The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1480126
B-2 Wednesday, September 28, 2022 The Press-Dispatch Turnovers, mistakes thwart strong effort by Chargers By Arri J. McDonald Press-Dispatch Sports sports@pressdispatch.net Pike Central traveled to North Knox (3-3) on Friday night, looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss at Washington. Coming into the game, Coach Kelly Brashear anticipated a grind-it-out gut check. A handful of big plays from Warrior halfback Caleb Bot- tum proved to be the differ- ence in a game that the Char- gers other wise went blow for blow with a good North Knox football team. The Chargers returned the opening kickoff to the 31-yard line and immediately began moving the ball with a steady and methodical running game that they would rely upon all night. The offense pushed the ball into North Knox territor y, using a series of rushes from senior running backs Jagar Dent, Braden Howald and Na- thanael Kell. A false start pen- alty slowed the momentum and forced a third and seven from the Warrior 39. Kell was stopped after a short gain and the Chargers punted to the Warrior 14-yard line. The Warriors used a series of rushes of their own to reach their 45-yard line where they faced third and two. The Char- gers were bending, but, had yet to break when North Knox running back Caleb Bottum streaked around the edge of the PC defense for a 55-yard score. The kick was good put Pike Central down 7-0. The Pike Central offense again showed life on the en- suing drive that started at the Charger 33. Kell converted a third-and-two with a sev- en-yard run. Quarterback Matthew Meadows followed the conver- sion with a pass to Dent, but, the play was called back on a holding penalty. With yards marked off from the spot of the foul, PC now faced a first and 30, an almost impossible hole to dig out of. Nonethe- less, the Chargers almost did. Meadows hit Connor Loveless for nine yards. Braden How- ald rushed for 10 more and on third and 10, Meadows' pass fell incomplete forcing a punt. The Warriors took over just past their own 30 and fumbled the snap on first down. But on second-and-15, Bottum struck again. This time a 73- yard touchdown run with the first quarter coming to a close, North Knox lead 14-0. The Chargers went three- and-out on the first drive of the second quarter and punt- ed. The Warriors took over at their 41. The defense stiffened forcing a three-and-out of its own. The PC offense got the ball at their 42. Howald, Kell and Meadows pounded out a first down on three runs, pushing the ball past midfield. Thereafter, Kell converted a third-and-three with a four-yard rush, and Meadows hit Loveless again with a seven-yard pass for another first down. With the Chargers on the edge of the Warrior red zone, the defense came up with a play to stop the drive, ripping the ball away from a Charger receiver for a fumble recover y. North Knox took over at its 20-yard line. With PC's momentum stalled, the Warriors used big plays to surge into Charger territor y. Bottum ripped a 23- yard run, then quarterback Mason L yons hit Bottum on a 26-yard strike. Two false start penalties forced the offense into a third and 14. The Charger defense stopped Bottum two yards short, setting up fourth-and- two from the PC 14-yard line. The Charger defense once again came up big, as the War- rior ball carrier was stuffed on fourth down, just before the end of the first half. North Knox took a 14-0 lead into the locker room. Pike Central kicked off to start the second half and the Warriors gave themselves a short field, returning the ball to the PC 35 Carter Lemberg and Bot- tum combined on a series of rushes to drive the ball to the Pike Central two-yard line where the offense faced third down. Lemberg converted for a two-yard score, and the War- riors led by three scores early in the third quarter. After the kickoff, the Char- gers took over at their 35. Meadows completed a 14- yard strike to Dent. However, the offense stalled with two consecutive penalties and the Chargers punted. It would have been easy for the Chargers to quit, but they clawed back into the game with a big play on defense. Senior Corey Goeppner re- covered a North Knox fumble at the 15. This time the Char- gers had a short field. A Dent run gave the offense a third and three. The Warriors were called for pass interference giving Pike Central first and goal from the five. Two plays later PC got on the scoreboard as Howald streaked around the left end for the touchdown. The kick was good, with 4:07 left in the third quarter, cut- ting the score to 21-7. The PC defense stiffened on the ensuing drive, forcing a fourth-and-one on the first series of plays. The Warrior ball carrier eked out the first down, gaining just enough to move the sticks. Bottum ap- peared to be stuffed on the next play as three Chargers closed in, but, he broke three tackles and raced 60 yards for a Warriors score, making it 28-7 as the third quarter end- ed. Once again, the Chargers had ever y reason to quit, but they fought back with their best drive of the night. After a touchback, Meadows hit Pey- ton Howald on the first play for 20 yards. The Chargers used the ground game to move the ball to the Warrior 42, where they faced a fourth and 7. Peyton Howald scrambled for an eight-yard conversion on a fake punt. Three plays later his brother, Braden, scored on a 24-yard run pulling the Char- gers to 28-14 nine minutes to go. The Charger defense stepped up on the next drive. After converting a first down and moving past midfield, Pike Central forced a fourth and 10. The Warriors attempt- ed a fake punt of their own, but the defense stopped them three yards short. Midway through the fi- nal period, the Chargers took over near midfield, but a tipped ball interception stopped the drive. The War- riors seized the momentum and scored on a 37-yard run, which accounted for the final score, 35-14. After the game, Charger Coach Kelly Brashear was pleased with his young team's effort: "I was extremely proud of the way that we bounced back tonight from our per- formance last week at Wash- ington. I couldn't be prouder of the way that our kids re- sponded. They played so well against a ver y good football team tonight. The offense that North Knox runs is a bit un- orthodox; it is really difficult to stop. But Coach Howald had a great defensive plan and our kids executed that plan ver y well. It was one of those things in the first half offensively where we moved the ball at will. We just shot ourselves in the foot with pen- alties, a couple of fumbles, and some dropped balls." The Chargers will attempt to continue their positive mo- mentum next Friday night when they host Tell City (1-5) in a 7:30 p.m. PAC contest. Charger defenders Braden Howald (5) and Corey Goeppner (73) team up to tackle a North Knox runner before he can get upfield. Charger quarterback Matthew Meadows tries to cut behind the block of Jagar Dent (13) during Pike Cen- tral's game with North Knox on Friday. Charger running back Jagar Dent cuts back along the side- lines for a gain against North Knox. Pike Central's 2022 girls soccer team members are: front row (l to r) Alli Hardin, Lillian Thompson, Lillian Nalley, Emma Brock, Autumn Seals, Anna Whitehead, Ken- nedy Willis and Karly Morson; back row: Assistant coach Chris Young, Beth Edrington, Keena Young, JayLynn Capehart, Lainey Leighty, Kahle Young, Jasmine Leighty and assistant coach Brian Willis. Not pictured: Chad Western Head Coach, Wren Kabrick, Grace Robling and Neishia Smith. LADY CHARGER SOCCER Good Luck at Sectionals P.O. 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