By RICHIE HALL
WESTFIELD – The best of high school athletics was on display last Saturday at the IHSAA Unified flag football state championship game, which took place at Grand Park.
Defending state champion Carmel made a stirring comeback after trailing Fort Wayne Carroll for most of the game, taking the lead during the later stages of the second half. But the Chargers scored with 1:13 left in the game and held on for a 44-40 victory over the Greyhounds.
Although Carmel fell short, it still showed a remarkable amount of courage and grit to come back from a large deficit during the first part of the game. And the Greyhounds also earned a major award after the game, as two of its student-athletes received the Bobby Cox Spirit of Unified Mental Attitude Award.
“I was super proud,” said Carmel coach Jamie Stephen. “The first half was a little rough, but they stayed with it, they didn’t give up, and we went into the second half and we gave it our all, and it was a tight game. Less than a touchdown away.”
Carmel’s Joe Gasta and Hannah Pettee received the Bobby Cox Spirit of Unified
Mental Attitude Award. Pictured: Josh Pettee, Rachel Pettee, Hannah Pettee,
Joe Gasta, Chelsey Rasmussen, Tom Gasta, Luke Gasta, and Ivy the dog. (Richie Hall)
The Chargers jumped out to an 18-0 lead in the first half. Carmel got on the board when Will McKee threw a touchdown pass to Charlie Harter, then ran in a two-point conversion. Carroll scored again to go up 24-8, but on the final play of the half, McKee threw a TD pass to Stone Stephenson. McKee made another two-point run, bringing the Greyhounds within 24-16 at halftime.
Carroll scored the first touchdown of the second half, then made a one-point conversion for a 31-16 lead. McKee quickly responded with a touchdown run. Carroll scored again, taking a 37-22 lead with 11:42 left.
Carmel then made a huge comeback, with McKee throwing three touchdown passes over the next nine minutes. Harter caught a TD throw with 10:13 left, then Cameron Broady made a huge catch with 6:30 left to bring the Hounds within 37-34.
The Greyhounds got the go-ahead touchdown with 2:33 left, when Josh Ott made a tremendous catch while being tightly defended. Carmel now held a 40-37 lead. But on fourth down, Carroll’s Micah Livingston threw a long ball the length of the field to Isaac Chapman, who caught it for a touchdown. The Chargers made a one-point conversion, and that would be the final point of the game.
Stephen said the Greyhounds were playing with “a whole new crew out here this year,” saying that there were “a lot of people excited to be a part of the Unified team after last year’s win. I think us making it here will keep the momentum going and it just builds up more hope for the future of our program.”
Carmel earned a major award after the game, as two of its student-athletes, Joe Gasta and Hannah Pettee, received the Bobby Cox Spirit of Unified Mental Attitude Award.
“They have brought amazing things to the team,” said Stephen. Pettee played on the Unified team all four years; Stephen said Pettee brings in “pep for everyone. Athletes, partners, boys, girls, no matter what, she’s always there to have your back. Joe is more on the field. He’s out there to make sure everybody keeps a cool head and calm, and that’s also another part we need.”