Calm Waters carries Eagles to win against Senators

Saturday, November 2, 2013
Senior Joe Waters breaks open for the first score of the game, a 75-yard run during the second quarter. Waters finished with a career-high 149 yards on 16 carries. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

VERNON -- Starting senior quarterback Sawyer Arnold was injured on the first offensive play for South Putnam and the West Washington defense was devoted to shutting down Eagles junior Lucas Lorian, so the team turned to senior fullback Joe Waters for a bigger load than he's had to tow all season.

Waters finished with 16 carries for 149 yards and two touchdowns to help South Putnam win on the road in the Indiana High School Athletic Association sectional semifinal, 26-13 on Friday.

"It was really tough (without Sawyer). When he goes down, everyone has to step up, and everyone did," Waters said. "The whole team stepped up. The offensive line did great. ... When somebody goes down or they stop something, I feel like I have to step it up just as much as everybody else does."

Arnold took a helmet to his right knee on 5-yard rush when he took the ball to the left sideline on a read option and was replaced by sophomore Grady McHugh.

The Eagles took a conservative approach offensively following the injury, with Lorian taking the ball up the middle to limited success throughout the first quarter.

South Putnam coach Troy Burgess said he might have been more affected by the injury than even the team.

"I lost my whole train of thought for the whole first quarter," Burgess said. "Sawyer and I have a special relationship and to see him get hurt, it took its toll on me in the first quarter. I can't do that. I've got to make sure I keep my head."

With the team's emotional leader sidelined for the remainder of the game, the Eagles were sloppy. They dominated at the line of scrimmage and moved the ball offensively, but careless penalties set the team back before it could make any progress.

Senior Wes Riner catches a 21-yard touchdown pass during the third quarter against West Washington on Friday. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

Defensively South Putnam limited the Senators to just 62 yards in the first half, but still had less time of possession before the break because of drive-extending personal fouls and holds.

South Putnam finished the game with 10 penalties for 119 yards, including four personal fouls.

The Eagles finally broke through with a clean score in the second quarter when Waters took the ball up the gut then broke outside for a 75-yard run with 8:23 left in the second quarter.

"Joe has been doing it the last half of the season," Burgess said. "He's had some big runs for us and some big games. He's a heck of a fullback.

"He's a good lead-blocker, but when you give him the ball he knows what to do with it. If teams are going to focus and set that much attention on Lucas, other guys are going to have to step up, and Joe's done it."

The celebration was short-lived as West Washington senior Sean Keller bobbled the ensuing kickoff, then shot down the middle of the field for a 95-yard touchdown return.

Lorian, who despite taking the brunt of the Senators' focus finished with 25 carries for 188 yards, answered for the Eagles on the next drive. His 34-yard run gave the Eagles a 12-6 lead.

Keller had another long kickoff return following Lorian's score, but the defense preserved the six-point lead into halftime.

After McHugh finished the first half 1-for-2 for 19 yards, the Eagles got more comfortable with their No. 2 quarterback and he responded.

On a fourth-and-1 near midfield, McHugh used a hard count to draw an offside penalty and started to search for targets downfield.

Waters took over as the main ball carrier in the second half. He had 11 carries for 57 yards and a 20-yard touchdown after the break.

"We have to clean it up," Burgess said. "If we're going to try to win a sectional, the two things we have got to do better are take care of our special teams and do better on penalties.

"We have to do those two things."

Leading 18-6 late in the third quarter, South Putnam drove down the field before slumping to a fourth-and-5 from the West Washington 21.

Sophomore Jimmy Rutter intercepts a pass late in the fourth quarter to end West Washington's final drive of the game. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

Following a timeout, McHugh rolled to his right and found senior Wes Riner in the middle of the field for a touchdown strike. His two-point pass to Waters gave the Eagles an insurmountable 26-6 lead.

West Washington finally put together a touchdown drive to start the fourth quarter with Keller punching the ball in from five yards out, but the Eagles defense stood up at the end of the game.

Junior quarterback Cody Maudlin threw a pair of interceptions in the fourth quarter, one each to sophomore Jimmy Rutter and senior Braden Patrick, to end the game.

McHugh and his running backs took the Eagles down the field with the clocking ticking down before the sophomore took a knee to ice the game.

"All of our kids rallied around Grady and gave him a lot of confidence," Burgess said. "It's a win. I'm proud of our kids. I could go down the list of the kids that stepped up tonight, but we've still got some things to work on between now and next Friday."

The win sends the Eagles to the sectional final for the first time since 2011. They'll travel to Indianapolis Lutheran on Friday. The Saints beat Edinburgh 50-28 to earn a chance to host the sectional final.



IHSAA Sectional Football

Semifinal at West Washington

South Putnam 012140-- 26
West Washington0607-- 13

Scoring summary
2nd quarter
S 8:24 -- Waters 75-yard run (Yon kick failed), 6-0
W 8:26 -- Keller 95-yard return (Grimes kick failed), 6-6
S 9:19 -- Lorian 34-yard run (Yon kick failed), 12-6
3rd quarter
S 7:56 -- Waters 20-yard run (2pt try failed, McHugh to Waters), 18-6
S 3:02 -- Riner 21-yard pass from McHugh (2pt good, McHugh to Waters), 26-6
4th quarter
W 11:28 -- Keller 2-yard run (Grimes kick), 26-13

Team stats
*
SPWW
1st down1210
Net Yard393152
Rush-yard51-33722-31
Pass yard56121
Punt ret-yd00
Kick ret-yd3-315-158
Ints-yds2-01-0
Comp-att-int5-8-112-25-2
Sacked-yard0-02-25
Punts-yards3-813-74
Fumbles-lost0-02-1
Penalty-yard10-1194-41
T.O.P.28:1719:43

Individual stats
South Putnam (10-1)
Rushing: Lorian 25-188, TD; Watters 16-149, 2TD; Riner 5-22; McHugh 3-7; Arnold 1-5; Team 1-(-1)
Passing: McHugh 5-7-0-56, TD; Shaffer 0-1-1-0
Receiving: Waters 2-29; Riner 2-20 TD; Vittetow 1-7

West Washington (5-6)
Rushing: Dunn 12-27; Keller 7-26, TD; Maudlin 3-(-22)
Passing: Maudlin 12-24-2-121; Holliday 0-1-0-0
Receiving: Holliday 4-40; Keller 1-35; Woods 2-19; Smith 1-19; Grimes 3-12; Dunn 1-(-4)

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