1997 CLASS 5A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Final Score: Penn 21, Bloomington South 20.

Final Records: Bloomington South (14-1) vs. Penn (14-1).

 

Penn successfully defended its Class 5A championship by overcoming a 20-9 deficit in the final six minutes to turn back Bloomington South in a 21-20 thriller Nov. 29 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. It was the closest game in the 13-year history of the Class 5A finals. Penn scored two touchdowns just 77 seconds apart midway through the fourth quarter. The winner came on Shawn McGann's three-yard run with 4:15 left.

 

PENN THREE-PEAT --Penn became just the second team in IHSAA history and the first in Class 5A to win three consecutive state titles. Franklin Central won Class 2A championships in 1980-1981-1982. Penn defeated Evansville North 35-13 in 1995 and Ben Davis 17-14 in 1996.

SIXTH STATE TITLE FOR PENN -- Penn captured the sixth IHSAA state championship in the school's history with its 1997 football victory. Four came in football (1983 in 4A; 1995 in 5A; 1996 in 5A; 1997 in 5A) and one each in baseball (1994) and girls golf (1994).

18 CONSECUTIVE TOURNAMENT VICTORIES -- Penn has won a state-best 18 straight IHSAA tournament games dating back to the start of the 1995 tournament. The previous best was 17 by Ben Davis in 1990-1992. During that streak, Ben Davis won the Class 5A title in 1990 and 1991, and was the Class 5A runner-up in 1992.

LONGEST PUNT RETURN -- Penn's Brad Monhaut returned a punt 85 yards at the 10:10 mark of the first quarter to break the state finals record. The previous best was 72 yards by Indianapolis Scecina's Toby Jacobs against River Forest in 1990.

LONGEST PUNT --Dave Miller of Penn boomed a 71-yard punt in the second quarter to break the 18-year-old record of 69 yards by Blair Kiel of Columbus East in the 1979 Class 3A championship game against Hobart. Punting from the Penn 19, Miller's kick rolled dead at the Bloomington South 10.

PENN'S MONHAUT NAMED ESKEW AWARD WINNER -- Penn's Brad Monhaut was selected as the recipient of Phil N. Eskew Award for Mental Attitude in 5A Football by the IHSAA Executive Committee. The only two-way starter on Penn's team, Monhaut set the state finals record for the longest punt return with an 85-yarder for a touchdown in the first quarter. He returned two punts for a total of 98 yards, caught one pass for six yards and intercepted a pass. The senior has wrestled for the last three years and helped lead the Kingsmen grapplers to a runner-up finish at the 1997 Team Wrestling State Finals. Academically, Monhaut ranks 16th in his senior class of 638 students and is a member of the National Honor Society. He is an honor roll student and was a delegate to Hoosier Boys State last summer. He plans to study chemistry at the United States Military Academy next fall. Monhaut is the third consecutive Penn player selected for this honor, following Matt Geesman in 1995 and Scott Becker in 1996. Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Penn High School in the name of Monhaut.

ATTENDANCE -- Saturday's crowd of 30,682 for the three games when combined with Friday's turnout of 12,655 brought the two-day paid attendance to 43,337.

 

Scoring Summary

Bloomington South

7

7

6

0

--

20

Penn

7

0

2

12

--

21

 

Officials --  David Mounts (Referee), Jack Behme (Umpire), Melvin Redman (Linesman), Bill Nimnicht (Line Judge), Terry Peckenpaugh (Back Judge).

 

1st Quarter

Penn -- Brad Monhaut 85 punt return (Miller kick), 10:10

Bloomington South -- Dan Claybrook 52 pass from Rex Grossman (Fritz kick), 1:36

2nd Quarter

Bloomington South -- Rex Grossman 25 run (Fritz kick), 3:26

3rd Quarter

Penn -- Safety, Rex Grossman tackled in end zone, 6:57

Bloomington South -- Ben Pate 17 pass from Rex Grossman (run failed), 5:01

4th Quarter

Penn -- Brad Monhaut 6 pass from Kevin Nicolini (pass failed), 5:42

Penn -- Shawn McGann 3 run (pass failed), 4:25

 

Final Team Statistics 

 

Bloomington South

Penn

First Downs

15

15

Rushes/Yards

25-119

37-75

Passing Yards

149

223

Passing Comp./Att./Int.

9-31-1

14-29-1

Plays/Total Net Yards

56-268

66-298

Return Yards

81

121

Punts/Avg.

6-44.7

6-46.0

Penalties/Yards

3-15

6-40

Fumbles/Lost

0-0

1-0

Time of Possession

18:37

29:23

 

 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

Bloomington South: Dunbar14-82; Grossman 7-31; Geringer 1-6; Moat 2-1; Jones 1-minus 1.

Penn: McGann 19-49; Brooks 8-27; Hardy 6-20; Nicolini 3-minus 12.

Passing

Bloomington South: Grossman 9-31-149.

Penn: Nicolini 14-29-223.

Receiving

Bloomington South: Claybrook 5-94; Dascal 2-24; Pate 1-17; Humes 1-14.

Penn: Hill 3-84; Strzelecki 7-81; Leniski 1-30; McGann 2-22; Monhaut 1-6.

Tackles

Bloomington South: Geringer 7; Waldrip 7; Kemp 5; Moat 5.

Penn: Hazelwood 6; Monhaut 4; Tomassi 4.

Sacks

Bloomington South: Moat 1; Geringer 1; Kemp 1.

Penn: Leniski 1; McBride 1.

Interceptions

Bloomington South: O'Mullane 1.

Penn: Monhaut 1.

Fumble Recoveries

Bloomington South: None.

Penn: Nicolini 1.