Football Sectional Round 1 Highlights

East Central’s Sam Ringer shreds the kickoff coverage of Greenwood, emerging from a pile of would-be tacklers to complete a spectacular 85-yard return for a TD. Photo is a still shot from East Central Football’s Hudl video.

As a follow up to all of the high school football sectional scores from our area and the detailed stories of the two games we covered, here are some of the reported individual highlights from schools around the area.

In Batesville’s 48-26 home win over Rushville, Bulldog quarterbacks accounted for five touchdowns. Starting senior QB Travis Lecher threw for a trio of scores of 27, 15 and 24 yards. Freshman QB Will Jaisel ran for a pair of 6-point runs including two and 17 yards.

In East Central’s 44-14 victory in St. Leon over Greenwood, the big highlights were neither from the passing nor running game. They came on special teams.

Sam Ringer received a kickoff at the East Central 15-yard-line. He first ran into traffic at the 31 but quickly broke through three converging defenders. Ringer then had another Greenwood player trying to drag him down at the 36 who soon received help from a half-dozen other Woodmen teammates.  But Ringer continued with the leg drive and pulled the pile of white shirts along for another 15 yards.

With the help of some fellow Trojans from behind and one block from in front, Ringer emerged from the scrum just across midfield and ran the final 47 yards untouched for a spectacular 85-yard kickoff return. It is arguably the best special teams play in the state this year.

And fellow Trojan Eli Aston later returned a punt 76-yards to pay dirt for a second, third-phase score.

During Milan’s 40-0 home shutout of Oldenburg, the Indians Logan Reed had rushes for 87 yards, including three TD trots of eight, seven and 21 yards.

Lawrenceburg’s Garrett Yoon had a big game on the home turf as the Tigers defeated Franklin County 49-14. The dual-threat quarterback accounted for 346 yards of offense and four touchdowns. He was 18 of 27 passing for 257 yards and three scores. Yoon also ran the rock 12 times for 85 and one TD.

South Dearborn’s quarterback also had a great game as the visiting Knights blanked Madison 54-0. Adam Kunkel had 286 yards through the air and five touchdowns on a 16 of 27 passing effort. He also had one, short-yardage run for six points.

North Decatur running back Reid Messer had four rushing touchdowns in the Chargers 58-19 victory at South Decatur. Messer ran for 250 yards on 27 totes.

In Greensburg’s 24-21 win at Charlestown, Greensburg QB Sam West tallied 228 total yards with 155 up top and 73 net on the ground. West had a pair of rushing touchdowns including a 65-yard romp.

And in Connersville’s 14-13, come-from-behind win against Muncie Central, the Spartans Cyle Siefert scored on a short run with 30 seconds left, and the game-winning extra point came from the boot of Nolan Shawl. Siefert also scored Connersville’s other touchdown, a 54-yard run on the team’s first offensive play of the game.

We thank all of the area coaches and statisticians who contributed information to the highlights.