FB 3A SECT. 21: #12 Chatard romps past unbeaten #6 Greencastle, 50-7

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By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor

INDIANAPOLIS – In their Class 3A Sectional 21 championship game Nov. 2 against undefeated No. 6 Greencastle, two-time defending state champion Indianapolis Chatard raced out to a 15-0 first-quarter lead – more points than the Tiger Cubs had surrendered in a game all season – and coasted on the strength of a stout defensive effort to a 50-7 victory in a game played at Lawrence North.

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The second-ranked Trojans (10-2) – who limited Greencastle (11-1) to just one yard passing and a meager 109 on the ground – move on to face No. 14 Greensburg (10-2), a 27-19 Sectional 22 title game winner over Indian Creek, in the Regional 11 championship Nov. 9 back at Lawrence North.

The winner will face either Gibson Southern (10-2) or third-ranked undefeated Charlestown (12-0) for the Semistate 6 championship, tentatively set for Nov. 16.

Senior running back Pete Hartley scored the first of seven Chatard touchdowns on a 20-yard run, with junior Blake Ayres’ extra point culminating the eight-play, 68-yard drive to make it 7-0 early. The Trojans tacked on two more points when Greencastle senior quarterback Nick Gilliam was tackled in the end zone for a safety by senior linebacker Michael Weimer after the Trojans had backed Greencastle up to its own 2-yard line.

Chatard then made it 15-zip with more than five minutes still to play in the opening period on an 11-yard TD pass from senior QB Sam Neighbours to junior tight end Henry Hill (the kick failed).

Hartley (22 carries for 126 yards) made it 22-0 on a dazzling 82-yard punt return with 8:45 to go before the half, and an eventual halftime advantage soared to 29-0 on an eight-yard TD run from junior RB Alex Kimack that followed LB Hill’s INT.

The dominant defensive effort was clear in the halftime stats, which showed Chatard rolling up 230 yards of offense in the opening 24 minutes while surrendering only 37 to the Tiger Cubs.

The only points of the third quarter came on a 27-yard interception return by senior safety Sean Parsons, with a 10-yard scoring pass from Neighbours (9 of 13 for 107 yards and two TDs) to sophomore fullback Anthony LaRose and a 19-yard TD run from senior RB Eric Moore ending the Chatard scoring at 50-0 in the fourth.

Greencastle finally got on the board with 100 seconds left to play when senior RB Nate Christy took a handoff and started right, cut back to the left hash, then bolted all the way to the right sideline on a 69-yard scoring scamper.     (The Chatard defense had limited Christy to just eight yards on his other 11 carries to that point.)

It was quite a season for second-year coach Josh Buis’ Tiger Cubs, who finished 1-9 just three seasons ago and now appear light years ahead of an infamous 36-game losing streak that stretched from 1997-2001.

SECTIONAL 21
Quarterfinals
#7 Tri-West Hendricks 37, Indianapolis Arlington 0
#8 Greencastle 35, West Vigo 0
#2 Indianapolis Chatard 48, #15 Danville 20
#9 Brebeuf Jesuit 54, Indianapolis Northwest 16

Semifinals
#8 Greencastle 20, #7 Tri-West Hendricks 14
#2 Indianapolis Chatard 28, #9 Brebeuf Jesuit 0

Championship
#2 Indianapolis Chatard 50, #8 Greencastle 7

REGIONAL 11
Friday, Nov. 9
#14 Greensburg (10-2) vs. #2 Indianapolis Chatard (10-2) @ Lawrence North
Gibson Southern (10-2) at #3 Charlestown (12-0)

The box score:

SCORE BY QUARTERS         1     2     3     4     Final
Greencastle                             0     0      0      7     7
Indianapolis Chatard           15    14     7    14     50
 
C – Pete Hartley 20 run (Blake Ayres kick)
C – Safety (Nick Gilliam tackled in end zone)
C – Henry Hill 11 pass from Sam Neighbours (kick failed)
C – Hartley 82 punt return (Ayres kick)
C – Alex Kimack 8 run (Ayres kick)
C – Sean Parsons 27 interception return (Ayres kick)
C – Anthony LaRose 10 pass from Neighbours (Ayres kick)
C – Eric Moore 19 run (Ayres kick)
G – Nate Christy 69 run (Sedrick Weinschenk kick)
 
Passing                 CMP     ATT     YDS    TD     INT
Greencastle
Nick Gilliam              5       20       1     0     2

Chatard
Sam Neighbours     9       13     107     2    0

Rushing             ATT     YDS     TD
Greencastle
Nate Christy         12     77     0     
Nick Gilliam           8     32     0
TOTAL                   20    109

Chatard
Peter Hartley         22     126    1
Alex Kimack          11     53     1
Eric Moore              4     37     1
Sam Neighbours   2     19     0
Michael Weimer     1     6      0
Marlin Bunnel         5     4      0
Zach Metzger         1      2      0
Casey O'Brien        1     0      0
Sam Gleaves         1     -2     0
TOTAL                    48    245        

Receiving            REC     YDS     TD
Greencastle
Seth Brown             2     11     0     
Mac Shuee             1      2      0     
Nate Christy            1     -6     0     
Caleb Robinson    1     -6     0     
TOTAL                      5     1     0

Chatard
Henry Hill             3     33     1
Jack Busald         2     23     0
Sean Parsons     1     20     0
Joe Fagan            1     14     0
Anthony LaRose  1     10     1
Brian Ball              1      7      0
TOTAL                   9    107