NEW CASTLE
The first football game between Greenwood and New Castle in 27 years proved worth the wait.
Lex Logan’s extra-point kick in the second overtime proved the difference as the Woodmen escaped Henry County with a pulse-accelerating 35-34 victory to open Class 4A sectional play.
Greenwood (3-7) moves to the semifinal round, where it hosts Mt. Vernon (Fortville) on Friday. The Trojans close their season with a record of 5-5.
The game-tying score setting up Logan’s heroics came on fourth down from the 5. Backup sophomore quarterback Luke Hommell threw a touchdown pass to junior Bryce Hoffman on the right side of the end zone.
New Castle’s offense scored first in the second OT. However, a high snap from center contributed to kicker Skylor Stevenson sailing his conversion kick left.
“We kind of drew it up in the dirt. We don’t have a real good route from there. We’re just not a team that throws the ball around,” Trojans coach Mike Campbell said. “We got the coverage we liked for what we called.
“We put in on the people we needed to, and I thought our special teams were solid tonight. I told our guys we’re just fighting to play one more week and get a home game against a very good Mt. Vernon team. Credit to New Castle, though. Those kid battled and played hard. They have some unbelievably skilled athletes.”
Greenwood’s season looked to be in serious jeopardy late in the fourth quarter as New Castle drove the football to the Woodmen 4-yard line. Instead of setting up for the potential game-winning field goal, though, Trojans quarterback Drew Barber threw right into the arms of Greenwood linebacker Dillon Cloyd.
Senior running backs Nick Willham and Anthony Williams rushed the ball for 174 and 93 yards, respectively. They combined to carry the pigskin 61 times.
“That was the game plan coming in knowing they hadn’t seen a power running game,” Campbell said. “We also had to chew up clock because their offense is so explosive.”
Willham, who carried 38 times, was understandably exhausted afterward.
“We were just exhausted and never thought it was going to end,” Willham said. “I’m glad we fought hard and got the result we did. We knew coming from a tough conference this would be a good game. We were ready to lay it all out there.”
Campbell couldn’t have envisioned a better start for his team as the Woodmen held a 14-0 lead after one quarter on touchdowns by Willham and Williams.
On the game’s third play, Willham found running room on the left side and didn’t slow down until he had a 49-yard touchdown run. Williams blasted up the middle from 8 yards out with 7.1 seconds left in the first period to cap a 12-play, 73-yard series.
The same quarter saw New Castle twice drive into Woodmen territory and then come up empty on fourth down. In the second stanza, the Trojans began completing what they started.
New Castle put together a 73-yard scoring drive of its own at the midway point, scoring its first touchdown on Drew Barber’s 9-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Luke Bumbalough.
Greenwood did nothing on the ensuing series and was forced to punt. Taking over at the visitors’ 44, the Trojans took five plays to cash in with Barber’s 1-yard touchdown run tying the score.
Willham scored three touchdowns, including a 5-yard run to start the first overtime.
