This marks the final installment of the Journal Review’s Top Sports Moments of the Year. Before we get to the final three moments, I’d personally like to thank all of our coaches, athletes, parents and AD’s for a very memorable 2021. I can’t wait to see what 2022 has in store for all of our area teams. You make my job as the sports editor not only an enjoyable one, but a pretty easy one at that. Thank you! Now on to our final moments of the year!
Charger football guts out thrilling sectional 2ot win
While I didn’t get to see this game in person in late Fall, I did get to listen to it on my way back from Cascade. The Chargers played host to Yorktown in the opening round of the always difficult Class 3A Sectional 28 and mother nature made sure her impact was felt on the game.
The field conditions were slick and muddy, which made for a very defensive battle. Neither team could find the end zone as the Chargers and Tigers would head to OT to decide a winner and whose season would come to an end.
Charger QB Ross Dyson appeared to have scored the first points of the game for the Chargers but a holding penalty would negate the score. Yorktown then lined up for the game-winning field goal attempt, but the Chargers appeared to be able to partially block the kick and the Tigers were denied their chance at a victory.
Gabe Laws then in the second OT period intercepted the pass in the end zone as now all the Chargers needed was a score to win the game. Dyson proceeded to throw a perfect pass in the back corner to Brecken Hardy for a seven yard score to seal a dramatic Charger victory.
“We threw the ball exactly where it had to be on that play and Brecken was in the right place,” North Montgomery coach Josh Thompson said of the game-winner. “Our line did what they were supposed to do and it ended up being the winning play. It was exciting to see the whole team rush the end zone and celebrate.”
While the Chargers would fall to Brebeuf in the second round, there’s no taking away their thrilling 2OT win that will be talked about for many more years to come.
Welch seals Charger victory over CHS with buzzer-beating 3
A county rivalry is always fun to watch no matter the sport. When North Montgomery and Crawfordsville met up on Dec. 18 both teams knew it was going to be a back and forth battle till the very end.
After CHS missed a pair of free-throws to take the lead in the games final seconds, Charger coach Ryan Nuppnau let his team play out the final possession. That proved to be a wise choice as senior Madi Welch hit one of the biggest shots of her career, a buzzer beating three-pointer to give the Chargers a 42-39 win.
“We didn’t want to call a timeout and let them set up their defense,” Nuppnau said after the win. “We were able to kick it right back out and Madi and she knocked it down with confidence.”
That confidence from the game-winner carried over into the first matchup of the Kitchen Classic where Welch had a game and season best 24 points to lead the Chargers to victory.
Sometimes all it takes is a single shot to fall for someone to get things going. That sure has looked to be the case for Madi Welch as she’ll be relied on with Katie Rice to lead the Chargers in the final month of the regular season.
Morgan to Kellerman = Lob of the Year
After Madi Welch gave us some excitement in the girls game, the Crawfordsville boys were able to provide us with another jaw-dropping moment.
I’ve spent four years at Crawfordsville High School and have attended hundreds of sporting events there. I have never in my life heard a gym as loud as when Ziair Morgan threw and alley-oop off the backboard to Alex Kellerman who threw it down with ferocity.
That play sparked put a stamp on what a big second half from the Athenian boys as they pulled away from the Chargers for a 54-34 win.
“In the first two quarters I thought our energy and play were both bad,” Crawfordsville coach David Pierce said. “Our seniors told the group to pick it up in the locker room and the rest of the guys got the message.”
With what was a packed crowd and two full pep blocks, that lob got a reaction out of every single person in that gym that night.
It will certainly live in my mind as one of the best ones I’ve seen. Kellerman and Morgan gave us another moment for the ages in what’s always a great county rivalry.
