Lugar, No. 1 Carmel finish strong in 27-7 win over Columbus North
By CRAIG DRAGASH
ISL Correspondent
The preseason No. 1 Carmel Greyhounds football team had a lot of new faces on the field in their first game since winning the 5A state title last season.
It took a while, but they eventually looked like a typical Carmel team. The Greyhounds were dominant in the second half of a 27-7 win over Columbus North on Friday night.
It looked as though there may have been some butterflies on the field as the offense got off to a sluggish start, going three and out on their first three possessions. Fortunately, their defense did their job as they took a 7-0 lead into the locker room at halftime; capitalizing on a fumble recovery and a 2-yard touchdown run by Jack Thompson. Columbus North outgained the Greyhounds 129 yards to 115 in the half, with 113 of Carmel’s yards coming on the ground. Columbus North had the only turnover in the first half, and the Bulldogs dominated the time of possession 14:33 to 9:27.
The Greyhounds appeared to make their adjustments at halftime. After scoring on their first possession of the third quarter, a Columbus North punt gave the Greyhounds possession at their 43 yard line before Brandon Lugar hit Thomas Baldwin for a 57-yard scoring play.
Lugar later added a 1-yard touchdown run, and Columbus North scored with less than a minute left in the game, making the final score 27-7 in favor of the Greyhounds.
Lugar finished with 182 total yards; 74 on the ground, and 108 through the air on 6 for 10 passing after going 1 for 4 in the first half.
The Greyhounds travel north next week to take on Valparaiso.
Follow Craig Dragash on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Greyhound32
