Elijah gets a leg up
With Tiawhan as workhorse, Crown Point vaults past Lake Central
Crown Point’s Elijah Tiawhan didn’t skip any leg days in the offseason.
When asked about his weightlifting program, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound junior running back said one lift was his focus. “I was mainly doing squats,” he said.
All those repetitions in the offseason have made Tiawhan bigger, stronger and less likely to wear out in the second half, resulting in performances like the one he had at Lake Central on Friday night.
Tiawhan carried the ball 18 times for 120 yards and a touchdown in Crown Point’s 42-7 win against its Duneland Athletic Conference rival.
Crown Point (2-2, 1-1) built a 21-7 halftime lead over Lake Central (3-1, 1-1) and never looked back, racking up 406 yards on offense — including 230 on the ground.
Tiawhan had 72 yards on 10 carries in the second half alone, with the endurance to handle that heavy workload a direct result of that offseason work. It also added significant size to Tiawhan, who said he weighed just 180 pounds as a sophomore.
Coach Craig Buzea described Tiawhan as “a load to bring down. And I think he gets stronger as the game goes on too.”
There were plenty of mental reps for Tiawhan as well. He said he studied film of 2021 Crown Point graduate Matt Walters, who was the team’s workhorse last season.
“I was watching to see when he made his cuts,” Tiawhan said. “And to see how hard and how fast he was running with the ball.”
Tiawhan was quick to credit his offensive line for creating the running lanes through Lake Central’s defense. His face lit up when asked about his blockers.
“It’s amazing to have those guys up there,” he said.
Part of that appreciation could stem from their absences in the previous two weeks — both Crown Point losses. Buzea said he spent recent weeks shuffling his lineup to
fill holes created by injuries and quarantines.
“The last two weeks have been absolute hell for our guys,” Buzea said. “We went two weeks with only half a squad. Last week we went without three offensive linemen and had to go with three guys who’d never played a varsity snap. This was the first time since the Lowell game (in the season opener) that we’ve had our whole team back together.”
Crown Point forced a fumble on the first play of the game, with senior linebacker Liam Begley recovering at the Lake Central 24-yard line. Four plays later, junior Boedy Burandt caught a 16-yard TD pass from junior quarterback JJ Johnson to open the scoring.
Johnson added a TD run in the second quarter and a 24-yard TD pass to sophomore Landen Delich just before halftime. Johnson, who finished with 176 passing yards and 58 rushing yards, added an 8-yard TD run in the third quarter that kept the Bulldogs well ahead of the Indians.
Lake Central junior Ace Henry, a two-way player at wide receiver and defensive back, sparked the Indians in the second quarter with a 41-yard reception that set up Lake Central’s only score of the game, a 1-yard TD run by sophomore running back Xavier Williams.
On the next possession, Henry picked off a Crown Point pass, giving Lake Central possession near midfield. But that drive ended in a punt, and the Bulldogs scored on their next possession to keep momentum firmly in their favor.
After the game, Lake Central coach Rick Good had plenty of praise for Henry.
“He’s probably our most versatile player,” Good said. “He’s one we can count on to have an impact in every game, and we’ll need him to be one of the leaders down the stretch if we’re going to compete.”