North Putnam survives frantic finale to beat Greencastle

North Putnam's Noah Claycomb found paydirt on five separate occasions Friday night against Greencastle, including the only score of overtime, to help the Cougars to their third-straight win to close the season with a 34-28 victory over the Tiger Cubs.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

BAINBRIDGE – As fans were leaving North Putnam, one exuberant fan yelled out to those clad in blue and orange:

“How ‘bout them Cougs?”

The sentiment came after the home side turned around a 13-point deficit from the first half, took the lead with under three minutes to play, allowed Greencastle to tie the game in the final minute, saw the game evaporate before their eyes as the Tiger Cubs looked to have walked off with a pick-six, only for a penalty to negate the score and send the game to overtime where the hosts forced a missed field goal and Noah Claycomb scored his fifth touchdown of the night for a 34-28 win.

“Each week, we continue to improve every chance we get and every Friday, we rise up mentally to adversity,” North Putnam head coach Scott Moore said. “We had to learn how to win a game earlier in the season and a game like this, for our seniors, our entire team and for the entire school, these are ones that set the tone for the future and I’m so proud of the guys.”

“Early, we controlled (North Putnam’s) run game the best we could but then they got into a power situation and we just didn’t have an answer for Claycomb tonight,” Greencastle interim coach Matt Helmer said. “The kid runs the ball really well.

“Our kids came out in the second half and executed really well. I’m interested to see the film on the interception return; I thought we had it right there but you get a call and that happens.”

Greencastle (4-5) made a significant change before the game, swapping Chase Carrington for Jacob Miller at quarterback with the latter moving to Carrington’s receiver spot.

“Chase has played some quarterback this year,” Helmer said about the switch. “Going forward, we thought, for running the ball, having Chase and Lamar (Moore) and Peyton (Welker) would gives us the best chance for the back half of the season going into sectionals.”

Carrington picked up an early first down but fumbled on the next play with the ball recovered by North Putnam’s Lucas Murphy.

The Cougars (4-5) went three-and-out and the Tiger Cubs capitalized with a 13-play drive that ended with a three-yard Moore score for a 7-0 lead.

Both teams turned the ball over on downs and then fumbled back to the other before the hosts finally settled things down with a six-play drive and Claycomb’s first score, a 1-yard plunge to take an 8-7 lead early in the second quarter.

Greencastle answered back with Carrington scoring from 35 yards out to retake the lead at 14-7 before adding a 58-yard bolt to the end zone after a Claycomb fumble to make it 21-8.

North Putnam finished the half with a nine-play drive that ate up the final 3:12 of the half, ending with Claycomb crashing in from two yards out to make it 21-14 at the break.

The Cougars started the second half the same way they ended the first, taking advantage of a failed onside kick as Claycomb crashed in from a yard out to tie the game at 21-21 inside the first three minutes of the third quarter.

“We knew, when (Greencastle) was getting stuff, what we could do to not let it happen,” Moore said about the swing either side of halftime. “We made some in-game adjustments to what they were doing.

“Getting a score right before halftime was a great drive and we wanted to come out, open the4 second half with a score and we did that.”

After a trade of punts, the visitors had a 12-play drive come up empty after failing to convert fourth-and-three at the hosts’ 15-yard line.

A trade of punts followed before North Putnam put together a nine-play drive to take the lead, Claycomb scoring a fourth time from six yards out as the home side took a 28-21 lead with 2:53 to play.

The Tiger Cubs got the first 20 yards of the next drive on North Putnam penalties, soon getting inside the Cougar red zone before a sack and a short scramble set up fourth-and-15.

A second pass interference call against the hosts made it fourth-and-four and Carrington capitalized, racing in from 11 yards out to tie the game at 28-28 with 40 seconds in regulation.

North Putnam moved up the field quickly with three completions covering 39 yards, giving the hosts a final play from the visitors’ 41-yard line.

Kramer’s heave toward the end zone was intercepted by Carrington, who was able to get enough blocks to return the ball 91 yards for what appeared to be the winning score as time had expired.

A flag for holding wiped out the play and overtime soon beckoned, Greencastle getting the first possession but a bad snap and a sack put the Tiger Cubs in a spot where Ian Williamson was called on to attempt a 40-yard field goal, one that was well wide to the right.

Claycomb finished off the night, taking a handoff toward the right side and rolling the 10 yards needed for a score and a third-straight win for the Cougars.

“I asked, ‘Did we just lose the game on something like that?’ but one of my assistants said they saw the hold that they called,” Moore said about the wild finish. “That was my first overtime game as a coach or even as a player.

“We knew once we stopped them, we felt good about scoring from the 10-yard line in four plays and thankfully it only took one.”

“We got behind the sticks in overtime and that’s not the way we wanted it to go,” Helmer said. “The good thing is, this closes the chapter on the season and now a new season starts.”

Sectional play begins next week with North Putnam staying at home to face Sullivan while Greencastle travels to Cascade.

Scoring

1st Quarter

G — Moore 3-yard run (Williamson kick) 3:08 0-7

2nd Quarter

NP — Claycomb 1-yard run (C. Kramer conversion) 7:56 8-7

G — Carrington 35-yard run (Williamson kick) 5:38 8-14

G — Carrington 58-yard run (Williamson kick) 3:12 8-21

NP — Claycomb 2-yard run (Conversion failed) 0:00 14-21

3rd Quarter

NP — Claycomb 1-yard run (Polley kick) 9:13 21-21

4th Quarter

NP — Claycomb 6-yard run (Polley kick) 2:53 28-21

G — Carrington 11-yard run (Williamson kick) :39.5 28-28

Overtime

NP — Claycomb 10-yard run 34-28

Statistics

Individual Statistics

Greencastle — 52-294, 4 TD — Carrington 32-241. 3 TD; Moore 11-31, TD; Welker 8-23; Brennan 1-(-1)

North Putnam — 44-164, 5 TD — Claycomb 39-169, 5 TD; C. Kramer 5-(-5)

Passing

Greencastle — Carrington 2-8-57

North Putnam — C. Kramer 14-23-206, INT

Receiving

Greencastle — Huff 1-33; Moore 1-24

North Putnam — Skaggs 7-91; M. Bryan 3-41; Claycomb 2-41; Glaze 1-24; A. Kramer 1-9