By RICH TORRES
CARMEL – Practice makes perfect. On Friday night, the Class 6A No. 3 Carmel Greyhounds’ defense proved it.
Holding No. 9 Center Grove scoreless in the second half, the defense clamped down en route to a 20-14 victory and the program’s first Copper Kettle win since 2014.
“It started on the first drive, and we had a lot of plays made by a lot of different guys at every position group,” Carmel head coach John Hebert said. “We knew we had a good team on defense, and a lot of guys back and everything, but for us to play that well all the way through the game was a blessing.”
Garrett Sharp’s interception on third-and-4 from Center Grove’s 40 put the defense in motion. More than 41 game minutes later, senior Kyle Lozen capped the defense’s effort with a fumble recovery and 1:28 remaining.
The Greyhounds limited the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference rival Trojans (0-3, 0-1 MIC) to 10 first downs, under 100 yards rushing and 2.0 yards per carry. Without star running back Carson Steele due to an injury, the Trojans turned to Connor Delp and a five-man committee.
Carmel kept Delp at 70 yards on 10 carries, but the junior broke free for a 59-yard gain that setup Center Grove’s momentary 7-3 lead early in the second quarter. Delp placed the Trojans on Carmel’s 5, and quarterback Tayven Jackson pushed forward for a 1-yard touchdown sneak.
Jackson rushed for a pair of 1-yard touchdowns, but he netted negative yardage as Carmel hounded him for five sacks and forced two turnover on downs, including a muff snap on a punt attempt during the Trojans’ second offensive series.
“It was a great game plan, great execution by our defense, great coaching staff. It’s just a great feeling to win this game,” Carmel senior lineback Ty Wise said. “I’ve never beat Center Grove, so this week of preparation for our defense was nothing like I’ve seen before. We came out at practice focused every single day. Coaches emphasized everything, and we put in the most work than we ever have and it really showed.”
Placekicker Spencer Hanna supplied Carmel’s first lead 3-0 with a 27-yard field goal in the first quarter after the Greyhounds tackled Jackson on his first punt attempt in the game. Carmel opened the ensuing drive on Center Grove’s 17, but a sack and a near lost fumble gave Hanna an opportunity.
He converted two 27-yard field goals, including the final Greyhounds final drive that burnt more than three minutes off the clock. Carmel struggled with three first downs in the second half and another issued on a penalty. A fumbled punt return cut the field in half for Center Grove, but the defense halted the Trojans’ drive at the Carmel 28 with a turnover on downs early in the third quarter.
“You’re going to have to play four quarters, and it’s going to come down to the very end like it did tonight, in order to beat Center Grove,” Hebert said. “They’re not easy to beat. We haven’t done that here for a couple of years. The kids are excited.”
The Greyhounds’ final offensive series featured a heavy dose of Dylan Downing who rushed for 115 yards on 23 carries at 5.0 yards per carry. He ran in a pair of touchdowns measuring 6 and 3 yards to put Carmel ahead 10-7 in the second quarter and 17-7 with 5:25 left before halftime.
“Their defensive coordinator is one of the best anywhere. Chad Daniels, he’s a great coach, and they do an amazing job, and their kids are great competitors,” Hebert said. “We knew we had our hands full. We found some things in the first half, and then they did a nice job adjusting and taking those away. It took us until the fourth quarter to find something.”
Hanna found a pair of clutch field goals after missing the beginning of the season with an illness. His kicks ended up being the difference.
“They felt exactly the same. You just have to keep going through it the same like every other kick,” Hanna said. “You just can’t describe the feeling. You always want to do this whenever in practice. You always prepare for it, and it’s the best feeling ever.”
Carmel’s Ty Wise (37) and Dominic Padjen (54) go after the Center Grove quarterback during the Greyhounds-Trojans game Friday at Carmel Stadium. The ‘Hounds beat Center Grove 20-14. (Richie Hall)