PENDLETON — Ending a five-year losing streak against a neighboring conference rival cannot be easy.
For the first half of Friday night’s Hoosier Heritage Conference matchup it looked like it was going to be.
Greenfield-Central dominated the first 24 minutes against Pendleton Heights then had to hang on in the final seconds to beat the Arabians 27-20 at John Broughton Field.
It was the Cougars first win in the series between the Hancock County and Madison County rivals since 2016. They lost twice to the Arabians last season, both at Clayton Myers Field in Greenfield, including a 42-6 decision in the first round of Class 4A Sectional 21.
Pendleton Heights came into Friday’s game unbeaten and ranked No. 10 in the Indiana Football Coaches Association Class 4A poll.
Greenfield-Central improved to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the HHC. Pendleton Heights is 3-1 and 1-1.
“Definitely a step in the right direction,” Greenfield-Central third-year coach Travis Nolting said. “We came out hot in the first half and the second half turnovers hurt us. It’s a big win for the program.”
G-C rushed for 309 first-half yards and led 27-0 at halftime.
Greenfield-Central fullback Andrew Zellers capped off a dominating first half with a school-record 96-yard touchdown run with just 35 seconds left until halftime. It was his second score of the first half. He put the Cougars up 13-0 with a 3-yard run early in the second quarter.
Zellers had 177 first-half rushing yards on eight carries.
For the game, Zellers finished with 229 yards on 19 carries. The Cougars rushed for 451 yards.
Cougar running back Joey Roland opened scoring with a 37-yard run with 1:30 left in the first quarter.
In G-C’s 20-point second quarter, running back Brayden Herrell had a 37-yard score. He ran untouched straight up the middle, then added the two-point conversion.
Herrell finished the game with 78 rushing yards. Roland had 76.
While the G-C Wishbone offense was doing the damage on one side of the ball, the defense was impressing, too.
Pendleton Heights had just three first-half first downs.
“Give (Greenfield-Central) credit. They executed a flawless game plan,” Pendleton Heights head coach Jed Richman said. “That’s a pretty good defense. That front 7, those guys can play ball. They deserve a lot of credit. They controlled the line of scrimmage and they just flat-out whooped us.”
The Arabians were without starting running back Ethan Ross, who was on the sidelines the entire game with a wrap around his right elbow.
“We played very well. I felt like we were clicking on all cylinders,” Nolting said of his club’s first-half play. “They had trouble moving the ball running and passing. Our defense played phenomenal for most of the game.”
The combination of playing without Ross against a physical Cougar defense proved to be too much, until the second half.
Pendleton Heights took advantage of Greenfield-Central turnovers and found itself with the football and a chance to tie or win the game with its final possession.
In the third quarter, Pendleton Heights scored on defense. Sophomore linebacker Dresden Roberts stripped the ball from a Cougar running back and sprinted 75 yards for six points. The Arabians missed the PAT.
In the fourth quarter, set up by a G-C fumble, Pendleton Heights went 72 yards on nine plays, finishing with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Luke Candiano to Marvin Jones with 3:44 remaining.
The Arabians recovered the onside kick, then scored on fourth down from the Cougar 34. Candiano connected with sophomore receiver Reese Reddington with 2:39 left to cut the Cougar lead to 27-20.
Again, Pendleton Heights executed a successful onside kick, but this time the series ended with a Candiano fumble, recovered by G-C’s Joey Roland.
The Cougars followed with a three-and-out, giving the Arabians one last chance.
With 1:10 to go and starting from the Arabian 23, the home team got near midfield before a sack by G-C junior Brad Allen ended the game.
“The turnovers, fumbled snaps in the second half killed us,” Nolting said, whose Cougars lost their starting center on Thursday. “We fumbled a lot of snaps tonight, but it was because of the situation we were faced with. We’ve got a week to get that fixed.
“It gave them momentum, but I’m proud of the kids for the win. They fought the whole game and our defense came up big for us in a lot of situations.”
Candiano completed 16 of 27 passes for 154 yards. Backup running back Quinn Devault had 14 carries for 79 yards.
The Arabians continue a run of its conference opponents from Hancock County, traveling to New Palestine next week before a trip to Mt. Vernon on Sept. 24.
Greenfield-Central plays host to Shelbyville next week.
Cougars 27, Arabians 20
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (2-2, 1-1) 7 20 0 0 — 27
PENDLETON HEIGHTS (3-1, 1-1) 0 0 6 14 — 20
GC—Joey Roland 37 run (Logan Masters kick), 1:30
GC—Andrew Zellers 3 run (run failed), 9:01
GC—Brayden Herrell 37 run (Herrell run), 5:55
GC—Zellers 96 run (kick blocked), 0:35
PH—Dresden Roberts 75 fumble return (kick failed), 10:54
PH—Marvin Jones 16 pass from Luke Candiano (Dominic Apo kick), 3:44
PH—Reese Reddington 34 pass from Candiano (Apo kick), 2:39
