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South never trails in 26-9 road victory over Fountain Central
VEEDERSBURG -- The South Putnam Eagles (8-3) are marching on after corralling the Mustangs (8-3) in a tense 26-9 bout Friday at Fountain Central High School.
Junior running back Kyle Shaffer had four touchdowns and 197 yards on the night while senior running back Brandon Gierke totaled 83 yards on 16 carries. The trio wasn't complete, however, without junior running back Dylan Wood. Wood contributed an additional 72 yards on nine carries before leaving the game with an apparent leg injury.
The three backs ran the game for the Eagles, literally, especially in the second half. The ground game proved potent on offense but also worked well as a defensive tactic, running down the clock and gaining valuable first downs to seal the deal for the Eagles late in the game.
Coach Nathan Aker had nothing but praise for his team after working hard all week and bringing home the victory after yet another long road game. In fact, a mock-game against the scout team earlier in the week, Aker said, prepared them well for the Mustangs. In that practice, the scout team scored an impressive 14 points -- something that bodes well for the future of the club.
Aker also said his players have learned how to stay poised when facing difficulty. After a one-yard Shaffer run into the end zone with five minutes left in the first quarter, the Eagles had a chance to apply what they'd learned. A missed snap afforded the Mustangs a quick two points in the form of a safety to bring the score to 6-2. That is when the Eagles really began to soar.
"Our Thursday night speaker was coach (Trevor) Yates -- he did a great job talking about what you do when adversity hits," Aker said. "Nothing is easy for anybody ... and to battle through that stuff is huge."
Battle through, they did.
Scoring twice in the second quarter was Shaffer. A nine-yard rushing touchdown at the 11:43 mark, followed by a one-yard punch-in with 1:46 remaining in the half pushed the Eagles' score to 18. Fountain Central managed to score one of its own before the half, however, sending the game into halftime with the score 18-9 in favor of South Putnam.
Short-term memory, Aker said, can be a valuable attribute in a football game.
"In a playoff game, and as with every football game, every play is a big deal," Aker said. "But in a playoff game it's really highlighted ... our kids know that. Our kids play the next play every time."
The Eagles came out fighting with a nearly seven-minute drive to start the second half. Although the drive ended with a lost fumble, the drive took precious time away from the Mustangs and ultimately nailed Fountain Central's coffin.
With the score still at 18-9 wth less than eight minutes to play, Shaffer ran in a nearly 30-yard touchdown to put South Putnam up by 15 points and give the game its ultimate score.
Now the Eagles have a new challenge ahead in the form of defending Class A state champion North Vermillion (11-1).
"You don't ever look ahead, especially when you're out there playing," Aker said. "But it's nice to be playing at home again. We have a bad taste in our mouths from our last home game and we want to right that ship."
South Putnam takes on No. 5 North Vermillion on Friday, Nov. 6 for the Sectional Championship. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at South Putnam High School.
At Fountain Central
S. Putnam 6 12 0 8 -- 26
F. Centrail 9 0 0 0 -- 9
Scoring
1st Quarter
SP 5:22 Shaffer 1-yard rush (XP no good) 6-0
FC 3:29 Forced safety 6-2
2nd Quarter
SP 11:43 Shaffer 9-yard rush (McHugh pass to Rutter no good) 12-2
FC 3:09 Bentley 22-yard pass to Crain (XP good) 12-9
SP 1:46 Shaffer 1-yard rush (McHugh rush no good) 18-9
4th Quarter
SP 7:56 Shaffer 27-yard rush (McHugh 2-yard rush good) 26-9
Statistics
Total yards: South Putnam 370
Rushing: Shaffer 28-197 (4 TD), Gierke 16-83, Wood 9-72, Scott 5-10
Passing: McHugh 1-5-8 yards