Noblesville Grinders win first state championship

The REPORTER

On Saturday, Oct. 19, the Noblesville Grinders gave their fans a long-awaited championship.

The Grinders won the Indiana Elementary Football Association (IEFA) championship, beating Westfield 8-6 at Beaver Materials Stadium in Noblesville. The Grinders scored a touchdown and made a two-point conversion in the third quarter for their points.

“As a former Grinder myself, winning that championship means a lot. Not only to me, but a lot of other people I grew up with,” said Grinders coach Jeremy Ely. “After the game, I gave Steve Dillinger the game ball, and that meant a lot to me, because he was my coach and ran the program for 25 years.”

Dillinger was one of the founders of the Grinders, which was formed in 1969. He would later coach the team for 25 years and is still an enthusiastic backer of the team.

“I was there that night,” said Dillinger. “They gave me the game ball, which I really appreciated.”

Noblesville’s first points came from a touchdown by Dawson Cornell, who made a six-yard run to score. The Grinders made a two-point try from the five-yard line, with A.J. Gonzalez throwing a pass to Everet Ehle, who caught it in the end zone.

Westfield scored its points late in the fourth quarter when Zander Patchett threw a pass to Elijah Sexton for a 37-yard touchdown. But Noblesville held on for the win.

“For them to win the state championship, particularly for two Hamilton County schools to be in the finals, Westfield and Noblesville, that was extremely joyful,” said Dillinger. “It was just a great event.”

Eight teams played in the IEFA playoffs, including four from Hamilton County. Westfield beat Carmel 20-6 in the first round, while Noblesville beat Hamilton Southeastern 26-0 in another first-round game.

In the semifinals, the Rocks defeated Brownsburg 22-14, with the Grinders beating Center Grove 13-12. In the consolation games, Ben Davis beat Carmel 22-15 in the fifth-place game, with Southeastern defeating Pike 13-6 in the seventh-place game.