By Jeff Hodge
Contributing Writer
INDIANAPOLIS – What a night to play some football Sept. 12 at Perry Stadium. Soggy, sloppy, and far-less-than-ideal field conditions could spell trouble for the offenses of Conference Indiana and township rivals Perry Meridian and Southport, with the latter relying on a solid ground game and the former using the spread offense.
Who would be standing tall after this struggle for a new traveling trophy, “The Rock”? That’s right, a ROCK! And one that was hermetically sealed in a plastic cube that obscured it from sight because of all the humidity.
Could Southport sustain its strong start after shocking Pike last week, or would the upset-minded Falcons prevail? The 35-0 final proved that Southport’s resurgence may be for real.
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Southport (3-1 overall, 2-0 Conference Indiana) was able to move the ball at will against a much smaller team on this night. The running back duo of Nick Turner (13 carries, 108 yards) and Julian Walker (2-12), combined with fullback Tyler Plummer (eight carries, 52 yards), wore down the Falcons’ defense in the first half for a 14-0 lead.
The Cardinal defense, meanwhile, was just as stout in the opening half, intercepting Perry quarterback Zach Ruark three times.
After halftime, Southport took only five plays to go 64 yards. A 33-yard run by Turner put the Cardinals up 21-0.
Perry’s next drive stalled at the Southport 35, so fifth-year coach Doug Bradburn tried to keep his team in the game by going for it on 4th and 3. But the Falcons (0-4, 0-2) came up a yard short, and Southport took nine plays to cover the ensuing 65 yards. A five-yard sweep by Walker made it 28-0.
The final score came with 56 seconds remaining and Southport trying to run out the clock. On a toss play, backup RB Denzel Hinton – all 5’6″ of him – broke several tackles in cutting back to the left. And going 51 yards to the hizzie.
Round 1 of the battle for The Rock goes to Southport, whose fourth-year coach Bill Peebles is very satisfied with his team’s fast start to the season after having anticipated a 2-2 start based on the schedule.
“It only gets tougher from here,” Peebles said. “Every team in Conference Indiana is very good and, realizing we are not going to be the strongest or fastest team each week, the kids just keep fighting.”
While the scoreboard does not reflect how well Perry Meridian played tonight, the box score will. Perry was able to move the ball on Southport but struggled with its spread offense in the wet, nasty conditions.
Bradburn said it was a very tough loss for the kids, made even tougher by the close proximity of the two schools.
“These kids all grew up together and know one another, making it a tough loss,” Bradburn said.
Next up for Southport is a Sept. 19 home game against 5A No. 9 Bloomington South (4-0, 2-0), an insane 69-41 Week 4 winner over Bloomington North. Perry Meridian, on the other hand, will travel to Franklin Central (1-3, 0-2), a 31-7 loser at Columbus North.
Haji’s take: While the Perry Meridian kids were undersized and outplayed by the bigger Southport team, they may have a much bigger foe to battle: a lack of fan support. Even though there was a good crowd for Perry, they seemed to have their minds elsewhere, even making derogatory chants toward their own team.
It says here that the Falcon fans need to get behind these guys and help them pull out their season.
So is Southport for real? Share your thoughts on our Football message board.
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