Slow start hurts Cubs in 28-12 loss to Northview

Greencastle's Grant Pettit tries to get around the corner as Braxton Sampson of Northview gets ready to make a hit.

Adler Ingalsbe photo

By Adler Ingalsbe

For the Banner Graphic

Coming off a gut-wrenching loss the week before that left a sour taste in the mouths of the Northview football team, the best remedy to rid itself of that was to come out fast against Greencastle Friday night.

The Knights did just that.

In their first three drives of the evening, the visitors marched up and down the field, capping each with touchdowns.

It led to a three-score lead before the Tiger Cubs amassed more than 30 yards of total offense and ended with Northview winning its first game of the season by a score of 28-12.

“We started off hot. That first quarter was very good,” Northview coach Mark Raetz said. “There’s still a lot of things we need to work on but a win’s a win.”

If there were somehow any questions remaining about just potent the Northview offense can be from what it showed in the Week 1 matchup against Terre Haute North, they were answered Friday.

On the first play of the game, running back Korbin Allen took the handoff, found a hole that was opened up by his offensive line and then proceeded to shed a few Greencastle tacklers for a 30-yard gain.

He added 15 more yards to his total a few plays later, setting up a picture-perfect fourth-down pass from quarterback Keegan Garrison to Ilias Gordon, who caught it in the back corner of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown.

After a quick three-and-out by the Northview defense, Allen was back at it in the backfield.

He gained 14 yards on a pair of carries, moving the ball to the 37-yard line.

The very next play?

Allen bounced to the outside and down the left sideline for a 63-yard score.

Wrapping up the third and final first quarter drive – one that began on the Greencastle 24-yard line after Elias Graf intercepted a pass and ran it back 40-plus yards – was another connection between Garrison and Gordon.

If the first touchdown play wowed the opposing fans who were getting their first glimpse at the 6-foot-1, 220-pound fullback, the second one had their jaws dropping beneath their masks.

Garrison zipped a 20-yard pass over the middle to Gordon, who was immediately met by several members of the Tiger Cub secondary. He wouldn’t go down, though.

Gordon, with Greencastle defenders stretching out his No. 12 uniform from holding on so tightly, backpedaled into the end zone for his second score of the quarter.

The trio of Garrison (8-of-14, 89 yards, two passing touchdowns; nine carries, 44 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown), Allen (17 carries, 191 yards, one touchdown) and Gordon (5 receptions, 73 yards, two touchdowns) combined for all four of Northview’s scores, as well as 285 of the team’s 330 total yards.

“They started off really hot,” said Raetz of the offense.

While the offense played at an exceptionally high level, especially early on in the game, the defense did its part in the win as well.

In the first three quarters of the game, Greencastle got into the red zone twice.

And on both trips, the Tiger Cubs came away empty-handed as the Northview defense held strong with its back against the wall, which included back-to-back sacks from Isaac Torbert and Dylan Zentko that forced a turnover on downs and preserved the shutout heading into the fourth period.

Greencastle did put up a pair of touchdowns in the final eight minutes of the night that did not please Raetz, but from looking at the way they played over the duration of the 48 minutes, the eighth-year coach thought his group played well.

“Defensively, I thought we played really well until we gave up that touchdown [with 8:13 remaining in the fourth]. And then we go three-and-out and they score again. It was that quick exchange that put a little stain on it, but overall, I thought, defensively, we played pretty well,” Raetz said of the defense.

Northview begins conference play Friday when the Knights play host to Sullivan, while Greencastle travels to West Vigo.

First quarter

Nv — Gordon 19 pass from Garrison (Corrigan kick), 8:01.

Nv — Allen 63 run (Corrigan kick), 4:29.

Nv — Gordon 23 pass from Garrison (Corrigan kick), 58.4.

Third quarter

Nv — Garrison 1 run (Corrigan kick), 1:28.

Fourth quarter

Gc — Ch.Carrington 17 pass from L.Carrington (LeBlanc kick failed), 8:13/

Gc — L.Carrington 1 run (L.Carrington pass failed), 4:08.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing — Northview, Allen 17-191, Garrison 9-44, Gordon 1-(-1), Holman 7-25. Greencastle, L.Carrington 21-47, LeBlanc 4-4, B.Carrington 5-28, C.Carrington 1-8, Pettit 1-(-1).

Passing — Northview, Garrison 8-14-2 89. Greencastle, L.Carrington 12-19-1 141.

Receiving — Northview, Gordon 5-73, Allen 1-(-4), Morgan 2-20. Greencastle C.Carrington 5-53, Wilson 2-13, B.Carrington 1-10, George 4-65.

Next game — Northview (1-1) hosts Sullivan and Greencastle (1-1) visits West Vigo Friday.