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FOOTBALL: Logan survives Wawasee in sectional opener

beau wicker, pharos-tribune, logansport, ind.
·5 min read

Oct. 22—Things just don't go according to plan for the Logansport Berries when they play the Wawasee Warriors in football.

While the Berries defeated the Warriors 35-14 in a Class 4A sectional game Friday night, it was a game that felt closer than the final score and the Berries might have lost a couple starters due to injury ahead of next week's semifinal game at defending state runner-up Northridge.

The Berries avenged a 2004 semistate loss to the Warriors, but it might have been costly, as starting running back Chris Rene left the game in the first half with a concussion and starting quarterback Izak Mock left in the second half with a sprained ankle. Both are questionable for next Friday's game.

The Wawasee game was also marred by penalties. The Berries were flagged 13 times for 160 yards compared to the Warriors' four penalties for 40 yards.

"We were our own worst enemies," Logan coach Mike Johnson said. "I think every possession we scored we had to overcome some major penalty in order to get it done. Too many unsportsmanlike. That's going to have to get cleaned up. I hope we're better than that. But it was a win. We survived and despite some penalties and despite some poor play we executed when we had to and won and moved on and we're alive."

The Berries (8-2) put together a solid first half despite the penalties. They opened the game with an 84-yard scoring drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock. Jeremiah Miller capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run to give the Berries an early 6-0 lead.

The Warriors (1-9) drove into Logansport territory on their first possession. But an Andrew McGee sack helped stopped the drive, which ended on an incomplete pass on fourth-and-14 from the 36.

The Berries put together another long, time consuming drive, capped by a 1-yard TD run by Miller, who added a 2-point conversion run to make it 14-0 with 5:54 left in the half.

Miller came up with an interception on defense at midfield. Mock hit Grayson Long with a 40-yard scoring strike to make it a 21-0 game with 3:26 left in the half.

The Warriors drove into Logansport territory but the Berries' defense came up with another stop. Jesus Alanis came up with a sack to force fourth-and-10 and Scotty Barron had a quarterback pressure that led to an incomplete pass to give the Berries the ball back on their 40 with 1:20 left.

The Berries put together a good two-minute drill drive, but Humberto Baez's 39-yard field goal attempt was blocked as time expired and the Berries led 21-0 at halftime.

The Warriors opened the second half with a good kickoff return and then put together their first scoring drive of the game, a 55-yard drive capped by a 1-yard TD run by Brandon Kelly to make it 21-7 with 6:56 left in the third quarter.

The Berries then fumbled a handoff at their 35-yard line that the Warriors recovered. But Logansport's defense forced a four-and-out to get the ball back.

The Berries were forced to punt but Mock pinned the Warriors back to their 1-yard line with the help of a nice play by Aaron Bau to keep the ball out of the end zone. The Berries then forced a punt that went just 7 yards to the 25-yard line. The Berries moved backwards with the help of some penalties but Mock hit Long for a 31-yard TD pass on third-and-16 to make it 27-7 with 9:54 remaining.

The Warriors fumbled the ensuing kickoff that Miller recovered. Mock quickly hit Isaac Russell for a 24-yard TD pass. Luis Ortiz ran in the 2-pointer to make it 35-7 with 9:38 left.

The Warriors scored on a 57-yard TD pass from Mason Shoemaker to Derek Bontrager with 5:56 left.

But on the Berries' next possession Mock left with an ankle injury when he was rolled into by a defender on a clean play after making a handoff.

Mock was 7 of 13 passing for 159 yards and three touchdowns. Long had three catches for 99 yards and two TDs. Russell had three catches for 47 yards and a TD. Miller had a 14-yard reception.

The Berries had a balanced rushing attack with 246 yards on 39 attempts despite seven holding penalties and an illegal chop block.

Miller had 53 yards and two TDs on 14 carries, Ortiz had 53 yards on nine carries and Shamari Gittings had 53 yards on seven carries. Rene had 48 yards on six attempts before leaving in the second quarter. Russell had 39 yards on three carries.

Mock had some big completions to get the Berries out of some bad spots.

"We had to be able to throw the ball to be able to overcome some of that yardage situation with the penalties," Johnson said. "It's not what we really want to do but luckily we have practiced it, he has gotten better at it and we've got some guys that can make some plays like Grayson and Isaac Russell can catch the ball and we can run some screen game. That certainly helps us get out of those jams. But we don't really want to be in those."

As for Mock's injury, Johnson added, "I hope it just an ankle sprain but I think he'll probably have it checked out to make sure."

In other area games Friday, Pioneer lost to Triton 42-6, Caston lost to West Central 28-6 and Winamac lost to Lafayette Central Catholic 52-8. Read more about those games and about Miller's first game on offense this season in the win over Wawasee in Tuesday's Pharos-Tribune.