For The Tribune
BROWNSTOWN
Brownstown Central football coach Reed May said he wanted his team to make a statement during Friday night’s Mid-Southern Conference game against Corydon Central.
“We played well,” May said following the 57-6 homecoming win. “We had been playing OK all year. We wanted to come out for our last home game, and our homecoming game and play well offensively and play well defensively.
“Offensively I thought we moved the ball up and down the field. The kids performed real well tonight. I was pleased with it. You’ve got to be pleased with a 57-6 win, and they are a good football team.”
The Braves scored on their first three possession of the first half and added on in all four possessions of the third period and finished with 433 yards rushing, 48 yard s in the air and 28 first downs.
“I’ve got to watch film, but I think our offensive line has been doing better and better every game,” May said. “They’re starting to know our schemes, trapping and pulling and things like that. We give the other team a lot of offensive formations, a lot of things they’ve got to worry about.”
Braves quarterback Kyle Kramer scored his team’s first two touchdowns on runs of two and one yards for a 14-0 lead at the quarter.
Kramer ran the PAT after his second touchdown.
The Braves were driving for another score in the second period, and Gavin bane carried the ball from the Corydon 17 to the 2 when he fumbled.
The ball rolled into the endzone and Tanner Bell fell on it for a touchdown, and John McKinney ran the PAT for a 22-0 cushion at the half.
Bane made up for the fumble by scoring on a two-yards run, on a 15-yard pass from Kramer, and on a 15-yard run to boost the score to 44-0 with 5:02 left in the third.
Austin Koop, a 5-foot-9, 195-pound junior, came into the game third in the state in rushing with 1,503 yards, and a state-leading 24 touchdowns, but the Braves made sure he earned every yard in this game.
Koop, who was limited to nine net yards in six carries in the first half, broke loose for a 58-yard run for the Panthers’ touchdown at 4:14 of the third period.
He finished with 84 yards on 14 carries.
“We knew he was a heck of a back, and we wanted to make sure we contained him,” May said. “Once we got ahead, obviously it took them out of their game plan, and they had to throw the ball.”
Justin Donnells scored on a 12-yard run late in the third period, and Devan Davis closed the scoring on a 5-yard run with 7:20 left in the game.
Bane topped the Braves in rushing with 160 yards on 13 carries.
The Braves kept the pressure on Corydon quarterback Lannis Buck and tackled him for losses 10 times, and Derek Rieckers intercepted him at the end of the first half.
“We had a couple schemes in that we thought we could get to the quarterback,” May said. “It worked, and (Buck) is a heck of an athlete. Give our kids credit. Defensively I thought we played real well.”
The Panthers had only one first down in the first period, one in the second half and eight for the game.
The Braves finished second in the MSC at 6-1, and will take a record of 7-2 into Friday’s home sectional battle with Salem.
Corydon finished 4-3 in the MSC and is 5-4 heading into its sectional game with Brown County.