Published: October 10, 2008 11:07 pm            

Giants fall to Lawrence North, 14-10

INDIANAPOLIS — Not long ago, Ben Davis High School won football games before they even started. The Giants — one of the state’s most storied programs — were so dominant during the 1990s and the beginning of this decade that showing up was nearly enough to send their opponents to defeat.

Times have changed, and Friday night at Lawrence North High School, the message was loud and clear: There are no nights off in the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference.

The host Wildcats evened their record with a 14-10 victory. Ben Davis fell for the second week in a row, and enters the final week of the season with three losses.

“This conference doesn’t allow you to take weeks off,” Ben Davis coach Mike Kirschner said. “We didn’t execute, period! The kids didn’t do what we told them to do all week long.”

The most glaring hole in the Giants’ game was ball security. Three Ben Davis turnovers all played significant roles in the outcome of the game. The biggest, a fumble by running back Phillip Dudley, came at the end of a strong 23-yard run. Instead of a first down at the Wildcat’s 10-yard line, Lawrence North had its second turnover of the game.

“Through the first seven games of the season, our running backs had no fumbles,” Kirschner said. “We were struggling with their focus in practice this week, and we told them if they put the ball on the ground in practice, they will do it in the games.”

The Giants — who entered the game ranked seventh in the coaches’ poll — could ill-afford the turnovers as they were playing from behind just 58 seconds into the game.

The Wildcats got a 50-yard kickoff return from Kory Stamps to open the game and two plays later, 6-foot-6 tight end Chris Read turned a 12-yard out pattern into a 39-yard touchdown to give Lawrence North a 7-0 lead.

Ben Davis running back Miles Wright tied the score with a 1-yard touchdown run about four minutes into the second quarter, but the Giants never found the end zone the rest of the game.

“We probably could have scored another 21 points, but give (Lawrence North coach) Tom Dilley and his staff all the credit,” Kirschner said. “We killed ourselves with turnovers and penalties.”

The Giants had a holding penalty cost them a chance at a touchdown, instead settling for a Moises Vigueras 28-yard field goal to make the score 14-10 as the third quarter expired.

A roughing-the-passer penalty prolonged a Wildcat drive that led to Lawrence North’s second touchdown.

Ben Davis was led by Wright’s 66 yards on the ground.

Quarterback Greg Rice threw for 117 yards and added 50 yards rushing.

“We have no choice but to move past these last two weeks,” Kirschner said. “We go to Carmel next week, and then to Pike.”

        

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