1997 CLASS 2A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Final Score: Jimtown 63, Clarksville 0.

Final Records: Jimtown 15-0, Clarksville 10-4.

  

Jimtown capitalized on five Clarksville turnovers in the first half and stormed to a 49-0 halftime advantage on the way to a record-setting 63-0 triumph Friday (Nov. 28) in the Class 2A championship game. Jimtown's 28-point first quarter and 49-point first half went down as records in the 100th state championship game since the IHSAA instituted tournament play in 1973. Senior running back Brian Smith showed the way with four touchdowns, and the Jimmies set five state finals team records and tied three others.

  

WIDEST VICTORY MARGIN -- The 63 point victory margin by Jimtown sets a state finals record. The previous record was a 59-0 victory by Sheridan over Bremen in the 1988 Class A championship game.

 

MOST POINTS SCORED BY ONE TEAM -- Jimtown's 63 points also set a new record for the most scored by a single team in the IHSAA State Finals. Sheridan's 59 points in 1988 was the previous mark.

 

MOST TOUCHDOWNS BY ONE TEAM -- The Jimmies equaled the state finals record for most touchdowns scored in a game with nine., Sheridan tallied nine scores in its 1988 Class A title game.

 

MOST RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS -- Jimtown equaled the record number of seven rushing touchdowns set by Pioneer in the 1997 Class A championship. The previous mark was six touchdowns by Tippecanoe Valley in the 1979 Class A title game against Hamilton Southeastern.

 

MOST PAT KICKS -- Jimtown kicker Robert Menchinger set individual and team records for the most PAT kicks in state finals history. The sophomore converted on all nine of his attempts. The previous individual mark was six by Tony DemBickie of Fort Wayne Dwenger in Class 3A in 1990. The former team record of eight was set by Fort Wayne Dwenger in the 1990 Class 3A title game against New Palestine.

 

JIMTOWN'S THIRD STATE TITLE -- Jimtown collected its third IHSAA state title overall and its second in football with the victory. The Jimmies won the 1991 Class A championship in football and were the state champs in boys gymnastics during the 1973-74 school year.

 

ANOTHER 15-0 RECORD -- With its victory, Jimtown joined Pioneer as the first Indiana schools to post a 15-0 season record. The expansion of the regular season to nine games this season, followed by the six-week tournament allows schools to play 15 games for the first time. Pioneer defeated Knightstown, 49-21 in the Class A championship game to record a perfect 15-0 year. Bloomington South in Class 5A still has the opportunity to join Pioneer and Jimtown when the Panthers take on Penn on Saturday.

 

JIMTOWN'S SMITH MOVES UP THE SCORING CHARTS -- Jimtown senior running back Brian Smith carried the ball 15 times for 47 yards and four touchdowns to move up to a tie for 18th place on the 1997 state scoring chart. He finished the year with 35 touchdowns for 210 points and a 14.0 points per game average.

 

JIMTOWN'S MATT LEWINSKI NAMED ESKEW AWARD WINNER -- Matt Lewinski of Jimtown High School was named the 1997 recipient of the Phil N. Eskew Award for Mental Attitude in Class 2A Football by the IHSAA Executive Committee.

 

A senior defensive end and tight end, Lewinski was a three-year varsity letterman and served as a Jimtown captain in 1997. He also has played basketball and baseball for the Jimmies. Academically, he ranks ninth in a senior class of 112 students. He is a member of the National Honor Society and serves as vice president of his senior class. Lewinski has been a class officer each of his four years of high school, plays in the school's concert and jazz bands, and is involved in several other extracurricular activities. He has had perfect school attendance since the fifth grade. He plans to study education at the University of Indianapolis.

 

Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 scholarship in Lewinski's name to Jimtown High School.

 

 

Scoring Summary

Clarksville

0

0

0

0

--

0

Jimtown

28

21

7

7

--

63

 

Officials -- Gary Slunaker (Referee), Jason LaRue (Umpire), Mark Cruse (Linesman), Jack Harmon (Line Judge), Steven McGlothlin (Back Judge)

 

1st Quarter

Jimtown -- Brian Smith 5 run (Menchinger kick), 7:27

Jimtown -- Landon Gilbert 30 pass from Keith Kinder (Menchinger kick), 5:55

Jimtown -- Brian Smith 4 run (Menchinger kick), 4:27

Jimtown -- Cory Wise 26 pass from Keith Kinder (Menchinger kick), 2:49

 

2nd Quarter

Jimtown -- Brian Smith 4 run (Menchinger kick), 8:30

Jimtown -- Brian Smith 3 run (Menchinger kick), 3:53

Jimtown -- Adrian Pettis 8 run (Menchinger kick), :09

 

3rd Quarter

Jimtown -- Travis Daniels 75 run (Menchinger kick), 5:06

 

4th Quarter

Jimtown -- Jim House 15 yard run (Menchinger kick), 5:20.

 

 

Clarksville

Jimtown

First Downs

5

15

Rushes/Yards

29-11

53-380

Passing Yards

27

61

Passing Comp./Att./Int.

3-19-3

3-5-0

Plays/Total Net Yards

48-38

58-441

Return Yards

81

77

Punts/Avg.

6-30.3

3-27.7

Penalties/Yards

2-15

9-106

Fumbles/Lost

3-2

0-0

Time of Possession

19:30

28:30

 

 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

 

Rushing

Clarksville: James 15-25, Mayfield 2-0, Troutman 12-minus 14.

Jimtown: Daniels 9-161, Pettis 6-111, B. Smith 15-47, J. House 8-35, Bauer 4-21, C. Rider 4-5, Menchinger 1-3, Rice 1-3, Johnson 1-2, Pontius 1-2, G. House 1-minus 5, Bender 2-minus 5.

 

Passing

Clarksville: Troutman 3-19-27.

Jimtown: Kinder 3-5-61.

 

Receiving

Clarksville: N. Gibson 2-18, Gedling 1-9.

Jimtown: Gilbert 2-35, Wise 1-26.