Over the last few years, the Center Grove vs. Lawrence North game hasn’t meant a whole lot. After all, Center Grove leads the series 22-7 over the last 35 years and it has been 15 years since Lawrence North has knocked off the Trojans. Ironically, that is also the last time Center Grove posted a losing season.
And while Center Grove enters this year’s contest ranked No. 1 in Class 6A and ranked nationally with a 7-0 record, there is reason to believe Lawrence North (5-2) could give the Trojans all they can handle and then some when the two teams strap it up Friday, Oct. 9 at Lawrence North in a game that will feature players who are either recruits or commits to Indiana University.
Stingy defense, strong ground attack lead the way for Trojans
On paper, Center Grove has put together one of the best teams Indiana has seen in recent history. The Trojans enter Friday averaging 46.1 points per game and allowing only 5.7 points per game. Center Grove has held four opponents scoreless this season and has outscored opponents 323-40 this season.
Leading the way on the offensive side of the football is senior running back Carson Steele, who has drawn attention from Indiana. A week ago, Steele rushed 21 times for 169 yards and three touchdowns and reeled in a 27-yard touchdown from quarterback and Indiana recruit Tayven Jackson in a 57-14 win over Pike. On the season, Steele has 815 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground, and he has added 127 yards and two touchdowns on the receiving end.
The senior running back tells TheHoosier.com he is looking forward to showing he belongs among the players actively being recruited by the Hoosiers.
“It is definitely a big game for me because there are so many big time recruits on the field at once. It’s going to be great to watch that,” Steele said.
Jackson has been steady for the Trojans all season. Last week, he was 11-of-18 for 166 yards and two touchdowns against Pike. For the season, Jackson has completed 60 percent of his passes, going 53-of-88 for 845 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. On the ground, he has 60 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, there aren’t many players better than Caden Curry, who has an offer from Indiana. Through seven games, Curry has 20.5 total tackles, 16 of which are solo. He also has accounted for five sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
Joining Curry on defense is Austin Booker, who has committed to Minnesota. Booker has 18.5 total tackles, one sack and six-and-a-half tackles for loss.
Any chance Center Grove has of winning will start with its defense.
“It’s obviously going to start with our defense and how they play and our offense pushing down the field and completing balls,” Steele added. “You know you always got to compete with teams in and out and week by week, but this is one of those teams that can throw or run and do whatever they need. They, as a team, look great on film so you have to take that into perspective.”
Dynamic duo of Indiana recruits lead the way for Lawrence North
Center Grove has seen its share of foes this season, but none that is as dynamic offensively as Lawrence North, who is averaging 39.4 points and 486 yards per game. The Class 6A ninth ranked Wildcats are led by Indiana commit and quarterback Donaven McCulley and Indiana recruit and wide receiver Omar Cooper. The two showed how prolific they can be last week, as they connected on touchdown passes of 74, 50 and 32 yards as the Wildcats knocked off Warren Central 34-13 for the first time since 2005. In that game, Cooper hauled in five receptions for 208 yards.
On the season, Cooper has 28 receptions for 819 yards and 10 touchdowns. He told TheHoosier.com the Trojans are “just another team in the way of what our team wants to accomplish.”
McCulley has thrown for 1,764 yards and 16 touchdowns, while rushing for 373 yards and two touchdowns on the season. Cooper said McCulley is a special player.
“What makes him very special is that he’s a duel threat quarterback. If nobody is open, he can keep it. They can run read options with him that can end up making him throw the ball if the whole defense crashes on him. That’s what makes him special to play with,” Cooper said.
He continued that what makes his relationship special with his quarterback is trust.
“The thing that makes our relationship special is I don’t always have to touch the ball, and he knows that. But, he knows if he needs me or a big play, that he can always count on me to make that play,” Cooper said.
So, what will it take for Lawrence North to pick up its first win in 15 seasons over the Trojans? Cooper said just doing what they have been all season.
“If we play how we have been playing against every other team and go out and play our hardest and do what we are supposed to do and not get caught up in the name and what they are doing, we should be good and it should be a good game,” Cooper added.
What will happen?
It is anyone’s guess. As one high school coach once said, “the hardest thing is knowing which 15, 16, and 17-year-old kids will show up when the lights come on.”
With that said, this will be, without a doubt, one of the biggest challenges for both defenses.
Does Lawrence North try to stack the box and limit Steele’s ability to find the end zone and force Jackson to throw or do they allow Steele to score and try to shut down Jackson?
For Center Grove, can they shut down the dynamic duo of McCaulley and Cooper enough times to force the Wildcats to run, which they have shown they can do well at times this season. Regardless, fans, especially Indiana fans, should be in for quite a treat when the two teams meet at 7 p.m. at Lawrence North.
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