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Eagles prepare for pass-happy offense of Trinity Lutheran
The South Putnam football team is in the midst of the one of the most dominant stretches of play in years, winning its last seven games by an average margin of 41.4 to 12.1.
Starting the playoffs with momentum is important, but starting with a good team is even better and the Class A Eagles (8-1, 5-0 WCC) have both.
They begin their trek toward a sectional title at home Friday against the Trinity Lutheran Cougars (4-5). Tripping up Trinity Lutheran will mean slowing down one of the most prolific passing offenses in the state, regardless of class.
Led by senior wide receiver Jonathan Rollins (1,092 yards and nine touchdowns receiving) and freshman quarterback Blake Levy (2,804 yards and 28 touchdowns passing) the Cougars have scored an average of 31.4 points per game.
"They like to sling it," South Putnam coach Troy Burgess said. "They're going to spread it out four or five wide and throw it all over the place. .... Anytime you play somebody that throws it that much, they're dangerous."
It's not the first time the Eagles have gone up against a pass-centric offense, and Burgess said preparing for opponents like Greencastle, Tri-West and Cascade will give the group a leg up on their game plan this week.
Unlike some of the other aerial teams South Putnam has played, the Cougars are a little more one-dimensional -- and a little more undersized -- in their offense.
Greencastle and Tri-West are much larger, both in student population and athletic stature, than Trinity Lutheran. The Eagles did a pretty good job of slowing down the top offense threat of those teams during the regular season.
The Tiger Cubs turned the ball over three times and leading receiver Seth Brown had just two catches for 30 yards. The Bruins averaged 33 points per game this year, but scored just 22 in the Eagles only loss back in week two.
In just its second year, head coach Anthony Levy has turned the Trinity Lutheran football team into a group that can put points on the board against anyone, but they've struggled stopping other teams from doing the same.
The Cougars give up 34.1 points per game, including 70 last week against Broad Ripple. That bodes well for the Eagles, a group that has moved the ball well in every game and has one of the state's top rushing offenses.
Junior Lucas Lorian went over 1,700 yards for the season last week, ranking him in the top 10 for underclassmen in the state and within striking distance of the school record of 2,092.
Senior quarterback Sawyer Arnold has more than 300 yards on the ground and senior tailback Wes Riner has more than 500 yards from scrimmage (200+ rushing, 300+ receiving).
The Eagles are home, meaning a hour-long bus ride for the Cougars, and they are playing the best they have all year.
"I think we're playing our best football right now," Burgess said, "For four quarters, in all phases, I thought Friday night might have been the best game we've played this year. ... And that's what you want to be doing right now."
South Putnam hosts Trinity Lutheran on Friday at 7 p.m.