Panthers Fight, But Fall Short At State
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
At a pep rally Friday night, the NorthWood football team emphasized the phrase "NorthWood fights!"
Saturday, the Panthers came out fighting in the state championship game against Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, but were unable to pull out a victory in the end. Chatard won the 3A state championship game 23-6 over NorthWood.
After deferring the toss, NorthWood's defense forced Chatard's offense to go three-and-out, and the Panthers began their first offensive attack.
On the first play of the drive, quarterback Charlie Roeder ran nine yards to move NorthWood to the Chatard 48-yard line, and after a 3-yard Chad Knisley run, NorthWood had a first down.
From the Chatard 35-yard line, Roeder rumbled 13 yards for another NorthWood first down at the 32-yard line.
After a play that resulted in a 2-yard loss, the Panthers looked at second down and 12 when Roeder completed a 14-yard pass to Brock Doty for another NorthWood first down.
Although the pass was completed to the 20-yard line, the Panthers ended up on the 10- yard line after a 10-yard Chatard illegal hands to the face penalty.
Aaron Huber then ran for a 7-yard gain to put the Panthers just three yards from the goal line.
On the next play, Roeder took the ball and scrambled in for NorthWood's first - and only - touchdown of the game.
After missing the extra point, NorthWood was up 6-0.
"We've done that all year," said Chatard coach Craig Barr. "Our defense has given up an early touchdown and then come back to play a good game."
On the next possession, Chatard moved the ball 65 yards down the field in 11 plays but was unable to break through the NorthWood defense for a touchdown and had to settle for a 27-yard field goal from Josh Flanagan.
The second quarter was scoreless, and at halftime the score stood at 6-3 in NorthWood's favor.
NorthWood had the first possession of the second half, but after just five plays, Nick Juday punted the ball to Chatard.
"They (Chatard) just come at you," said Chad Martin, a senior on the Panther squad. "They are a smash-mouth football team."
The Trojan offense then moved the ball 70 yards in 10 plays to score a touchdown and take a 9-6 lead over the Panthers.
In a defensive battle, the rest of the third quarter remained scoreless, and Chatard went into the fourth quarter with a 9-6 lead.
The Trojans had possession of the football as the quarter began, and at the end of the 58-yard drive, Chatard had managed to score another touchdown to take a 10-point lead.
On their next drive, the Panthers got as close to the Chatard goal line as they would the entire second half when they reached the Trojan 28-yard line, but a holding penalty sent NorthWood back 18 yards, changing the momentum of the game.
Chatard scored another touchdown on their next drive to give them a 17-point lead with just under three minutes left in the game.
"Chatard is a solid football team," said Dodson.
On the next NorthWood possession, Chatard's Clay Brooks intercepted a Roeder pass on the second play of the drive to dash any hopes of a miraculous Panther comeback.
After one running play for a two-yard loss, Mike Kirk, the Chatard quarterback took a knee and let the clock run down to 24 seconds.
Kirk took another knee on the next play, and NorthWood's dream of bringing home a state championship ran out as quickly as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
In the end, Chatard won its second straight state championship title and continued the 15-year tradition of parochial school dominance in the football state championships by defeating NorthWood 23-6.
"This was a big game, and we knew it would be tough," said Dodson. "Coming in we thought we had a chance to do something no other NorthWood team had done - win a state championship.
"We're disappointed right now, we've been here four times and we've been turned away from it."
In the end, Chatard held NorthWood's offense to just 139 total yards, and leading rusher, Aaron Huber, to just 18 yards on nine rushes.
"They were shadowing Aaron (Huber)," said Dodson. "That showed their respect for him. He had had an outstanding year, the respect that other teams gave him was amazing."
"Huber is a great athlete," said Barr. "He was the team's lead running back and their emotional team leader this season. A key to our game was to take him away."
The Panthers finshed the season as the state runners-up with a record of 11-4. [[In-content Ad]]
At a pep rally Friday night, the NorthWood football team emphasized the phrase "NorthWood fights!"
Saturday, the Panthers came out fighting in the state championship game against Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, but were unable to pull out a victory in the end. Chatard won the 3A state championship game 23-6 over NorthWood.
After deferring the toss, NorthWood's defense forced Chatard's offense to go three-and-out, and the Panthers began their first offensive attack.
On the first play of the drive, quarterback Charlie Roeder ran nine yards to move NorthWood to the Chatard 48-yard line, and after a 3-yard Chad Knisley run, NorthWood had a first down.
From the Chatard 35-yard line, Roeder rumbled 13 yards for another NorthWood first down at the 32-yard line.
After a play that resulted in a 2-yard loss, the Panthers looked at second down and 12 when Roeder completed a 14-yard pass to Brock Doty for another NorthWood first down.
Although the pass was completed to the 20-yard line, the Panthers ended up on the 10- yard line after a 10-yard Chatard illegal hands to the face penalty.
Aaron Huber then ran for a 7-yard gain to put the Panthers just three yards from the goal line.
On the next play, Roeder took the ball and scrambled in for NorthWood's first - and only - touchdown of the game.
After missing the extra point, NorthWood was up 6-0.
"We've done that all year," said Chatard coach Craig Barr. "Our defense has given up an early touchdown and then come back to play a good game."
On the next possession, Chatard moved the ball 65 yards down the field in 11 plays but was unable to break through the NorthWood defense for a touchdown and had to settle for a 27-yard field goal from Josh Flanagan.
The second quarter was scoreless, and at halftime the score stood at 6-3 in NorthWood's favor.
NorthWood had the first possession of the second half, but after just five plays, Nick Juday punted the ball to Chatard.
"They (Chatard) just come at you," said Chad Martin, a senior on the Panther squad. "They are a smash-mouth football team."
The Trojan offense then moved the ball 70 yards in 10 plays to score a touchdown and take a 9-6 lead over the Panthers.
In a defensive battle, the rest of the third quarter remained scoreless, and Chatard went into the fourth quarter with a 9-6 lead.
The Trojans had possession of the football as the quarter began, and at the end of the 58-yard drive, Chatard had managed to score another touchdown to take a 10-point lead.
On their next drive, the Panthers got as close to the Chatard goal line as they would the entire second half when they reached the Trojan 28-yard line, but a holding penalty sent NorthWood back 18 yards, changing the momentum of the game.
Chatard scored another touchdown on their next drive to give them a 17-point lead with just under three minutes left in the game.
"Chatard is a solid football team," said Dodson.
On the next NorthWood possession, Chatard's Clay Brooks intercepted a Roeder pass on the second play of the drive to dash any hopes of a miraculous Panther comeback.
After one running play for a two-yard loss, Mike Kirk, the Chatard quarterback took a knee and let the clock run down to 24 seconds.
Kirk took another knee on the next play, and NorthWood's dream of bringing home a state championship ran out as quickly as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
In the end, Chatard won its second straight state championship title and continued the 15-year tradition of parochial school dominance in the football state championships by defeating NorthWood 23-6.
"This was a big game, and we knew it would be tough," said Dodson. "Coming in we thought we had a chance to do something no other NorthWood team had done - win a state championship.
"We're disappointed right now, we've been here four times and we've been turned away from it."
In the end, Chatard held NorthWood's offense to just 139 total yards, and leading rusher, Aaron Huber, to just 18 yards on nine rushes.
"They were shadowing Aaron (Huber)," said Dodson. "That showed their respect for him. He had had an outstanding year, the respect that other teams gave him was amazing."
"Huber is a great athlete," said Barr. "He was the team's lead running back and their emotional team leader this season. A key to our game was to take him away."
The Panthers finshed the season as the state runners-up with a record of 11-4. [[In-content Ad]]