Whitko rallies from 21-6 deficit, advances to play No. 4 Woodlan for sectional title
Posted
Ryan Villanueva-
SOUTH WHITLEY – They hadn’t met on the gridiron in 40 years, and when they did Friday night, there was plenty on the line for the Whitko Wildcats and Churubusco Eagles. After facing a 21-6 deficit at halftime, Whitko outscored Whitley County foe Churubusco 28-6 in the third and fourth quarters as the Wildcats advanced to the sectional final for the first time since 2003 with a 34-27 win at Ryan Huff Memorial Stadium. “We want to be physical and take risks,” said Whitko coach Josh Mohr. “We went back to some very basic triple-option stuff tonight, and (Garrett) Elder kind of took over in the fourth quarter.” Whitko junior quarterback Garrett Elder carried the ball 13 times for 249 yards and three scores. Sophomore halfback Hunter Reed rushed 24 times for 111 yards and two scores of his own in the victory. As much success as the ‘Cats had, it was the front line that made it possible for them to get the job done. “I cannot say enough about our guys up front,” said Mohr, whose team racked up 443 yards of total offense, all on the ground. “The same attack mentality we want on defense, we wanted to play the same way on offense for our line. Those guys in the second half played extremely well, adjusting to how Churubusco was shifting around their front and trying to confuse our reads.” The Eagles traditionally operate a run-heavy offense, but senior quarterback Drew Buffenbarger found wide-open Chance Gallmeier as he raced down the sideline for a 70-yard catch and score early for Busco. Busco added rushing touchdowns from Landon Harris and Trey Mayer, as the Eagles cruised to a 21-6 halftime lead over the Wildcats. Mohr noticed the success that Busco was having on the ground, and he knew that his team needed to make the proper adjustments. “Defensively, we kind of sat and waited too much,” he said. “In the second half, it was all about attacking the line of scrimmage and closing gaps, making them bounce to our speed guys.” While the defense held its ground, it was Elder who scored three times in a 12-minute span that bridged the final two quarters. The junior hopes to keep momentum going as he goes into next week’s sectional final at No. 4 Woodlan with 1,582 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 166 carries. In what was a key play to the Wildcats’ stunning win, the Eagles faced a 4th-and-long on their final possession with hope for a chance to send the game into overtime. Buffenbarger’s pocket of protection collapsed and Whitko junior linebacker Colin Craig brought down the Busco quarterback for a loss of eight yards and forced a turnover on downs with a little over two minutes remaining. After playing back-to-back sectional games at home, the Wildcats will hit the road next week to play the undefeated Warriors, who held on to beat Eastside 14-13 Friday. “We don’t know much about Woodlan, because we haven’t played them,” said Mohr. “But the same message goes into it: it’s win or go home. This is a chance at a sectional championship. It’s about heart, determination and who can play as close to mistake-free and hang on to the ball as much as possible. You never know what’s going to happen.” The Wildcats haven’t won a sectional title since 1986, the magical season in which coach Bryan Sprunger led them to the Class 1A state championship.
