Marc Emral
GREENSBURG – Big plays will help you win ball games. That’s what the Batesville Bulldogs used in a 30-22 win over the Greensburg Pirates in the opening game of Sectional 23 at Greensburg Friday night.
The biggest play — a third-quarter 69-yard touchdown run by Batesville sophomore Jeremy Cook after Greensburg had pulled to within six points — made the Pirates play catch up in the second half. Cook’s run came on the first play after Greensburg’s James Ogle broke two tackles on the way to a 14-yard TD.
Greensburg coach Eric Schreiber said Cook’s run was a “big shot to the chops.”
“It was a situation where we had a linebacker fall down that created that seam. I thought the kids responded,” he said.
After Greensburg couldn’t move the ball, Batesville drove 80 yards to set up a 24-yard field goal by Matt Krieger to put the Bulldogs up 30-14.
“I thought it was big when we held them to a field goal down here and give us an opportunity to tie it with two touchdowns,” Schreiber said.
Greensburg came right back on a long drive of its own — 13 plays and 66 yards — when Ogle went off tackle for a TD. His 2-point rush conversion brought the Pirates to 30-22.
Greensburg had one last shot when Batesville turned the ball over on downs at the Greensburg 26-yard line with 27.5 seconds left. But a last-ditch hail Mary, hook-and-lateral pass play exploded when Spencer Story’s lateral went to no one and Batesville recovered with 2.8 seconds left.
The game started on a big play — Batesville’s Justin Rowland scooped up a fumble and ran it back about 47 yards with 8:49 left in the first quarter. The Bulldogs’ second score came on another big play, a 51-yard run by Kyle Green in the second quarter.
Greensburg wasn’t able to stop the Bulldogs running game, with Cook rushing 17 times for 141 yards.
“He’s a good back,” Schreiber said of Cook. “They got a lot of weapons and we worked on trying to contain them and take away their running lanes. If you give them a seam, they are going to take it.”
Batesville coach Eric Heppner said his team was intense all week leading up to the game.
“We talked to our kids all week and said we have to match their intensity, their enthusiasm and I thought our kids did that,” Heppner said.
“I don’t think our kids worried about the situations in the game. The defense let them go down and score, (the offense said) ‘That’s OK let’s just get the ball and do our job.’”
Bulldog quarterback Korey Padgett was cool all night. Heppner credited his experience and his leadership.
“When you are second and three, running a sneak isn’t all that bad because you have it in your senior’s, your leader’s hands,” he said.
Greensburg’s leader was also its quarterback, junior Derrick Karazsia. He ended the game with 124 yards on 20 rushes and one touchdown and 3-of-8 passing for 25 yards.
Ogle ran 15 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns.
For Batesville, Green rushed nine times for 86 yards and Padgett ran 10 times for 37 yards. Padgett also was 3-of-6 passing for 53 yards.
