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CARMEL -
As young children, players in the blue and the white Friday night may have had an alternate ending story book.
That's the one where the prose takes you to a certain point, and then a decision is made at a particular page, and then the child is told where to go next in the book based on the consequence of that decision. As fiction usually has it, the zenith and conclusion are usually pretty exciting.
Life has imitated art in regards to the Carmel-Center Grove football game over the past 12 months, as plays in the fourth quarter have led to different yet exciting outcomes in the semi annual clash of Class 5A titans.
There was Morgan Newton's scramble for Carmel, two onside kicks on three touchdowns in the state title game for Center Grove.
Read: Carmel Must Replace Key Starters From '08 State Finalist Team
Chapter three at Carmel Friday featured a similar scenario to the second edition of the rivalry, but finished more like the first as the Greyhounds held off the Trojans for the 17-14 victory.
"Every time we play them its a tough game," said Carmel senior quarterback Adam Shaffer, who made his first start against Center Grove Friday. "We worked hard all summer to come out in the fourth quarter and outlast teams and I think we did that tonight."
Shaffer helped to do so in the fourth quarter, first with a six-yard touchdown strike to Billy Davis to put the Greyhounds up 17-7 with ten minutes to play. After the Trojans cut the lead to three on a touchdown run by Jimmy Daggett, Shaffer helped the Greyhounds convert on third and fourth down during a four-and-a-half minute drive that pinned Center Grove deep in their own territory in the closing moments of the game.
"We weren't trying to play not to lose, we were playing to win," said Shaffer of the final drive. "We didn't want to come in, run it three times and punt it, so we passed the ball a little bit."
Read: Center Grove Routes Pike to Improve to 2-0
Unlike the 2008 state title game, where Carmel's defense allowed the Trojans to score three unanswered touchdowns to erase a 19-point Greyhound lead, the home defense didn't allow a single yard on that final driver by Center Grove. Heavy pressure on quarterback Kyle Barth helped to force four consecutive incompletions to end the game.
"As we showed tonight, we put it in our past, we've moved on and stayed composed and played our hearts out and it showed," said senior linebacker Brian East.
Read: Did JJ Get It Right? Check Out His Picks For Week 3
Before that final 70 second, the Greyhounds defense showed composure and strength, keeping the Center Grove offense in check, allowing just 88 total rushing yards for the night. Midway through the third quarter, Carmel had allowed the Trojans just 17 rushing yard, and for the game allowed just 135 total, including zero on Center Grove's final drive.
"At some point you have to keep your emotions under control," said Carmel head coach Mo Moriarity of his team's mindset during the win. "If your too psyched up you can't play."
That's the one where the prose takes you to a certain point, and then a decision is made at a particular page, and then the child is told where to go next in the book based on the consequence of that decision. As fiction usually has it, the zenith and conclusion are usually pretty exciting.
Life has imitated art in regards to the Carmel-Center Grove football game over the past 12 months, as plays in the fourth quarter have led to different yet exciting outcomes in the semi annual clash of Class 5A titans.
There was Morgan Newton's scramble for Carmel, two onside kicks on three touchdowns in the state title game for Center Grove.
Read: Carmel Must Replace Key Starters From '08 State Finalist Team
Chapter three at Carmel Friday featured a similar scenario to the second edition of the rivalry, but finished more like the first as the Greyhounds held off the Trojans for the 17-14 victory.
"Every time we play them its a tough game," said Carmel senior quarterback Adam Shaffer, who made his first start against Center Grove Friday. "We worked hard all summer to come out in the fourth quarter and outlast teams and I think we did that tonight."
Shaffer helped to do so in the fourth quarter, first with a six-yard touchdown strike to Billy Davis to put the Greyhounds up 17-7 with ten minutes to play. After the Trojans cut the lead to three on a touchdown run by Jimmy Daggett, Shaffer helped the Greyhounds convert on third and fourth down during a four-and-a-half minute drive that pinned Center Grove deep in their own territory in the closing moments of the game.
"We weren't trying to play not to lose, we were playing to win," said Shaffer of the final drive. "We didn't want to come in, run it three times and punt it, so we passed the ball a little bit."
Read: Center Grove Routes Pike to Improve to 2-0
Unlike the 2008 state title game, where Carmel's defense allowed the Trojans to score three unanswered touchdowns to erase a 19-point Greyhound lead, the home defense didn't allow a single yard on that final driver by Center Grove. Heavy pressure on quarterback Kyle Barth helped to force four consecutive incompletions to end the game.
"As we showed tonight, we put it in our past, we've moved on and stayed composed and played our hearts out and it showed," said senior linebacker Brian East.
Read: Did JJ Get It Right? Check Out His Picks For Week 3
Before that final 70 second, the Greyhounds defense showed composure and strength, keeping the Center Grove offense in check, allowing just 88 total rushing yards for the night. Midway through the third quarter, Carmel had allowed the Trojans just 17 rushing yard, and for the game allowed just 135 total, including zero on Center Grove's final drive.
"At some point you have to keep your emotions under control," said Carmel head coach Mo Moriarity of his team's mindset during the win. "If your too psyched up you can't play."
