Cougars get first sectional win since 2016

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Greenfield-Central head coach Travis Nolting celebrates with his team after the cougars held on for a 40-39 win in the first round of the IHSAA Football Sectionals by defeating Muncie Central on Friday, Oct. 25, 2019. (Tom Russo | Daily Reporter)

For the Daily Reporter

GREENFIELD — Bradon Nelson and the Greenfield-Central football team have waited a long time for a moment like this.

Behind a dominant rushing attack that generated 348 yards on 52 carries, the Cougars ended their sectional winless streak with a thrilling 40-39 victory over Muncie Central on Friday at Greenfield-Central in a Sectional 21 opener. It marked the first win for the Cougars in a sectional game since 2016 against Jay County.

“Last time we won a sectional game was my freshman year,” Nelson said. “It’s great — especially being a senior. We’ve had some tough challenges this year. (Muncie Central) is not an easy team but we knew we could compete against them.”

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Freshman quarterback Brodie Mayberry, who was forced into duty this year following an injury to Lance McKee, rushed seven times for 123 yards and four touchdowns, including first-half TD runs of 49 and 67 yards.

“It was a tough challenge,” Mayberry said about coming in as the starting QB. “I have to thank the team and the coaches — it’s all them. They’ve helped me grow to what I am now and we’re only going to get better. The line blocked perfectly and we had great fakes. If it wasn’t for the line, nothing happens.”

The Cougars trailed 27-26 after a high-scoring first half but took the lead for good when Mayberry ended a 10-play drive with a 2-yard keeper in the third quarter. The conversion failed but Greenfield-Central led 32-27 and then used an onside kick to regain possession. The perfectly-executed kick from Ben Polster ricocheted off Muncie Central players and was covered by teammate Spencer Johnson.

Seven plays later, Nelson powered into the endzone. The conversion from Joey Roland was good and the Cougars led 40-27.

The Bearcats answered, scoring on a long pass play and again on a 5-yard run by bruising sophomore tailback Shoka Griffin. But with the score 40-39, the Bearcats went for two and failed. Both teams were held off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter.

Griffin was dominant on the night, rushing 23 times for 148 yards and three scores.

“He’s a truck,” Greenfield-Central coach Travis Nolting said. “He’s tougher than nails and we obviously had a hard time tackling him. We knew it was going to come down to a war of attrition up front. We had to get hats on him. We stayed true to what we do offensively and tried to eat the clock up and keep them off the field the best we could.”

Nolting, the first-year coach of the Cougars, is thrilled that his team’s hard work is starting to pay off.

“It feels great obviously,” Nolting said. “We have freshmen playing in some critical spots and a lot of sophomores playing on defense. It speaks volumes as to how hard the kids have worked since I took over — and how hard the coaches have worked. I’m so proud of our guys for their fight. They capitalized on (Muncie Central) mistakes. I can’t be more proud of our guys.

Greenfield-Central shocked the Bearcats to start the game when Tyler Antic recovered an onside kick by Polster. On the first offensive play for the Cougars, Mayberry broke loose for his first long TD run, just 12 seconds into the game.

Greenfield-Central was unable to hang on to the momentum as the Bearcats bounced back with 14 straight points, including a 29-yard strike from Max Pittman to Dylan Gonzalez.

The Cougars responded and took advantage of a short field. Brayden Herrell got things going with a 40-yard run and later converted a critical third-and-one from the Muncie Central 11. Joey Roland finished the deal with a 5-yard blast over the right side.

After a Bearcats TD, Mayberry went to work with another long run. Muncie Central bit on the inside handoff and the freshman quarterback got outside for a 67-yard score.

Muncie Central’s Griffin continued to cause problems and slammed into the end zone to put the Bearcats ahead 27-18 with 2:28 left in the second quarter. Greenfield-Central came back again, taking advantage of a fair catch interference call and went on a nine-play drive, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run by Mayberry, his third of the opening half. Roland converted the 2-point play and the Cougars trailed just 27-26 at the half.

The Cougars move on for a rematch with Pendleton Heights on Friday at home in the sectional semifinals. Greenfield-Central lost to the Arabians 47-6 on Sept. 13.

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Sectional semifinals

(All games at 7 p.m.)

New Palestine (9-0) at Whiteland (6-3)

Mt. Vernon (8-2) at New Castle (4-6)

Heritage Christian (9-1) at Eastern Hancock (8-2)

Pendleton Heights (6-4) at Greenfield-Central (2-8)

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