Very few football teams in Indiana – or anywhere, for that matter – had to work as hard for victory as Fishers did on Friday night.
The Tigers needed double overtime to get past Zionsville when the Class 5A No. 10 Eagles visited TCU Field for a Hoosier Crossroads Conference game. But Fishers won, thanks to two touchdown receptions by Colin McPeek. His second-overtime catch was the one that clinched the game, a 49-46 win for the Tigers.
“It was a wild game,” said Fishers coach Curt Funk. The coach said the game could’ve easily gone either way.
“It’s a game that the kids will remember for the rest of their lives,” said Funk.
The contest was tied at 37-37 at the end of regulation. The Tigers got the ball first in the first overtime, and quickly scored, with McPeek grabbing an eight-yard pass from Lucas Minns. A two-point conversion try didn’t go, so Fishers led 43-37.
Zionsville then had its turn, and the Eagles needed a fourth down before they could score on a six-yard run by Luke Murphy. But the extra-point kick was no good, and it was on to a second overtime.
Zionsville got the ball first this time, and the Eagles wound up settling for a 30-yard field goal by AJ Vinatieri. The Tigers’ Andre Glover made a second-down sack that helped push back Zionsville.
“Our defense came up with the big plays when they needed them,” said Funk.
On Fishers’ turn, Minns connected with McPeek again, this time for an 11-yard pass play that delivered the win.
Funk said that any time a team can win it’s special, but winning in this fashion “took such a team effort.”
“Throughout the game, it brought our team closer together and it just helps form a stronger bond,” said Funk.
Both teams scored in every period of the game. Fishers got on the board first after Carson Dunn scored oa a 19-yard run. Two Vinatieri field goals kept the Eagles within 7-6 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Minns found McPeek for a five-yard touchdown throw, then Dominic Oliverio ran in a two-point conversion. Zionsville then scored on a rushing touchdown, and Vinatieri’s third field goal of the game pushed the Eagles ahead 16-15 at halftime.
Oliverio scored a five-yard rushing touchdown for the Tigers, and Zionsville answered on a 16-yard pas play from Murphy to Trey Firestone. Both teams then scored two touchdowns in the fourth; with Dunn getting both of the Tigers’ scores. He found the end zone on a five-yard rush early in the fourth, then set up overtime with an 11-yard rushing score late in the quarter. John Tangara made the extra-point kick to tie the game; he was 3-for-3 on the night on kicks.
“I thought our offense did a nice job of being balanced,” said Funk. “I thought we had good performances from junior quarterback Lucas Minns.”
Funk credited McPeek with doing a nice job of receiving, along with the Tigers’ other receivers, and Dunn with running hard all night. Overall, the coach said, “it was just a great team effort from our offense.”
Minns finished the game with 327 yards on 24-of-34 passing; McPeek had nine of those receptions, totaling 150 yards. Dunn gained 98 yards in rushing. Jack Alvarez had eight tackles, while Oliverio made seven tackles and forced a fumble. Oliverio and Glover each made one sack.
The Tigers finished HCC play 4-3 and are 6-3 overall. Fishers is off next week, then plays at Hamilton Southeastern in the semi-finals of Class 6A Sectional 4.
FISHERS 49, ZIONSVILLE 46
(Double overtime)
Score by Quarters
Zionsville 6 10 7 14 6 3 – 46
Fishers 7 8 7 15 6 6 – 49
Team Stats ZHS FC
First Downs 19 20
By Rush 10 9
By Pass 9 11
By Penalty 0 0
Rushes-Yards 38-153 33-116
Yards Passing 222 327
Comp-Att-Int-TD 21-32-1-3 24-34-3-1
Fumbles-Lost 3-1 1-1
Penalties-Yards 5-30 6-35
Punts-Average 2-44.0 0-0.0
Fishers Scoring
First Quarter
9:33 – Carson Dunn 19-yard run (John Tangara kick)
Second Quarter
9:31 – Colin McPeek 5-yard pass from Lucas Minns (Dominic Oliverio run)
Third Quarter
4:48 – Oliverio 5-yard run (Tangara kick)
Fourth Quarter
11:33 – Dunn 5-yard run (Jeffrey Simmons pass from Minns)
2:23 – Dunn 11-yard (Tangara kick)
First Overtime
McPeek 8-yard pass from Minns (run failed)
Second Overtime
McPeek 11-yard pass from Minns (no attempt)
Fishers individual stats
Rushing: Dunn 20-98, Khobie Martin 3-7, Oliverio 3-6, Luke Valerio 1-4, Minns 5-1, team 1-0.
Passing: Minns 24-34-327.
Receiving: McPeek 9-150, Aidan Zimmer 6-87, Valerio 4-27, Dunn 2-44, Joe Syrus 2-12, Simmons 1-7.