Murray runs for 7 TD, Wheeler grabs first sectional in 15 years
2A No. 11 Wheeler 57, Knox 8
By Paul Honeycutt
WHEELER TWP. – Levi Murray didn’t wait to make an impact in Wheeler’s first sectional title appearance since 2014.
The powerful junior took his first carry for 35 yards to put 2A No. 11 Wheeler up over Knox, and they never looked back, capturing their first sectional title since 2011 in a 57-8 win.
The Bearcats will now travel to No. 4 Eastside (11-0) for a shot at their first-ever regional title.
“We had a pep rally today and people have been talking about this for the last couple weeks,” first-year Wheeler coach Josh Wissing said. “A lot of these guys weren’t even born yet the last time Wheeler won one and the community has been awesome embracing things we’ve done.”
On his second carry, he rumbled one in from 83 yards for his second score.
His third carry went just for one yard, and there were jokes in the press box of him being lousy, all in good fun, of course.
“I think I might have heard it,” Murray joked.
What did he do on his next carry?
Murray ran in a score from 54 yards out.
Four carries, 173 yards and three TDs.
On the longest scoring possession of the night for Wheeler (11-1), the Bearcats drove 69 yards in six plays that ate up just over three minutes on the clock, which was capped by a Murray three-yard scoring run, his fourth of the night.
Last year, Knox star Myles McLaughlin showed how pivotal he was to his team’s run, and the sectional title game showed how crucial Murray is to Wheeler’s success.
“It shows that we have an explosive offense and can get a score when we need one,” said Murray, who ran for 372 yards on 23 carries with seven TDs, giving him 47 on the season. “This is the best feeling ever and I wouldn’t want it with any other guys and hopefully more to come.”
Knox (5-7) was gunning for its fifth straight sectional and responded with its lone scoring drive of the first half by taking up five-and-a-half minutes, navigating 63 yards in nine plays.
The score came on an innovative play call and execution when halfback Maddex Olejniczak took a pitch, stopped and passed it to Kohl Jordan for the 29-yard score.
Wheeler responded quickly before the first half ended with Murray grabbing his fifth score of the night on a 34-yard rush TD, capping a four-play, 71-yard drive.
Murray added two more touchdown runs of 18 and 27 yards, respectively, before being pulled with what are believed to be school records in rushing yards and touchdowns in a single game.
“Levi is the best running back in the state and our dudes up front do a great job of giving him lanes to run,” said Wissing. “I was at Merrillville for seven years and he has a lot of comparables to some of those great running backs, but what he does is breaks tackles and then runs away from them.”
Riley Luedtke added a 14-yard touchdown catch from Ty Schafer late in the game for Wheeler.
The Wheeler defense came in to Friday’s game fourth in 2A in scoring at a shade over eight points a game.
The Bearcats forced nine negative plays and limited their opponent to single digits for ninth time this season.
“A lot of it is communication because earlier in the season we had some issues communicating with what gaps we had and this game we had great gap control,” said senior OLB Keegan Catone.
Wheeler 57, Knox 8
Knox; 0 8 0 0 – 8
Wheeler; 21 14 15 7 – 57
W – Levi Murray 35 run (Leo Vega kick), 8:37 1st
W – Murray 83 run (Vega kick), 6:38 1st
W – Murray 54 run (Vega kick), 2:26 1st
W – Murray 3 run (Vega kick), 8:46 2nd
K – Kohl Jordan 29 pass from Maddex Olejniczak (Ashton Walker run), 3:16 2nd
W – Murray 34 run (Vega kick), 1:25 2nd
W – Murray 18 run (Murray run), 7:08 3rd
W – Murray 27 run (Vega kick), 1:30 3rd
W – Riley Luedtke 14 pass from Ty Schafer (Vega kick), 2:23 4th
Knox;Wheeler
First Downs;9;20
Total Yards;172,500
Rushes-Yards;37-132;29-402
Passing;40;98
Comp.-Att.-Int.;2-8-1,6-12-1
Penalties-Yards;4-45;9-74
Fumbles-Lost;3-1;1-0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – KNOX, Jaydin Fisher 13-50, Ashton Walker Maddex Olejniczak 11-31, Donaven Witas 3-52, Ashton Walker 10-10. WHEELER, Levi Murray 23-372, Bentley Simpson 4-37, Logan Fox 1-(-1), Kaden Catone 1-(-6).
PASSING – KNOX, Maddex Olejniczak 1-1-29-1-0, Ashton Walker 1-7-11-0-1. WHEELER, Logan Fox 4-8-62-0-1, Ty Schafer 2-4-36-1-0.
RECEIVING – KNOX, Kohl Jordan 1-29, Bryon Venice 1-11. WHEELER, Kaden Catone 2-40, Conner Welch 1-20, Riley Luedtke 1-14, Anthony Huron 1-13, Levi Murray 1-11.
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