By JIM BELSER
CARMEL – In cold conditions Carmel (10-2) brought the heat on defense, handing Fort Wayne Snider a 20-6 loss and exit out of 2018 Class 6A state playoffs in the Regional 2 championship game at Carmel Stadium Friday night. The win gave the Greyhounds their 11th regional championship in the past 13 seasons.
Three interceptions set the stage for the victory that highlighted a dominating effort by the Carmel defense. The Snider offense totaled just 190 yards of offense.
“The game played differently than what we thought it would, but our defense rose to the occasion and really played well. I am really proud of the way they played,” Carmel coach John Hebert said.
Nate Frey of Carmel intercepted two Snider passes, returning both for big yards. His second interception, coming in the third quarter, set up the Greyhounds final score.
The Carmel offense took over after Frey’s interception and marched 51 yards, eventually landing in the end zone on a two-yard run by quarterback Gabe Quigley to go up 20-0 to start the fourth quarter.
Field goal kicker Spencer Hanna was two for two to tally six points for Carmel, including a 41-yarder, providing the Greyhounds with yet another excellent performance.
A 25-yarder from Hanna gave Carmel a 13-0 third quarter lead. Snider found some success in the air in the first half, finishing with 60 yards in the half, mostly from screens.
With less than three minutes to go, Snider’s Ethan Hoover scooped up a Carmel fumble and ran it in from 43 yards to give the Panthers their only score.
“Snider had a lot to do with the mistakes we made and some missed opportunities, they are a great football team and have great coaching, we are going to have to watch the tape to see what happened,” Herbert said.
Carmel takes on Valparaiso, a 23-6 winner over Crown Point in 6A north semi-state action next week at Valparaiso.
Carmel controlled the action in the first half, rolling up 221 total yards to Snider’s 97. It all started on the game’s first play from scrimmage as the Greyhounds Dylan Downing broke to the outside for a 65-yard run. Two more rushes went to Downing before Carmel quarterback Gabe Quigley scampered in for a touchdown from the 14-yard line, making it 7-0 Greyhounds with 10:32 to go in the first quarter.
Defensive safety Nate Frey followed Carmel’s first score of the half with an interception and return for 40 yards. Snider’s defense stiffened, however, and stopped the Greyhounds on fourth and one at their own 25 after Frey’s big play.
Carmel’s defense came up big again in the first half when IU commit Beau Robbins delivered a hit in the Snider backfield for a three-yard loss, bringing up fourth down for the visitors. Carmel pushed the ball down the field on the ground on its following possession to set up its second score of the first half. The drive was highlighted by a 19-yard play action run by Quigley.
Contact by the Snider defense on a Quigley pass attempt caused a misguided throw and incompletion on third down, stalling the drive. Carmel kicker Spencer Hanna found enough distance from 41 yards out to give Carmel a 10-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
“We are playing our best football right now. But we aren’t yet at the point where we can be. I think we are finally coming together and becoming tight-knit,” Hebert said.
Carmel celebrated after beating Fort Wayne Snider 20-6 to win the Class 6A Regional 2 championship Friday at Carmel Stadium. This marked the 11th regional championship in the past 13 years for the Greyhounds. (Kirk Green)
Nate Frey (22) runs back an interception. (Kirk Green)