Memorial football showed its fight in fourth quarter but fell short in 4A regional

EVANSVILLE − Leo Collins wasn’t concerned with what the scoreboard said. In his mind, this was still anyone’s game.

That was the effort the Memorial senior was going to play with. There was no way he, or the rest of the Tigers’ senior class, was going to let their final high school football game end quietly. That’s not how they operate.

The “never give up” attitude was evident in the second half, especially in the final quarter. East Central defeated Memorial 35-21 to win the Class 4A regional championship. All of the Tigers points were scored in the final 12 minutes.

More:Evansville-area high school football regional scores

“I think that second half really summarized it. We don’t go down without a fight,” said Collins. “We’re not ever going to just lay down and give somebody the game. It’s unfortunate that this was the outcome, but I wouldn’t have wanted to do this with any other group of guys.”

Memorial trailed 28-0 at the halftime break. All the Trojans needed was another touchdown to put a running clock on the program’s first regional title since 2017. But Memorial wasn’t going to surrender. They were going to try and find a way to keep fighting.

An 88-yard blocked field goal return touchdown by Jackson Draper started the fourth quarter. A 15-yard touchdown reception from Collins on a pass from Matthew Fisher. Another long reception from Collins set up a one-yard score from Porter Rode in the final two minutes.

Even though those scores didn’t necessarily have an impact on the final outcome, it symbolized the work ethic this group had. That type of attitude has become expected from a program that’s established such a winning culture. The Tigers have won six of the past seven sectional titles, including three playing up a class in 4A because of the success factor.

“These guys have been around, they’ve seen a lot of football over the past four years. Especially the seniors,” said Memorial head coach John Hurley. “We had opportunities to make plays at different times. When you miss those opportunities, momentum gets going on their side. And they’re a good football team.”

There were too many miscues for Memorial. An interception set up a short field for the first of three scores for East Central’s Josh Ringer ‒ his 34 touchdowns in a single-season set an East Central record. Each of the Trojans' three touchdowns in the second quarter came after quick possessions from the Tigers. Memorial only had one first down through the first three quarters.

Even when the Tigers started to get momentum in the fourth, another long drive was stalled with an interception on the goal line. East Central answered with another touchdown. Hurley noted mistakes of that nature just can’t happen against a team as good as the Trojans, a squad he could see playing on Thanksgiving weekend in Indianapolis.

“When you make mistakes at this point, the window to make mistakes and find success gets smaller and smaller,” Hurley said. “We might have just got beaten by the state champs tonight. These guys are tough.”

Memorial will return several key pieces from a squad that finished the year with a 9-4 record after starting 0-2. Sophomore quarterback Matthew Fisher threw for over 1,600 yards with 15 touchdowns. Junior running back Porter Rode eclipsed the 1,100 yard mark with 13 rushing scores. Junior receiver Luke Ellspermann notched nearly 500 receiving yards with three touchdowns. They’ll also bring back key defenders including defensive back Jeremiah McGuire and linebacker Alex Broshears.

There’s no doubt the Tigers will miss this senior class. Memorial’s four captains – Collins, Caleb Ellspermann, Carac Johnson and Drew Weinzapfel – were instrumental pieces of this team over the past four years. There were plenty more who made an impact on both sides of the ball. It wasn’t just the play that stood out with this class, it was their leadership.

That work ethic and guidance was a focal point over the past four years.

“We’ve got a lot of good men in our program. These guys are going to go out and be successful in their community,” Hurley said. “They put a lot of time and a lot of sacrifice in. They were a great example for the underclassmen.”

Collins added: “They got a glimpse of how hard we fight and how seriously we take this.”

Contact Courier & Press sports reporter Hendrix Magley via email at hendrix.magley@courierpress.com or via Twitter @TweetsOfHendrix.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA football: Memorial vs East Central high school, 2022 regional