Salem, West Washington advance in sectionals, Eastern falls at Clarksville
It was a big Friday night for two of our three county football teams as the IHSAA state tournament kicked off Friday, October 23. Salem and West Washington both advanced to the sectional semifinals, while Eastern saw its season come to an end at Clarksville.
In Class 2A Sectional 39, the Salem Lions defeated Brown County 80-0 at Salem High School, according to the IHSAA's official bracket. Salem led 40-0 after the first quarter and 61-0 at halftime, then added 6 points in the third quarter and 13 more in the fourth. The win moves the Lions to 6-4 in the season.
In the same sectional, Eastern fell 42-20 at Clarksville, according to the same IHSAA bracket. Eastern led 8-0 after the first quarter, but Clarksville scored 22 points in the second quarter and did not trail again. Eastern finishes the season at 2-8.
In Class 1A Sectional 48, the West Washington Senators held off Springs Valley 29-27 in Campbellsburg. The win moves West Washington to 6-4. WW Coach Jeremy Lowery had some thoughts regarding this past win, along with the upcoming game against North Daviess.
“Our kids were excited when the draw came out and it was revealed we were playing Springs Valley,” said Lowery. “We knew that we were better than what we played against SV in week 4. In fact, we had a good idea that we would play these guys again and vowed that if given the opportunity again, we would win.
“I was very proud of the mental and physical toughness that our kids played with on Friday. There were a ton of ups and downs throughout the game on Friday - I loved how our team responded, continued to compete, and how we finished.
“There is plenty of credit to spread around to our entire team. It was a total team effort that included great individual efforts in all three phases of the game - Offense, Defense, and Special Teams. I thought we did a great job having balance on Offense mixing the run and pass to keep Valley off guard. Our defense really played physical and did a great job shutting down SV’s run game. Our Special Teams had a huge bearing on the game, as well - A great punt that pinned the Blackhawks deep and a late field goal to put us up by 8.
“North Daviess will be coming to town this Friday. We will kick off at 7:00 pm. Our kids are looking forward to another rematch.”
Next Friday, October 30, also at at 7:00 pm, Salem will host undefeated Brownstown Central (10-0) in the sectional semifinals. Brownstown Central advanced with a 51-7 win over Providence. We spoke with Coach Roger Pennington, and he had much to say about this past weekend's game, as well as the upcoming battle against Brownstown Central.
“Our players and a great week of preparation and practice leading up to the game,” said Pennington. “We knew we were in for a tough game... We focused on being disciplined on offense and trying to create some pressure on their Quarterback. It was a slugfest as we traded the lead several times. I was proud of the way our kids responded after they scored and took the lead.
“Our offensive line did a great job of giving our running backs good running lanes. Payton Schocke and Logan Dent are our main offensive weapons and we did a good job of getting them in situations that could have success. And freshman running back Koen Paulley have a good game scoring his first varsity touchdown. In defense Carter Reardon and DJ Ward had really good games. Overall out our entire team did what we needed to win.
“It was fun matching up with coaches. I have respect for for in Coach Lowery and Coach Gibson. We are rivals on the field but I appreciate their professionalism and friendship. Now we move on to Brownstown who has consistently been ranked in the top 3 of 2A all season. We had them earlier in the season and played a great first half against them but had a slight letdown in the 2nd half that allowed them to take control of their game. We know we are capable of playing with them and we will continue to prepare and look for ways to give us an advantage. Should be an outstanding game and atmosphere. We need lion nation to pack the stand and be loud and proud!
“I like how much we’ve improved since that first meeting and we look forward to having a chance at redemption. Go Lions!”
West Washington will also face an undefeated team, North Daviess (10-0), which defeated Tecumseh 35-28 in last night's game. The game will be hosted at West Washington at 7:00 pm.
Following this Friday night's games, Sectional Championships are set for Friday, November 6, with locations listed as “TBD” according to the IHSAA brackets.
Be sure to come out and support the Lions and the Senators this Friday night!
Comments