Mike Wolanin | The Republic Columbus East quarterback Ethan Duncan sprints away from Whiteland’s Zeke Ramey during a season opening high school football game between Columbus East and Whiteland at Columbus East High School in Columbus, Ind., Friday, Aug. 19, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
For one half of football Friday night, Columbus East couldn’t do much wrong.
The second half was a different story.
Class 5A No. 6 Whiteland scored 21 unanswered points over the final two quarters to rally for a 28-10 season-opening win at East.
“I think we showed that we can compete for 24 minutes,” East coach Eddie Vogel said. “The thing that I talked to the players about all week before the game and then after the game is, we have to be able to play for 48. Football games aren’t 24 minutes, so we have to be able to figure out a way to maintain that, and we’ll address that this week in practice.”
The Warriors limited the Olympians to two a total of first downs on East’s first five possessions of the second half. East quarterback Ethan Duncan was 8-of-11 passing for 88 yards in the first half, but went 0 of 9 in the second half.
“We had two first downs when it mattered in the second half,” Vogel said. “You have to be able to come out after halftime and be able to move the football and move the chains. That was our plan all week, and we didn’t get it done.”
After holding Whiteland to begin the game, the Olympians looked to score a touchdown on their first series, but a 41-yard pass from Duncan to Chase Zapfe was called back because of an illegal block, and the Olympians had to settle for a 24-yard Nathaniel Hedrick field goal.
“We had some penalties throughout the game, not only in the second half, but in the first half that took some points off the board,” Vogel said. “I take responsibility for that because obviously, if they’re happing in the game, they’re happening in practice.”
The Warriors got on the board on their third possession on a 28-yard pass from Kevin Denham to Gunner Hicks. East answered with a 26-yard keeper by Duncan early in the second quarter.
The Olympians defense continued to play steady throughout the remainder of the first half, and they led 10-7 at the break.
East got the ball to start the second half, but went three-and-out, and Whiteland drove for the go-ahead score, a 2-yared run by Peyton Emberton.
The next time the Warriors had the ball, Jonathan Crawley broke free for a 64-yard touchdown run and a 21-10 lead. Whiteland put it away on its next possession, which was capped by a 33-yard run from Crowley.
Crowley finished with 133 yards rushing on 10 carries.
“We made zero adjustments at halftime,” Whiteland coach Darrin Fisher said. “We ran exactly the same schematics of what we thought would work in the first half. It was just a matter of, we finally got all 11 guys to calm down, take a breath, communicate with each other and execute the plays. They were over there hypervenalating, and freaking out, and we had to calm them down.”
“I thought we competed pretty well,” Vogel said. “But I’m going to address our conditioning level because I thought we just ran out of gas.”
BOXSCORE
Whiteland 0 7 14 7 — 28
Columbus East 3 7 0 0 — 10
CE—Nathaniel Hedrick 24 FG, 7:14.
W—Gunner Hicks 28 pass from Kevin Denham (David Mathis kick), 10:25.
CE—Ethan Duncan 26 run (Hedrick kick), 5:53.
W—Peyton Emberton 2 run (Mathis kick), 6:34.
W—Jonathan Crowley 64 run (Mathis kick), 1:07.
W—Crowley 33 run (Mathis kick), 8:10.
Individual statistics
RUSHING — Whiteland: Corwley 10-133, Emberton 11-47, Nyrius Moore-Smith 3-29, Maalik Perkins 4-28, Devon Armstrong 3-16, Jakarrey Oliver 2-9, Denham 1-5, Reece Davis 2-(-3), Dalton Hughes 1-(-3). Columbus East: Javeon Smith 17-73, Tyler Weller 12-61, Duncan 12-31, Caaden Gault 4-19.
PASSING — Whiteland: Denham 5 for 11, 62 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception. Columbus East: Duncan 8-20-88-0-0.
RECEIVING — Whiteland: Hicks 1-28, Cameron Cooper 1-16, Emberton 2-15, Armstrong 1-3. Columbus East: Chase Zapfe 3-52, Smith 2-14, Nico Alvarez 1-9, Devon Tekulve 1-8, Blake Borkhardt 1-5.
