Two of the most dominant football programs over the past two seasons—Decatur Central and East Central—faced off in the 5A regional championship on Nov. 15.
East Central, the back-to-back 4A state champions, moved up to 5A this season. After convincing victories over Seymour and Franklin Community, the Trojans faced last year’s 5A state runner-up, Decatur Central.
The Hawks wasted no time, marching down the field on their opening drive, capped by a rushing touchdown from junior ATH Kasmir Hicks.
For East Central, sophomore running back Ryan Minges had an impressive start with strong runs, but the Trojans soon found themselves punting repeatedly as the first quarter came to a close.
Second Quarter Belongs to the Trojans
The tide turned in the second quarter as the Trojans’ defense made crucial plays to stifle the Hawks’ potent offense. Senior linebacker Cole Sebastian set the tone with an interception of junior quarterback Bo Polston, leading to a touchdown run by Minges.
Minutes later, senior linebacker Carson Pienczonka intercepted Polston again, setting up a 44-yard field goal by senior Nathan McFee.
Polston’s struggles continued on the next possession when freshman lineman D.J. Miller forced a fumble on a designed quarterback power run. However, McFee’s subsequent 30-yard field goal attempt missed, giving the Hawks a chance to respond.
Decatur Central senior running back N’Po Dodo sparked the offense with a 16-yard run, and Polston connected on key throws to set up a long field goal attempt before halftime.
Hawks Take Control After Halftime
Trailing 10-7 at the break, Decatur Central’s defense forced a three-and-out on East Central’s opening possession of the second half. Polston quickly capitalized, finding junior ATH Fa’rel Carter for a 48-yard touchdown strike that electrified the Hawks’ sideline.
“We went into halftime talking about how we weren’t spreading the ball around enough,” Carter said. “The game plan coming out [of halftime] was to take shots downfield when they presented themselves — my quarterback gave me a good ball, so I just went up and got it.”
After McFee converted his second field goal of the night, Decatur Central responded with big plays from Dodo and Carter. Then, senior backup running back Brycen Bonawitt delivered a perfectly executed fake field goal, hitting Bryce Johnson for a wide-open touchdown to extend the Hawks’ lead to 21-13 early in the fourth quarter.
East Central Fights to the End
The Trojans weren’t done. Minges’ explosive runs drove East Central inside Decatur Central’s 10-yard line. However, in a surprising decision, head coach Jake Meiners opted for a field goal on 4th-and-goal, narrowing the score to 21-16 with 4:36 remaining.
After a crucial first-down run by Carter, the Hawks were forced to punt following penalties and incomplete passes, giving East Central one final chance.
Relying on their run game and short passes, the Trojans reached the Hawks’ 10-yard line with under a minute to play. On fourth-and-goal, Carter broke up a pass to the flats that would have secured a win for East Central.
The Hawks held on for a gritty 21-16 victory, earning their place in the 5A semi-state game.
Postgame Reflections
“[It] just feels crazy, honestly,” Carter said. “The play before [the fourth-down incompletion], I was in my head and really thought I was about to lose this game. I give all the credit to my teammates for keeping me up on the field — they were the reason I was able to make that play.”
Decatur Central’s team chemistry and versatility were on full display, as many of their players contributed on both sides of the ball.
“We all stay together,” Carter said. “All through the season, we’ve gotten our bond to [a good] point.”
Looking ahead, the Hawks will face Bloomington South in a rematch of last season’s 5A semi-state game. With a humbling 33-6 loss to Fort Wayne Snider in last year’s state championship still fresh in their minds, Decatur Central remains focused on the present.
“We’re not even thinking about it,” Carter said. “Coach tells us one game at a time. I’m not worried about the state championship — I’m worried about next weekend.”