LC Bears capture Class 5A state title in perfect style

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By DAMANI DICKERSON

For VYPE Magazine (Central Indiana)

Saturday night’s Class 5A championship game featured two teams both vying for perfection with only each other standing in its way.

In front of a ruckus crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium, undefeated Lawrence Central and undefeated Fort Wayne Snider put everything on the line for the right to be champions.

Behind a strong ground attack and stout defense the LC Bears captured the school’s first-ever state football title defeating the Panthers 39-14.

“We just wanted to win, we didn’t care how,” an emotional Lawrence Central head coach Jayson West said after the game. “We’d come too far to have anything else happen.”

The Bears ground attack was led by senior Isaiah Townsend and he was electric. He finished with 18 carries for 193-yards and two touchdowns from the wingback position. His longest run of the game was 64 yards and he averaged nearly 11 yards per carry.    

Following the win Townsend was elated and gave all the credit to his teammates and coach.

“It was great blocks and me using my speed. Coach has been telling me to use it (his speed) and that’s what I did,” he said smiling ear to ear. “We did it…History….Feels really good.”

West agreed.

“He can go and this was his night,” he said.

Townsend wasn’t alone. Senior quarterback Drake Christen carried his fair share of the load. He finished with 15 carries for 95-yards rushing and one rushing touchdown.  He also completed eight of his 15 pass attempts for 228 yards with one touchdown throw.

Most of his completions were to his favorite target senior receiver Trey White who finished with five completions for 140 yards.

The Bear defense held the Panther offense, which averaged 37 points and 262 yards rushing per game, to just 14 points and 106 rushing yards. They held Snider to just 3-of-11 on third downs and sacked Panther quarterback Brandon Phelps twice. He was also picked him off twice, one for a touchdown.

After starting the game with a defensive three-and-out Lawrence Central’s first offensive possession began at their 8-yard line. Nine plays, 91 yards and 3:24 minutes later the Bears scored on a 49-yard pass from Christen to senior wing back Tyja Thompson to take an early 7-0 lead.

It wasn’t until midway through the second quarter when Lawrence Central struck again. The Bears acquired great field position following a sack and forced fumble by junior defensive lineman James Jones, recovered by senior defensive lineman Derrick Dunlop on the Panther 11.

Two plays later Christens three-yard touchdown run gave the Bears a 14-0 lead.

Snider responded on the ensuing possession marching 72 yards in 11 plays for the score cutting the lead to 14-7 going in at the half.

The Panthers first possession of the second half ended with an interception by senior defensive back Delon Pettiford who returned the pick 38 yards to the Snider 48. Senior Alex Rodriguez finished an 8-play drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. A blocked point after attempt left the score at 20-7.

Lawrence Central went on to score three more times.  Two by Townsend (64, 20) and one by junior linebacker Brandon Lee who intercepted a Brando Phelps pass and took it 55 yards for the score.

“Credit to Lawrence Central, their staff and coach West,” Fort Wayne Snider head coach Kurt Tippmann said. “These guys were very well prepared. They made some key plays at key times and that’s how these things shake out.”