Published: September 01, 2007 12:25 am            

Kats’ power football overwhelms Indians

Defense harasses host into six turnovers.

ANDERSON — In his third game as mentor of the Kokomo football team, Brett Colby was presented with what could almost be considered a signature win for the Wildkats.

Almost.

For more than half of their 28-12 North Central Conference victory over Anderson at Collier Field here Friday, the Kats used opportunism on defense and solid offensive execution to pile up a 28-0 lead with 1:15 left in the third quarter.

Kokomo had just scored on a 94-yard drive that consumed 6 minutes and 56 seconds, and then the wheels came off a little bit.

The Indians were able to score a pair of second-half touchdowns before a couple fourth-quarter interceptions by the Wildkats slammed the door.

“We’re growing, we’re getting better,” said Colby, whose team improved to 1-0 in the NCC and 2-1 overall. “I told the guys, ‘You’re a good football team. When we learn how to finish we’re going to be an excellent football team.’

“We’re going to grow and come together. This is going to do nothing but help us out.”

Senior Justin Patterson and sophomore Braxton Shelton were outstanding.

Patterson rushed the ball 18 times for 186 yards and three TDs, scoring three straight times for the Kats on runs of 15, 10 and 5 yards.

His biggest run, though, came in the shaky third quarter when Kokomo was faced with a third and 10 from its 6-yard line, bursting for 56 yards to the Anderson 38. Patterson added an 11-yard run for a first down to the 13 and went the final 5 yards on fourth and 2.

“Any good player, you’ve got to stay with them and stay with them [or] they’ll hit the home run and he got one,” Indians coach Pete Gast said of Patterson. “He is a good player. That offense, nine times out of 10 it’s going to be three yards and a cloud of dust, but you’re going to miss a couple tackles and slip one through. That was a big play for them to keep that drive alive.”

Shelton, who had only seven tackles prior to Friday, spearheaded the defense that held the Indians to 39 yards rushing on 23 attempts and produced 63 yards of losses. He had four sacks of quarterback Nolan Earley for 39 of those yards lost.

Earley did pass for 258 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted four times. The Indians (1-2, 0-1) committed six turnovers, including a muffed punt that led to Kokomo’s second TD in the second quarter and a quick 14-0 lead.

The Kats’ first score came with 9:37 remaining in the first period after a 38-yard interception return by Larry Baker. He later recovered the muffed punt. Shelton, who had 49 yards on 13 carries, ran it in from the Anderson 7-yard line.

“The turnovers were insurmountable,” said Gast. “We had a chance to put some points on the board in the first quarter and couldn’t do it. Any high school football game, if you get down 14 points, your kids start hanging their heads a little. Turnovers set a bad tone for us.”

Jacob Schick had two of the interceptions and Casey Shipley returned the fourth pick for 23 yards.

“We played hard on defense,” Colby said. “We had a great scheme and the kids really played hard.”

The offense, held to only one touchdown in the team’s first two games, kicked into gear to score the third TD on a 12-play, 72-yard drive that ate up 6:23. Patterson ran it in from the 10 with 5:29 left in the first half.

In all, the Wildkats rang up 278 yards of offense — all on the ground.

Their only officially attempted pass, an option by Patterson, was picked off and started the third-quarter tailspin.

“We had too many dang mistakes,” said Colby. “You saw us throw that interception in the third quarter and you knew that was the last time I was throwing.

“We are getting better upfront. We just need to take care of the football and eliminate penalties. If we can do that we’ll be OK.”

        

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