SOUTH WHITLEY — Rochester junior running back Jacob Howdeshell carried the ball 17 times for 201 yards and two touchdowns as the Rochester Zebras stormed back from a 9-0 halftime deficit to defeat the Whitko Wildcats 26-9 in South Whitley Friday night. In the driver’s seat at 5-0 in the Three Rivers Conference, all the Whitko Wildcats (5-3, 5-1 TRC) needed to do was to take care of business and beat the Zebras (6-2, 5-1 TRC) to clinch at least a share of the title. Rochester proved to the Wildcats that it would be a challenge. In the first half, neither team could get the ball moving after great defensive stops by both sides. “It was one of those games where there were equal opponents physically and all the way around,” said Whitko head coach Josh Mohr. It was not until the second quarter that Whitko would be the first to draw blood. Senior quarterback Ethan Nicodemus found freshman Garrett Elder down the Rochester sideline and Elder blazed past the Zebra defenders on a 93-yard catch-and-score. It would be only one of Nicodemus’ two completions, as he found Elder again later for a 23 yard gain. While there was success through the air, the ground game was able to click too. Just before the half, a nice drive orchestrated by the running back tandem of juniors Tanner Hughes and Devin Gerding led to a 39-yard field goal by Brady Herendeen. However, at the start of the third quarter that Rochester turned things around. Instead of Whitko pounding the ball, it was the Zebras’ trio of Howdeshell, Carter Screeton and J. Heckathorn that were rampant. Screeton scored on a 7-yard run midway through the third quarter and at the end of the quarter, a well-drawn end-around play allowed Heckathorn to score from 13 yards out and to claim its first lead at 13-9 with just 23 seconds remaining in the quarter. The home side knew they were in trouble, but were not about to give in, but Howdeshell did not want to give them a chance to come back. Howdeshell scored on runs of 40 and 80 yards in the fourth quarter to cap off his 201-yard performance and put the Wildcats away for good. Whitko still has a chance for a share of the title, but will face another challenge as it hosts the Tippecanoe Valley Vikings on their Senior Night next week. The winner of next week’s regular season finale will earn a piece of the TRC championship, possibly with Rochester, who hosts one-win North Miami Friday. “It comes down to a big, final game. It’s big for both us and Valley,” said Mohr. “With Valley and us, it’s usually one of those games where it doesn’t matter what the records are,” he added. “It’s going to a very physical and emotional game. It’s a very spirited and a very good game between us every year. They’re going to be ready and hopefully we are too.”
ROCHESTER 26, WHITKO 9 R 0 0 13 13 — 26 W 0 9 0 0 — 9
R W 1st downs 12 12 Rushing yds 305 116 Passing yds 16 116 Comp-Att-Int 2-9-0 2-10-3 Total yds 321 232 Fumbles/lost 0/0 1/1 Penalties/yds 5/52 5/54 Punts/avg 5/36 3/31.3
Second Quarter W – Ethan Nicodemus 93 pass to Garrett Elder (kick failed) 11:41, 6-0 W – Herendeen 39 field goal 0:00, 9-0 Third Quarter R – Carter Screeton 7 run (kick failed) 7:31, 9-6 R – J. Heckathorn 13 run (Wilson Lee kick) 0:23, 13-9 Fourth Quarter R – Jacob Howdeshell 40 run (kick failed) 11:36, 19-9 R – Howdeshell 80 run (Lee kick) 8:02, 26-9
