Menu
North Putnam wins homecoming, 49-14
ROACHDALE -- Efficiency and power. Those words would best describe the North Putnam offense Friday in its battle with county and conference rival Greencastle.
The Cougars began the game strong, scoring 28 first quarter points en route to their 49-14 win over the Tiger Cubs.
North Putnam scored four times on its first nine plays of the game, with junior Hank Spencer and senior Jordan Murphy collecting two touchdowns each.
Cougar head coach Greg Barrett loved the way his team attacked its opponent as soon as the whistle blew.
"Great way to start a game," Barrett said. "I think being a rivalry, we didn't play great last year against them. A new coach and a new attitude and we know they're a better team. They've got good athletes out there and that coaching staff has done a great job with them. We try to take each week -- we pretend it could be a state championship game. We talked about the last couple weeks, we've come out -- we played a first half instead of waiting until the third quarter.
"Tonight, we were explosive in the first quarter and that's what we need to do. We have to get out fast and furious. I thought they did a great job of that," he added.
Greencastle tasted the endzone for the first time when Hayden Stuchwisch picked off Kolton Everts and zig zagged through North Putnam players to score from 51 yards out. The score pulled the Tiger Cubs closer at 28-7.
After both quarterbacks tossed interceptions, North Putnam found paydirt once again as Spencer powered in from two yards out with 4:46 remaining before the half, putting North up 35-7.
Greencastle wouldn't go away with out a fight and scored just before the half after a bad snap from the Cougars landed in the end zone, with a Tiger Cub defender pouncing on it with 31 seconds left in the half. At the break, North Putnam was on top 35-14.
Tiger Cub head coach Eric Davis boiled his team's performance down to its simplest terms following the game.
"They beat us in every way," he said.
North Putnam scored its sixth touchdown of the night when Murphy popped in from one yard out with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter, putting the Cougars up 42-14.
Everts scored the Cougars' and the game's final touchdown of the night when he outran the Tiger Cubs defense for a 44-yard touchdown at the 1:25 mark in the third.
Davis acknowledged it was a team letdown, with both sides of the ball not being able to get anything going Friday.
"We have to take care of the ball," Davis said. "We turned the ball over, we get in situations where we can't move the ball -- we have problems. We had problems here tonight offensively.
"Defensively, early on, we had problems blocking and tackling. Getting off blocks and making tackles and that sort of things. So, they just took it to us in every way. There's no two ways around that," he said.
The Tiger Cubs got their first and only first down of the game with 6:26 remaining, a fact Barrett was happy with. He was excited about his offense and the positions his defense put his team in.
"Overall, we came out and played classy and nasty," Barrett said.
Up next for the Cougars will be Monrovia, the team who knocked them out of the tournament a season again and dealt the team two loses. Barrett knows it will be a test, but one his things his team is up for.
"We have a big test next week, no doubt about that," Barrett said of Monrovia. "They beat us twice last year. I can tell you one thing, we won't be taking this game lightly. That a good ball club and Coach (Mark) Jaynes does a great job with those guys.
"We'll have our hands full next week and we understand that. That's the great thing about these guys. Great senior leadership, great junior leadership -- it's phenomenal -- and they all just mesh together. It's been great so far," Barrett said.
The Tiger Cubs will look to regroup against the Clovers on the road next Friday and Davis said his team needs to get focused and get at it.
"We just have to find a way to refocus, retool and get after it. That's all we can do at this point," Davis said.
At North Putnam
Greencastle 0 14 0 0 -- 14
North Putnam 28 7 14 0 -- 49
First Quarter
NP -- Everts 44 yd. pass to Spencer, Summerlot kick 9:10
NP -- Murphy 12 yd. run, Summerlot kick 8:55
NP -- Spencer 28 yd. run, Summerlot kick 6:55
NP -- Everts 35 yd. pass to Murphy, Summerlot kick 3:45
Second Quarter
GHS -- Stuckwisch 51 Int. return, Parker kick 8:45
NP -- Spencer 2 yd. run, Summerlot kick 4:46
GHS -- Fumble recovery in endzone, Parker kick 31.4
Third Quarter
NP -- Murphy 1 yd. run, Summerlot kick 3:10
NP -- Everts 44 yd. rush, Summerlot kick 1:25
Rushing
Greencastle -- Hesler 17-11, Shuee 9-16, Christy 2-(-7), Parker 2-(-10), No. 48 1-1
North Putnam -- Spencer 12-65, Franklin 4-62, Marlow 2-6, Murphy 9-40, Kratt 6-40, Everts 1-44, St. Victor 7-6
Passing
Greencastle -- Parker 2-8 15 yards, 2 Int.
North Putnam -- Everts 5-9 137 yards, 2TD, 2 INT
Receiving
Greencastle -- Remsburg 2-15
North Putnam -- Spencer 1-44, Murphy 2-53, C. Vondersaar 1-5, Franklin 1-35