'Dogs end JC's season

Taking on the No. 2 rusher in the state is always a difficult task. Te’Vaughn Hurse proved to be too much for the Patriots to handle in the opening round of the sectional tournament.
Hurse ran for four touchdowns and nearly 250 yards on just 10 carries Friday night, leading the New Haven Bulldogs to a 73-14 victory to end the Jay County High School football team’s season.
“They’re very good,” said JCHS coach Steve Boozier. “(Hurse) is the second leading rusher in the state and you can see why. They obviously block well for him, but he’s got great moves.”
Hurse’s talents were on display from the start as he ripped off runs of 36 and 27 yards on the first two plays of the game. His carries led to a 16-yard scoring pass from Lucas Salerno to Latwon Ford.
He added touchdown runs of 27 and six yards in the first half and a 20-yarder four minutes into the second quarter to give New Haven (7-3) a 42-0 lead. After going to the bench on the Bulldogs’ second-to-last possession of the first half, he returned when they got the ball back with 35 seconds to play.
It took the junior just one carry to find the end zone as he weaved 55 yards through the defense to complete his 10-carry, 247-yard evening. He now has 2,116 yards this season.
“He’s a special back,” said New Haven coach Jim Rowland. “I’ve had some great backs. I had the state’s all-time leading rusher for a season in Cory Jacquay (3,366 yards in 2001).“I’ve had three or four other kids over 2,000 yards.
“And he’s right up there as one of the top backs I’ve ever coached or coached against.
“We played well. We finished the season with a tough stretch and some pretty hard games. We lost three out of our last four. To get back on track tonight was important to us.”
Anthony Moore added 74 yards on six carries for the Bulldogs, who gained 419 yards on the ground. They will host Fort Wayne South Side, which won its sectional quarterfinal game 56-14 Friday over Muncie Central, in the semifinal round next week.
The Patriots found a bit of defensive success early, forcing New Haven to fourth down twice in the first quarter. But following the first the Bulldogs immediately intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown, and they were able to extend the second with a 33-yard run on a fake punt.
Even though the Patriots were behind 49-0 midway through the second quarter, they were able to give their home fans something to cheer about. Following a 25-yard field goal by New Haven’s Trevor Waidelich, who also hit all of his 10 extra-point kicks, Cade Price fielded the ensuing kickoff at the 12-yard line.
Price followed his blocking wedge up the middle of the field and looked as if he would be stopped at the 30-yard line. But he dragged Ford for about five yards before breaking free of the tackle and then getting into the open field.
The sophomore made a nifty stutter-step move at the Bulldogs’ 40-yard line to fake out Waidelich and scampered down the left sideline before diving into the end zone to complete the 88-yard return.
“We finally got it to go,” said Boozier of the return, which ended a scoreless streak of nearly 172 minutes of play. “The wedge blocked well and then he broke it. And then after he breaks it, he makes three or four great individual moves and then a tremendous effort to dive into the end zone.
“And then I was happy for Zach Cash. He got to score on his last football play as a high school kid.”
Cash’s TD came on the final offensive play of the game. The senior, who had a 29-yard run earlier in the drive, broke free around the left side for a 16-yard score with just three seconds left on the clock.
Cash led the Patriots with seven carries for 59 yards, 45 of which came on the two plays during the final drive.
The 59 first-half points for New Haven are a record for the most allowed by a JCHS team in a half, breaking the mark of 58 set by Delta in the first half of the season opener this year. The 73 points are the most ever scored by a team at Harold E. Schutz Memorial Stadium. (The record for the most points allowed by the Patriots is 81 against Delta at the RCA Dome in 1999.)
Jay County, which was held to zero total yards in the first half and picked up a first down for the first time with 5:43 left in the third quarter, gained less than 100 total yards for the fifth time this season. It finished 2-8 for the second straight year, marking the first time the school has had consecutive 2-8 marks since 1999.
Boozier, whose team started 12 sophomores compared to a New Haven squad that featured 16 seniors, said he’s looking forward to building off of his first season coaching his alma mater.
“You’re looking at young kids,” said Boozier. “A large portion of our team, the biggest improvement they’re going to do is just get older and naturally bigger and naturally faster and stronger because of the maturation process. We’re going to get better. …
“Some of the same things that aren’t working now, when those same kids are a step-and-a-half quicker and have been through it one (year) now and they know what to expect, you’ll see their level of play improve. … There’s definitely a bright future that we’re looking forward to.”[[In-content Ad]]