Patriots can't handle Culver Military attack in 53-6 loss (10/11/03)

CULVER — The latest in what is quickly becoming a long string of disappointing displays of football had Shane Hill in an apologetic mood.

Jay County High School’s second year coach said he was sorry — not for his team’s poor play on the field, but for his failure to have the Patriots properly prepared for what amounted to a thrashing Friday at Culver Military Academy.

The host Eagles, putting on an impressive performance on both sides of the ball for Parent’s Night, scored four touchdowns of 37 yards or longer and racked up nearly 500 offensive yards as they whipped Jay County 53-6.

Hill, whose second season as JCHS coach has been much tougher than the first, had this to say — and little else — minutes after the game ended: “I want to apologize to all the Jay County parents and fans ... for not doing the job I was hired to do ... the entire blame should fall straightly on me,” said Hill, who before walking away thanked the 100 or so JCHS fans who made the two-and-a-half-hour trek to northwest Indiana to watch the game.

Jay County, which drops to 1-7 heading into the regular season finale Friday against Indianapolis Broad Ripple, continued its string of first-half let-downs.

Culver scored on its first two possessions in the first quarter, then added another score 11 seconds into the second period on its way to a 33-0 halftime lead. It marked the fifth time in eight games this season the Patriots had been held scoreless in the first half.

The Eagles, who finished with 498 yards in total offense to Jay County’s 137, were better at stopping themselves in the first half than were the Patriots, as Culver had 83 yards in penalties.

Jay County had just 43 yards in first half offense as one of the few capacity crowds of the season for the military boarding school watched in approval of a dominating performance.

Culver coach Andy Dorrell said he was pleased with the way his team, now 6-2 on the season, got the Patriots down and didn’t let up — despite stopping themselves several times.

Culver had two touchdowns called back by penalties in the first half, and had another two passes dropped in the end zone.

A 1-yard run by quarterback Garrett Gish put Culver on the board at 8:24 of the first, and Mabaje Erinkitola added a 37-yard touchdown on a counter at 5:57 of the first.

Second quarter touchdowns for the Eagles came from Gish, on a 5-yard keeper; Neven Fingerhut, on a 27-yard return of an interception thrown by Jay County’s Adam Foster; and a 46-yard pass to Tom Bradford from Gish with just 39 seconds left in the second period.

“I was proud of the fact our kids set a tone early and were able to maintain it,” Dorrell said. “I was impressed with the way we were able to slow down their running game.”

The same couldn’t be said for Jay County, which gave up touchdown runs of 72, 66 and 37 yards, and a touchdown pass for 46 yards.

The Patriots, meanwhile, with the exception of a long fourth quarter touchdown pass, never drove inside Culver’s 36 yard line.

More than half of Jay County’s offensive output Friday came on that touchdown pass — a 71 yarder to Justin Gilbert from backup quarterback Adam Foster with 2:11 to play.

Culver’s defense limited Jay County to just 45 yards on 21 rushing attempts, with Alex Loucks picking up a team-best 29 yards on nine carries. Locke was 2-for-9 passing with the one interception, while Foster’s touchdown pass was one of just two successful attempts on the night.[[In-content Ad]]