Sheridan took care of business at Eastern Friday night, and then took home a conference championship trophy.
The Class 1A No. 5 Blackhawks finished an undefeated season in the Hoosier Heartland Conference with a 52-16 win over the Comets. Sheridan completed HHC play with a 6-0 record and marked its first conference championship since it won the Hoosier Heartland title in 2012.
“First conference championship we’ve had for a while, so they were pretty excited,” said Blackhawks coach Bud Wright.
Sheridan got off to a slow start, leading by just 7-0 after the first quarter. Nick Burnell got the ‘Hawks on the board early with a five-yard touchdown run.
Things got going for Sheridan in the second period, and the Blackhawks were ahead 24-0 at halftime. Joe Callahan scored on a short run, and the defense stepped up when Jarman Warren recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Gunnar Williams got the half’s final points when he kicked a 40-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining.
“Early we struggled a little bit,” said Wright. “Then we just played a little bit better defense. The first part of the ball game, we were a little slow.”
Sheridan poured in 28 more points in the third quarter. Three of the touchdowns were long runs: Cole Cummings grabbed an interception return and took it 50 yards to the end zone. Callahan then zoomed in from 69 yards, and Ange Gnamkey cruised in to score on a 30-yard run.
“We tried to get the ball to him a little bit more tonight,” said Wright of Gnamkey. “It worked out pretty good.”
Callahan scored the Blackhawks’ final touchdown, a five-yarder late in the third period. Cole Jackson kicked the extra point for that one; Williams booted all the others for a 7-for-7 kicking night (six extra points plus a field goal).
Callahan finished the game with 94 yards rushing.
After three weeks on the road, Sheridan returns home to Bud Wright Stadium next Friday for its regular-season finale. The Blackhawks will host South Decatur. Sheridan is now 6-2 overall.
