Thanks to his blockers, including Halbert Aguirre (35) and Nathan Calahan (55), Decatur Central running back N’Po Dodo finds plenty of running room against Mooresville.
(PHOTOS COURTESY OF PHIL WRIGHT)
(PHOTOS COURTESY OF PHIL WRIGHT)
| By Steve Page Correspondent After two tough Mid-State Conference losses, Decatur Central wanted to turn things around. Quickly. You might say the Hawks were in a rush. DC, which had been mixing the pass with the run earlier in the season, turned to the latter in Friday’s MSC game at Mooresville. The Hawks totaled 219 yards of offense in the second half – all on the ground. They not only wound up rushing for 342 yards on the night, they ran to a 27-21 victory over the Pioneers. “The Hawks’ offense went to the ground attack against the Pioneers and came away with 342 yards rushing on 43 attempts,” noted DC coach Kyle Enright. “Seven point seven yards per carry is impressive, so the big boys up front need all the love in this one. Javian Jones, Alec Surber, Nate Calahan, Garrett Smith and Tyler Cooper road-graded up front and cleared the holes for a stable of Hawks running backs.” DC improved to 1-2 in MSC play and 3-2 overall; The Pioneers slipped to 1-2 in MSC play and 2-3. Junior N’Po Dodo and senior KC Berry paced the Hawks’ ground game with 85 and 66 yards, respectively. They had plenty of help. Senior Halbert Aguirre gained 41 yards on five rushes, sophomore Fa’Rel Carter 37 yards on seven carries and Polston 23 on eight sorties. “Aguirre, Dodo, Carter, Berry, Polston and Hicks all had huge games running the ball because of the dominant performance from the unsung heroes up front,” said Enright. DC scored 19 straight points after intermission, building the margin to 13 points before Hogan Denny passed 38 yards to his brother, Tyler, with Tyler Church kicking the conversion for the final score. After scoring their first touchdown on a nine-yard pass from Bo Polston to Halbert Aguirre, the Hawks answered Levi Dorn’s 19-yard TD with four scores of their own: field goals of 44 and 32 yards by Ashton Vogel, a 56-yard blocked punt return by Brycen Bonawitt and a one-yard run by Polston, who completed six of 17 passes for 48 yards. That was enough to overcome the passing effort of Mooresville senior Hogan Denny, who completed 17 of 27 passes (one interception) for 203 yards and three scores. The DC defense also played a key role, as noted by Mooresville coach Mike Gillin. Mooresville led much of the game, going up 7-0 after the first quarter, 14-8 at the half and 14-11 after three quarters. “We led most of the way, but we had an interception and a blocked punt, all in a four-minute span,” Gillin noted. “That got us going south, and we couldn’t recover.” Enright agreed, saying, “Mykul Campbell’s blocked punt and Brycen Bonawitt’s recovery for a TD swung the momentum to the Hawks and they never looked back after that point. “The Hawks were led by a stout, suffocating defense that held outstanding QB Hogan Denny and the Mooresville offense to 60 yards rushing for the game. Coach Max Goodin had a great plan and the front seven executed it to perfection. MJ Campbell, Jalyn Shanks, Javian Jones, Stephen Oyatayo, Halbert Aguirre, Mykul Campbell and Brycen Bonawitt clogged the running lanes all night and played fast and physical, setting the tone of the game.” “They didn’t have to throw the ball much,” added Gillin. “They controlled the ball.” And more, according to Enright, who said, “The third phase of the game, special teams, was dominated by the Hawks and coach Blaine Gardner as the units blocked a punt for a TD, made two field goals and converted a fake for a two-point conversion.” The Hawks’ next opportunity comes Friday, when they host unbeaten Plainfield, 3-0 in the MSC and 5-0 overall. |  Sophomore running back Fa’Rel Carter of Decatur Central runs away from Mooresville defenders, including Chase Hudson (56), during Friday’s game at Pioneer Stadium.  Senior linebacker Halbert Aguirre stops Mooresville running back Landon Clements during Friday’s MSC game.  Decatur defenders, including Halbert Aguirre (35), Breydon LaFollette (8) and Brycen Bonawitt, surround Mooresville quarterback Hogan Denny during Friday’s game at Pioneer Stadium.  Decatur Central’s offensive line, which helped the Hawks rush for 342 yards Friday, squares off against Mooresville. |
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