There’s an old adage in sports that says you can throw the records out when two rivals meet.
Columbus East learned that last year when it came into a Week 2 game against Columbus North having handily beaten a good Whiteland team the week before, while the Bull Dogs were getting trounced by a very good Avon team.
All the signs pointed to the Olympians snapping a three-game losing streak to North, but the Bull Dogs had other ideas and won 42-31.
Friday night, the tables were turned. North came in riding off a 48-6 drubbing of Class 3A then-No. 6 Gibson Southern, while East had fallen to Whiteland 28-21. The Bull Dogs certainly had to be a big favorite.
This time, it was the Olympians who got off the proverbial mat in a big way. They jumped out to 21-0 and 28-7 leads, saw North rally with 24 consecutive points to put the Bull Dogs in the lead, then put together a late touchdown drive to pull out a thrilling 35-31 victory and snap a four-game losing streak in the series.
It’s safe to say the 50th edition of the East-North rivalry was unlike any of the previous 49.
The most similar game to Friday night’s may have been the 2012 contest. In that game, the host Bull Dogs scored a late touchdown to take the lead, only to see the Olympians put together a quick drive led by quarterback Alex Cowan and running back Markell Jones, to score in the final minute and snap a two-game losing streak to North.
This time, senior quarterback Malachi Parks and senior receiver Crase Bergman were the heroes, along with some nifty running from junior backup running back Tryce Villarreal. Parks hit Bergman with the go-ahead touchdown pass with 32 seconds remaining.
What a game this would have been for a normal East-North crowd, which usually generates upwards of 5,000 fans. Because of COVID-19, only 250 fans were allowed on each side, leaving many to look for viewing or listening options.
“It’s an instant classic North-East game,” North coach Tim Bless said. “Our kids are heartbroken right now. But credit them. Hats off to coach Gaddis and their team.”
Ted Schultz is sports editor for The Republic. He can be reached at tschultz@therepublic.com
