1999 IHSAA STATE FINALS

Class 5A

November 27, 1999

RCA Dome, Indianapolis

BEN DAVIS WINS FINAL IHSAA EVENT OF 20th CENTURY

In the final IHSAA state championship event of the 1900s, Ben Davis defeated Penn 27-3 to win the Class 5A title. It was the fifth IHSAA football title overall for the Giants.

Top-ranked Ben Davis built a 14-0 lead in the game's first 13 minutes on two scrambling touchdown passes by James Banks. The sophomore quarterback hit Sean Baldwin with a 13-yard score at 2:18 of the first quarter, and followed with a 17-yard flip to Chad Hendee at 11:11 of the second quarter.

No. 4-ranked Penn used a 70-yard run by Ryan Kisrow to set up a 22-yard field goal by Matthew Nagy to make it 14-3 at 8:52 of the second quarter.

Ron Greene gave Ben Davis two insurance scores in the second half, including a 77-yard punt return with 7:55 left in the third quarter. He added a 79-yard passing strike from Banks with 6:23 remaining in the game.

It was the sixth state championship for Ben Davis Coach Dick Dullaghan, who guided the Giants to a perfect 15-0 record. He joins Sheridan's Larry "Bud" Wright as the only coaches in state history to win six state championships.

Coach Chris Geesman's Penn team finished 13-2, with both losses coming to Ben Davis.

Ben Davis is the 892nd team to be recognized as an IHSAA state champion. The first IHSAA state champion was Bloomington High School in boys track and field in 1904.

Jeremy Chandler, a senior cornerback for Ben Davis, was selected by the IHSAA Executive Committee as the 1999 recipient of the Phil N. Eskew Mental Attitude Award in Class 5A Football. Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Ben Davis High School in the name of Chandler.

Attendance for Saturday's three-game session was 25,579 for a five-game total of 38,614.

 

Penn (13-2)

0

3

0

0

--

3

Ben Davis (15-0)

7

7

6

7

--

27

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter

Ben Davis -- Baldwin 13 pass from Banks (Fine kick), 2:18.

Scoring Drive -- 5 plays, 28 yards, 1:52.

2nd Quarter

Ben Davis -- Hendee 17 pass from Banks (Fine kick), 11:11.

Scoring Drive -- 6 plays, 45 yards, 2:10.

Penn -- Nagy 22 field goal, 8:52.

Scoring Drive -- 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:19.

3rd Quarter

Ben Davis -- Greene 77 punt return (run failed), 7:55.

4th Quarter

Ben Davis -- Greene 79 pass from Banks (Fine kick), 6:23.

Scoring Drive -- 6 plays, 87 yards, 3:30.

Team Statistics

Penn

 

Ben Davis

5

First Downs

11

34/101

Rushes/Yards

34/122

37

Passing Yards

162

7/18/0

Passing Comp./Att./Int.

9/12/1

52/138

Plays/Total Net Yards

46/284

74

Return Yards

199

11/34.9

Punts/Avg.

6/33.3

2/10

Penalties/Yards

6/51

0/0

Fumbles/Lost

1/1

26:23

Time of Possession

21:37

Individual Statistics

Rushing

Penn -- Kisrow 13-78; Lizzi 14-45; Post 2-2; Cencelewski 5-minus 24.

Ben Davis -- Banks 10-33; J. Satterfield 3-33; Simmons 4-22; Greene 9-16; Frownfelter 6-12; Polston 1-6; Currie 1-0.

Passing

Penn -- Cencelewski 7-18-37-0-0; Nagy 0-0-0-0-0.

Ben Davis -- Banks 9-12-162-3-1.

Receiving

Penn -- Lizzi 3-23; Z. Hill 3-11; Hummer 1-3.

Ben Davis -- Greene 1-101; Baldwin 5-42; Hendee 1-17; Adams 2-2.

Tackles

Penn -- Phillips 7; Jo. Kline 6; Bemenderfer 4; Morris 4; Gurchiek 3; Kovatch 3; Stewart 3; Thompson 3; Szumski 2; R. Hill 1; Metzner 1; Siri 1; Towner 1.

Ben Davis -- Blamo 6; Naaman 6; Barnes 4; Edwards 4; S. Jones 4; Wright 4; Blackburn 3; Landes 3; Patrick 3; Walker 2; Hendee 1; Jointer 1.

Sacks

Penn -- Bemenderfer 1; Jo. Kline 1; Morris 1; Stewart 1; Kovatch .5.

Ben Davis -- Barnes 1; Jointer 1; S. Jones 1; Walker 1.

Interceptions

Penn -- Gurchiek 1.

Ben Davis -- None.

Fumble Recoveries

Penn -- Phillips 1.

Ben Davis -- None.

 

CLASS 5A GAME NOTES

A PERFECT 15-0

Ben Davis became the first Class 5A school to finish 15-0 and joins Class 3A champ Roncalli as schools that accomplished the feat in the 1999 state finals. This is the third year that teams have been able to schedule nine regular season games and also play the six-week tournament. Previously, the only schools to have finished 15-0 were Pioneer (Class A) in 1997, and Jimtown (Class 2A) in 1997 and 1998.

ELITE COMPANY

Bend Davis' fifth state championship puts the Giants in elite company joining Carmel, Roncalli and Indianapolis Cathedral for second place on list of most state championships won. Sheridan's six state titles ranks first.

COMMON OPPONENTS

This was the sixth meeting between Penn and Ben Davis in the 1990s, including the third time in the Class 5A state championship game. Overall, the Giants lead the series 5-1. In the previous championship encounters, Ben Davis capped a repeat performance in beating Penn 38-14 in 1991. In 1996, the Kingsmen were victorious by a 17-14 count.

COACH DULLAGHAN'S SIXTH TITLE

In guiding the Giants to the championship, it was Dick Dullaghan's sixth state championship as a head coach tying Sheridan's Larry "Bud" Wright. Dullaghan is the only coach in state history to win a state title at two different schools having won his first in 1978 (Class 3A) at Carmel. Since then, he has also coached the Giants to the top in 1987, 1988, 1990 and 1991 (all Class 5A).

BEN DAVIS' CHANDLER NAMED MENTAL ATTITUDE AWARD WINNER

Jeremy Chandler, a senior cornerback for Ben Davis, was selected by the IHSAA Executive Committee as the 1999 recipient of the Phil N. Eskew Mental Attitude Award in Class 5A Football. Athletically, Chandler is a co-captain and 1999 Mr. Football candidate for the Giants. He also runs track for Ben Davis and qualified in four events at the 1999 state meet. He was selected All-State in the 100 and 200 meter dash and the 4x100 meter relay team. He was also an Academic All-State selection. Academically, he rates in the top 15 percent of his senior class in a college preparatory curriculum. He is undecided on a college choice but plans to study dentistry. Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Ben Davis High School in the name of Chandler.

 

CLASS 5A QUOTES

Ben Davis Coach Dick Dullaghan

"The key to the game was the performance of our defense. This wasn't an accident. They played this way all year. They haven't had a bad game all year. To hold a team like Penn 0-15 on third down conversions is really something. The defensive philosophy is, you can't play defense for Ben Davis unless you're fast."

"We've had offense by committee all year. We may not have a lot of outstanding guys, but we have a lot of good ones."

(On closing the decade with a state championship) "Jeremy Chander said at one of our early season meetings, 'We want to go out the way we came in -- as champions.' These kids worked hard to make that happen."

Penn Coach Chris Geesman

"We got beat by a superior team. Losing to them is not that tough to take."

"Our defense deserved better. They ran a punt back for a score and ran another one for a long return and scored on a tipped pass."

"We were getting whipped up front and our play-makers didn't make the plays. They had outstanding physical strength and quickness."

"It isn't easy to get here (state finals). It's sad to lose down here, but after about a week, we will be awfully happy that we got down here. I wished we could have played better."

"Their defense has been there all year and their offense has been improving all season."

Penn's Dan Phillips

"It seemed like every time we hit them and wrapped up, something would happen and they would get away. They've gotten better, especially on offense during the year."