Ben Davis knocks off No. 1 Carmel 13-7
By CRAIG DRAGASH
ISL Correspondent
CARMEL, Ind. — This time, Carmel’s defense couldn’t save its struggling offense.
Fifth-ranked Ben Davis shut out the Greyhounds in the second half of a 13-7 victory on Friday night that ended Carmel’s unbeaten season and its 16-game winning streak.
It looked good for Carmel early on Senior Night. After forcing Ben Davis into a three and out on its first possession, the 5A number one Carmel Greyhounds used their ground game to grind out 54 of their 61 yards on their opening. Senior Jack Thompson capped it with a two-yard touchdown run to give the Greyhounds a 7-0 lead.
After that drive, Carmel managed just 112 yards of total offense for the rest of the game against a determined Ben Davis defense. On Ben Davis’ next possession, the Carmel defense forced a fumble and the Greyhounds recovered at the Giants’ 45 yard line. They then turned around and fumbled the ball back to Ben Davis at their 30. The Giants drove the ball and scored on a Jamie Akin one yard TD run to tie the score at seven.
After the teams traded punts, a costly false start penalty on third and two for Carmel brought about yet another Greyhound punt, which Ben Davis ran into Greyhound territory at their 47-yard line. That possession resulted in a Bryce Phelps 36-yard field goal to give the Giants a 10-7 advantage. Carmel then started to move the ball, but they would eventually punt it away to Ben Davis with 48 seconds left in the half. On 4th and one from the Carmel 43, Kyle Kastner threw an incomplete pass that ran the 1st half clock out, and the Giants went into the locker room with a 10-7 lead.
The Greyhounds had the opening possession of the second half, but Greyhound quarterback John Lampe threw an interception to Ben Davis standout safety Antonio Allen to give the Giants possession at their own 35. After several attempts to draw Carmel offsides on third and two, Ben Davis was forced to punt again. After Carmel punted the ball back to Ben Davis, the Giants finally mounted a drive deep into Greyhound territory. Greyhound senior linebacker John Kenny made a touchdown saving tackle on third and goal from the 2-yard line, and Phelps made his second field goal of the night, this time from 19 yards, as the Giants’ advantage increased to six.
After another Ben Davis punt, Carmel had the ball at their own 35 yard line with 7:34 remaining. Ben Davis linebacker Tre Tunstill proceeded to pick off Lampe to give the Giants great field position at the Greyhounds’ 41 yard line. Ben Davis would go three and out, and their punt gave Carmel the ball at the five yard line with 5:11 to play.
On third down, Lampe made a clutch pass completion to Thomas Baldwin, but the play was called back on an illegal forward pass penalty after Lampe scrambled to get the pass off. Carmel would then punt from there. With Ben Davis’ best field position of the night at the Carmel 37, three plays later Phelps missed a 30-yard field goal to give Carmel one more chance from its 20.
The Greyhounds finally were able to mount a drive, and they were within striking distance at the Giants’ 31 yard line with 21 seconds left. From there, Lampe threw four consecutive incomplete passes, and the Giants ran the clock out to secure the victory, and a share of the MIC conference championship with Carmel and Center Grove, who defeated Warren Central 8-5.
Kastner, a sophomore, came of age in this game. He finished the night completing 15 of 20 passes for 213 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. The Giants defense locked up the Greyhound receivers for the most part, which frustrated Lampe. He finished 10 for 26 for 81 yards and two interceptions.
Carmel opens sectional play next week at home vs. Warren Central; Ben Davis travels to Pike for its opening matchup.
Follow Craig Dragash on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Greyhound32.
