Week 5

Suppose I told you a team had a 175-yard receiver and a 125-yard rusher, controlled the ball for nearly 3/4 of the first half, had double the number of first downs and won the total yardage battle.

One might think that game was a one-sided victory.

That was the case on Friday night, but not for the team on the positive end of those numbers. Mt. Vernon beat Pendleton Heights 37-17, but it was a much closer game than that. PH won the total yardage battle 389-383, won the time of possession battle and had outstanding performances from WR Brad McNeil (9-174, TD receiving) and RB Dezmon Nunn (129 yards rushing).

Meanwhile, MV spread things out and saw QB Austin Parker throw for four touchdowns -- to four different receivers -- and match PH score-for-score in the first half before a 16-point, three-minute fourth-quarter blitz put the game away.

The game turned on three fourth-down plays. MV took a 21-17 lead midway through the second on a 25-yard pass to Tyler Dicks on 4th-and-17. PH came back, motored down the field methodically -- as it had done throughout the half -- and had 4th-and-goal at the 2, but the Arabian runner slipped trying to cut toward the end zone, turning the ball over to MV. In the third quarter, MV's front line stopped PH on a 4th-and-1 quarterback sneak, and then answered with a TD to Jake Davis to go up by two scores (a safety and a 9-yard TD run by Zach McKinney on the ensuing possession accounted for the rest of the scoring).

McKinney topped the century mark rushing, but Dicks had 85 yards, and Parker was 8-of-11 passing with four TDs. The Marauders ran fewer plays, but were very efficient offensively.

That sets up an interesting second half of the HHC season, as MV and New Palestine remain the two teams with unblemished league records (3-0); but with Shelbyville and PH losing, only one other team (Delta) has less than two losses.

New Palestine beat Rushville 35-10, despite trailing 10-7 at halftime. Austin Cahoy had a big second half for the Dragons, who improve to 4-1 (3-0).

Greenfield-Central improved to 3-2 and had its second impressive win in a row over Shelbyville, winning 22-17. The Cougars are now 2-2 in HHC play, while Shelby falls to 1-2 (2-3 overall).

Next week
Yorktown (0-5, 0-4) at New Palestine (4-1, 3-0), 7:30 p.m. (listen live)
Rushville (2-3, 0-3) at Greenfield-Central (3-2, 2-2), 7 p.m.
Pendleton Heights (3-2, 3-2) at Delta (4-1, 2-1), 7 p.m.
Shelbyville (2-3, 1-2) at Mt. Vernon (4-1, 3-0), 7:30 p.m.