Cavs are homecoming kings
CULVER — Culver Community High School really knows how to host a Homecoming game.
Besides the well- done coronation of the court at halftime, the football team provided a textbook game under a full moon to make it a warm atmosphere on a cold night as the Cavaliers ran over Caston, 36-12, in Hoosier North Athletic Conference action Friday night.
“We just hadn’t put a complete game together - offense and defense - but I felt like we did tonight,” said Culver head coach Mike Zehner.
The Cavs ran for over 300 yards, milking the clock they way they like to, did not commit a penalty, and recovered two fumbles as boot.
“We ate the clock and do what we do. It’s nice to finally do that,” added Zehner, whose squad gets its first HNAC victory. “It’s been a couple of weeks where we’ve kept some points on the field. That’s not a bad Caston team. They play hard and have some athletes, so we had to run our style of football - 11 guys inside a phone booth, getting three or four yards at a time.”
Culver (2-5, 1-4 HNAC) did just that as it marched right down the field on its first drive to set the tone for the game. Blake Thompson rambled for 11 yards to complete the drive, the first of his two touchdowns on a night he would go over the 100-yard mark (122).
Caston opened the second quarter with a 35-yard pass play to tie the score at 6, but Culver answered right back, needing just five plays to cover 75 yards. Emiliano
Ortiz, the third back in the three- headed monster attack, had 42 of those yards and Shane Shuman the other 33, with the last 16 taking the sophomore into the end zone. A two-point conversion pass made it 14-6 Culver.
The Cavs’ next possession may have been even more impressive, definitely more time consuming, as they took 12 plays - all rushes - to cover 70 yards before Shuman bursted into the end zone from three yards out just before halftime. Blake Thompson’s two-point conversion run made it 22-6 at
the break.
The Comets ( 2- 5, 0- 5 HNAC) closed to within 10 by putting together a nice drive of their own to start the third quarter (5 plays, 60 yds), culminating with a Sam Smith 13-yard run. The junior also had a 43-yarder during the series.
“We started off (the second half) doing what we didn’t want to do - giving up a big play,” said Zehner. “Their fullback (Smith) is amazing on both sides of the ball. He was an all-conference player last year and will be this year too.”
The Cavs answered again though, putting together another vintage drive (10 plays, 68 yds), mostly on bull runs by Shuman up the middle (43 yds) before Ortiz
ran it in from eight yards out.
“Blake, Shane and Tucker (Fisher) are our power runners, but he gives us a second gear,” Zehner said of the sophomore Ortiz. “He does a nice job. He’s really a firstyear player, didn’t play last year and came out late this year deciding if he wanted to play soccer or football. He’s developing in the secondary too.”
Caston’s next two possessions totaled exactly two plays - and both were fumbles - recovered by Culver’s Alex Zehner and Ben Lee, respectively.
“We hadn’t caused too many turnovers this year so that was nice. We needed that big time,” Zehner continued. “I love our defense.”
After Lee’s recovery, the Cavs had time for one more long, clock- eating drive. Thirteen plays and 64 yards later, Thompson was putting the exclamation mark on the night with his second TD, this one from a yard out.
Shuman also went over the 100-yard mark rushing (146) for Culver and Ortiz was at 56.
“(Our running game) takes it out of you, burning off a minute after every play,” Zehner said. “That’s what we’re made of and what we do. That’s what we preach and why we get in the weight room.”
Smith had 88 of Caston’s 121 rushing yards.
• CULVER 36, CASTON 12
At Culver
Score by quarters
Caston 0 6 6 0 - 12
Culver 6 16 6 8 - 36
Cul - Blake Thompson 11 run (run failed)
Cas - Damian Sullivan 35 pass from Grant Hickle (kick failed)
Cul - Shane Shuman 16 run (Marquez Anderson pass from Tucker Fisher) Cul - Shuman 3 run (Thompson run) Cas - Sam Smith 13 run (run failed) Cul - Emiliano Ortiz 8 run (run failed) Cul - Thompson 1 run (Ian Brown run)
Culver Caston
First downs 19 5
Yards rushing 330 121
Yards passing 0 55
Passing 0-0-0 3-4-0