Menu
South Putnam runs roughshod over Cascade
By STEVE FIELDS
For the Banner Graphic
CLAYTON -- On a night when South Putnam didn't play its best as a team, Lucas Lorian delivered an outstanding individual performance while leading the Eagles to a 30-20 West Central Conference victory of the host Cascade Cadets.
Carrying the football 36 times, Lorian scored four touchdowns and finished with 204 yards rushing in South Putnam's fourth straight victory. South takes a 7-2 record into the opening round of the Class 2A football playoffs next week against Indianapolis Broad Ripple.
Lorian scored on runs of 25, 35, 35 and three yards as South Putnam broke away from a pesky and well prepared Cascade team in the third quarter.
"Lucas does a great job. But it all starts up front. Our big guys up front have got to create the holes. You got to have good fullback play. We've been able start throwing the ball with some success here late in the season, so if we can throw it a little obviously that helps. And Lucas just runs hard. He's a good down-hill hard runner," coach Troy Burgess said after his 39th win at South Putnam and 84th overall.
The final score is deceiving. Lorian was the only dependable offense South Putnam had all night. There was no balance to the offense, as quarterback Sawyer Arnold completed just two passes -- both very effective -- a 34-yarder to Cody Snow and a to Justin Bumgardner.
Cascade (3-6), on the other hand, was very balanced as quarterback Colin Smith rushed for a net 84 yards and completed 14-25 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
"I didn't feel we were ready (and) I didn't feel we played our best football. But... you got to give credit to (Cascade coach) Jason (Thompson) and Cascade. I don't want to take anything away from them. They played hard, they were prepared. I take my hat off (to Thompson). He's done a tremendous job of getting things going here. They outplayed tonight," Burgess said.
"I'm proud of our kids. We did what we had to do and made the plays we had to make to win the ball game. But I don't think we played our best (and) I don't want to take anything away from Cascade."
Cascade scored first and took a 13-7 lead into the second when Zac Butler ran 40 yards for a touchdown.
But the Eagles took the lead for good with a 92-yard, 12-play touchdown drive to open the second quarter. Starting from their own 8-yard line, the Eagles marched down field, converting on fourth down and one from their own 27-yard line when Lorian went four yards for the first down.
On the very next play Arnold hooked up with Snow for a 34-yard gain to the Cascade 35-yard line. After Lorian spun his way out of a tackle for eight yards, Wes Riner surprised everyone with a 21-yard scamper around end to the Cascade 2-yard line. Two snaps later Lorian scored from the three and Zane Yon's point-after-touchdown kick put the Eagles ahead 14-13 and it stayed that way into the third period.
South's only turnover of the night, a pass intercepted by the Cadets' Zach Batts, gave Cascade an opportunity to retake the lead. But the Eagles' defense stopped the Cadets on three plays and on fourth down they attempted a fake punt play. The running punt traveled just 11 yards and South Putnam took possession at the 50-yard line.
On the fourth center snap, Lorian got a hole the size of a four-lane highway right up the middle for a 35-yard touchdown run that put the Eagles ahead 20-13.
Just minutes later Cadets fumbled the ball Morgan Grundlock recovered it for South Putnam. Four plays later the Eagles scored again, another 35-yard run that appeared to be the same play resulting in the same huge hole.
The Eagles were up 27-13 when coach Burgess put his kicking game to the test. Zane Yon kicked a field goal that gave the Eagles a comfortable 30-13 lead with just over three minutes to play.
Coach Burgess pointed out that the two teams could meet again in the second week of Sectional 30 play.
Next game -- Next Friday in Class 2A Sectional 30 play, South Putnam (7-2, 4-1 in WCC) plays host to Indianapolis Broad Ripple, while Cascade (3-6, 1-4 in WCC) travels to Park Tudor.
At Cascade
South Putnam 7 7 6 10 -- 30
Cascade 13 0 0 7 -- 20
First Quarter
C -- Zac Butler 43 pass from Colin Smith (kick failed) 9:58, 6-0.
SP -- Lucas Lorian 25 run (Zane Yon kick) 8:44, 7-6.
C -- Z. Butler 40 run (Daljot Bajwa) 6:00, 13-7.
Second Quarter
SP -- Lorian 3 run (Yon kick) 8:00, 14-13.
Third Quarter
SP -- Lorian 35 run (kick blocked) 2:03, 20-13.
Fourth Quarter
SP -- Lorian 35 run (Yon kick) 11:53, 27-13.
SP -- Yon 26 field goal, 3:17, 30-13.
C -- Drew Scott 41 pass from Smith (Bajwa kick) 1:34, 30-20.
SP C
First downs 15 13
Rushes 52-279 24-150
Passing 72 171
Comp-Att-Int 2-8-1 14-25-0
Total offense 60-351 49-321
Return yards 64 106
Punts-Avg 4-34.75 5-24.2
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1
Penalties-yards 6-83 9-65
Individual statistics
Rushing -- South Putnam: Lorian 36-204, Arnold 10-38, Riner 3-28, Smith 2-6, Wiggs 1-3. Cascade: Smith 12-84, Z. Butler 11-61, A. Butler 1-5.
Passing -- South Putnam: Arnold 2-8-1--72. Cascade: Smith 14-25-0--171.
Receiving -- South Putnam: Bumgardner 1-38, Snow 1-34. Cascade: Bobadilla 7-65, Z. Butler 4-58, Scott 1-41, Batts 1-7, A. Butler 1-0.
Next game -- Next Friday in Class 2A Sectional 30 play, South Putnam (7-2, 4-1 in WCC) plays host to Indianapolis Broad Ripple, while Cascade (3-6, 1-4 in WCC) travels to Park Tudor.