Pike confirms it belongs in the MIC

By Vince Alexander

     It was initiation time for Pike.
     Pike, playing at home in its popsicle-red uniforms, triumphed in its first game as a member of the powerful Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference with a 41-22 high school football victory over North Central, kicking off the 2013 season.
     Pike and defending state champion Lawrence Central have joined the MIC, replacing Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South. The Red Devils will be joining Lawrence North, Ben Davis, Carmel, Center Grove, and Warren Central in arguably one of the toughest conferences in the country.
     Led by quarterback Brent Lyles and linebacker Quentin Moon, Pike was ready for the challenge against North Central’s dink-and-dunk offense. Pike led 21-15 at the half, before Lyles began to connect with his receivers. With only a six-point lead, Lyles took the Red Devils on an 8-play, 65-yard drive. He finished it off with a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Devin Pearson, building the third-quarter lead to 28-15.
     Pike’s defense helped set up the lead. Moon had two tackles for losses in the quarter and the Red Devils got the ball for Myles and company after recovering a fumble.
     However, North Central showed why the MIC is tough. The Panthers responded when running back Milton McClain caught a dump-off pass from quarterback Michael Loggan, broke several tackles and a few Pike ankles with his dazzling moves before racing down the right sideline for a touchdown. Loggan finished the game 22-of-34 for 209 yards.
     On defense, North Central linebacker’s Sherrod Graham and Jeff Harris were making tackles all evening. But Lyles kept them off balance with his passing. After McClain’s impressive catch and run, Lyles helped Pike score 13 unanswered points. He scored on a 1-yard run, but the extra point was blocked by Graham. His final score came on a 36-yard pass to Dominique Booth.
     Lyles finished the game 20-of-33 passing for 282 yards. Along with Booth, Rashad Medaris caught one and Pearson two. Teammate Quentin Taliaferro added five catches for 86 yards. Lyles also scored on a 1-yard run.
     Pike opened the scoring with a 71-yard run by Taylor Sanders. Sanders finished the game with seven carries and 130 yards.

North Central has best season since 2006

         Terre Haute -- North Central’s offense appeared to be still stuck in high way construction zones between Indianapolis and Terre Haute before rebounding to defeat host Terre Haute North 43-29 – attaining a winning regular season for the first time since 2006.
         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.          

North Central's football team sings the school song to celebrate its 43-29 victory over Terre Haute North