Sheridan got off to a great start at Tipton Friday night.
Unfortunately, the rest of the game was all about the Blue Devils. Tipton held the Blackhawks scoreless in the last three quarters and eventually won 34-14 at the Blue Devils’ field. It was a game between two teams that are ranked No. 6 in their respective classes (Sheridan in 1A, Tipton in 2A).
The ‘Hawks led 14-7 after the first quarter. Ange Gnamkey took a kickoff return from one end of the field to the other, scoring a 91-yard touchdown midway through the period. Late in the quarter, Joe Callahan scored on a six-yard run. Gunnar Williams kicked both extra points.
But the Blue Devils scored 13 points in the second period to take a 20-13 halftime lead, then added one touchdown each in the third and fourth quarters.
Penalties became an issue for both teams: Tipton had 12 for 100 yards, while Sheridan had nine flags for 126 yards.
“We just gave one away, really,” said a disappointed Blackhawks coach Bud Wright after the game. “Too many penalties killed us. Penalty after penalty killed us.”
Callahan was the leading rusher with 92 yards in 26 carries. Drake Delph went 7-of-14 from the air totaling 72 yards, with Cole Cummings making three of those catches.
The loss ended a five-game winning streak for Sheridan, which is now 5-2 on the season. The Blackhawks will travel to Eastern next Friday to finish out Hoosier Heartland Conference play. Sheridan is 5-0 in the HHC and has already clinched at least a share of the conference championship.
