Kokomo —
Coach Aaron Tolle’s Tipton football squad has been about closing the gap between themselves and the kings of the Class 2A hill in recent years.
Back in 2010, the Blue Devils were elated to snap a nine-year sectional champsionship drought with its first crown since 2001.
The Blue Devils were routed in regional play, falling to eventual state champion Fort Wayne Bishop Luers the following week, 55-14.
2011 brought a repeat sectional title before the Devils bowed out to Luers in the regional round for the second straight year, 44-23.
The Knights went on to claim the Class 2A state title for the third time in as many years, but the Blue Devils left that regional loss feeling like significant ground had been made from the 2010 blowout.
The No. 4-ranked Devils host the No. 5 Knights tonight, a game in which Tolle and crew hope to completely close the gap that’s been present in seasons past.
“Being there two times before against the same opponent, we know what to expect, so we don’t think that ‘shock factor’ is going to be there,” Tolle said. “Any time you play Fort Wayne Luers, you are taking on one of the best football programs in Indiana, regardless of class. We’re playing against kids who are very used to winning, probably more so than our own kids. We’ll be playing the most athletic team on our schedule. I think having played them the last two years, we aren’t going to be intimidated. We know what to expect, but we also know the challenge is very, very high. I do think having played in regional ballgames the last two years, and playing a team we’re familiar with has to help us, especially between the ears.”
Luers has been able to put together a fine season despite controversy off the field.
Head coach Steve Keefer took over after Matt Lindsay was fired for “violations of school and Diocesan policy” the day before the Knights played Fort Wayne Wayne on Sept. 14. Keefer was previously the head coach of the program from 1979-86 and won a state title with the Knights in 1985. He had rejoined the coaching staff in recent years before taking over for Lindsay.
Luers wound up forfeiting the Wayne game for unrelated reasons, and although it enters with an 8-4 record, the only other in-state loss came to 5A No. 4 Fort Wayne Snider in Week 1, 10-7. Snider enters regional play 12-0.
The Knights are led by Mr. Football candidate Jaylon Smith. Smith is a Notre Dame recruit and U.S. Army All-American who is currently ranked No. 3 in the Rivals 100 2013 national prospect class. Smith, who anchors both the offense and defense as a running back and linebacker, ran for 1,200 yards and 31 touchdowns a season ago while adding 8.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss.
With the graduation of Bowling Green recruit James Knapke at quarterback, the Knights have leaned heavily on their ground game this season. They found themselves in a dogfight last week in a 21-0 win over Churubusco, a game in which the Knights led 7-0 with eight minutes to play.
Tipton has made a plethora of big plays on defense this season. The Devils have picked off 22 passes and returned 7 of them for touchdowns. The squad also boasts 39 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and seven fumble recoveries.
“Not that they don’t have them this year, but last year they had a lot of tools on offense that could spread you out all over the field and put a lot of stress on your defense,” Tolle said. “Not that they’re not capable, but they don’t have a Division I quarterback who can make all the throws this year. They seem to be a bit more tailback oriented, and [Smith] is very good. I don’t think we’re going to ask ourselves to shut him down completely. But, our hopes are to contain him and keep ourselves in the ballgame much like Churubusco did last week.”
As a result, a lot of Luers’ success this season has been predicated on a stingy defense that has only given up two touchdowns in three postseason games to this point, led by Smith, who will likely play linebacker for the Fighting Irish.
The Knights have given up just 10 points per game in their 8 wins.
“I think they start 11 seniors on that side of the ball. That’s the core of their team,” Tolle said. “They have eight returning starters on defense and they’re very fast. They take a lot of pride in their defense. They fly to the ball and gang tackle. We take a lot of pride in our offense, so we’re going to try and match their intensity.”
The Devils (11-1) have averaged over 40 points per game this season, including a 49-ppg clip in their current six-game win streak.
The success has been due, in large part, to their ability to stay balanced. Junior quarterback Austin Hooker has completed 118 of 188 passes for 1,947 yards, 21 TDs and six interceptions, but the Devils have also run for nearly 2,700 yards, led by senior fullback James Altherr, who enters tonight with 1,241 yards and 15 TDs on 178 carries.
Senior wideout Blake Hoover has been a dangerous weapon for the Devils all season long, catching 56 passes for 969 yards and 16 TDs. He’s also returned three kickoffs and a punt back for scores, and has returned four of his seven interceptions back to house.
Tolle is eager to see how the battle of wills plays out as his team seeks to reach the 12-win plateau for the first time since 1994.
“I think a lot of times when you play a team of [Luers’] caliber, you have a hard time matching up offensive and defense line-wise,” he said. “That’s been one of our strengths this year. I’ve had a number of coaches tell me our offensive line was the best they’ve faced all year, so that tells me I think we can compete with them up front. If we can do that, I think that certainly gives us a chance.”
Sports
Related Photos
-
Playmaker: Tipton senior Blake Hoover reaches out for the ball during his team’s Sectional 28 semifinal at Northwestern. Hoover and the Blue Devils host three-time Class 2A defending state champion Fort Wayne Bishop Luers in the regional round tonight for the third straight year. KT photo | Kelly Lafferty
Discussion
Tipton hosts familiar foe in defending-champ Luers
- Sports
-
-
Kats drop heartbreaker
When the postseason arrives, emotions surge like a roller-coaster. One minute, it’s a long uphill, then a wild series of events offer a barrage of frights and thrills. And then, for one team, the ride ends and there aren’t any more tickets for another go around.
After two days of chills and thrills, Kokomo’s softball team ran out of tickets Tuesday night in the Class 4A Harrison Sectional. The Kats dropped a 4-3 decision to Harrison in eight innings, giving up a run in the top of the extra frame, and having a runner tagged out at home in the bottom of the frame.
“It was a great game,” Harrison coach Dick Mitchell said. “It’s always nerve-wracking to coach in one of them, but both teams played their hearts out. Nobody deserved to lose that game, but unfortunately somebody does.” -
Comets turn heads at track regional
Heading into Tuesday’s IHSAA girls track and field regional at Fort Wayne Northrop High School’s Spuller Stadium, event workers alike weren’t sure of Eastern High School’s location.
After the dust settled, they may feel compelled to get a map out and find out where Greentown is located.
Led by seniors Sarah Wagner, Brittany Neeley and Bethany Neeley, the Comets qualified for the state finals in six separate events to finish fourth as a team with 55.5 points, behind host and champion Northrop (78), Bellmont (68) and Carroll (Allen) 66. -
GASKINS: Hibbert’s block was thing of beauty
For the better part of the NBA season, ESPN devoted all kinds of time on SportsCenter episodes to replays of two dunks. Anyone who watches any ESPN at all surely knows the two to which I’m referring: 6-foot-11 DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers posterizing 6-3 Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons, and 6-8 LeBron James of the Miami Heat hammering home a dunk over 6-2 Jason Terry of the Boston Celtics.
Day after day, ESPN commentators lavished endless praise, which quickly grew tiresome. The dunks were strong, but Jordan and James were much taller and heavier than Knight and Terry and the dunkers also caught perfect alley-oop passes with the defenders in poor positions to defend. Still, ESPN commentators loved these plays.
I kept wondering if a great defensive play would receive the same kind of love. -
Coons, Walker, Glassburn reach Victory Lane
When the dust settled Sunday evening at the Kokomo Speedway, a pair of drivers who have visited Victory Lane in the past at the local oval found themselves there once again while a talented up-and-comer hit the hallowed ground for the first time.
Jerry Coons Jr. had his way in the sprint car feature and Craig Walker seemed to get faster as the laps wound down to win the Street Stock main event, however Kokomo High School sophomore Kory Glassburn had to scratch and fight before scoring the first feature win of his career in the Thunder Car A-main. -
Field is set for Indianapolis 500
After being bumped from the starting field while sitting on the qualifying line on pole day, Josef Newgarden turned the fastest time on bump day, assuring himself a spot in the Indianapolis 500.
The field of 33 cars will have one final opportunity to practice on Friday before next Sunday’s 97th running of the 500.
One year ago the Sarah Fisher Racing Team withdrew Newgarden’s entry on the first day of qualifying and had to qualify on bump day. This year the team decided not to make another qualifying run and got bumped. -
Athlete of the week
Cole led the small-school Comets to the Kokomo Sectional title, their first title since 1998.
-
Kats regain tennis throne
At 10:51 a.m. Saturday morning, the bulk of Kokomo’s girls tennis team sprinted from the viewing hill to the east entrance of the tennis courts to mob No. 1 singles player Morgan Mohr as she came off the court following her 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Eastern’s Courtney Clark.
The No. 3 singles match was still raging, but the team match was already won. The Wildkats had reconquered the throne from two-time defending champion Eastern and were once again champions of the Kokomo Sectional. -
Eastern boys track claims first sectional title since 1998
The boys track and field coach at Eastern High School from 1987 until last season, Paul Nicholson’s parting message to his team was simple: “Don’t deny the gift.”
That motto left such a lasting impression on the Comets’ returning athletes that they had it screen printed on their 2013 season T-shirts.
With Nicholson in attendance to celebrate with them, new coach Austin Roark and the Comets outlasted host Kokomo to win their first sectional title since 1998 Thursday night, topping the Wildkats by 3.5 points, 124.5-121.
-
Eastern, Kokomo favored in boys track sectional
Some of the names and faces have changed, but the plot remains much the same.
The Kokomo boys track and field sectional, much like last year, will likely be a two-horse race between the host and three-time defending champion Wildkats and Eastern, a team looking to break through and win its first sectional title since 1998. -
Cole to jump at Miami University
Eastern athlete Grant Cole has only been a long jumper for two seasons, but being turned on to the event late in his career has landed him a scholarship to Miami University.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Jodi Arias: Death Penalty Would Cause More Pain
Looking for Love? Take the Prague Metro
Crews Race to Find Survivors of Okla. Twister
First Person: Baby Falcons on a New York Bridge
Oklahoma: Images of Devastation, Reunion
Reunited Dad, Son: 'We Just Praise God'
Slow Pokes: Acupuncture Helps Sick Turtles
Moore, Okla. City of Reunions, Tears After Storm
Former IRS Chief: Can't Say How List Happened
Gov. Fallin: Okla. Facing Horrific Disaster
Tim Cook Defends Apple's Tax Accounting
AP Photograher: 'It Was a Miracle' They Got Out
Raw: Crews Search for Survivors of Okla. Tornado
Raw: Tearful Reunion After Okla. Tornado
OKC Hospital Describes Treating Tornado Wounded
Obama Pledges Urgent Aid for Tornado Victims
Raw: Massive Funnel Clouds in Oklahoma
