The REPORTER
A tremendous second quarter sent Hamilton Southeastern to a Homecoming win on Friday.
The Class 6A No. 5 Royals poured in 29 points during that period, and that powered Southeastern to a 43-22 Hoosier Crossroads Conference victory over Noblesville. The rushing game, led by AZ Wallace and Jalen Alexander, stepped up big time in the second quarter, and the Royals’ defense did its part as well, holding off a Millers offense that’s capable of putting up a big number of yards.
In fact, Hamilton Southeastern football coach Michael Kelly had this to say about the offensive abilities of Noblesville: “Their team is a team I stay up at night worrying about how you’re going to stop them, because they have the ability to stay on the field for an extended amount of time.”
Kelly can sleep well tonight, as his Royals responded after the Millers led 8-0 in the first quarter. Jacob Baker sent a 28-yard touchdown pass to Gage Gulley to get Noblesville on the board. The Millers went for two, and Gulley ran the conversion try into the end zone.
Southeastern got its first points a minute and a half into the second quarter. Wallace broke through with a four-yard touchdown run, after which the Royals made their own two-point try. It worked, as Callen Okerson caught a pass from Chandler Weston.
Alexander scored his first touchdown of the game near the midway point of the quarter, rushing in from 11 yards. A few plays later, HSE’s Jack Osiecki forced a fumble, which the Royals’ Jack Seyferth recovered. Southeastern got the ball down to the Noblesville one-yard line, and Alexander punched it in from there.
“We were able to get a couple stops, luckily, and force some turnovers and give ourselves a chance to win tonight,” said Kelly. “I’m proud of our kids.”
But Wallace had one more touchdown to score, and he got it with 2:32 left in the half, running from two yards. Hugo Belmonte made all three extra-point kicks, and the Royals led 29-8.
“We just had a bad second quarter,” said Noblesville coach Dave Sharpe. “It was, honestly, just some mistakes, incredibly correctable mistakes, but it just led to huge plays for them with the turnovers in the second quarter. But give them credit. We just didn’t have much of an offensive flow in the second quarter.”
The Millers kept fighting and cut into the HSE lead in the third quarter when Gulley made a two-yard touchdown run. That score was set up by a 45-yard throw from Baker to Gulley.
Noblesville’s Gage Gulley had three touchdowns, catching two TD passes and rushing for one more. (Joshua Herd)
“Our kids really fought,” said Sharpe. “Very proud of the second-half effort, receiving the opening kick and taking it 80 yards was critical and then getting a stop and having a legitimate chance down 14 with the ball at midfield late in the third. That’s as close as we got, but we definitely responded after the worst quarter of our season.”
In the fourth quarter, Wallace scored his third touchdown of the game with another one-yard trip into the end zone. Noblesville responded when Gulley caught another touchdown throw from Baker, this one from 24 yards. But Southeastern got the last word, as Weston tossed a nine-yard touchdown pass to Kameron Anthony for the game’s final score.
Alexander totaled 177 yards rushing, with Wallace gaining 65 yards on the ground.
“I don’t know how much we ran for last week, but I promise you, we ran for a lot more tonight,” said Kelly. “A credit to our offensive line to open up some big holes for them. They did a nice job moving the line of scrimmage.” Kelly also said his running backs ran hard, were physical and took care of the football.”
For the Millers, Logan Shoffner totaled 119 yards rushing, while Baker was 7-of-13 through the air and finished with 151 yards.
Southeastern is 4-1 in the conference and 6-1 overall, and hosts Franklin Central next Friday. Noblesville is 1-4 in HCC play and 3-4 overall, and hosts Brownsburg next Friday.
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 43, NOBLESVILLE 22
Score by Quarters
Noblesville 8 0 7 7 – 22
Southeastern 0 29 0 14 – 43
Team stats NOB HSE
First Downs 15 20
Rushes-Yards 43-157 52-262
Passing Yards 151 42
Comp-Att-Int-TD 7-13-2-2 6-8-0-1
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties-Yards 2-20 0-0
Punts-Average 1-24.0 1-26.0
Scoring
First Quarter
N, 4:00 – Gage Gulley 28-yard pass from Jacob Baker (Gulley run)
Second Quarter
HSE, 10:38 – AZ Wallace 4-yard run (Callen Okerson pass from Chandler Weston)
HSE, 6:55 – Jalen Alexander 11-yard run (Hugo Belmonte kick)
HSE, 5:23 – Alexander 1-yard run (Belmonte kick)
HSE, 2:32 – Wallace 2-yard run (Belmonte kick)
Third Quarter
N, 8:02 – Gulley 2-yard run (Jack Letourneau kick)
Fourth Quarter
HSE, 7:45 – Wallace 1-yard run (Belmonte kick)
N, 4:07 – Gulley 24-yard pass from Baker (Letourneau kick)
HSE, 1:23 – Kameron Anthony 9-yard pass from Weston (Belmonte kick)
Noblesville individual stats
Rushing: Logan Shoffner 21-119, Gulley 10-23, Gabe Bellan 7-21, Sidney Weaver 1-5, Baker 4-minus 11.
Passing: Baker 7-13-151.
Receiving: Gulley 3-97, Aiden Brewer 2-32, Max Miller 2-22.
Southeastern individual stats
Rushing: Jalen Alexander 28-177, Wallace 16-65, Weston 4-19, Jewel Jagoe 1-5, Anthony Harris 2-minus 4, team 1-0.
Passing: Weston 6-8-42.
Receiving: Dylan James 2-15, Liam Boyd 1-12, Anthony 1-9, Alexander 1-6, Jagoe 1-0.