Columbus East’s Seth Lankey tackles Bedford’s Cal Gates in the backfield during a game at Columbus East High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Columbus East put together a valiant comeback late in Friday’s regular-season finale, but couldn’t quite overcome a three-touchdown deficit.
Bedford North Lawrence built a 20-0 lead in the third quarter and held on for a 28-21 win to wrap up second place in the Hoosier Hills Conference.
A big key in this one was the Stars’ ability to convert on fourth down. They were 4 for 5 with two touchdowns on fourth down.
“I think that’s part of it,” East coach Eddie Vogel said. “Some of the credit has to go to Bedford, as well. Their taliback and quarterback are good players. There were several times that we kind of tried to sell out, and guys were pushed and gave them some gaps and some of the big plays they had in the second half were a result of that.”
Although the first half was played almost exclusively on East’s end of the field, the BNL (6-3, 5-1) was able to manage only one score. Quarterback Menphis Louden ran 20 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the second quarter.
The closest the Olympians (3-6, 3-3) came to scoring in the first half came on the next possession. A 21-yard keeper by Kyson Villarreal and a 33-yard burst by Tyler Weller put them at the BNL 20. East got as far as the 6-yard-line, but a sack backed it up to the 14, and Skylar Bailey was wide left with a 31-yard field goal attempt.
When the Stars scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the third quarter, it looked like they might run away. But the Olympians didn’t go quietly. Kyson Villarreal found a wide open Jared Brooks for a 66-yard touchdown to put East on the board.
The Stars answered with a touchdown and 2-point conversion to take a 28-7 lead. But then the Olympians struck again, with Villarreal hitting a wide-open Keaton Lawson for a 62-yard score.
East got the ball back, and Villarreal hit Lawson again, this time for 15 yards, and the East was within a touchdown with 4:15 left in the game.
BNL ran off all but the remaining 1:35. The Olympians took over at their own 20, but on the second play, a fumbled snap gave the ball back to the Stars, who ran out the remainder of the clock.
Cal Gates carried 25 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns, and Louden carried 22 times for 85 yards and two scores and completed 10 of 24 passes for 93 yards.
“That’s a tough offense to prepare for,” Vogel said. “They have some good skill players and a good line. I’m pleased with our guys effort and how hard the played. Our tackling the second half was not very good.”
East’s Villarrreal completed 11 of 24 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns and carried 18 times for 55 yards. Weller carried 11 times for 65 yards, and Lawson caught six passes for 127 yards and two scores.
“We need to be able to put offense and defense together in the same halves,” Vogel said. “I thought defensively, we played very well in the first half and didn’t move the football like we needed to. Then, the second half, the offense kind of came to life, and the defensively, we really struggled to get them tackled. We have to be able to put it all together for four quarters.”
Bedford North Lawrence 28, Columbus East 21
Bedford NL;0;7;14;7;—;28
Columbus East;0;0;7;14;—;21
BNL—Memphis Louden 20 run (Trace Rynders kick), 11:23.
BNL—Louden 1 run (Rynders kick), 7:01
BNL—Cal Gates 16 run (kick failed), 2:39.
CE—Jared Brooks 66 pass from Kyson Villarreal (Skylar Bailey kick), 1:51.
BNL—Gates 23 run (Tate Tanksley pass from Braden Baker), 11:50.
CE—Keaton Lawson 62 pass from Villarreal (Bailey kick), 11:02.
CE—Lawson 15 pass from Villarreal (Bailey kick), 4:15.
Individual statistics
RUSHING — BNL: Gates 25-128, Louden 22-85, Maddox Ray 2-45, Zach Brosamie 1-2. Columbus East: Tyler Weller 11-65, Villarreal 18-55, Thomas Houpey 2-0.
PASSING — BNL: Louden 10 for 24, 93 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions. Columbus East: Villarreal 11-24-220-3-0.
RECEIVING — BNL: Gates 3-42, Rynders 3-28, Ray 2-9, Gavin Pedersen 1-9, Piaire Childs 1-5. Columbus East: Lawson 6-127, Brooks 2-74, Cam Herron 2-14, Jaxson Siegman 1-5.
