SOUTH WHITLEY – In the first three weeks of the season, the Whitko Wildcats outscored their opponents 88-27 en route to a perfect record. In their quest for a 4-0 mark, the Wildcats faced the Rochester Zebras, who have won 11 of the past 12 meetings in the series. At Ryan Huff Memorial Stadium Friday night, the ‘Cats scored early and often, cruising to a 37-0 lead in the first quarter and to a 57-14 Three Rivers Conference victory. The duo of senior halfback Garrett Elder and junior Hunter Reed combined for 304 yards rushing and six touchdowns, leading Whitko to its best start since 1990. “We’ll take a 4-0 start against an opponent that we respect,” said Whitko head football coach Jeff Sprunger. “Coach [Joe] Grant is going to get that team turned around in the next couple of years. They’ve got a lot of young kids that are going to start stepping up or them.” Elder had touched the ball just six times, but tallied 198 yards and four touchdowns on the night. Reed also reached the century mark, using his six carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns while contributing to one of Whitko’s largest margins of victory over their longtime conference rival. Senior quarterback Colin Craig completed his only pass of the night to Craig Hewitt, which resulted in an 8-yard touchdown pass and a 51-0 Wildcat lead. While the offense shined, the defensive unit was just as bright. The ‘Cats defense had a turnover margin of plus-3 after a Conner Sherwin interception and fumble recoveries by Robbie Owsley and Brandon Fugate. “Turnovers played a big, important part for us,” said Sprunger. “Any time a turnover happens and you get the turnover deficit in the game, you are going to win some ballgames, and we’ll take them.” With the margin at halftime, Sprunger and Grant agreed to a running clock, with the exception of a player injury. Despite being down 51-0 at the half, the Zebras did not quit. Freshman halfback Bryce Abbott, who is 6-foot and 217 pounds, carried the ball 21 times for 128 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore halfback Matt Lease scored the Zebras’ only other touchdown, a 50-yard run late in the final quarter of action. While many of the other first-team players for Whitko got a chance to rest, it provided an opportunity for underclassmen to see varsity action. For sophomore halfback Zach Gardner, he made the most of it as he scored his first touchdown of the season on a 32-yard scamper in the fourth quarter. Next week, the ‘Cats travel to Tippecanoe Valley as they go for their fifth straight win while, Valley is still seeking its first of the year. While Sprunger was pleased with a complete performance from his players, he hopes the momentum carries into the game at Valley. “It was really one of those games where we finally put it all together,” said Sprunger. “We came out in the first quarter firing on all cylinders, and we came out playing Wildcat football in the second quarter and it continued in the second half. We are happy to do that, and we want to continue that next week.”
