Greenwood — The Floyd Central football team ran into a “machine” as it made its first trip to regional in more than a decade.
Defending Class 5A state champion Center Grove scored touchdowns on its first four drives of the game and had more than 400 yards on the ground Friday as it handed the Highlanders a 42-7 setback in Floyd’s first regional appearance since 1998.
“That’s a machine,” said Floyd Central coach Brian Glesing. “That’s football in Indianapolis. They just run right at you. We knew what it would be and there wasn’t a lot we were able to do about it.”
The Trojans (10-3) were rarely flashy, opting instead of straight-ahead running football from start to finish. Center Grove took the opening drive 76 yards and scored on a 21-yard run from Jimmy Boshears for a 7-0 lead.
Jimmy Dagget and Kyle Barth each added touchdowns on the ground later in the half, and Center Grove capped its first-half scoring on an 8-yard pass from Barth to fullback Nolan Weidman that made it 28-0 at halftime.
“That just what they do,” Glesing said. “We needed to come out and shed some blocks from their offensive line and contain the ground game and we just weren’t able to do that.”
Floyd got the scoring started in the second half as it recovered a Trojan fumble and drove 88 yards, completing the drive on a 2-yard Aaron Sparks run. The key play on the scoring drive was a 47-yard toss from Max Guenther to Dalton Schumacher.
“That’s a good drive, being down and making a play on defense and then coming right back with a score,” said Glesing. “We couldn’t do that enough, but we showed we were going to keep fighting.”
Center Grove finished with 424 yards on the ground, putting three runners over the century mark — Daggett (124), Boshears (117) and Weidman (106).
Sparks topped the Highlanders with 67 yards on 20 carries and a score.
The loss finished a breakthrough season of sorts for the Highlanders, who finished 9-4 in Glesing’s third year at the helm.
“We still have to work, we’re not close to finished,” Glesing said. “As the saying goes ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ and this football program wasn’t built in one season. We’ll be back at it again tomorrow. If we’re going to get this program to this level where we’re going to win games like this, then we’re going to have to.”
FLOYD CENTRAL 0 0 7 0— 7
CENTER GROVE 14 14 7 7—42
1st quarter
C — Boshears 21 run (Mancini kick) 8:40
C — Daggett 11 (Mancini) 2:31
2nd quarter
C — Barth 1 run (Mancini kick) 8:39
C — Weidman 8 pass from Barth (Mancini kick) 6:10
3rd quarter
F — Sparks 2 run (Lowe kick) 2:38
C — Boshears 5 run (Mancini kick) 56.0
4th quarter
C — Weidman 14 run (Mancini kick) 10:17
Floyd County Sports
FOOTBALL: Floyd Central falls to defending state champs Center Grove, 42-7
Defending champ Trojans run over Floyd Central
- Floyd County Sports
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SWEET PAYBACK: Bulldogs avenge loss to Seymour with 52-44 win in 4A sectional semi
More than two weeks after losing to Seymour at the Doghouse 55-47, New Albany turned the tables on Friday with a 52-44 victory over the host Owls (17-5).
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GIRLS' HOOPS: Providence falls to Paoli, 55-39 GIRLS' HOOPS: Providence falls to Paoli in Class 2A Sectional
After falling behind early, the Providence Pioneers scrapped and clawed their way back. Unfortunately that was required on one occasion too many, and the Pioneers fell to Paoli 55-39 in the semifinals of the Class 2A Pekin Sectional.
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HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING: Manger places in the top 16 at state
New Albany’s Hannah Manger will get one more chance to compete this season after making the top 16 in two events at the preliminary round of the IHSAA State Swimming Championship Meet.
- SPORTS IN BRIEF: Feb. 11, 2012
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CLARK-FLOYD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Parkview wins eighth-grade title game; Highland Hills takes seventh-grade crown
Highland Hills’ seventh-grade boys and Parkview’s eighth-graders each won Clark-Floyd Tournament championships Thursday at Silver Creek Middle School.
The Highland Hills’ seventh-graders outscored Parkview 12-3 in the final 2:42 for a 34-31 victory. Parkview’s eighth-graders also earned a come-from-behind triumph with a 21-5 fourth quarter to avenge their only loss of the season, 63-50 over Silver Creek. -
HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP: Jeff claims a share of HHC title at Jennings, 57-55
The Jeffersonville boys’ basketball team captured a piece of its first Hoosier Hills Conference championship since the 2005-06 season on Thursday night, winning at Jennings County 57-55.
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POOLSIDE: Local accomplishment the focus at state
The likelihood of a local girl bringing home a state championship at the IHSAA State Swimming Championship meet in Indianapolis this Friday and Saturday is incredibly slim.
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CLASS 4A SECTIONAL: Highlanders lose in double OT to Seymour; Jeff falls to BNL
It was a heartbreaking night for the Clark-Floyd area in the first round of the Class 4A Seymour Sectional.
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CLASS 2A SECTIONAL: Providence guts out win over Henryville, 40-31
The Providence girls’ basketball squad advanced to the Class 2A Eastern Sectional semifinal against Paoli with a gritty, 40-31 win over Henryville Tuesday.
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CLASS A SECTIONAL: Borden cruises through first round
Defending Class A Sectional champion Borden rode a fast start and stellar defense to a first-round, 47-21 sectional win over Christian Academy of Indiana Tuesday night.
- More Floyd County Sports Headlines
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