Fun in the mud: Comets trample Rebels

Local Sports

Discussion

October 31, 2009

Caston advances to first sectional title game since 2003

By BEAU WICKER Pharos-Tribune Sat Oct 31, 2009, 01:18 AM EDT

KENTLAND — When Caston fullback Austin Ault broke about a half dozen tackles en route to a 31-yard touchdown run in the first half, it exemplified the effort the Comets got all night here Friday night.

The Comets finished off every run and every play to their fullest, and they controlled most of the game in a 14-7 win over South Newton in a Class A Sectional 34 semifinal. With the win, Caston (8-3) advances to its first sectional championship game since 2003.

“They were all over me, they just couldn’t tackle me,” Ault said of his TD run that gave the Comets an early lead. “They tried strippin’ me a couple times, I just kept running, kept moving.”

“From what I saw, half the team,” Caston lineman Jordan Graham said of how many tackles Ault broke during the run. “He was unstoppable on that play.”

The field was so muddy it closely resembled this year’s Twelve Mile 500. On top of that, there was a 22-mph wind blowing straight east throughout the game, making punts against the wind almost futile.

The conditions seemed to favor the Comets’ “wildhog” offense, which is a sort of hybrid of the single wing and the wing-T, over the Rebels’ spread offense. Caston outgained South Newton 343-37 in rushing yardage and 363-146 in total yardage.

Once again the Comets had a balanced rushing attack, with Trevor Hoover leading the way with 70 yards, followed closely by Eric Goller (69 yards), Ault (68), Wil Holloway (68) and Blain Hizer (54).

Ault’s TD run gave the Comets a 6-0 lead with 3:51 remaining in the first quarter. They ran a swinging gate formation for their two-point conversion try, but a pass fell incomplete.

South Newton (8-3) answered with a five-yard TD pass from Tyler Lowe to Trent Alenduff with 8:39 left in the second quarter. The drive was set up by a short punt and a 33-yard reception by Jordan Purdy.

The Comets were stuffed on two fourth-and-1 plays in Rebels’ territory in the second quarter, the last of which was on a fourth-and-goal play as time expired that allowed South Newton to take a 7-6 lead into the break.

The Comets faced a fourth-and-5 play late in the third quarter when Goller broke a tackle and darted 52 yards to paydirt to give the Comets the lead back.

“I can’t give my line enough credit for doing that,” Goller said. “They did a fantastic job of blocking for me, and I just hit the hole and ran.”

All told, the game-winning drive covered 11 plays, 77 yards and took 6:09 off the clock. Goller also converted a fourth-and-4 run on the drive by the nose of the football. Holloway broke a tackle to convert the two-point conversion attempt to give Caston a 14-7 lead.

The Comets also had a long drive that took more than five minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter before turning the ball over on downs, but they forced the Rebels have to drive 89 yards for a tie with just 3:17 remaining.

Running a no-huddle offense, the Rebels converted two first downs but later had a fumble on a bad snap, and Graham came away with the ball on the Comets’ 37-yard line with 2:12 remaining to all but secure the victory.

“It was under somebody and I just pulled it out, fighting underneath the pile, just wanting that ball and I got it,” said Graham, who also had a key sack in the second half that helped stop a Rebels’ drive.

Linebacker David McMenamin had a dozen tackles for the Caston defense.

The Comets host top-ranked Lafayette Central Catholic Friday night for the sectional championship.

“It’s gonna be tough,” Goller said. “We’re gonna have to have a great week of practice, but we’re gonna go at it and see what we can do.”

• Beau Wicker is the sports editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at 574-732-5113 or beau.wicker@pharostribune.com

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Local Sports

Berries cruise past Raiders, set up title game showdown
Hoosier Hysteria promises to be alive and well when the young and talented Berries (20-3) go up against the senior-laden two-time defending sectional champion McCutcheon Mavericks (19-3), ranked No. 8 in Class 4A, in tonight’s Logansport Sectional championship game. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

February 11, 2012
Comets topple Vikings to reach title game
With an increase in wins this season, the Lady Comets of Caston have taken another step in making this a very memorable season by defeating North White 38-30 during semifinal action Friday at the North White Sectional.

February 11, 2012
Slow start dooms Cass in loss at Wabash
After knocking off Class 2A No. 11 Oak Hill earlier in the week, Wabash’s girls basketball team proved once again white it is the defending sectional champion Friday night.

February 11, 2012
Winamac throttles North Newton in sectional play
Winamac’s girls basketball team defeated North Newton 61-35 Friday at a Class 2A North Judson Sectional.

February 11, 2012
Defending state runner-up Kokomo edges Logansport
For the second straight game Logansport’s boys basketball team went toe-to-toe against one of the state’s best teams for 32 minutes.

February 10, 2012 1 Photo
Hot-shooting Kings throttle Comets
Lewis Cass’ boys basketball team was on fire offensively in a 90-50 rout of Eastern in a Mid-Indiana Conference boys basketball game here Thursday night.

February 10, 2012
Comets bomb away on Squires in rout
After Caston’s boys basketball team lost consecutive games to Logansport and Carroll in early December, the Comets proceeded to rattle off 11 wins in a row.

February 10, 2012
Pullen had 2 runner-up finishes at Warsaw swim sectional
Lewis Cass senior Claire Pullen put together a solid four-year career in swimming.

It culminated with a runner-up finish in the 200-yard individual medley at the Warsaw Sectional last Saturday. She recorded a personal-best time of 2:24.6 en route to missing a spot in the state finals by just one place.

February 9, 2012 1 Photo
Lady Berries have new life
Logansport’s girls basketball team saw its tournament life flash before its proverbial eyes in Tuesday’s Class 4A Logansport Sectional opener against Kokomo.

February 9, 2012
Logansport boys in midst of tough stretch
Right now Logansport’s boys basketball team is going through the teeth of its schedule.

Six nights after facing a top-ranked Muncie Central squad in Indianapolis, the Berries (9-6, 1-3 North Central Conference) travel to Kokomo tonight to take on the Class 4A, No. 6-ranked Wildkats (16-3, 4-1).

February 9, 2012
More Local Sports Headlines

Local Sports

Search Results

Discussion

Fun in the mud: Comets trample Rebels

Caston advances to first sectional title game since 2003

The Indiana Senate last week approved a bill that would allow public schools to teach creationism in science classes as long as they included origin of life theories from other religions. Would you support such a measure?

Site Map

Contact Us