Indiana High School Athletic Association

9150 North Meridian Street, Box 40650, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240-0650

Phone: 317-846-6601    Fax: 317-575-4244    Website: www.ihsaa.org

Blake Ress, Commissioner

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

November 26, 2005

 

WARREN CENTRAL RUNS AWAY WITH THIRD CONSECUTIVE STATE TITLE

Warren Central won its third straight Class 5A state championship Saturday night, 55-20, over Hamilton Southeastern at the RCA Dome.  The title is the fifth in the school’s history and the second in the 2005 fall sports season.  The Warren Central boys cross country team also won a state championship this fall.

 

The Warriors struck early and often against the Royals, busting out to a 41-7 lead at the half, including 21 points in the game’s first nine minutes.  The Warriors led 55-14 after three quarters.

 

Warren amassed 297 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.  Junior quarterback Dexter Taylor capped off a stellar season with a 158-yard, three-touchdown effort on just 12 carries.  Junior running back Darren Evans added 98 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.  Junior Brad Ellington gave the Warriors a 35-7 lead when he found the end zone at the 3:20 mark in the second quarter.

 

Taylor added a six-yard touchdown pass to junior Chris Adkins with 26 seconds left in the third quarter that gave Warren Central a 55-14 lead.

 

Hamilton Southeastern was led by junior running back Marcus Spann’s 108 yards rushing on 14 carries.  The Royals gained 155 yards through the air and senior quarterback Taylor Hoffman threw two touchdown passes.  Junior Josh Powers assumed the quarterback duties for the Royals in the fourth quarter and his eight-yard touchdown pass with 4:55 remaining in the game rounded out the scoring.

 

Warren Central head coach Kevin Wright won his third state championship at the helm of the Warriors.  In the process, he and his father (Sheridan coach Bud Wright) become the only father-son duo to win football state championships in the same season.  The Warriors, who finish with their second consecutive 14-1 season, have won 41 of their last 45 games, including 18 consecutive tournament series games over the last three seasons.

 

Hamilton Southeastern finishes the season with an 11-4 record.

 

The two-day attendance figure for the 2005 football state finals was 44,303, which is the fourth highest in the history of the tournament.  Saturday’s games alone brought 31,964 fans to the RCA Dome.

 

Records

New

Most Combined Points, 5A: 75 by Warren Central and Hamilton Southeastern, 2005

Most PAT Kicks (Team) 5A: 7 by Warren Central vs. Hamilton Southeastern, 2005

Most Penalties, 5A: 9 by Warren Central vs. Hamilton Southeastern, 2005

Most Penalty Yards, 5A: 93 by Warren Central vs. Hamilton Southeastern, 2005

Longest Kickoff Return, 5A: 76 by Anthony Vaden, Warren Central vs. Hamilton Southeastern, 2005

Most PAT Kicks (Indiv), 5A: 7 by Machy Magdalinos, Warren Central vs. Hamilton Southeastern, 2005

 

Tied

Most Touchdowns, 5A: 8 by Warren Central vs. Hamilton Southeastern, 2005

 

SUMMERS HONORED WITH MENTAL ATTITUDE AWARD

Hamilton Southeastern senior kicker/punter Chris Summers is the 2005 recipient of the Phil N. Eskew Mental Attitude Award for Class 5A presented by the IHSAA Executive Committee.  The winner of this award, nominated by their principal and coach, must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability.  The award is named for Eskew, who served as the IHSAA’s third commissioner from 1962-76.  Under his leadership, the IHSAA football state tournament was initiated in 1973.

 

Summers, an Associated Press all-state selection in 2004, made 14 field goals and 42 extra points for 84 points this season.  He has made five field goals of 40 yards or longer in 2005 with a long of 52.  On kickoffs, he has had 35 touchbacks.  In punting, Summers averaged 38 yards with 14 inside the 20-yard line and just one touchback.

 

Summers ranks 44th in his senior class of 708 with an 11.18 cumulative grade point average on a 12.0 scale.  “Chris is a role model to his peers,” said Hamilton Southeastern principal Robert Albano, “he sets a good example in faith, spirit, kindness, and compassion.  He is a gentleman at all times, and he has earned the respect of all of his teachers, coaches, and our entire administrative team.”

 

Summers serves as a volunteer peer tutor, a Special Olympics volunteer, a dinner server to underprivileged children at Edna Martin Center, and he has volunteered for the Hamilton County Good Samaritan Christmas Project to supply needy families with food and toys.

 

Summers is the son of Clay and Diane Summers.

 

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA’s corporate partner, presented a scholarship check for $1,000.00 to Hamilton Southeastern High School in the name of Chris Summers.

 

VSN MEANS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY

Visit our friends at Visual Sports Network, the IHSAA’s official photographer for all state championship events and one of the leading action photographers in the Midwest. VSN, which was on site on Saturday, has captured hundreds of images from this year’s State Finals and will have them ready for viewing and purchase beginning Sunday.

 

STATE FINALS PROGRAMS AVAILABLE

Couldn’t be in there for the state finals? You can still purchase a copy of the official souvenir program while supplies last! Programs are $3.00 if you purchase in person at the IHSAA Office (9150 N. Meridian Street in Indianapolis) or $5.00 by mail (postage included). To order, have your Visa or MasterCard ready and call us at 317-846-6601 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. EST).

 

 

Quotes from the Class 5A Game

 

Warren Central Head Coach Kevin Wright

 

“We always talk about…it takes ability and talent to get there, but it takes character and will to stay on top.  This group had high expectations to begin the season…nobody really expected us to have a close game and that’s a lot to put on a kid.  They have come through week after week and done an excellent job.”

 

(On the 2nd title for the Wright family)  “If I didn’t win and he (Larry “Bud” Wright) did, I would have heard about it for the rest of the year.  It’s been a great Thanksgiving weekend for our whole family and I’m just glad we could come out on top.”

 

“Our kids came to play every night, bounced back from a tough loss to Lawrence North and played well really well all six games in the playoffs.  I’m really proud of our kids.”

 

(On Dexter Taylor)  “I have not seen a better football player than Dexter Taylor this year.  Anybody that watched the first half tonight has to get his vote (Mr. Football).  I’m just really proud of him and what a great kid.  I never thought I would have a quarterback better than Desmond Tardy but Dexter is awfully good.”

 

(Comparing to past Warren Central teams)  “This team has to rank right up there. Other than the Lawrence North game, we played as well as we could play, and with those expectations to start the year…it takes a lot character and a lot of will to come and play every night.”

 

 

Hamilton Southeastern Head Coach Rob Cutter

 

“We obviously ran into a very good Warren Central team.  We knew coming in that things would have to go well for us to win.  The way we’ve been playing coming into this game, we thought we could do that.  But, we started out by turning the ball over twice.”

 

“Defensively, we just couldn’t hold them.  Their offense is incredible.  The speed that they have was something that we could not match.  This isn’t unusual for them to win like this.”

 

“The mistakes we made early let the game get away.  We just got out-played in all three aspects of the game—that was very apparent.”

 

“We had a bunch of over-achievers that got us here.  But, it wasn’t a fluke that we were here.  We beat some good football teams and we deserved to be here.  I just wish that we could’ve played better.”