Local Sports

Bigger, stronger Monrovia controls line of scrimmage in win at Triton Central

Learning lessons while growing up can be painful. 

 

So can learning while growing up on the Friday night football field.

 

Triton Central is trying to do just that while matching up against competition that is often older and more experienced.  Throw in bigger and stronger and you have Monrovia.  The Bulldogs scored 30 unanswered points en route to a 38-14 Indiana Crossroads win at Bud Mendenhall Field Friday.

 

Triton Central (2-2, 1-2 ICC) dropped its second straight game.  Friday’s loss to Monrovia mirrored the Tigers loss to Indianapolis Lutheran the week before.  Triton Central was pushed around on the line of scrimmage, failed to establish a running game while providing more evidence of a developing passing attack.

 

Triton Central head coach Tim Able spoke with GIANT fm Sports.

 

 

The game started well for the Triton Central Homecoming crowd.  Monrovia used an across the field lateral on the opening kickoff to start a drive near midfield.  Three plays later the Bulldogs had to punt.  Triton Central started at the 10-yard line and engineered a 90-yard drive capped off by a one-yard Jace Stuckey touchdown on a quarterback sneak on fourth down to lead, 7-0.

 

Monrovia took the lead for good, 8-7, in the final minute of the first quarter on a two-yard run by sophomore Brayton Belcher followed by a successful two-point conversion.

 

Monrovia would go on to score 22 second quarter points highlighted by two touchdown runs of 11 and one yard by Dustin Kostrzewski.  The junior running back added the two-point conversion after each.

 

Kostrzewski’s second touchdown was set up by the Monrovia defense.  Sophomore Eli Welch intercepted a Jace Stuckey pass at the Monrovia 43 – yard line and returned  it to the Triton Central 23-yard line to set up a short field.

 

Belcher scored his second touchdown of the night late in the half and Monrovia took a 30-7 lead into the locker room.

 

After a scoreless third quarter, a lucky bounce allowed Triton Central a glimmer of hope.  A Stuckey pass was deflected into the hands of sophomore wide receiver Anthony Dunville who turned and sprinted 69-yards into the endzone.  The touchdown brought the Tigers within two scores, 30-14, with 9:56 remaining.

 

But Monrovia left no doubt on the next drive.  Utilizing a dominant offensive line the Monrovia rushing attack moved the ball downfield as Kostrzewski capped the scoring with a three-yard touchdown run with just over four minutes remaining followed by the two-point conversion.

 

Monrovia (3-1, 2-0 ICC) was successful on four of its five two-point conversion attempts.

 

Triton Central’s rushing game was muzzled by the Bulldog’s defensive line led by senior Jett Massey.  Massey recorded two quarterback sacks and several hurries.   For Triton Central, sophomore Ray Crawford had just seven yards on five carries.  Stuckey rushed 12 times for minus-four yards to with a touchdown.  Stuckey was sacked four times.

 

Through the air, Stuckey was 22-for-37 passing, 188 yards, with a touchdown and interception.

 

Wide receiver Anthony Dunville recorded a season-high eight catches for 139 yards.  69 of those came on the deflected pass in the fourth quarter.

Crawford led the team with nine catches for 73 yards.

 

Monrovia’s balanced rushing attack was led by Belcher’s 96 yards and Kostrzewski’s ran for 94.

 

Bulldogs quarterback Eli Wagner threw for more yards than he had for the season.  Wagner was 4-for-8 passing with 87 yards.  84 yards went to junior wideout Corbin Byrnes on three catches.

 

Coach Able says he’s proud of the effort.  Growing up is a process and they’ll get better.

 

 

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