In a postponed HCC showdown between unbeaten conference powers #1 Westfield and #2 Brownsburg, the two schools had to hold off until 3:00 p.m. on Saturday to determine a winner.

Fighting a slight mid-day sprinkle throughout the game, Brownsburg quickly saw the effects taking place on their first drive of the game. After a poor punt by Westfield gave the Bulldogs favorable field position, it was quickly lost as Cato June Jr. scooped up the loose ball off the ground to give the Shamrocks possession once again.

Following a big connection from Carsen Melvin to Beau Braun, Mikeah Webster would punish the Bulldogs for coughing up the ball with a touchdown run to put the Shamrocks up 7-0 early.

With both teams exchanging punts and defensive stands, it was Westfield who had the wet-ball misfortune to start the second quarter as the long snap sailed over the punters’ head, setting up an easy Iosua Stephens rushing touchdown from two yards out.

Melvin would connect on his second deep ball of the half — this time to Gabe Aramboles — but the stout Bulldog defense would stand strong at the nine-yard line on fourth down, giving possession back to their offense.

As the first half began to come to an end, it was Westfield that would head into the locker on top 10-8.

With a slow start to the second half underway, it was a Keegan Krupp interception that got things rolling before the Shamrock offense would once again stall within the 10-yard line, this time giving the ball back to the Bulldogs at the one.

Despite the efforts of Stephens to escape his own endzone, Brownsburg would lose their third fumble in as many quarters. Approaching the goal line once against the Bulldog defense held their own forcing another Shamrock field goal.

“Just a warrior effort [by the defense],” Head coach John Hart said. “We must be playing eight or nine sophomores right now. We had some injuries, [and] to see those guys step up and the older kids embrace them and coach them along, it’s everything you want to see in football.”

Along with forcing the field goal, the goal-line stand would send Melvin out of the game after suffering a hard hit, leaving the Shamrocks with backup Alden Grabowski to finish the fourth quarter under center.

Down 13-8 with seconds dwindling down in the third quarter, it was their week five savior Branden Sharpe to make a play once again. This time, on a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 14-13 to start the fourth quarter.

A Will Orlando field goal late in the game would seal an undefeated 6-0 start for Brownsburg, and sole possession of the HCC.

With 17 points on the final scoreboard, this was Brownsburg’s lowest scoring output since their 14-7 Regional Championship loss to Cathedral in 2022.

“We will challenge our offensive line to be better than they were tonight,” Hart said. “We had numbers in the box and couldn’t physically run [which is] concerning. We have a great offensive line coach, so he’ll challenge them, but we should have gotten a few more things.”

On top of their run game with Stephens, sophomore quarterback — and their main passer — Oscar Frye had struggles getting in a rhythm throughout the game as well.

“Oscar, you know, he made some mistakes, and that’s what a sophomore will do,” Hart said. “With their coverages, they mixed up a bunch of stuff — I probably would have made 100 more mistakes. When we [switch] to Iosua, it’s a fluid thing. We got a feeling of what we needed, and he came in and answered really well [for us]. Offensively, we ran some plays we hadn’t run very much [with Stephens at quarterback], and it was executed really well”

Despite it being a rare victory where Brownsburg leaned on its defense to get stops, the Bulldogs keep finding ways to win with their 11th consecutive HCC victory.

“If it’s a tight game, these kids are going to find a way to win,” Hart said. “[Which is] what we did, just a great team win where everybody had a huge part.”