Titus McCoy lead Center Grove through the quarterfinals

Two of Indiana’s best football programs, Center Grove and Warren Central, faced off in the Class 6A quarterfinals.

Both teams entered the contest with impressive seasons. Grove, at 11-0, ranked 32^nd in the DigitalSports National Football Rankings and 1^st in the state. Not far behind, Warren sat in 50^th in the nation and 3^rd in Indiana, holding an 8-3 record.

Center Grove took an early 14-0 lead early in the second quarter, backed by two rushing touchdowns from the stellar Titus McCoy. The Trojans tacked on a field goal with a little over two minutes remaining in the half.

Meanwhile, Warren Central could get nothing moving on offense. Tackles Jovan Swann and Cameron Tidd led Grove’s defense which limited the Warriors to just 46 total yards and three first downs until Warren’s final drive of the first half. In that last drive, Warren made an attempt to the endzone but could not reel in the pass. On the ensuing 35-yard field goal, Tidd blocked attempt, preserving Center Groves 17-0 by halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, Warren finally got on the scoreboard with a 31-yard passing touchdown with 5:37 remaining in the game. Following a failed on side kick attempt, back-to-back penalties put Grove right back in scoring position. McCoy did hesitate to drive in a 19-yard rush for his third TD of the game, bumping Center Grove’s lead to 24-7.

The Warriors cut the lead down to 24-13 with 3:10 remaining, but another failed onside kick put the ball back in Grove’s hands, allowing the Trojans to run out the clock.

McCoy finish with 126 yards and three TDs on 28 carries, accompanied by 33 receiving yards. Jackson Hohlt added on 66 yards from 15 carries.

Moving on to the semifinals, Center Grove prepares to face Avon on November 13. The unranked Orioles may be unranked in the nation, but their high powered offense is nothing to be taken lightly. Kickoff is at 7:00pm.