BROWNSBURG — Top-ranked Brownsburg led wire-to-wire in Friday’s 36-23 victory over Archbishop Spalding (Md.) to begin the 2025 season with a massive statement. Indiana’s Class 6A defending state champions scored more points Friday than the Cavaliers, who were coming off a perfect 12-0 campaign, allowed in the entire 2024 season en route to a third straight MIAA Class A state title.
The Bulldogs senior defensive duo terminated the Cavs opening drive after linebacker Saik Diallo strip-sacked Spalding QB Blake Howell, then linebacker Tramell Jennings recovered the fumble to cut the field in half and seize possession near midfield. Brownsburg marched downfield to take an early lead after running back Shakovon Sumpterbey bulldozed over multiple defenders for an 8-yard rushing touchdown.
After Brownsburg forced a punt, it took just three plays to ignite more fireworks as quarterback Oscar Frye hit senior receiver Branden Sharpe on a designed screen, who then raced across the field for an explosive 74-yard house call. Sharpe was unstoppable in the season opener as he torched Spalding with seven catches for 158 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Spalding retaliated by scoring on a trick play as sophomore receiver Kam Miller took a jet sweep, then lofted a 19-yard TD pass to receiver Aaron Igwebe to cut the deficit in half. The Cavaliers got the ball back with over six minutes left in the second quarter and used 14 consecutive run plays to drain the clock. Spalding tailback Antonio Ledbetter was tackled just shy of the goal line as the first-half game clock expired, but the officials granted a timeout for Spalding and put one more second back on the clock. The Cavaliers settled for a 17-yard field goal by senior Robert Lonergan to enter halftime trailing 14-10.
“It was a great win on all three levels of football,” Brownsburg coach John Hart said. “I know people probably think it’s rhetoric, but our coaches did such a good job with adjustments. They had us guessing in their formation for a little bit and confused our defensive end with that option, then we made the adjustment, and they virtually had nothing.”
The Bulldogs needed just three plays to extend their lead as Frye used his arsenal of weapons to slice through the Cavs defense. Frye launched a missile down the right sideline to connect with Central Michigan commit Avin Robinson for a 43-yard pass. On the following play, Frye orchestrated a flawless run-pass-option and found Sharpe open in the flat for his second TD of the game from five yards out.
Frye started to let loose in the second half and delivered a perfect 35-yard pass down the opposite sideline for Sharpe to breach enemy territory. After Sumpterbey was fed four consecutive run plays for 20 yards to set up shop at the one-yard line, Frye capped off the drive with a sneak from one-yard out to give the Bulldogs a commanding 28-10 lead.
“A lot of people are really late to the party,” Hart said. “He’s a great quarterback, very athletic and can do anything that we ask him to do.”
Brownsburg’s defensive unit went berserk in the second half, forcing consecutive three-and-outs to start. The Bulldogs front line pounced and collapsed the pocket when Spalding tried to mount a late comeback with an aerial attack. Brownsburg senior D.J. Gholston sacked Howell for an 11-yard loss to send the Cavs back to their own two-yard line, then linebacker Alex Fisher recovered a botched snap in the end zone on the following play for a game-sealing defensive score.
Brownsburg (1-0) hosts 5A No. 2 Cathedral (1-0) next Friday.