November 27, 2015
Lafayette Central Catholic's Defense Helps Deliver State Championship
Lafayette Central Catholic’s offense entered the Class A state championship game averaging 53.4 points per game. But it was the top-ranked Knights’ defense that made the biggest statement in a 34-7 win against No. 3 Linton-Stockton. The win was LCC’s seventh football state title.
LCC (15-0) shut down a Miners’ offense averaging 524 yards and more than 54 points a game. Linton (13-2) managed just 168 total yards – 114 on the ground, 324 below its season average.
Offensively, the Knights finished with 375 yards. Brandon Yeagy ran for three touchdowns, quarterback Avery Denhart threw for 193 yards – hitting Luke Fusiek four times for 130 – and Jackson Anthrop ran for 149 yards.
Denhart hit a wide-open Fusiek for a 63-yard scoring pass on the Knights’ fifth play from scrimmage that gave LCC a 7-0 lead. Denhart and Fusiek hooked again in the second quarter on a 36-yard pass that set up Yeagy’s 3-yard scoring run.
Sam Milazzo added a 25-yard field goal midway through the second quarter that gave the Knights a 17-0 lead. But Linton put together a 13-play, 90-yard drive just before the end of the first half – aided by 35 yards in LCC penalties – to close the gap to 17-7. Tyler Meurer capped the drive with a 7-yard scoring toss to Jacob Clothier with just 13 seconds left in the half.
Milazzo added a 23-yard field in the third quarter, and the Knights put the game away with an eight-play, 48-yard drive capped by Yeagy’s 1-yard score with 7:40 to go in the game. Yeagy would tack on another score with 3:05 remaining following an LCC interception inside Linton territory.
Meurer threw for 54 yards, ran for 33 more and was in on five tackles. The Miners were making their first state finals appearance.
Class A State Championship Records
Most Field Goals (Team)
2 by Lafayette Central Catholic vs. Linton-Stockton, 2015. (Tied)
Most Field Goals (Individual)
2 by Sam Milazzo, Lafayette Central Catholic vs. Linton-Stockton, 2015. (Tied)
Linton-Stockton’s Dylan Morris named Ress Mental Attitude Award winner
At the conclusion of the state championship game, the IHSAA Executive Committee named Dylan Morris of Linton-Stockton High School as the winner of the Blake Ress Mental Attitude Award in Class A Football.
Morris is a three sport athlete also participating in basketball and track. He was captain of the football team last year and is a three-time member of the All-Academic Team. He is also an active member of the German Club, being named the top German Student in 2012 and 2013, and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Dylan is the son of Debbie and Joe Whitehead and Lisa Evans of Linton, IN. He plans to be a physical therapist and is undecided college choice at this time.
Each year the IHSAA Executive Committee selects a senior player who was nominated by his principal and coach and was determined to have best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability. This is the first year the Class A award is named in honor of the IHSAA’s seventh commissioner who served from 2000-11.
The Indianapolis Colts presented a $1,000 scholarship to Linton-Stockton High School in the name of Dylan Morris. The Colts have been the presenting sponsor of the entire football state tournament since 2009, including the mental attitude awards.