No. 1 Carmel faces No. 5 Ben Davis in regular-season finale
By CRAIG DRAGASH
ISL Correspondent
There is a lot at stake in this matchup between MIC powers Ben Davis and Carmel on Friday night.
If Ben Davis knocks off Carmel, the Giants claim a share of the MIC conference title with Carmel, and with Center Grove if Center Grove can defeat Warren Central. If Carmel wins, the Greyhounds win the conference outright for only the second time since the conference began in 1996. On the other hand, this is the final game of the regular season, and sectionals start the following Friday. Both teams have difficult sectionals to get through, and difficult opening matchups; Carmel opens at home with Warren Central, and Ben Davis goes to Pike.
So with all of that taken into account, here is my preview of what you can expect from this classic matchup:
Offense
Ben Davis averages 27.8 points per game and hung 75 on Lawrence North last week, although three of those touchdowns came off of fumble recoveries, and one on a kickoff return. Sophomore Kyle Castner has come of age this season at quarterback, and he will be ready for this one. Though he has grown this season, if the Giants fall behind and force him to pass more, that should be an advantage for Carmel.
Carmel struggled against Warren Central’s defense two weeks ago, and Ben Davis figures to present just as much of a challenge. If the Greyhounds have another 125 total yard performance like they did in the Warren game, they may not be celebrating the MIC conference championship on Senior Night. The offensive line must protect quarterback John Lampe, and the Greyhounds running game, led by Chris Perkins and Jack Thompson, must move the chains on a consistent basis to balance the offensive attack.
Advantage: Carmel
Defense
Ben Davis has allowed 64 total points to opponents this season; Carmel has allowed 55, and only seven in its last five games. Ben Davis played much tougher opponents in Cathedral and Pike pre-conference, however. Ben Davis has Antonio Allen, an IU recruit who is widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the state along with Tim Kimbrough of Warren Central. Defensive lineman Ben Wiley has nine sacks on the season, while DeShaun Johnson and Tre Tunstill both have 10 tackles for loss.
While the Giants are very athletic, the Greyhounds are very disciplined. They rarely give up big plays while playing sound, fundamental football. They have four shutouts in the last five games, the only exception being Warren Central, who managed seven points.
Advantage: Even
Special Teams
Carmel struggled with field position almost all night against Warren Central, largely in fact because the Greyhounds couldn’t mount a return game against the Warriors’ coverage. The Greyhound kicking specialists remain very strong however, led by punter Adam Kremer and placekicker Billy Stumbo.
Asmar Bilal has the only kick return for BD this season, and that came last week vs. Lawrence North. The Giants have two solid placekickers in Bryce Phelps and Sterling Steadham. If the game comes down to a late field goal, Steadham has hit from as far as 45 yards.
Advantage: Ben Davis
Intangibles
In an interview with the Indianapolis Star, Carmel Head Coach Kevin Wright says that his Greyhounds don’t talk much about conference championships; their sights are set on the postseason. You can bet they want to take momentum into their first round matchup with Warren Central, however.
Ben Davis would like to have this victory to earn a share of the MIC title, and they too would like to carry a victory into their matchup with Pike. The two teams are 8-8 since they entered the MIC conference.
Advantage: Even
This figures to be a defensive struggle, similar to each team’s game vs. Warren Central. The key figure could be Castner; if he performs well and the Giants avoid turnovers, the Giants will have success. The Greyhounds must have a balanced offensive attack that is productive for the Greyhounds to have a chance at this one.
Final Score: Ben Davis 9, Carmel 7
