Passing of the torch
Bush and his predecessor at QB Laurent connect on 2 TDs for Wolves in semistate loss to Eagles
Michigan City senior Giovani Laurent caught a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Tyler Bush early in the second quarter Friday night.
The moment was quite symbolic for the Wolves, who started the season with Laurent as the starting quarterback. He transitioned to receiver to make way for Bush during a three-game losing streak.
That lineup shift is viewed as a key reason Michigan City was able to right the ship and eventually play for a spot in the Class 5A state championship game.
But the Wolves fell short Friday, unable to overcome Zionsville’s potent offense in a 52-21 loss at semistate.
“We’re all kind of hurting right now,” Laurent said. “We had bigger goals. We were one game away.
“But I’m proud of these guys. Nobody believed in us, but we kept our own circle and believed in each other, and we got farther than anybody thought.”
Laurent finished with 63 yards and two TDs on five receptions as one of Bush’s go-to targets and kept the Wolves (9-4) moving despite the significant deficit they often faced against Zionsville (9-5).
As for Bush, the stage hardly looked too big for him despite his youth. He threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns, including a 77-yarder to senior running back Omarion Hatch — who finished with seven catches for 188 yards.
“I worked all summer,” Bush said. “I got my chance, and I just ran with it. I just wish I got a better outcome than today.
“I wouldn’t trade this team for anything else. I think I have the best receivers, offensive line and running backs I could ever have.”
While Bush, Laurent and Hatch did as much as they could, the Eagles proved too difficult for Michigan City to stop.
Zionsville running back Gage Bankert rushed for 243 yards and two TDs on 22 carries. Quarterback Christian Abney threw just 11 passes, but he made them count. He passed for 160 yards and three TDs.
“That’s a really great football team,” Michigan City coach Phil Mason said. “Our kids played as hard as they could and had a great year. All you take away from this is that we just have to keep working and getting better.”
As the dust settled after the game, Laurent and Bush shared an emotional hug on the field.
Laurent attributed his position change as a willingness to be selfless for his team, and Bush vowed to keep working with his receivers to ensure he can build upon this season’s success. The poise Laurent saw from Bush gave him enough confidence to warn Michigan City’s future opponents of what’s to come.
“We’ve got a young quarterback
that they need to watch out for,” Laurent said. “These next two years aren’t going to be easy playing around with him.
“He’s a young kid, but he doesn’t play like a sophomore. He’s going to be a phenomenal athlete for this team.”