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Sports

HS football roundup

Giants, Eagles, Indians, Argylls earn opening wins

Grant County teams made a strong first impression on opening night of high school football season as Madison-Grant, Mississinewa and Oak Hill each collected home wins while Marion ventured to Fort Wayne and earned an overtime win over South Side.

Following is a recap from all four games.

Marion 27, FW South 21 (OT)

The Giants used a strong running game sprinkled with timely passing, along with a strong defensive effort to earn a win over the Archers for the second-straight season.

Junior Jayden Johnson led the Giants’ ground game with 26 carries for 126 yards and three touchdowns.

The Giants fell behind, 7-0, with just over five minutes left in the first quarter, but put together an 8-play, 80-yard drive to even the score with 8:43 to go in the half.

Logan Barnes, who started at quarterback in place of Giants’ regular starter, Tim Jones, who was suspended for the contest, connected with Ly’Carr Bledsoe for 41 yards on the drive’s second play. Barnes then hooked up with Gage Stickann for 29 yards to set up Johnson’s 1-yard TD run. Trey Adaway converted the PAT kick to tie the score for Marion.

Barnes used his speed to give the Giants the lead less than two minutes into the third quarter. He swept around the left end for a 32-yard TD run to cap a 4-play, 48-yard drive. Bledsoe’s 41-yard kickoff return gave the Giants’ a short field.

The Archers tied the score at 14-14 less than four minutes later.

The Giants then put together a 15-play, 79-yard drive to regain the lead on Johnson’s 3-yard run with 9:21 to play in the game.

South connected for a 32-yard touchdown pass in the final minute of regulation to tie the score and force overtime.

The Giants went on offense first in the extra session and Johnson went through the middle of the line for a 10-yard touchdown run to make it 27-21 after the PAT kick was partially blocked.

On the second play of South’s overtime possession, the Giants got heavy pressure on the quarterback and forced a fumble that was recovered by Johnson securing the win for Marion.

Barnes finished with 15 carries for 89 yards on the ground and completed 8-of-18 passes for 147 yards.

Stickann had four catches for 62 yards while Tusi Jackson added two catches for 41 yards.

The Giants’ defense collected two sacks, six tackles for loss and limited South to 232 total yards on offense.

Marion (1-0) hosts Mississinewa Friday at 7 p.m. to open its home schedule.

Oak Hill 30, Eastern 15

The Golden Eagles used their strong and seasoned offensive line to clear the way for a powerful running game and take down the Comets at Oak Hill on Friday.

Senior Lance Wyrick carried 15 times for 103 yards and sophomore Dylan Archer had 80 yards on 14 carries to lead the Eagles’ ground assault.

Eastern started the scoring with a 26-yard touchdown pass less than three minutes into the game.

However, the Comets 6-0 lead was short-lived as junior Beckham Lamb scooped up the ensuing kickoff and handed to junior Drake Pond on a misdirection play. Pond sprinted past Eastern’s coverage team and traveled 95 yards to tie the score.

Eastern converted a short field goal to go up 9-6 with under three minutes remaining in the first quarter, but Oak Hill responded with a 10-play, 68-yard drive to take the lead for good on sophomore Carlos Cristobal’s 19-yard TD run.

Drew Elzinga kicked a 26-yard field goal in the final seconds of the first half to send the Golden Eagles to halftime holding a 16-9 lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, Oak Hill put together a 7-play, 58-yard drive that ended with Archer’s 3-yard TD run with 9:45 to play and the Eagles leading 23-9.

Oak Hill ran more than five minutes of the fourth quarter clock away with a 9-play, 44-yard drive. Junior Isaac Mitchener powered into the end zone from a yard out with 2:07 left to extend the lead to 30-9.

Oak Hill’s sophomore quarterback, Jett Ott, carried four times for 42 yards. Cristobal had six caries for 38 yards and Mitchener finished with 30 yards and seven carries.

Ott completed 3-of-7 passes for 18 yards.

Lamb had an interception and Barrett Jones added a quarterback sack for Oak Hill’s defense.

Oak Hill travels to Southwood on Friday.

Mississinewa 35, Norwell 0

Ole Miss picked up where it left off to start the 2024 season with a rout of Norwell.

The Indians’ defense forced two turnovers and limited the Knights to 197 total yards in earning the shutout.

Offensively, Ole Miss again showed explosive capabilities.

Senior Ian Newsom started the scoring with a 55-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter on the first play of Mississinewa’s second possession. Seth Yoder added the PAT kick.

The Indians extended to a 14-0 lead just over three minutes later when senior quarterback Kellen Rock threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Kallen Quaderer.

Early in the second quarter, Newsom turned a short pass from Rock into an 85-yard touchdown to make it 21-0.

The Indians’ defense got into the end zone with Andrew Monday’s 32-yard interception return for a score.

Junior running back Ah’lijah Monday scored on a 5-yard run just before halftime to give Ole Miss a 35-0 lead at intermission.

Rock completed 4-of-7 passes for 160 yards.

Ah’lijah Monday carried 14 times for 72 yards to lead the Indians in rushing while Newsom had two catches for 92 yards and two carries for 53.

Mississinewa visits Marion on Friday at 7 p.m.

Madison-Grant 40, Tri-Central 7

The Argylls scored 40 unanswered points to earn the opening night win.

Senior Cole Stitt carried 17 times for 165 yards and four touchdowns to lead M-G.

Harry Brooks and OJ Blackwell each added eight carries. Brooks finished with 73 yards and Blackwell had 65 yards and a touchdown.

M-G quarterback Xavier Yeagy completed four passes for 43 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown to Levi Nelson.

Madison-Grant visits Southern Wells on Friday.