Bloomington North blanks Vigo North 49-0 to set up rematch with Bloomington South for title

In the first half of Bloomington North’s football game, the Cougars were already comfortably ahead 35-0. Cheers went up from the crowd, when the PA announcer reported the latest score from the game across town—14-7 in favor of Vigo South over Bloomington South.

But Bloomington South fought back to prevail 41-34, and Bloomington North added two more touchdowns in the second half of their own game, holding the Patriots scoreless for a 49-0 final tally. That means the Sectional title game venue next week will stay in Bloomington—at South’s Huff Field.

Bloomington North’s first drive set the tone for the whole game. Carter Matthew returned North Vigo’s opening kickoff to about the 35-yard line, and from there the Cougars drove the ball downfield in workmanlike fashion, overcoming an illegal procedure penalty along the way. Mathew did yeoman’s work rushing the ball, and quarterback John Bargen distributed passes to Nate Walker and Rashon English to set up a first-and-10 on the 1-yard line. From there Mathew punched it in to make it 6-0.

A bit of trickeration on the extra point attempt saw the kicker, Andres Firacative, run the ball into the endzone for the two-point conversion, making the score 8-0. Later in the game, an extra point kick try after a Cougars touchdown doinked off the left upright, bringing the Bloomington North tally back in line with standard seven-point increments.

After the opening score by Bloomington North, Vigo North did manage to get some offense going, starting deep in their own territory on the 9-yard line. The Patriots were sparked by a long run by Traishun Brown that put them into Cougars territory. But a false start penalty and a broken-up pass by Zach Barrow, left them facing third and long. The Patriots went to the air to pick the first down, but Bloomington North’s Anthony Wrancher had other ideas, intercepting the ball and returning it all the way down the sideline for touchdown. That made it 15-0 for North.

Not every ball bounced the way of the Cougars, as a pass into the endzone from John Bargen was intercepted. But the Patriots, pinned deep, went backwards on a series of runs stifled by the North defense and were forced to punt.

Luke Freel returned the punt, setting up the Cougars near midfield. A long pass down the sideline to English put North ready to pounce from the 6-yard line. It was Alan Hays who punched the ball into the endzone. The extra point made it 22-0.

The Cougars piled up 35 points in the first half. That meant the second half started with a running clock—the clock keeps running when it usually automatically stops, like after an incomplete pass. It’s a “mercy rule” of sorts. The outcome of the game and shutout against the Patriots was never in question for the rest of the abbreviated game.

Photographer Amy Mason was on the field for The B Square to capture some of the action.