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INDIANAPOLIS -
Preparations for Center Grove began on Monday, but nothing may have been more beneficial than what then did on Thursday.
Following the practice in the chilly temperatures and the rain, the Warren Central team headed back inside the cozy comforts of the high school.
It included speeches from players, presentations to coaches, and even a motivational talk from former Warren Central star and Purdue Boilermaker Desmond Tardy.
"Had fun together as a team, and that make's us a family and a unit," said senior running back Shakir Bell.
During this team bonding exercise-celebration, everybody had a chance to get in on the act.
See: Warren Central Tries To Keep "The Promise"
"The coaches were actually imitating the player and the things that we do out here on the field," said senior linebacker James Manual of the Thursday event. "It was a fun night but it was still emotional."
Warren Central's head coach John Hart took it a step further.
"One of the key points to the whole season was last night," said Hart of the team meeting. "We just got great family and that's what it's all about."
Now that family will get a least one more week together, as a fast start propelled the Warriors to a 28-10 Class 5A semi-state victory Friday night at Warrior Field, giving the Warriors their first state championship game berth since 2006-the last of their four consecutive state championships.
"Our kids have worked so hard an fought through so much to get here," said Hart-who makes his first state title game in his second year at Warren Central. "I don't know when I've been prouder of a group of kids."
See: Center Grove Regional Game is the IndySportsNation Game of the Week
For the seniors, who were freshman the last time the Warriors hoisted a state championship trophy, getting back puts an end to three seasons of building the program back to a state title contender.
"We just tried to get back to they dynasty, and get back to home and that's the dome, and that's all that we were trying to do," said Manuel, who remembered watching the last title game win in his first year at the school.
He'll see it again thanks to another solid night of running by Bell, who put the game into the Warriors favorites early in the first quarter. He broke a 52-yard run and then scored on a three-yard dive on Warren Central's second possession to give the home team a 7-0 lead. After the Trojans' Jimmy Daggett evened the score with a 38-yard scoring run on the next posession, Bell was off and running soon after, scoring again from three-yards out to give Warren Central the lead back.
Later in the second, Bell broke it open when he broke a few tackles on the line and then ran untouched 75 yards for the touchdown to give the Warriors a 21-7 lead. In the first half Bell finished with three touchdowns and over 200 yards rushing.
See: Defense Helps Warren Central To Regional Championship
The defense took over after that, allowing just a field goal near the end of the second quarter following the scoring barrage by Bell and the offense. After shutting down the rushing-heavy Brownsburg offense, the Warriors didn't allow the Wing-T offense of Center Grove to get past the 50 for most of the football game.
Following the practice in the chilly temperatures and the rain, the Warren Central team headed back inside the cozy comforts of the high school.
It included speeches from players, presentations to coaches, and even a motivational talk from former Warren Central star and Purdue Boilermaker Desmond Tardy.
"Had fun together as a team, and that make's us a family and a unit," said senior running back Shakir Bell.
During this team bonding exercise-celebration, everybody had a chance to get in on the act.
See: Warren Central Tries To Keep "The Promise"
"The coaches were actually imitating the player and the things that we do out here on the field," said senior linebacker James Manual of the Thursday event. "It was a fun night but it was still emotional."
Warren Central's head coach John Hart took it a step further.
"One of the key points to the whole season was last night," said Hart of the team meeting. "We just got great family and that's what it's all about."
Now that family will get a least one more week together, as a fast start propelled the Warriors to a 28-10 Class 5A semi-state victory Friday night at Warrior Field, giving the Warriors their first state championship game berth since 2006-the last of their four consecutive state championships.
"Our kids have worked so hard an fought through so much to get here," said Hart-who makes his first state title game in his second year at Warren Central. "I don't know when I've been prouder of a group of kids."
See: Center Grove Regional Game is the IndySportsNation Game of the Week
For the seniors, who were freshman the last time the Warriors hoisted a state championship trophy, getting back puts an end to three seasons of building the program back to a state title contender.
"We just tried to get back to they dynasty, and get back to home and that's the dome, and that's all that we were trying to do," said Manuel, who remembered watching the last title game win in his first year at the school.
He'll see it again thanks to another solid night of running by Bell, who put the game into the Warriors favorites early in the first quarter. He broke a 52-yard run and then scored on a three-yard dive on Warren Central's second possession to give the home team a 7-0 lead. After the Trojans' Jimmy Daggett evened the score with a 38-yard scoring run on the next posession, Bell was off and running soon after, scoring again from three-yards out to give Warren Central the lead back.
Later in the second, Bell broke it open when he broke a few tackles on the line and then ran untouched 75 yards for the touchdown to give the Warriors a 21-7 lead. In the first half Bell finished with three touchdowns and over 200 yards rushing.
See: Defense Helps Warren Central To Regional Championship
The defense took over after that, allowing just a field goal near the end of the second quarter following the scoring barrage by Bell and the offense. After shutting down the rushing-heavy Brownsburg offense, the Warriors didn't allow the Wing-T offense of Center Grove to get past the 50 for most of the football game.
