Bloomington North rallies late to outlast Columbus North, 31–28

Bloomington North carried its mid-season turnaround into Friday’s home game against Columbus North, outlasting the Bull Dogs 31-28. The Cougars never faltered, even when they trailed, which was several times during the game.

It was not until July that Bloomington High School North football head coach Brett Cooper took over the Cougar football team. That didn’t leave a lot of time to get his team up and running for an Aug. 22 showdown against Mooresville, which Bloomington North lost 28-14.

The Cougars lost two of their next three games, including a 36-7 defeat to cross-town rival Bloomington South. But since that loss, Bloomington North has been rolling.

The Cougars defeated Terre Haute North Vigo 56-0 before beating Jeffersonville 36-3 and Columbus East 42-0. The 134-3 run over the three games was the best defensive performance in program history after giving up just 6 points in a three-game span in 1978.

This Friday, after going down 14-7, the Cougars rattled off 10 consecutive points to take a lead into the third quarter. Columbus North took the lead twice in the fourth quarter, but each time Bloomington North answered, rallying back to go on top again and secure the 31-28 victory.

Bloomington North’s final comeback started with 1:27 left on the clock in the fourth quarter, Cougars down 28-24. Senior quarterback John Bargen (24/37 att, 289 yds, 3 TD) only needed 43 seconds to put his team back on top. Starting at their own 20-yard line, it took the Cougars just six plays to find the end zone.

A 3rd-and-3 rush by sophomore running back Carter Matthew (14 car, 61 yds, 1 TD) for seven yards was the only non-passing play on the drive. Bargen threw one incompletion during the possession, but four other Bargen passes found their targets. A 28-yard reception by Blake Davis (6 rec, 96 yds, 2 TD) made the game-winning touchdown, his second score of the night.

Bargen’s other favorite targets during the contest were junior wide receiver Nate Walker (6 rec, 96 yds) and senior tight end Hunter Chitwood (4 rec, 29 yds). Junior running back Brayden Johnson (15 car, 60 yds) also carried a big workload with 15 rushing attempts.

Both defenses came to play during the first quarter, as neither team was able to put points on the scoreboard.

A 4th-and-2 attempt by Columbus North on the first drive of the game came up short. A direct snap to senior tight end Parker Elmore, who is an Indiana University football recruit, saw him hit in the backfield and dropped by senior linebacker Noah Ferree for a turnover-on-downs.

Both teams had to punt on their next possessions, until Bloomington North put together a 16-play, 64-yard drive. But the drive did not end up with points for the Cougars. Ferree was tackled three yards behind the line of scrimmage on 4th-and-1 by Columbus North senior defensive lineman Koleton Sinnock for a turnover-on-downs.

The Bull Dogs capitalized on the momentum swing. Senior quarterback Asher Ratliff connected with Elmore for 37 yards before finding junior running back Ezekiel Scruggs for another 18 yards. Scruggs was almost in the endzone, but was tripped up at the 1-yard line. But that just allowed Ratliff to score on a quarterback sneak to give Columbus North a 7-0 lead with over two minutes left before halftime.

Bloomington North was able to tie up the score before the halftime whistle was blown. An 11-play, 87-yard drive was sustained with quick passes and a defensive pass interference penalty on Columbus North. The penalty moved the Cougars into striking distance before Bargen found Davis for a 21-yard touchdown to tie the game heading into halftime.

However, Bloomington North lost all of its momentum to start the half . On the first play in the third quarter, the ball popped out of Matthew’s hands and Columbus North junior defensive back Cohen Long fell on the ball for the takeaway.

The Bull Dogs were quick to capitalize on the turnover, as Ratliff connected with senior wide receiver Morgan Knapp for 33 yards on the first play of the ensuing drive. The pass set Columbus North up at the 3-yard line. Instead of handing off to a traditional running back, the Bull Dogs gave the ball to senior offensive lineman Drew Schiefer, who rumbled into the end zone for the score. That put the Bull Dogs up 14-7.

On a short drive a few minutes later, Bloomington North tied the game at 14-14 only halfway through the third quarter. The score came when Matthew broke free from the 20-yard line and raced past defenders for the touchdown.

On the next possession, the Bloomington North defense came up big. Ferree intercepted Ratliff to set the Cougars up on the plus side of the field. North capitalized on the takeaway with a 35-yard field goal by senior kicker Joe Luther, giving Bloomington North its first lead of the game heading into the fourth quarter.

But Columbus North was able to respond to the touchdown on the ensuing drive. A 47-yard pass from Ratliff to Elmore put the Bull Dogs inside Bloomington North’s 30-yard line. Then, a pass interference penalty on the Cougars moved Columbus North into the red zone. The possession was capped off with a 8-yard rushing touchdown by Elmore to put the Bull Dogs back on top 21-17.

Bloomington North’s big-play ability was seen on the ensuing drive. On the fourth play, Bargen found Walker behind the defense for a 52-yard touchdown. The score put the Cougars up 24-21 with over seven minutes remaining in the game.

The lead almost lasted the rest of the game, but with 1:27 left on the clock Columbus North was able to score on a 1-yard rushing touchdown by senior running back Sam Perry.

However, the 80-yard drive by Bargen and Bloomington North put the Cougars ahead for good. A blocked field goal by Bloomington North preserved the 31-28 victory.

With the win, Bloomington North moves to 2-2 in Conference Indiana and 5-3 overall.

The Cougars will close out the regular season next Friday at conference foe Southport. In the meantime, the IHSAA Boys Football State Tournament Pairings Show will air on Sunday at 6 p.m. North will learn its opponent for Sectionals, who could be Bloomington South, Terre Haute North Vigo, or Terre Haute South Vigo.