Points scored, point made
Behind Nelson, Marshall and Logan, Merrillville opens 50-0 halftime lead vs. Crown Point
Senior quarterback Angel Nelson offered an understatement when he said Merrillville played well in the first half on Friday.
Rolling to a 50-13 win at Crown Point in the Duneland Athletic Conference opener, the Pirates scored all their points before halftime.
“Everybody was on the same page,” Nelson said. “We all knew all week we were going to win this game. We had to prove our point.”
Nelson was efficient, completing all four of his passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. He played less than a half as both Merrillville (3-0, 1-0), which is ranked No. 3 in the Class 6A state poll by Associated Press and No. 4 by the coaches, and Crown Point (1-2, 0-1) substituted late in the second quarter. The Pirates led 50-0 at halftime.
Nelson also handled the kicking duties for Merrillville. The usual kicker is his cousin Jaiden Almaraz, the soccer team’s goalkeeper, who was playing in a tournament.
Justin Marshall recovered a short kickoff from Nelson, part of a big game for the junior. That play set up Nelson’s 21-yard TD pass to senior Tyrese Frazier, who also had an interception.
For Merrillville’s second TD, Marshall caught a short pass from Nelson, broke a tackle and weaved his way for a 44-yard score. He also completed Merrillville’s scoring with a 40-yard TD run with 31 seconds left in the first half. Marshall added a 48-yard catch.
“He was huge,” Nelson said of Marshall. “He works hard. He made plays when he caught the ball. He made sure to celebrate with his teammates. He got down the field. He just brings great energy.”
Merrillville senior Lavarion Logan ran for 117 yards and four TDs on 13 carries, including a 75-yard score on which he was untouched at the line of scrimmage and pulled away to go the distance. Kenneth Grant’s blocked field goal preceded that TD.
Senior Silas Mathis had two catches for 65 yards, including a 61-yarder from junior Jaylen Thomas to the 1-yard line that set up Logan’s fourth TD.
“We have some big-play ability with having a good running game and some of our receivers on the outside,” Merrillville coach Brad Seiss said. “We knew we wanted to be aggressive. When we kept getting stops, it kept giving our offense opportunities.”
Senior Jason Kostick scored on a 15-yard run for Crown Point, and freshman Tommy Guadagno added a 4-yard TD. Freshman quarterback Logan Hadt entered the game with two minutes left in the first half.
Merrillville has won five straight games in the series against Crown Point, including two sectional games. The Pirates have won seven straight in the regular season, with the Bulldogs last winning in 2014.
“Because we’re so close to each other, it’s definitely a game our kids get up for, our coaching staff gets up for, our community gets up for,” Seiss said. “Obviously they’re building something and playing some younger guys. Us being able to take advantage of opportunities early, that’s what we were hoping to do.
“Regardless of what’s going on, it’s exciting when our kids are ready to go. We’ve been that way so far these three weeks, and we have to do the same for Portage.”