Carmel to take on Ben Davis for share of MIC title
By CRAIG DRAGASH
ISL Correspondent
After eight weeks of play, the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference boasts seven of the top 10 teams in the 6A Sagarin ratings, and they have been battling on the gridiron for the right to claim the coveted MIC title.
Center Grove has earned its share of the title with a 6-1 league record. Now it is up to Ben Davis, ranked number two in both the Sagarin ratings and the AP poll, and Carmel, which is number four in the same two rating systems, to decide which team will capture the other half of the prize. Ben Davis will host the showdown on Friday night.
Ben Davis comes in playing arguably the best football in the state. The Giants enter the contest with a four-game win streak, including a victory over then-number one Center Grove two weeks ago for the Trojans’ only loss of the season. Meanwhile, Carmel, after starting the season 1-2 and leaving many questions to be answered, has rattled off five straight, including a come-from-behind win over Pike a week ago in a game that was televised nationally on ESPNU (story here).
It is no coincidence that Ben Davis’ win streak has been accompanied by the return of junior starting quarterback Kyle Castner from a shoulder injury suffered early in the season. Castner, in his six games this season, has completed 58% of his passes this season for 877 yards and nine touchdowns. The Giants also feature a triple-threat rushing attack with seniors Jamie Akin and Dorian Tate and sophomore Chris Evans. The trio has combined for 1,063 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The defense is led by senior lineman Albert Williams, who has 12 sacks, and defensive end Antwoine Crawford, who has nine sacks.
Carmel is led by senior wide receiver Austin Roberts, a UCLA commitment who has been named to the Army All-American team. He has 37 catches for 473 yards and four touchdowns, and he has been featured at times in the running game as well, with 102 yards and a touchdown. The Greyhounds employ a two-quarterback system with senior John Lampe, more of a passing threat, and Isaac James, who primarily runs the read option. They also feature two solid running backs in Chris Perkins and Shakir Paschall, who had a breakout game last week vs. Pike with 156 yards and two touchdowns.
One note of interest in this contest; Carmel has outscored opponents 130-60 in the second half of its games this season. There have been several contests in which the Greyhounds have gotten off to slow starts, only to take over in the second half. That formula might not work against a Ben Davis team that is very strong on both sides of the football. If Carmel gets off to a slow start, the MIC conference championship could get away.
