Published: October 14, 2008 11:40 pm            

PAL: Bengals, Raiders take home titles

The Bengals simply had too much Evan Warden in the Senior Division football championship of the Police Athletic League on Sunday.

Warden scored all three of his team’s touchdowns on runs of 70, 20 and 40 yards in lifting the Bengals to a 20-16 victory over the Kokomo Tribune Packers.

“He’s been our primary running back all season,” said Bengals coach Rich Rhine. “He has a combination of speed and power — he’s a great athlete and a very good kid.”

Rhine estimated that Warden rushed for about 1,350 yards over the course of the Bengals 7-0 season.

“[Warden] ran very well but he also had awesome help from the line that kept the running lanes open,” Rhine continued. “Our quarterback [John Rhine] was very good behind center all season too. He has a good arm and was our No. 2 rusher.”

Warden’s two TD runs and a PAT kick by Jake Vent gave the Bengals a 14-0 halftime lead before the Packers rallied.

After the Packers fumbled on the Bengals 1-yard line, the Packers’ Kory Glassburn tackled the ball carrier in the end zone for a safety. On the ensuing kickoff, the Packers’ Brevon Ellis ran it back 75 yards for a TD and along with Stefon Glenn’s PAT kick, trimmed the deficit to 20-10.

Midway in the fourth quarter, the Packers’ Brevin Beard ran a bootleg 30 yards for another TD, bringing the Packers even closer at 20-16. However, from there, the Bengals made the necessary plays to finish off the win.

Packers coach Denon Beard, who in his seventh season as coach has won five championships, credited the opposition.

“[The Bengals] stopped us on that last drive and got the ball back and as a coach, I appreciate what they did,” he said. “Their team, coaching staff and parents should be congratulated, they did a heck of a job.”

Beard’s team finished 6-2, losing only to the Bengals.

“Overall, we had a really good season,” he said. “We didn’t have many linemen back from last season, so our coaching staff had a lot of work to do.”

Beard credited his middle linebacker, Keith Mills, with an outstanding effort.

In addition to his offensive talents, the Bengals’ Warden had three strips and one fumble recovery. Ezra Berry and Colan Ruch also had recoveries and Braxton Hunt added an interception and recovery.

Junior Division

The Raiders, sponsored by Dr. Walter C. Brown, avenged a regular-season loss to the Kokomo Auto World 49ers, winning the Junior Division title game, 13-6.

Keenan Wheeler, who rushed for about 100 yards on the day, scored from 35 yards out to put the 49ers ahead 6-0 in the first half. The Raiders’ Tyler Knepley tied the game with a 4-yard TD run.

The Raiders, who finished 4-3, regained possession with just over three minutes remaining and marched 77 yards to score the winning TD with just :43 left. Quarterback Jack Perkins sneaked over from 1 yard out for the score and Christian Olivarez added the PAT.

“The most gratifying thing was to see how we progressed from game to game,” said Raiders coach Sean Cameron. “We got better every single game and that made this the most enjoyable year I’ve ever coached.”

Cameron noted his defensive standouts: Knepley (an interception and eight tackles); Dillon Simpson (fumble recovery and six tackles); Colt Munsey (eight tackles) and Jack Perkins (six tackles).

Brayden Hancock led the 5-2 49ers with 11 tackles, Wheeler had eight, Spencer Tate had seven and Jacob Smithson chipped in five.

        

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