Familiar steps lead Mater Dei to another regional with fourth straight 2A sectional crown
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Mason Wunderlich dropped back with plenty of time to look at his options. He made his choice, and his 31-yard toss landed in Blake Herdes’ hands to give Mater Dei the lead on its first offensive possession.
That was all the Wildcats needed. The rest of their points were insurance.
“All around team effort, that play, all the way through,” Wunderlich said. “Everybody did a great job. Line did a great job blocking and gave me plenty of time. The receivers ran really great routes and got open and obviously we delivered the ball. Heck of a catch.”
Just like last season, there were some inconsistencies throughout Mater Dei’s campaign this fall. Just like last season, the Wildcats faced North Posey for Class 2A Sectional 40 title. And just like last season, Mater Dei beat the Vikings, this time by way of a 35-0 shutout.
Friday marks the third time in five years the Wildcats (9-3) bounced North Posey from the postseason, with perhaps one eye looking toward the result of a year ago.
Indiana high school football:Check out all the Evansville-area sectional championship scores
If things can go as far as they did last year when they finished as the 2A runners-up, the No. 6-ranked Wildcats won’t complain. Coach Mike Goebel refused to look past Friday’s result, but the goal likely remains the same: Return to Indianapolis and take it one step further.
“I refused to let myself watch any team except North Posey,” Goebel said. “We’re gonna enjoy tonight, break down and try to get ready for a regional.”
While Friday wasn’t the most exciting spectacle, for the Wildcats’ sake, it didn’t need to be. The win sends Mater Dei to Triton Central (10-2) for next week's regional — the fourth consecutive year the two will meet at that stage and third time the Wildcats will make the trip to Fairland.
“We’ve got some work to do as far as breaking them down. We know Coach (Tim) Able’s got them ready,” Goebel said. “They’re an outstanding team, outstanding coach and we have to travel up there.”
Arguably Mater Dei’s two most important players in last season’s run, Wunderlich and running back Joey Pierre accounted for all of the Wildcats’ points. Wunderlich finished with three total touchdowns — the opener through the air, a rush later in the first half and another pass in the fourth quarter. Pierre capped two drives with runs into the end zone from inside the 10-yard line.
“Our line did a great job opening plenty of holes for both of us,” Wunderlich said. “They did a great job, without them, we wouldn’t be able to do anything.”
Goebel said Mater Dei fought through adversity this fall, overcoming injuries and questions about its performances. Yet, the Wildcats have won six games that ended with a running clock despite playing without six starters at one point.
“These guys never lose focus, they knew what was at stake each and every game,” Goebel said. “They don’t let other things bother them. … North Posey definitely posed a lot of issues and problems for us, but I thought we played very well on both sides of the ball all the way through.”
Pierre has dealt with a knee injury throughout the season, one Goebel said “would put a lot of people out for the year.” He capped a standout performance with 99 yards of rushing.
“I’m just trusting my trainers and my coaches and working hard,” Pierre said. “My teammates are giving me support and we’ve all got each other’s backs and we’re just working for each other.”
From there, Mater Dei’s defense held the Vikings to their second shutout loss all season. Mater Dei’s defense limited Liam Stone and Jed Galvin’s ability as one of the stronger quarterback-running back duos in the area. North Posey (9-3) ended with 221 yards of total offense and two lost turnovers.
“(The defensive coaches) had a great scheme coming in to hold that powerful offense,” Goebel said. “It’s a compliment to the coaches and it’s a complement to the players. I honestly, coming in, didn’t think the score would be zero for North Posey, but our guys do what they had to do.”
After celebrating postgame at the Bowl with another sectional trophy, the Wildcats' attention now turns to Triton Central, another familiar stop on the road to Indianapolis. Even if Lucas Oil Stadium isn’t top of mind just yet, the steps on the way there have led down a familiar path after the Wildcats won 35-7 over the Tigers last season.
“(Triton Central is) a very good team, they have lots of talent,” Pierre said. “It’s gonna be a big test for us next week. We gotta prepare this week and we’ve got a battle ahead of us, but I know we can do it.”
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA football: Mater Dei tops North Posey on familiar playoff road
