DAVID VANTRESS

By DAVID VANTRESS

For the Northwest News

INDIANAPOLIS — A very special season for the Carroll High School football team ended Friday night at Lucas Oil Stadium with a 35-9 loss to Center Grove in the IHSAA Class 6A state championship game.

Carroll finished 13-1 on the 2022 season with the loss. Center Grove improved to 12-2.

The Chargers opened the scoring in this one with a 30-yard Sebastian Lopez field goal with 7:20 left in the first quarter.

But it was all Center Grove from there as the Trojans scored 35 unanswered points en route to its third straight Class 6A state title.

Carroll got a 26-yard TD pass from Ethan Springer to Camden Herschberger late in the game for the final score. A try for two failed. Springer entered the game in relief of starting QB Jimmy Sullivan, who was injured sliding on a scramble for a first down in the second half.

Sullivan led the Chargers with 60 yards on 20 carries, most of that on scrambles. He completed 14-of-26 passes for 136 yards.

Camden Herschberger had six catches for 66 yards for the Chargers. Jayden Hill added five catches for 61 yards.

Center Grove was paced by Micah Coyle with 26 carries for 132 yards and a TD. Jalen Thomeson had 20 carries for 128 yards. Owen Bright and Tyler Cherry each had one-yard TD runs.

Carroll head coach Doug Dinan was very proud of his team.

“There’s two teams playing in the 6A state championship, and we’re one of them,” Dinan said. “We’re not disappointed. It’s not the outcome we wanted, but we’re very proud of our kids, and very proud of the community.”

The Chargers have much to be proud of as a team, including the school’s first-ever regional and semistate championships, to go with Carroll’s first-ever state finals appearance in any class.

“This is a building block for our program,” Dinan said. “Our kids understand the level of commitment that you have to have to be here. We’ll build on this, and we hope to be back in the very near future.”

Chargers senior defensive back Jorge Valdes was named this year’s Class 6A recipient of the Phil N. Eskew Mental Attitude Award, which comes with a $1,000 donation to Carroll’s general scholarship fund.

Valdes said earning the award was a special way to cap off a special season.

“We lost a brother this year,” Valdes said, referring to late senior quarterback Owen Scheele, who passed away of leukemia in early June. “My senior year became about more than just myself, just dedicating my life through him, and his values, the way he lifted others up.”

Valdes’ father, also named Jorge, said he and Jorge’s mom Cecilia are very proud of their son. “We’ve been doing this for four years with him,” Valdes’ father said. “It’s been great to see his accomplishments and we are looking forward to college for him.”