The Columbus East sideline erupts during a 28-27 win against Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger in the Class 4A state championship game on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Republic file photo
Columbus East started knocking on the door of making the state football championship when it made a few runs to the semistate in the latter part of the first decade of the 2000s and the first part of the 2010s.
The Olympians made a huge breakthrough in 2013 when they made it to the Class 4A state title game at Lucas Oil Stadium. It was there that they edged Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger 28-27 to bring home the school’s second state championship.
“We have that goal every year, and we didn’t get past the semistate level,” former East coach Bob Gaddis said. “We had gotten to (semistate) several times, and these guys broke the door down. They were very talented, and there were a lot of them. It was a big senior class. We didn’t have to play kids both ways. They stayed healthy, and they got better as the year went on.”
Columbus East head coach Bob Gaddis yells to his team in the Class 4A state championship game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013 in the state finals at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Republic file photo
That 2013 team was honored Friday night prior to the Olympians’ rivalry game with Columbus North.
“Coming back now, 10 years later, we’re doing a lot of reminiscing while we’re out here,” said then-senior quarterback Alex Cowan, who now works for Cummins. “It’s always good to get back out and see these guys. A lot of these guys, I haven’t seen since we graduated. I just remember all the camaraderie we had as a team, how we all did it together, how mentally tough the entire team was. We didn’t have any distractions. Everybody got along, and that’s what I’ll always remember.”
Columbus East senior quarterback Alex Cowan hoist the title trophy over his head at during a pep-rally at East after they defeated Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger for the Class 4A state championship Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The Republic file photo
So will some of his teammates and classmates.
“We had all played together since we were little,” said linebacker Christian Wichman, who now is a nurse at Columbus Regional Health. “It’s definitely fun, and it’s fun seeing guys we’ve played with since we were 5 or 6 years old.”
“Just the bonds we made, working day in and day out, mornings and nights,” added fellow linebacker Logan Galarno, who now works in pharmaceuticals in Bloomington. “I haven’t seen these guys in 10 years, and it’s like we were together yesterday. We just picked up where we left off. You don’t get that every day. It’s just a brotherhood that you make. It was just something special.”
Columbus East assistant coach Eddie Vogel talks to his defense during the Class 4A state championship game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013 in the state finals at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Republic file photo
East went a perfect 15-0 in 2013 and outscored its opponents by an average of 55.5 to 12.0.
“It seems like time really flies by,” said wide receiver Sean Owens, who now is operations manager at Grand Park in Westfield. “When we got the first message that we were having this, I started to believe. It’s exciting to come back. I’m seeing a lot of teammates I haven’t seen in years, so it’s a good feeling to be back, especially for the rivalry game.”
“Seeing all these guys I haven’t seen in like 10 years, it just reminds me of a culmination of 10 years of playing with these guys,” added Gabe Tertocha, a backup linebacker, defensive lineman and running back who now is a private strength and conditioning coach. “We played from fourth and fifth grade all the way through high school and finally got to be on top.”
Despite winning the state title, at least a couple of the players have an even bigger memory of the previous week, when the Olympians routed New Palestine 49-14 in the semistate at East.
“That last game caps it off perfect, but I think my favorite game the whole year was New Pal,” said defensive tackle Dalton Bateman, who now works in sales in Indianapolis. “I loved that.”
Markell Jones stands in the end zone after scoring a touchdown during Columbus East’s 28-27 win against Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger in the Class 4A state championship game on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Republic file photo
So did standout running back Markell Jones. One of the few junior starters on that team, Jones went on to set a state rushing record and win Mr. Football honors the following year and played four years at Purdue. He now is a pilot with Piedmont Airlines, based in Philadephia.
“The biggest thing I remember is that game against New Pal, and then I remember the excitement once we won that final game,” Jones said. “It’s good to come back here. It’s been a few years now, but it’s good to have everybody back.”
