Football | IHSAA Class 6A Regional Championship
INDIANAPOLIS — Class 6A No. 2 Warren Central kept No. 7 Center Grove out of the end zone on three different drives to win the regional championship 13-6 and advance to the semi-state round of the IHSAA playoffs.
When two of Indiana’s most decorated high school football programs collide with a regional title on the line, no extra motivation should be needed. The two programs entered Friday night with 14 state championships between them, including six of the 13 Class 6A titles and 12 of Indiana’s last 23 big-school titles. The Warriors had already established the blueprint in a 20-14 season-opening victory, limiting the Trojans to just 48 rushing yards on 26 attempts.
Warren Central wrecked the Center Grove offense with another suffocating defensive performance, featuring a spectacular interception from senior safety Kaleb Elkins that kept the Trojans out of the end zone. Elkins made plays all over the turf, whether he was stuffing run-pass-option (RPO) plays in the backfield or breaking up deep shots aimed his way. The Purdue commit said the most improved part of his game is his downhill tackling, best evidenced by his three tackles for loss.
Center Grove struggled to establish any ground game or sustain drives throughout the first half, repeatedly running into the Warriors’ front wall. Warren Central controlled field position, but its most promising first-half drive ended when quarterback Anthony Dennison threw an interception off his back foot, picked off by Center Grove’s Roman Youngs with just 20 seconds left in the first half.
The Warriors broke the ice with a reverse trick play. Senior Keysean Williams-Jarrett took the jet sweep to the right side of the field, drawing the defensive back away from his assignment to chase down the speedster heading for the pylon. As the defender drew near, Williams-Jarrett reared back and tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Dennison. The extra point attempt was botched, leaving the score at 6-0 midway through the third quarter.
“We worked on it all week,” Williams-Jarrett said. “When he called that play – I’m a real smart guy – so if I can run it, I’m going to run it. But I let him get close, so when he got close, I just dumped it off and made it easy for him to catch a touchdown.”
Center Grove appeared poised to break through when a deep shot connected with Jeremiah Guidie and a horse-collar penalty followed, moving the Trojans near the goal line. After the first-down run was stuffed, Center Grove tried a trick play of its own with a halfback pass. Elkins masterfully read the play, retreated into coverage and made a sensational diving interception in the end zone to preserve the lead. It was, without a doubt, the defining moment of the championship bout.
“It really comes down to watching film and knowing what formation they were in,” Elkins said. “I seen #4 (Ricky Lange) in the slot, so I knew it was going to be a jet sweep. As I (saw) the jet sweep, I saw #14 (Guidie) throw his hands up, saw somebody come out and I just stood right under it.”
Center Grove kept searching for answers, but Warren Central’s defense kept tightening the screws inside the red zone. A marathon fourth-quarter drive offered the Trojans their best opportunity to seize a late lead. Jayden Biggerstaff broke loose for a 15-yard gain before an injury interrupted the momentum. Center Grove marched inside the Warren Central 10-yard line but could not breach the end zone.
“Our big time players made big time plays when it mattered most,” Warren Central head coach J.T. Whitaker said. “Kaleb getting that pick. Us getting that stop inside the 10 there. I’m just proud of them all the way around. Hell of an effort.”
The Warriors forced the Trojans to settle for a 25-yard chip shot from senior kicker Dallas Cornpropst with 6:44 remaining, cutting the deficit in half to 6-3. It felt like if the Trojans could get a defensive stop, their offense would have a chance to win it in crunch time.
Instead, Dennison launched consecutive deep passes down the left sideline to Williams-Jarrett, who hauled in both. The first, a left-handed grab he turned on the burners to fetch while keeping one foot in bounds, went for 35 yards and instantly put the Warriors in scoring position. Dennison recognized the 1-on-1 coverage again and launched another go route, and Williams-Jarrett flipped his hips and twisted his body toward the sideline to secure an immaculate 24-yard catch, falling out of bounds near the front pylon.
Two plays later, Iowa commit Keyon Thomas plunged into the end zone from 1 yard out to extend the Warriors’ lead to 13-3 late in the final frame.
Center Grove marched downfield, but time was not on its side. Facing fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line, the Trojans turned to Cornpropst for another chip shot to pull within one possession. With 1:02 left to play, the onside kick rolled out of bounds, and Warren Central sealed the regional championship in victory formation.
Friday’s Class 6A regional championship was not decided by recruiting rankings, nor was it decided by test scores or reading ability. It was decided by a stout defense that simply refused to give its opponent any room to breathe or cross the goal line. Warren Central improved to 12-0, while Center Grove saw its season end the same way it started, falling to 9-3 with two losses to Warren Central.
The regional title carried an unprecedented layer of tension after a controversy involving a podcast. Three days before the game, comments made on the YouTube podcast Inside Center Grove Football sparked widespread backlash after the hosts questioned the ages of the opposing football players and made disparaging remarks about the reading abilities of the opposing school’s majority-Black student body. The comments were criticized statewide as racially prejudiced and out of line, and both school districts issued a joint statement condemning the remarks.
The Indiana High School Athletic Association weighed in, reminding the high school sports community that athletics should promote learning, character, respect and the development of young students. Despite the controversy, both school districts emphasized a competitive but safe environment for the championship, and the game delivered on all counts.
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