North Central (5-4) will travel to Class 5A top-ranked Warren Central (9-0) Friday in the first round of the Sectional 5 state football tournament with a three-game winning streak.
But in the first quarter, North Central’s offense appeared still stuck in traffic. The Panthers lost two fumbles in the first quarter and fell behind 14-0. But the running of Jalen McIntyre and the timely passing and running of Gavin Alexander helped North Central find the road to victory.
The comeback started in the second quarter. Facing a third-down-and 17 from the 48-yard line, Alexander raced up the field for a 14-yard gain. On fourth-and-3, McIntyre followed with 9-yard run to keep the drive alive. Three plays later, McIntyre scored the first of his four touchdowns on a 4-yard run, making the score 14-7.
In the second quarter, North Central continued to find its way. On its next possession, North Central used only three plays that ended with a McIntyre 8-yard run. The big play in the drive was Alexander’s 55-yard pass to wide receiver Reidus Trimble. On the extra point, back-up quarterback and point-after touchdown holder Michael Loggan threw a pass to Matt Hicks for a two-point conversion, giving North Central a 15-14 lead. It was a lead North Central wouldn’t relinquish.
In the quarter, Alexander was 3-of-5 passing for 94 yards. He finished the game 5-of-11 passing for 114 yards. He also had 13 carries for 74 yards. and scored on a 20-yard run.
But it was McIntyre who had his way navigating through the Terre Haute North defense. He finished the game with 26 carries for a career-high 163 yards. He scored on runs of 4, 8, 7, and 19 yards.
Whenever Terre Haute tried to make the game close, North Central’s defense would come up with a big play. North Central had a strong pass rush, getting a quarterback sack each from two-way linemen Darius Latham and Michael Raby and linebackers Jeff Harris and Wanya Johnson.
Led by cornerback Melvin Graham, the North Central defensive backs also put up blockades to any Terre Haute North comeback attempts. Graham, a senior, had two interceptions. Cornerback Korey Rogan and Raby, a defensive end, each added an interception. Raby returned his pick for a 10-yard score.
Melvin’s brother, sophomore middle linebacker Sherrod Graham, was also credited for helping to stop Terre Haute’s running game by making sideline-to-sideline tackles.
It took a while to get there, but it may have been one of North Central’s best team efforts of the season.
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| North Central's football team sings the school song to celebrate its 43-29 victory over Terre Haute North |
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