one on a 13-yard run and another on a 10 yard run, to ice the game.

“He’s a tough kid. Real, real tough kid,” Streiff said about Gillum. “Late in the game we’re going to hang our hat on him. He’s a three year starter and that’s what you expect form a three year starter.”

Tutsie agrees.

“He’s a tough nut,” he said. “He made some big runs, nothing left to say.”

                                             Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4  Final

Indianapolis Cathedral                7    0    0    7     14

Warren Central                             0    7    0    0     7