Back home again in Carmel Stadium, the Greyhounds picked up their first win of the season on Friday.
Carmel, ranked No. 4 in Class 6A, beat Noblesville 37-0 in an all-county game. The ‘Hounds kept their feet on the ground for the majority of the contest, totaling 392 yards and four rushing touchdowns.
“I think we were eager tonight to prove something,” said Carmel coach John Hebert. “It still took us a little while. Just because we want to get it done doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.”
The Greyhounds got on the board first with a safety, then two minutes later got the first of their five touchdowns. Dylan Downing rushed 45 yards into the end zone.
Carmel then added two more TDs in both the second and third quarters. Gabe Quigley sent a 37-yard touchdown pass to Zach Gish early in the second period, then Christian Williams made a one-yard run with 35 seconds left in the half.
Downing made his second long touchdown run early in the third, this one from 50 yards. John Rogers competed the scoring with a two-yard rush later in the period. Spencer Hanna kicked all five extra points.
Downing totaled 216 yards in 17 carries, with Rogers adding 98 yards.
“We’re trying to build our team,” said Hebert. “It’s going to take a full season for us to get to that point, I believe. But I believe we have the capability of being one of those teams that has a chance to play deep into the playoffs. That’s our goal, that’s our hope. We’re going to keep working toward that.”
Noblesville was held to 34 yards rushing by the Carmel defense. Alex Zavac totaled 45 yards passing with three completions, two going to Zach Blevins. The Millers fell to 0-2, although both losses have been to highly-ranked teams.
“Anybody who’s a competitor like myself is disappointed,” said Noblesville coach Justin Roden. He admitted that his team is struggling with injuries at the moment, but refused to use that as an excuse, especially with Hoosier Crossroads Conference play starting next week.
“There were plays tonight where I thought we were being tough, there were plays where we didn’t play as hard as we could have,” said Roden. “But I will say this: I do think that our kids really competed. I don’t think there’s a question tonight of our kids taking plays off or giving up, and there were plays last week when I wasn’t pleased with our effort. I’m happy with the effort, happy that we played a lot of young guys who probably aren’t ready for this kind of football, which is a positive.”
Both teams begin play in their respective conferences next week. Carmel hosts Center Grove to open Metropolitan Conference play, while the Millers host Fishers.
CARMEL 37, NOBLESVILLE 0
Score by Quarters
Noblesville 0 0 0 0 – 0
Carmel 9 14 14 0 – 37
Team Stats NHS CHS
First Downs 3 23
By Rush 1 18
By Pass 2 3
By Penalty 0 2
Rushes-Yards 21-34 52-392
Yards Passing 45 87
Comp-Att-Int-TD 3-12-3-0 6-13-1-1
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards 7-88 10-128
Punts-Average 5-45.0 3-42.0
Scoring
First Quarter
C, 4:00 – Safety
C, 2:00 – Dylan Downing 45-yard run (Spencer Hanna kick)
Second Quarter
C, 10:01 – Zach Gish 37-yard pass from
Gabe Quigley (Hanna kick)
C, 0:35 – Christian Williams 1-yard run (Hanna kick)
Third Quarter
C, 8:34 – Downing 50-yard run (Hanna kick)
C, 1:53 – John Rogers 2-yard run (Hanna kick)
Noblesville individual stats
Rushing: Alex Zavac 7-16, Dalton Hughes 8-14, Jayden Barrett 4-10, Drew Knieper 2-7.
Passing: Zavac 3-11-45, Barrett 0-1-0.
Receiving: Zach Blevins 2-20, Charlie Priddy 1-25.
Carmel individual stats
Rushing: Downing 17-216, Rogers 15-98, Zyavonta Blackburn 9-40, Quigley 4-18, Donovan Duffy 2-14, Williams 2-7, Zach Osborne 3-2.
Passing: Quigley 4-7-76, Osborne 2-6-11.
Receiving: Gish 2-39, Williams 2-25, Baron Smith 1-14, Colton Parker 1-9.
Carmel’s coach John Hebert talks with his team after the Greyhounds beat Noblesville 37-0 Friday night at Carmel Stadium. It was the first win of the season for the ‘Hounds after a loss at Louisville Trinity last week. (Richie Hall)
Noblesville’s Holden Montarsi makes sure he is lined up properly before the play begins. (Richie Hall)