Tiger Cubs come up short in sectional shootout with No. 10 Bruins 47-41

Greencastle senior Seth Brown (84) runs to pick up yards after a catch as he tries to find room in the speedy secondary of Tri-West. (Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT)

LIZTON -- There were plenty of quality match-ups around the state as football sectional play opened across the state Friday night.

Finding a better game than the one Class 3A No. 12 Greencastle and No. 10 Tri-West put on, however, would be a difficult task as the two schools combined for 835 yards and 88 points.

Unfortunately, the Tiger Cubs were on the wrong side of the scoreboard as the hosts managed to hold on for a 47-41 victory and advancement in the IHSAA Class 3A Tournament.

Greencastle head coach Josh Buis said the game was everything that it was billed to be.

"It was a heck of a ballgame," Buis said. "Two good teams played each other. It was a barnburner; a shoot-out. It came down to defensive stops and the ball bouncing one way or the other.

"We had our opportunities. We played a good ball club who are well coached. They have a phenomenal quarterback and we have a phenomenal quarterback. It was exactly what I thought it would be."

Tri-West got off to a quick start after Wesley Cook ran in from nine yards out for a 7-0 lead before doubling their advantage through Cook again, this time from 15 yards out.

Greencastle got on the board for the first time through the legs of Alec Pettit on a 7-yard run that cut the deficit to 14-7.

Getting the offense on track up to that point took some time but once it got going, Buis said the team played very well.

"We had some drops and missed blocks early," Buis said. "We've not gotten out to a fast start for most of the season. It does show the perseverance these kids had because they did not give up.

"We were able to move the ball on the ground and through the air. Coach (Dave) Stephens did a great job tonight. He's been the offensive coordinator since I've been here and was creative in moving the ball."

A fake punt that went awry set up the Bruins for another score after quarterback Jake Hendershot hit Ryan Riehle for a 47-yard score.

The Tiger Cubs answered back 10 plays later through Pettit again, but this time off his arm rather than his legs. Pettit hit Seth Brown with a 25-yard halfback pass to trim the deficit to 21-14.

Tri-West responded within two minutes when Hendershot hit Kyle Cook for a 38-yard score, establishing a 27-14 lead that stood until the second half.

Buis said that stopping Tri-West was much like trying to stop a mirror image.

"Tri-West was very balanced," Buis said. "They ran and threw well. Their offense is similar to our offense and it's difficult to defend. A couple of missed tackles, guys out of position and an early turnover put us behind the eight-ball."

The Bruins started the second half with Wesley Cook's third score of the night, a 40-yard scamper that was answered by a Tyler Scott touchdown pass to Brett Gierke within two minutes.

Cook thundered in again, this time from 17 yards before the Tiger Cubs answered yet again. Scott found the end zone from 11 yards out to keep the visitors within striking distance at 41-28.

Greencastle forced the hosts to punt and a bad snap on the attempt set the Tiger Cubs up at the Bruin 30. Pettit crashed in from 15 yards out to cut the gap to six points at 41-35.

Tri-West answered to start the fourth quarter with Cook's fifth score of the game to take a 47-35 lead. Again, Greencastle responded hastily with Brown's second touchdown grab of the game, a four yard pass from Scott to cut the gap to 47-41.

Critically, the Tiger Cubs missed a golden chance to take control of the game when Hendershot missed a snap. The ensuing scramble saw Cook pick the ball up and run 25 yards back to the line of scrimmage, preventing a disastrous play from occurring.

Greencastle got two final cracks at scoring a final touchdown but one ended on an interception and the other ended with the ball being turned over on downs.

Hendershot scrambled for a final first down with a minute left in the game, finally securing a game that took nearly three hours to complete.

Buis said the squad put everything they had into the contest and deserved to hold their head high.

"I knew it was going to be a shootout with two good offenses playing," Buis said. "It was likely to come down to one possession. Our offense did a great job all night and I was proud of our defense in the fourth quarter.

"Forty-one points is a lot of points to put up and we were a couple of defensive stops away from winning the ball game. We just ran out of gas in the end."

With his first four-year class ending their high school careers, Buis said that the work the seniors had done set-up future classes for great success and revitalized a dormant community.

"The school had a great tradition when John Fallis was here," Buis said. "The seniors came in and took a school that had lost that foundation and brought school spirit back. No one knew the school fight song four years ago and now it's something heard daily.

"You go to the basketball and volleyball games and people are singing that song. These guys have built something from the ground up and they've established a great foundation here for future coaches and players alike to continue to build on.

"We're four years removed from being beaten by teams that don't have anywhere near the tradition that this school does," Buis added. "We've gotten back to the point where we win the games we're supposed to win and beat good ball teams.

"In the past four years, we've developed a football community. It's been a grassroots uprising in Putnam County and in Greencastle. We love our football and people are coming out of the woodwork to cheer us on and that's something we're proud of."

IHSAA Football Class 3A Sectional No. 29
At Tri-West