Page 39 - 2015-16 Football State Finals Program

Last Year’s State Finals in Review

Cook, Tri-West Hendricks topple No. 1 Andrean in Class 3A

The Tri-West Hendricks Bruins did it with quick strikes. Tri-West quarterback Jake Hendershot completed 22-of-33
The Bruins did it with methodical drives. Mostly, they ac- passes for 279 yards and one touchdown. Peyton Hender-
complished it with Wesley Cook carrying the load. shot caught seven passes for 99 yards. Casey Coll had
The Bruins bolted from a halftime tie with the top- seven receptions for 90 yards and a score.
ranked Andrean Fighting 59ers and scored 21 consecutive Coach Chris Coll’s Bruins, ranked fifth by the Associ-
points en route to a 49-27 victory in the Class 3A state ated Press, finished 14-1 after losing only their season-
championship game. The Bruins won their fourth state opener (18-17) at West Lafayette.
crown – 10 years after their last. Tri-West’s victory in the finale
The player behind Tri-West’s kept the Fighting 59ers from gaining
three straight touchdowns after their second consecutive unbeaten
halftime was Cook, who started the state championship. Andrean had won
surge by returning the third quarter’s 29 straight games, including 11 in a
opening kickoff 89 yards for a score. row in tournament play. Coach Phil
That set a new Class 3A record. Mason’s Andrean team completed its
Cook followed with two more season 14-1.
touchdowns. The first was a 2-yard The Fighting 59ers were led in
rush to cap a 12-play, 78-yard rushing by Trevor Berg, who had 95
march. The next was a 59-yard run yards and a touchdown. Quarterback
on a one-play drive. That gave the Jake Paliga passed for 237 yards
Bruins a 21-point lead with 9:36 left and three scores on 21-of-36. Jamie
in the game. Johnson recorded eight receptions for
Cook finished with 218 rushing 120 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
yards and four touchdowns, includ-
ing the kickoff return.

New Palestine unleashes offense in Class 4A win over New Prairie
Big-play, high-octane offense? The New Palestine Drag- play. Quarterback Alex Neligh ran for 178 yards and three
ons, the state’s top-scoring team, embodied the term as they touchdowns in 14 attempts.
marched to the Class 4A state championship. Neligh also passed for 211 yards and five touchdowns,
Less than 15 minutes into the game, New Palestine had breaking the 4A pass-scoring mark and tying it for all classes.
scored 35 points, needing a total of only 14 plays on its five Duke Blackwell caught five passes for 130 yards and three
touchdown drives. That provided a scores. The Dragons totaled 462 yards
window to what would come. The re- against New Prairie, breaking that
lentless Dragons went on to capture mark for all classes.
a record-setting 77-42 victory over Coach Kyle Ralph’s Dragons,
the New Prairie Cougars and finish ranked second in the Associated Press
an undefeated season. poll, finished 15-0 in winning their first
New Palestine’s scoring total set football championship. Their record the
a new standard for all classes in the last two seasons is 28-1.
state finals. The Dragons averaged Coach Russ Radtke’s Cougars,
61.5 points in six tournament games. ranked eighth in the AP poll, completed
In the Class 4A final, the game’s their season at 13-2. Radtke became
combined scoring (119) also stood as the first coach to lead three different
a new record. schools to a football state title game.
New Palestine’s James Young He also coached North Judson-San
totaled a Class 4A-record 282 rush- Pierre and Griffith to the final game.
ing yards and two touchdowns in 17 New Prairie’s Tyler Weller rushed
attempts. In New Palestine’s fast and for 179 yards and four touchdowns on
furious start, Young bolted to a 98- 27 attempts. The Cougars totaled 321
yard touchdown run, setting a record rushing yards and 389 total yards.
for all classes in championship game
IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport. PURE INDIANA! 39