Center Grove hands Bloomington South its first loss, 33–12

Coming into Friday’s game against Center Grove, the Bloomington High School South football team was looking to complete an undefeated regular season for the first time since 2015. The Panthers dominated most opponents on their schedule, averaging 45 points and giving up only 13 points per game.

However, that trend didn’t hold for the Panthers as they were shut out in the second half. Bloomington South’s record saw its first blemish as the team fell to Center Grove 33–12.

“I thought our defense did some good things at times, but they played too many snaps,” Bloomington South head coach Gabe Johnson said. “Three interceptions stands out. Turnovers, which is something that we don’t typically do a lot of, but you turn the ball over three times and bad things are going to happen.”

The Bloomington South offense did not function like it had in games earlier this season. The Panthers gained just 221 total yards on offense. Junior quarterback Duncan Combs finished the contest 8-of-20 for 138 yards and one touchdown, but three interceptions was the story of the game. Bloomington South gained only 83 yards on the ground with senior running backs Shaun Cooper finishing with 47 yards on 10 carries and Braylen Townsend producing 37 yards on 14 carries.

The Panthers offense got off to a slow start with a three-and-out. Freshman punter Sam Stolberg’s kick let Central Grove start the ensuing drive just inside its own 40-yard line. The Trojans capitalized on the good field position in only four plays, as sophomore running back Jayden Biggerstaff (8 car, 72 yds, 1 TD) found a hole in the defense for a 54-yard touchdown.

After a 46-yard return on the kickoff by senior wide receiver Sam Giles, Bloomington South was set up around midfield. However, the drive provided no spark for the Panthers offense, even after a 41-yard pass from Combs to senior tight end Jalen Williams (4 rec, 110 yds, 1 TD). Inside the red zone, Combs was intercepted by sophomore defensive back Ryan Mokaya.

Bloomington South was able to avenge the interception a couple of possessions later. A pass thrown by Center Grove’s sophomore quarterback Oscar Sloan (17/28 att, 222 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT) landed in the hands of senior linebacker Ross Ogden. Set up at the 3-yard line, the Panthers were able to score in one play after a rushing touchdown from Townsend. But a blocked extra point kept Bloomington South down 7-6.

Combs would throw another interception in the second quarter. His pass was deflected into the air at the line of scrimmage and into the hands of senior defensive lineman Jeremy Stanley. Center Grove capitalized on the opportunity after Sloan found senior tight end Dominick Barry (3 rec, 41 yds, 1 TD) for a 27-yard touchdown that put the Trojans up 14-6.

Bloomington South was able to respond to the touchdown on its very next possession. It took only four plays, as Combs found Williams for 15 yards, then again for 50 yards and the touchdown. The Panthers tried a two-point conversion, but the attempt failed after a pass from Combs intended for junior wide receiver Connor Parker was too high to catch.

“I told our guys before we came out here, ‘Panthers always fight,’ that’s our mantra,” Johnson said. “We came out and we battled and we held up fairly well. We’ve just got to grow and get better.”

Center Grove was able extend its lead heading into halftime after junior kicker Dallas Cornpropst made two field goals from 34 yards and 29 yards out to give the Trojans a 20-12 advantage.

In the third quarter Bloomington South had three possessions, but they all resulted in punts for the Panthers. Center Grove increased its lead about halfway through the third quarter after Sloan connected with sophomore running back Ricky Lange (11 car, 44 yds) for a 16-yard touchdown.

With the offense still not moving down the field and time running out in the fourth quarter, Bloomington South tried to use its passing game. However, that plan backfired when Combs threw his third interception of the game to senior linebacker Franky Hayse.

“When our run game is going, we’re going, and it probably didn’t go like we wanted it, so we became a little predictable,” Johnson said. “They’re the best team we’ve played, but it was good for our guys to see speed and size and an aggressiveness that maybe we hadn’t seen.”

Center Grove used the opportunity to put the game away with an 8-play, 69-yard drive. The Trojans used a big reception by senior wide receiver Cade Timmons (3 rec, 81 yds) from Sloan to move inside the 10-yard line. Center Grove finished the drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown by junior running back Brodie Tilton to go up 33-12 and close out the scoring.

Bloomington South finishes the regular season with a 8-1 overall and 5-0 record in Conference Indiana. The Panthers enter the Class 5A Sectional 15 semifinals with a conference title and a week off. Bloomington South will use the time to prepare for an Oct. 31 showdown at home against Terre Haute South Vigo.

In their matchup earlier in the year, Bloomington South came out on top 49–14, but Johnson isn’t taking a sectional win for granted. “I expect (Terre Haute South Vigo) to be better,” Johnson said. “They’re going to come and we’ve got to be at our best. We know when we’re at our best, we’re a tough out as well.”