FOOTBALL CLASS 2A SECTIONAL NO. 39: Tiger Cubs force five turnovers, breeze past Chargers into sectional semifinals

After the ball popped into his hands following a Cam Pingleton strip sack, Greencastle defensive lineman Kaiden Tomasino (56) raced 25 yards for the opening touchdown of the night against Pike Central in Class 2A Sectional No. 39 play Friday. Tomasino added a 20-yard pick-six, two of the five turnovers forced by the Tiger Cubs, in a 52-21 win over then Chargers.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

PETERSBURG — It took four plays for Greencastle to assert itself in the opening round of IHSAA Football Class 2A Sectional No. 39 at Pike Central.

A strip sack by Cam Pingleton turned into a Kaiden Tomasino fumble return touchdown as the Tiger Cubs forced five turnovers, two directly turning into points, as part of a 52-21 win over the Chargers.

“Our team is starting to click,” Greencastle head coach Dave Stephens said. “On special teams, we had a 50-yard field goal, a couple of touchbacks and covered kicks a lot better.

“Our defense rallied to the ball and created takeaways. Our offense took advantage of short fields. We did a great job of clicking in all phases of the game.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the boys after the long trip down (to Pike Central) and the trip back,” Stephens added.

Pike Central took the opening kickoff and had picked up a first down when Matthew Meadows dropped back to pass for the first time.

Pingleton came flying off the edge and dislodged the ball, which floated into the hands of Tomasino and the senior sprinted 25 yards to put the visitors up 6-0 two minutes into the contest.

Meadows’ next drop back ended up in the hands of Parker Welker and despite a holding penalty wiping out a touchdown, Greencastle eventually punched in as Welker rumbled in from three yards out, Cole Stephens hitting Anthony Adams for the conversion and a 14-0 lead.

The Chargers couldn’t get out of their own way as a bit of trickery turned into a third turnovers in as many plays.

Meadows tossed back to Carson Wiscaver but the Tiger Cub defense was all over the play and eventually strip sacked the receiver with Jacob Simmerman recovering the loose ball.

Brayden Monroe popped in three plays later from five yards out as Greencastle led 21-0 with 4:35 played in the game.

Pike Central got a first down on the next drive but punted away, though the Tiger Cubs were hit with two penalties and a sack that forced a punt of their own.

A 61-yard run from Grant Boyd got the hosts to the visitor eight-yard line where a bit of luck helped lead the Chargers to a score.

After two losses, Meadows was in danger of being sacked but was judged to lateral the ball to lineman Chase Denton, who ran 12 yards to set up fourth-and-goal from the two-yard line to begin the second quarter.

Meadows completed the drive with a two-yard scoring run to cut the lead to 21-7.

The visitors responded with a nine-play drive that covered 71 yards, ending with a second Welker score, this time from six yards out, to make it 28-21.

Following a punt, Greencastle marched down the field again but a pair of penalties stalled the drive near the Pike Central 32.

Ian Williamson was sent on to attempt a 50-yard field goal and the senior set a new school record with a boot that had a few yards to spare, giving the Tiger Cubs a 31-7 lead with 2:54 to play until halftime.

Tomasino came to the fore once again, intercepting a Meadows screen pass attempt and racing 20 yards for a pick-six and a 38-7 lead.

“Coach (Jorden) Froederman did a great job with the gameplan for the defensive line,” Stephens said. “He had (Pike Central) scouted really well, all their top plays as well as some formations we could really key in on.

“The players executed well in practice all week. Tomasino had intercepted that middle screen three times this week in practice, so it was no surprise to me to see him intercept that pass.

“Now, him taking it for six was a different story,” Stephens added. “But him intercepting that pass? Not a surprise at all.”

There was enough time for one more score as the visitors forced a quick three and out with a short punt leaving Greencastle just 39 yards to cover.

Stephens hit Trevin Long twice, once for 11 yards and the second for a 28-yard score, having escaped from two near sacks on the latter, for a 45-7 lead at halftime.

With the running clock secured, Greencastle started the second half with a power running game that covered 72 yards in nine plays, ending with Monroe several tackles on a 10-yard score and a 52-7 lead.

Pike Central added two scores in the fourth, a 24-yard Meadows run and a 23-yard Cameron Clements run, but the damage was already done as the Tiger Cubs advanced int the state tournament.

“I told anyone who would listen that, once we got our guys back healthy, we could get things going our way,” Stephens said about the end-of-season surge. “We played a schedule with one of the best win-loss records in the state and that really has set us up for the postseason run.

“It doesn’t guarantee us any wins but it’s nice when you play a postseason game and the speed of the game is down dramatically from playing Monrovia, Northview, Cascade, etc. All credit goes to Mr. (Doug) Greenlee for getting the schedule together and to the boys for sticking with the vision.

“It’s hard to stick to the process when you’ve only won two regular season games going into North Putnam,” Stephens added. “All credit to the boys for never wavering, for believing in the process and the team we though we could be.”

Scoring

1st Quarter

G — Tomasino 25-yard fumble return (XP no good) 10:09 0-6

G — Welker 3-yard run (Stephens pass to Adams) 8:21 0-14

G — Monroe 5-yard run (Williamson kick) 7:25 0-21

2nd Quarter

PC — Meadwos 2-yard run 11:54 (Mills kick) 11:54 7-21

G — Welker 6-yard run (Williamson kick) 8:51 7-28

G — Williamson 50-yard field goal 2:54 7-31

G — Tomasino 20-yard interception return (Williamson kick) 2:09 7-38

G — Long 28-yard pass from Stephens (Williamson kick) 0:34 7-45

3rd Quarter

G — Monroe 10-yard run (Williamson kick) 3:07 7-52

4th Quarter

PC — Meadows 24-yard run (XP no good) 11:32 13-52

PC — Clements 23-yard run (Meadows pass to A. Wiscaver) 1:44 21-52

Statistics

Individual Statistics

Rushing

Greencastle — 27-81, 4 TD — Welker 10-21, 2 TD; Monroe 5-59, 2 TD; Team 4-3; Pingleton 3-20; Hughes 3-(-9); Blodgett 1-6; Stephens 1-(-9)

Pike Central — 31-196, 3 TD — Meadows 14-32, 2 TD; Boyd 12-134; Clements 3-29, TD; Denton 1-12; C. Wiscaver 1-(-11)

Passing

Greencastle — Stephens 13-23-216, TD

Pike Central — Meadows 5-9-33, 2 INT

Receiving

Greencastle — Long 3-79, TD; Adams 3-61; Nunn 3-33; Blodgett 2-22; Brenner 1-15; Williamson 1-6

Pike Central — Mason 2-19; Clements 1-15; A. Wiscaver 1-3; Boyd 1-(-4)