Eagles win sectional championship with victory against Lutheran 42-28

Senior Rudy Harris celebrates after coming up with a fumble recovery to ice the win on Friday. Harris caused a fumble on the previous drive, leading the the Eagles' go-ahead score

INDIANAPOLIS -- The South Putnam Eagles are sectional champions, blowing through a physical Lutheran team to score 21 fourth-quarter points and come from behind for a 42-28 win.

Junior Lucas Lorian had 38 carries for 262 yards and five touchdowns and senior Rudy Harris contributed to two key turnovers in the final seven minutes to help the Eagles secure the game.

In total South Putnam carried the ball 57 times for 365 yards, overcoming a massive difference in size to start dominating at the line of scrimmage in the final half of the game.

"It was very special for our seniors," SPHS coach Troy Burgess said. "What makes it special is to win the game the way we won the game. It was nothing fancy, no tricks, just line up and play power football. ... When you get to this point in the tournament, you better be able to run the football and you better be able to stop the run.

"I really believe that. It's my philosophy. It's our philosophy as a team and what makes it special is our kids believe that."

Senior quarterback Sawyer Arnold missed practice all week with a knee injury and stood in pads and a brace on the sideline, so the Eagles turned to sophomore Grady McHugh for his first varsity start.

South Putnam moved them ball well on its first two drives but lost both to interceptions inside the 30-yard line, giving the Saints a chance to strike first.

Early in the second quarter junior Dylen Goddard gave his Lutheran team the lead, the broad back rumbling in from 3 yards out.

Listed at 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, Goddard was a load for the Eagles, overpowering their smaller linebackers, lowering his shoulders and breaking tackles on each of his runs up the middle of the line.

South Putnam junior Lucas Lorian skies over a wall of linemen on his way to a tying score in the second quarter against Lutheran on Friday.

South Putnam responded with a score on its next drive. Senior Joe Waters and Lorian traded carries on the nine-play, 51-yard drive finished off by a 1-yard score when Lorian leaped over the pile of bodies at the goal line.

Goddard led the Saints toward the South Putnam end zone again on the next drive, but Lutheran settled for a field goal attempt the was blocked.

A touchdown run from Waters and a pass from Saints sophomore Jake Reid to Addison Robertson finished off the first half with the scored tied at 14.

Goddard had 68 of the Saints' 219 first-half yards. He finished with 128 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

After an error on the second half's opening kickoff, the Eagles took over on their own 10-yard line. Getting backed up only left more yards for Lorian to add to his total. He shifted to the left and burst for a 90-yard score on the first play of the half.

Goddard tied the score later in the third then put the Saints ahead 28-21 with his third touchdown at 10:38 of the fourth quarter. From there, the Eagles defense stiffened. Tired of being run over, they started attacking at the line of scrimmage, taking away cutbacks and dominating the game.

"It can be difficult, but you've got to work with it and work around it," SPHS senior Braden Patrick said. "You just do what you've got to do and make the plays."

Lorian tied the game at 28 when he scored from 3 yards out, and on the ensuing kickoff Harris shot down the field, blew up a wall of blockers and stripped the ball from the returner.

Freshman Kyle Shaffer recovered for the Eagles at the Lutheran 30.

The Sectional 46 champion South Putnam football team poses with their trophy after beating Indianapolis Lutheran on Friday.

"I was just trying to make a tackle, honestly, and it just came out," Harris said. "We just went from there."

The momentum shifted after Lorian tied the scored, but the takeaway on the subsequent kickoff took all the life out of the Saints. Lorian scored again six plays later.

That drive was nearly stalled with a third-and-long, but the Eagles put the ball in McHugh's hands and his throw drew a penalty in the end zone with Burgess trusting the young signal caller despite the early growing pains.

"I said all along that turnovers and special teams, whoever won those two battles would win the game," Burgess said. "We won both of those. ... When we caused the turnover (on the kickoff), that was the ballgame right there."

Leading 35-28, junior Zane Yon launched his kickoff into the end zone for a touchback, meaning Lutheran now had just under four minutes to go 80 yards for the tying score. The drive lasted only three plays when Harris again came up with a takeaway.

He dived on Goddard fumble at the Saints 35 and Lorian scored his final touchdown seven plays later, putting the Eagles up two scores with 1:37 remaining and essentially icing the game.

Lutheran failed to get a first down and Arnold took the field behind senior center Lane Hacker to take a knee and run out the final 33 seconds of the game.

"When you get to this point in the tournament, you're not going to shut people out," Burgess said. "They're going to score on you. You just have to respond, and our defense did that."

Dalton Nidey and Jacob Zoeller had 63 rush yards each for Lutheran.

Waters had 81 yards for the Eagles. Sophomore Joe Masters had a sack.

It was the Eagles' first sectional win since 2011 and Friday will be the first time they host a regional game since 2001.

"We're a good-conditioned team and we've been in this situation before," Harris said. "It's a great feeling. It's an honor. It's a great opportunity to be here playing with all my friends and getting ready to go to regionals. It's just awesome."

The Eagles (11-1) will take on Eastern Hancock (12-0), which came from behind to beat Northeastern 57-36 on Friday.

"It feels amazing," Patrick said. "We played as a team and followed through with what we're supposed to do."

Senior linebacker Braden Patrick delivers a big hit on junior Jacob Zoeller for a third-down stop in the sectional championship game.

IHSAA Sectional Finals
At Indianapolis Lutheran