Bloomington High School North and Bloomington High School South both thrashed their Terre Haute-based opponents this week, with Bloomington South defeating Terre Haute South Vigo High School 49-14 and Bloomington North downing Terre Haute North Vigo High School 56-0.
Bloomington South vs. Terre Haute South
Bloomington South’s matchup started off on the wrong foot as Terre Haute South junior Mayson Lewis returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a Terre Haute South touchdown.
The Panthers responded, however, with senior running back Shaun Cooper breaking through multiple defenders for a 19-yard touchdown.
Early in the second quarter, Cooper scored from three yards out, giving the Panthers a 14-7 lead.
Following a stop on defense, Cooper tore off a 51-yard run before fumbling near the goal line, but junior receiver Connor Parker quickly jumped on the loose ball in the endzone to double the Panther lead.
On the next drive, junior defensive back Rylan Stikeleather forced an interception on 4th and 11, leading to a third Cooper touchdown to increase the lead to 21 points.
However, multiple flags on the next drive allowed another Terre Haute South score late in the second quarter. Lewis snagged a 43-yard touchdown grab to end the half.
The score near the end of the half proved to be the last for Terre Haute South, as they proceeded to fumble the ball on their own 1-yard line during their first offensive drive coming out of the break, gifting Cooper a fourth rushing touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, Cooper cemented his monster night with a fifth and final touchdown, ultimately racking up 221 yards and five touchdowns on 35 carries.
After matching senior running back Braylen Townsend’s single game touchdown mark from the Panthers’ win against Terre Haute North, Cooper put the game to bed.
Senior receiver and defensive back Sam Giles added the finishing touch, returning a 46-yard interception to produce a final score of 49-14.
Bloomington North vs. Terre Haute North
Bloomington North started its game off strongly as junior running back Brayden Johnson scampered in a 15-yard touchdown on the opening drive — the Cougars’ first offensive touchdown since week 2.
After forcing a punt, senior quarterback John Bargen aired out a 43-yard touchdown to junior receiver Rashon English to snatch an early 14-0 lead.
The Cougars struck once more at the end of the first quarter. With Terre Haute North expecting a run with only seconds left in the quarter, a wide-open English caught the defense off-guard, allowing him to race untouched for a 49-yard touchdown.
With the score reading 21-0 after only one quarter, the game threatened to spiral out of hand for Terre Haute North.
The second quarter was more of the same, however, as a 45-yard touchdown catch for sophomore receiver and safety Blake Davis was sandwiched between two rushing touchdowns for senior running back Noah Ferree.
The first half was a complete demolition job with the halftime score reading 42-0. Indiana football fans in the audience might have gotten flashbacks to the Hoosiers’ 73-0 drumming of Indiana State University.
With a running clock implemented for the second half, the game flowed by. The scoring didn’t completely stop, however, as Bargen and sophomore running back Carter Matthew both ran in for further scores.
If one play defined Terre Haute North’s game, it was the starting play of their second-to-last drive after the previous drive ended due to a muffed snap. While motioning, the snap hit the moving receiver in the shoulder, causing a second-consecutive fumble.
In the end, Bloomington North won 56-0, earning its first conference win of the season.
“We knew we had the capability of being explosive,” Bloomington North coach Brett Cooper said. “We just needed to put a full game together. Proud of the defense, proud of the offense, and we were good on special teams.”
With the Cougars’ only previous win coming in a 29-20 non-conference game against Bedford North Lawrence High School on Aug. 29, this proves an invaluable win for Bloomington North.
“Our kids were bought in this week and really executed the game plan,” Brett Cooper said. “We played hard for 48 minutes.”
Both teams will be looking to the future to keep the momentum going. Bloomington South hopes to keep its undefeated season alive, while Bloomington North will attempt to get its season back on track in time for the playoffs.
Bloomington North, 2-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play, travels to Jeffersonville High School at 7 p.m. Sept. 26.
Bloomington South, 5-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play, hosts Southport High School at 7 p.m. Sept. 26.
