BENNETT'S MINUTES: Eagles, Tiger Cubs overcome odds in tourney

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

OK. Raise your hand if you picked Greencastle and South Putnam to be the final two Western Indiana Conference football teams to still be alive in the sectional finals this week.

No? Well, not many other people probably did either. But that’s where the Tiger Cubs and Eagles stand going into Friday night’s sectional finals.

For the Tiger Cubs, revenge was sweet with their 14-0 shutout over Sullivan The 45-point reversal was the largest victory in the second round of the state tourney for what John Harrell terms the sectional “avengers.”

The shutout was Greencastle’s fourth of the season, which ties them for sixth in the state this season.

Pioneer has recorded seven shutouts, while Griffith, Lowell and Monroe Central each has five whitewash victories.

Greencastle is in a group of nine teams with four shutouts, also including East Central, Eastbrook, LaVille, Milan, Mississinewa, New Prairie, North Harrison and Penn.

Not surprisingly, the Cubs climbed up a few notches in the state defensive average list and are now tied for 12th by allowing an average of 10.36 points per game.

Lurking a few spots behind in 17th position is Danville, Friday night’s undefeated and No. 3-ranked opponent which gives up just 11.36 points per game.

The Warriors also are tied for 17th in offensive average, scoring 43.45 points per game.

If last week’s game was revenge-motivated, this week’s will be a pure war. Danville was the team which knocked Greencastle out of the sectional in the second round last year — behind a fluke 99-yard touchdown pass.

As far as sacks are concerned, the Tiger Cubs had five against Sullivan on Friday to increase their state-leading total to 67. Danville ranks third with 41, and boasts the individual state sack leader in senior Dylan Plant, who has 19.5.

Cade Winslow had two sacks on Friday for the Tiger Cubs to take over the team lead. He and teammates Gavin Bollman (16) and Jacob Meyer (15) all remain in the top five individually.

Another familiar name on the sack list is Cloverdale’s Jake Wilkes, who finished the season with 11 and currently ranks 13th individually.

South Putnam, meanwhile, will look to continue its tournament hot streak after a 1-8 regular season by hosting Indianapolis Arlington.

The Golden Knights are 8-2, and their only losses are to Culver Academy (which is 10-1) and Lafayette Central Catholic (4-7 this year, but with a strong schedule).

Arlington is literally fighting for its football life again this week, as the school is one of three slated to be closed at the end of the year by the Indianapolis Public Schools. Its next loss is its last game forever (unless the school is reopened some day).

South Putnam’s opponents have a combined 56-58 record this year, while Arlington foes are collectively 47-57.

Harrell is picking against both Greencastle (35-14) and South Putnam (38-21) this week.

Both teams would like nothing better than to prove those picks to be wrong.

Odds and ends

• There was some initial uncertainty over the site of the South Putnam-Arlington game, but I never really understood why.

Arlington had a first-round bye in the seven-team sectional, which required them to be the visiting team in the second round regardless of the opponent and whether that team had been at home or on the road.

Arlington was then matched up against Indianapolis Tindley, which doesn’t have a field.

So, Arlington hosted the game and then there was apparently a debate about whether the Golden Knights had to count that game as a home game since they were technically the road team.

It shouldn’t have mattered, since in either case South Putnam was entitled to host — as the bottom team in the bracket if they were both on the road in the second round, or as a team being on the road in the second round playing a team which had played at home.

In the end, the right decision was made and the Eagles will host.

• I was surprised to see Western Boone defeat Tipton last week. Tipton looked to have everything a team needed when I saw the Blue Devils against a depleted North Putnam team, and I obviously didn’t know enough about WeBo.

• It’s not surprising to see Southmont in a sectional final. I saw the Mounties play North Putnam in the second week of the season, and their offensive arsenal was impressive. They have a tough task against Brebeuf this week.

• Besides Cloverdale and Sullivan, the other WIC teams that won in the first round but lost in the second round were Indian Creek and Owen Valley.

Indian Creek lost 44-21 to a powerful Indianapolis Ritter squad, while Owen Valley lost 26-0 to Evansville Bosse.

• There have been a couple of girls’ basketball schedule changes this week.

North Putnam’s opener was originally to be on Thursday night at home against North Vermillion, but will now be on Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m. varsity start).

Greencastle’s scheduled opener with Cascade on Friday was moved to Dec. 21 due to the football team still being in action, so the Tiger Cubs will open on Saturday night at home with Edgewood.

Cloverdale opened up last night at Turkey Run, while South Putnam opens up on Tuesday with a home game against Rockville.

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