By CRAIG ADKINS
When Fishers took the short road trip north to Noblesville for their Week 3 matchup, they were focused on one thing and one thing only and that was getting their first victory of the 2017 season. That’s exactly what the Tigers did with a convincing 29-0 shutout of the host Millers.
The two Hoosier Crossroads Conference rivals traded punts after going three-and-out on both of their first series of the night.
After a short punt from Jack Knight, the Tigers had a short field, starting their drive at the Noblesville 39 and it didn’t take long for them to get their first score in two weeks. Quarterback Joe Vore made it look easy, finding Isaiah Dunnuck for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 5:21 left in the first. Fishers attempted a 2-point conversion, but the run by Collin Statz was stopped by the Miller defense, putting the Tigers up 6-0 early.
Another three plays and a punt by Noblesville gave the ball back to Fishers at the Miller 40, but three plays later, Fishers gave it back on an interception by Austin Bridenthal.
Noblesville was starting to move the ball a little, but tailback Christian Collier coughed up the ball just into Tiger territory at the Fishers 47.
Fishers took over after the fumble and marched down the the 20 before Vore found Statz for a 20-yard TD pass. The two-point pass was incomplete and Fishers held for a 12-0 lead.
Head coach Rick Wimmer seemed pleased with his team’s effort throughout, despite current injuries and having to play a number of underclassmen.
“Vore had a little bit of a rocky start. He threw a pick early, but he threw the ball well and the receivers did a good job of getting it,” Wimmer of his poised junior signal caller.
“I thought our offensive line did a good job with protection and a pretty good job of run blocking,” Wimmer continued on his O-line helping Vore have a good night behind center.
The Tiger offense would tack on another score before half. It was Dunnuck again from his tight end slot, catching a 17-yard pass from Vore. This time they would opt to have Ben Norton boot the PAT that would account for the halftime score of 19-0.
The Millers received the second half kickoff and seemed to be an energized group on offense, that is until the Tigers’ Seth Sontich intercepted a Noblesville pass.
In Fishers’ next series following the Sontich pick, the Millers forced the Tigers to punt, but only to get it back on the punt. The ball bounced and hit a Noblesville player and Fishers recovered the ball at the Miller 18. Noblesville’s “D” stepped up and forced a field goal attempt from 33 yards away, but it brushed the right upright and was no good.
“Our defense played steady all night,” Wimmer on his defense having a great night in the shutout.
He was exactly right about that. After the missed field goal, defensive end Daniel Amadi grabbed an INT of his own and ran it clear down to the Noblesville 25.
The Tigers would get their lone rushing score with sophomore, workhouse tailback Geoffrey Brown carrying the ball over the goal line for a six-yard touchdown to make it a 26-0 margin.
Noblesville had plenty of opportunities, but kept shooting themselves in the foot.
The Millers tried to get into some sort of rhythm offensively, but every time things were going right, Fishers’ “D” came up big and made the plays necessary to get the stops.
The Tigers “D” forced Noblesville to turn the ball over on downs twice in the second half; late in the third and early in the fourth.
Following the latter, Fishers was in prime shape to score again, but a little better play defensively kept the Tigers to a 26-yard field goal off the foot of Norton that would ice it for the final of 29-0.
“When you look at tonight, I’d say it was a team loss, especially offensively and defensively,” Noblesville head coach Jason Simmons on his team’s disappointing loss on their home field.
The Fishers offense simply just wore out Noblesville’s defense. It never bodes well when your defense is on the field more than your offense. It just turns into one long night of football.
“Our defense was on the field too long. And that’s because of our inability offensively to make plays. Whether that’s drops, not making the right reads, throwing the football in the right spot or our inability to actually keep the blocking scheme,” Simmons continues on how things fell apart.
Jon Vore went 14-22 for 166 yards through the air and three TD’s. His main targets Isaiah Dunnuck (3-47, 2 TDs) and Collin Statz (5-55, TD) helped Vore carve through the Miller defense.
Noblesville (0-3, 0-1 HCC) makes the short trip west next week to face the Westfield Shamrocks (3-0, 1-0 HCC). The 2016 Class 5A state champs grabbed a big road win at Zionsville, 28-21.
Fishers (1-2, 1-0 HCC) got back on track and looks to get back to .500 next Friday when they face Hamilton Southeastern (1-2, 0-1 HCC) at home in the battle for the Mudsock Trophy. The Royals dropped their HCC opener Friday at home to Avon, 38-7.
Fishers’ Colin Statz leaps over Noblesville’s Zach Gruver (6), with Mason Battle in pursuit during the Tigers-Millers football game Friday night at Hare Chevrolet Field. (Kent Graham)
Geoffrey Brown scored a third-quarter touchdown for Fishers. (Kirk Green)
Noblesville quarterback Grant Gremel looks for some running room. (Kent Graham)