Castle football's postseason run ends with loss in Class 5A semistate to Whiteland
NEWBURGH, Ind. — Castle's journey to Friday's Class 5A semistate wasn't the smoothest. It seemed to encounter adversity every step of the way.
There were heartbreaking one-score losses to Mater Dei and Jasper during the regular season. A handful of Knights also missed time with injuries, from running back Peyton Guerzini to kicker Aleyna Quinn. But they didn't use any of their setbacks as excuses. They kept pushing forward and ultimately strung together a postseason run that culminated Friday at John Lidy Field with a trip to the state finals at stake.
"It's a pretty cool thing to bounce back from something like that," senior linebacker John Purdy said. "We just got to respond. It's next man up. It doesn't matter what kind of athlete they are. It's about what's in their heart. That's what we preach here."
Yet, they couldn't overcome one last hurdle as the Knights' season ended with a 21-7 loss to No. 2-ranked Whiteland, one game shy of making their first state championship appearance since 1994.
It was a painful loss. Tears were shed on the sideline when the game ended and continued as they made their way out of the locker room to head home. They know they had plenty of missed opportunities.
They were flagged for offsides twice on the Warriors' opening drive, which resulted in a touchdown. Penalties continued to drag Castle down for the rest of the night. The Knights (8-5) looked to respond to Whiteland's score with a touchdown of their own but officials ruled the receiver to be out of bounds.
From there, they played catch-up as Whiteland out-gained them 298-185 and more moments of adversity arose.
The injuries kept piling on for Castle as two more Knights exited in the second half. Senior quarterback Brayden Bishop left with a collarbone injury, which led to sophomore Mitchell Lenè taking the reigns of the offense for the rest of the game. An even scarier injury occurred when junior wideout Jersey Wells was taken to the hospital after getting blasted on a punt return. He was gaining movement in his extremities, team officials said postgame.
"We're all praying for him," Purdy said of Wells.
Castle still refused to give up.
Purdy and fellow senior Aedon Smith made the plays that were needed of them on defense. One from Smith that stood out was a sack on the Warriors' quarterback to take Whiteland out of field-goal range. That was redemption after Whiteland forced a fumble on Castle's first play of the second half inside the 30-yard line.
Still, the Warriors kept the ball moving and the clock ticking as they accumulated 288 yards on the ground during a frigid November night.
The Knights remained in contention throughout, though. Lenè stepped up in Bishop's absence under center. He led Castle in passing, finishing 4 of 6 for 48 yards. And he showed poise as he fired passes downfield to senior Weston Aigner, who had five catches for 82 yards and the lone touchdown. Although Lenè didn't have much varsity experience and took his lumps adjusting the pass rush, he played effectively when his name was called upon.
"I think it's big when you have a kid come off the bench and does the very best we could," Castle coach Doug Hurt said. "I thought he did a nice job doing what was asked. He's a great kid and he really came out and battled tonight. I'm so proud of his effort."
"He's a guy that comes to practice every day and wants to get after it," Aigner added. "He knew the plays. I just told him what route I was going to run, and I asked him to throw me the ball."
Castle will graduate another special senior class. Throughout all the bumps in the road they encountered this season, the Knights rallied and motivated each other to do their best. They didn't point any fingers when things went wrong. They simply talked about how to improve and move on to the next play. They remained vocal leaders, from practices and film sessions to Friday nights under the lights.
Hurt has a son in the Castle football program who's a freshman. The senior class had already instilled in him and other younger Knights what it takes to be a man of character. How to work and persevere.
It's now been a dozen years since the Knights finished with a losing record. They've made two semistate appearances in the last three years. They just couldn't make enough stops against Whiteland to keep playing one more week.
"This group, in spite of all the odds, kept battling, kept working, kept improving and just got a little bit better," Hurt said. "And we kind of found our stride in the playoffs. I'm really proud of those guys for not only the outcomes and the way that they played football, but more importantly, for the legacy that they left to the younger players. That legacy will live on and on in Castle football for a long time."
Courier & Press sports reporter Treasure Washington can be reached via her email, treasure.washington@courierpress.com, and on Twitter @Twashington490.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA football: Castle falls to Whitehead in Class 5A semistate
