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North Huskies vs Memorial Tigers - at Bundrant Stadium Aug 30, 2024

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Offense

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Game Recap

LATE TIGER SURGE SINKS HUSKIES 35-14

The Memorial Tigers broke open a tight game with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to win going away 35-14 over the North Huskies.  In a game dominated early by defense, the two teams combined for 15 punts (nine by North, six by Memorial).  The Huskies played toe-to-toe with the #3 team in Indiana in Class 3A through the games first three stanzas.

The Huskies took advantage of a Memorial miscue early in the game when a Tiger punt return was muffed at their 10-yard line and recovered by sophomore Braydn Egli.  Three plays later, senior Avier Mitchell scored his second touchdown of the season and junior Derek Kirsch’s extra point brought North an early 7-0 lade.

Plagued by an effective Memorial pass defense throughout the contest that hampered the offense, the Huskies’ defense likewise rose to the occasion early.  Junior Darian Walker expertly defended three passes in the first quarter alone and two of those ended Memorial possessions and force punts.  Junior Deamontey Layne then ended a third possession with a pass defense on third and nine.

It wasn’t until late in the first quarter that the Tigers were able to break through the Huskies’ pass defense for a 23-yard scoring strike that tied the contest at seven.

SECOND QUARTER

With North’s defense proving stingy through the air, Memorial went to a ‘ground-and-pound’ style in the second quarter and found success.  Putting together a 70-yard drive on seven plays, the Tigers got a pair of runs longer than 20 yards as they ran their way to a 14-7 lead.

RUCKER TO THE RESCUE

It took the Huskies one play to respond to the deficit.  Quarterback Jacob Tenbarge faked a pitch to Mitchell and then slipped the ball into the grip of Jason Rucker who had lined up tight to the right and then come left for the ball.  On the snap, senior Ben Brasher pulled out of the line and went left along with tackle Ty Acuff.  With Rucker in close tow behind the two big linemen, Brasher smashed the defensive end with a colossal block to spring the play outside.  Acuff then made the critical block as he led Rucker around end with a crushing block on the linebacker.  Rucker took it from there, with one man to get past, he deployed a juke step that left the cornerback in his tracks.  At that point, it was a sprint to the goal line, and “Ruck” was the fastest man on the field.  67 yards later, the Huskies had tied the game at 14.

SHORT FIELD PRODUCES TIGER POINTS

After an exchange of punts, it was a Tiger punt return that led to the final score of the half.  A short Husky punt was picked up at the Memorial 37 and the return man broke open down the sideline.  He rambled 34 yards before senior James Beck could force him out of bounds at the North 29.  It took Memorial just three plays to cover the distance and they went into half time with a 21-14 lead.

SECOND HALF

Where the second quarter had been fast paced with plenty of offense, the third quarter more resembled trench warfare than a football game.  The two teams combined for just one first down apiece in the period.  Senior Grant Happe defended a third down pass to put a halt to Memorial’s first possession and junior Aman Kincaid stalled the second one with a text book open field tackle to hold a receiver to no-gain.  With North’s offense able to produce just 24 yards on three possessions in the period, the game moved into the fourth quarter as anyone’s game to win.

Which is exactly what Memorial went out and did in the final period of play.

Starting with the ball at their 35-yard line, the Tigers put on a three-play blitz with the final play being a nifty 39-yard touchdown run by their quarterback—who tiptoed along their sideline for a good portion of the run.  Memorial went up 28-14 with plenty of time left in the game.

GAME, SET, AND MATCH

North’s offense proved unequal to the task and rather than a lightning quick score like the one Rucker had produced earlier, the Huskies provided the Tigers with a turnover on and interception in North territory.  Not even a series of Memorial penalties that produced an “impossible to convert” first-down-and-thirty-yards-to-go situation could stop the Tiger onslaught.  Three passes later, they scored for the final time and the Huskies went down 35-14.

A long pass to senior Grant Happe picked up 37 yards as North tried to rally.  The Huskies made it to the Tiger nine-yard line before a fumble led to a 9-yard loss before the quarterback could recover it.  Memorial took over possession on downs and ran the clock out to end the game.

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