Elder Scores 4 TDs In Whitko’s TRC Playoff Loss At Peru

PERU – After falling behind 21-0 in the first quarter at Peru, Whitko came back to take a 26-21 lead by the end of the period. The Tigers reassumed the lead, and a second Wildcat comeback fell short in Peru’s 35-32 win in the Three Rivers Conference playoff Friday night.
Whitko’s Garrett Elder ran for 173 yards and four touchdowns in the game. He finished the regular season with 1,526 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Hunter Reed joined the 1,000-yard club as well. His 95-yard effort left him with 1,008 yards on the season. He did not score Friday, and finished with 13 touchdowns in the regular season.
Whitko finished with a 6-3 regular-season record, and 4-3 in the TRC. The Wildcats open play in the 2A Sectional 35 in Albion at 7 p.m. Friday night against 2-7 Central Noble.
PERU 35, WHITKO 32
W    26    0    0    6    –    32
P    21    6    8    0    –    35

    W    P
1st downs    16    19
Rushing yds    299    231
Passing yds    91    185
Comp-Att-Int    4-11-0    9-15-0
Total yds    390    416
Fumbles/lost    3/3    0/0
Penalties/yds    6-62    9-75
Punts/avg.    2/45.5    4/25.0

First Quarter
P – Gavin Gysin 24 run (Jordan Rader run) 8-0
P – Austin Strong 52 pass from Robert Cunningham (Jason Kepner kick) 15-0
P – Gysin 47 run (kick failed) 21-0
W – Colin Craig 8 run (run failed) 21-6
W – Garrett Elder 25 run (Craig run) 21-14
W – Elder 10 run (pass failed) 21-20
W – Elder 1 run (run failed) 26-21
Second Quarter
P – Rader 8 run (run failed) 27-26
Third Quarter
P – Rader 10 run (Gysin run) 35-26
Fourth Quarter
W – Elder 33 run (pass failed) 35-32

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing – Whitko, Elder 20-173, Hunter Reed 12-95, Craig 3-10, Zach Gardner 3-10, Robby Owsley 2-11; Peru, Rader 26-100, Gysin 15-110, Cunningham 11-36, Shannon Hood 1-4, Shae Walker 1-(minus 19)
Passing – Whitko, Craig 4-11-91 yds., 0 TD, 0 Int.; Bechtold 0-2 0 yds., 0 TD, 1 Int.; Peru, Cunningham 9-15-185 yds, 1 TD, 0 Int.
Receiving: Whitko, Owsley 1-27, Hewitt 3-64; Peru, Strong 3-120; Rader 2-8, Austin Caldwell 1-35, Zack Ashley 1-18, Isaac Sible 1-4 Gysin 1-0.

Triton Gets 41-14 Win
FRANCESVILLE – Triton sophomore quarterback James “Bo” Snyder threw for 174 yards and three touchdowns, two to senior Zac Pitney, in the Trojans’ 41-14 win at West Central in a Hoosier North Athletic Conference game Friday night. The win was the first for Triton this season.
Pitney scored on passes of 10 and 26 yards, and finished with 132 yards receiving on the night. He also converted extra-points in the game.
Rigo Butler rushed for a season-high 132 yards on 19 carries and scored a touchdown. Max Slusser rushed for 91 yards and also scored a touchdown.
Triton (1-8, 1-7 in the conference) has a rematch with HNAC foe Caston in the first round of 1A Sectional 43 Friday night in Fulton. The Comets (2-7) beat Triton 6-0 in the season opener Aug. 19.

TRITON 41, WEST CENTRAL 14
T    7    13    7    14    –    41
WC    6    8    0    0    –    14

    T    WC
1st downs    19    16
Rushing yds    232    166
Passing yds    174    51
Comp-Att-Int    10-19-1    1-10-1
Total yds    406    217
Fumbles lost    1    4
Penalties/yds    6/55    8/76
Punts/avg.    2/36    2/36

First Quarter
WC – Adrian Villarreal TD run (run failed) 6-0
T – Zac Pitney 10 pass from James snyder (Pitney kick) 7-6
Second Quarter
T – Pitney 26 pass from Snyder (kick failed) 14-6
T – Drew Stichter 13 pass from Snyder (Pitney kick) 20-6
WC – Villarreal TD run (Villarreal run) 20-14
Third Quarter
T – Rigo Butler 5 run (Pitney kick) 27-14
Fourth Quarter
T – Max Slusser 22 run (Pitney kick) 34-14
T – Butler 13 run (Pitney kick) 41-14

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing – Triton, Butler 19-132, Slusser 12-91, Snyder 3-9; West Central, Villarreal 17-71, C. Fritz 14-50, N. Vallad 7-26, D. Sizemore 2-11, K. Bushong 1-3, C. Pratt 4-5.
Passing – Triton, Snyder 10-19-174 yds., 3 TDs. 1 Int.;West Central, B. Kletz 1-10-51 yds, 0 TD, 1 Int.
Receiving: Triton, Pitney 5-112, Drew Stichter 3-24, Delano Shumpert 1-24, Butler 1-4; West Central, L. Sharpe 1-51.

Southwood Trips Valley
WABASH – Tippecanoe Valley saw its three-game win streak come to an end with a 49-29 loss at Southwood in the Three Rivers Conference playoffs Friday.
Valley (3-6, 3-4 TRC) hosts West Noble (3-6) of the Northeast Corner Conference in the first round of 3A Sectional 26 on Friday.

Wabash Downs Squires
WABASH – Visiting Manchester dropped a 40-22 decision to Wabash in the Three Rivers Conference playoff Friday night.
The Squires (1-8, 1-6 in the conference) will host the Delphi Oracles (5-4) in the first round of 1A Sectional 34 Friday night.