By JACOB MOORE, for The Democrat
Opportunistic defense and improved line play helped Brown County dominate Indianapolis Manual 35-6 on Friday. The win brought the Eagles’ record to 2-1 on the season.
The Eagles soared ahead early thanks largely to senior Brandon Fleischman who would score two touchdowns in the first three minutes and 12 seconds of the game. The first came on a 51-yard touchdown pass from Noah Carter on Brown County’s first possession.
Fleischman’s second touchdown came on Manual’s next possession. Redskins quarterback D’Fayebeon Pittman threw a deep pass which Fleischman tore out of the air and ran back 55 yards for a touchdown. “We had seen (the Manual receiver) run that same route on tape. I saw him turn to run an out route, and I cut under,” Fleischman said. With 8:48 remaining in the first quarter, the Eagles led 12-0.
The Eagles extended their lead with 8:11 left in the second quarter when Carter scored on a 6-yard run, then found Fleischman again for a two-point conversion to make the lead 20-0.
Near the end of the first half, Manual seemed on the verge of getting back into the game after driving into Eagle territory. But that threat was thwarted when freshman Evan Asher intercepted Manual’s pass on the Eagle 5-yard line, preserving a 20-0 halftime lead.
“We felt like (pass defense) was a weakness last week” said Defensive Coordinator Jay Myers, referencing the Eagles’ only loss so far this season, at 42-35 last week at Jennings County. “That was a point of emphasis in practice. It also helped to get pressure on the quarterback.” The emphasis on pass defense paid off, as Asher’s interception was the second of what would turn out to be four interceptions by the Brown County defense.
In the second half, Brown County extended its lead with a 16-yard touchdown run by Kody Walsh. After the extra point by senior Caleb Yager, the Eagles led 27-0 with 8:07 left in the third quarter. “It all starts up front,” said starting center, sophomore Eli Wilkinson, commenting on the Eagles’ control of the line of scrimmage and success running the ball.
Brown County’s final touchdown of the night came, once again, courtesy of the defense. With 7 minutes left in the third quarter, senior Nicholas Huls intercepted a pass — his second interception of the night — and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. “(Manual’s quarterback) was putting a lot of air under them,” said Huls. “I just stuck with him and turned my head at the right moment.” Carter and Fleischman would hook for another two-point conversion, making the score 35-0.
This meant, for the second time in program history — and the second time in three games this season — Brown County triggered the “mercy rule.” This is the first season for the Indiana High School Athletic Association rule, which holds that if a team builds a 35-point lead in the second half, the game clock will run continuously and stop only for scores and timeouts.
At this point in the game, Head Coach Randy Minniear pulled most of the starters in order to get experience for younger players and avoid injury. Nevertheless, the game looked destined to be a shutout.
The Redskins avoided that fate with an impressive 80-yard touchdown run by senior Robert Orkman with a minute left in the fourth quarter. Manual’s two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, accounting for the 35-6 final score.
The Eagles have looked strong at home this season. Along with their season-opening home win against Pike Central, Brown County has outscored opponents at home by a margin of 76-25. The team hopes to put up another strong game at home this Friday, Sept. 13, when archrival Indian Creek comes to town.
“Enjoy the win,” assistant coach Jason Kirchofer told the Eagles after the game. “But come Monday, the score is back to 0-0. Come here Monday ready to practice!”
“Never be satisfied,” Minniear said. “We had a few too many penalties. There are some errors to correct.”
Indian Creek sports a 1-2 record coming into this week’s game. The Braves were blown out in each of their first two games, losing to Greenwood 41-6 to open the season and then dropping a game at Evansville Mater Dei, 49-14. The Braves secured their first win of the season Friday with a 52-0 win against Owen Valley.
Players and coaches alike stressed that home field advantage and support from fans would be critical against Indian Creek. “The environment here will be crazy,” said sophomore nose tackle Brian Umphress.
The game against Indian Creek is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff this Friday, Sept. 13 at Brown County’s Daily Hill field.
