By Skylar Blackburn
Contributing Writer
MUNCIE – Freshman cornerback Tim Woods-Barrett leapt high in the air to intercept the potential game-winning pass at his own 5 yard line with just over a minute to play Aug. 28, allowing host Muncie South to escape with a 12-7 victory over fellow Class 4A neighboring rival Muncie Central.
The win was the third straight in the city series for the Rebels (2-0) and 32nd-year coach Mike Paul, who told his 5’10” game-saving hero after the game that “I have underwear older than you, but that was a great play.” That’s quite a sea change for South as the Bearcats had won the previous 10 encounters.
Muncie Central (1-1) had reached the South 20-yard line when quarterback Jackie Thomas attempted to hit wide receiver Eli Robertson, who had beaten Woods-Barrett, down the left sideline. But the ninth-grader timed his jump just right and returned the pick back to the 20, allowing the Rebels to run out the clock.
It seemed as though Muncie South, which came in as a 17-point favorite according to the Sagarin power ratings, came out with more energy early in the annual Week 2 tussle. Senior Shaq Buchannan was rumbling, bumbling, and tumbling his team toward a score until a fumbled snap from the shotgun pushed the Rebels back to the 11 on 3rd and goal as the first quarter ended.
Senior kicker Justin Belcher’s subsequent 3-point try following an illegal procedure penalty went just right of the upright, however, and the game remained scoreless.
Muncie Central took advantage of the gift quickly a play later as senior Justin Darden shake-and-baked his way into the end zone on an 80-yard screen pass to give the Bearcats a 7-0 lead following Jon Galvin’s extra point.
But the sloppy conditions made it difficult overall for the Rebels’ passing game. Luckily for them, they had Buchannan keep hitting the holes hard until he struck paydirt 1:16 before halftime from 12 yards out. South went for some trickery on the extra point, but a two-point pass was intercepted by Darden to keep the Rebels down one, 7-6, going into the locker room.
Central opened the second half with an impressive drive led by Darden (20 carries for 70 yards, three receptions for 115 yards), who busted off a run down to the South 20 with a great cutback from the sideline. A couple of plays later, however, South’s Josh Hale intercepted a pass to prevent a potentially larger deficit.
Central still held the smallest of leads with a chance to pin South deep in its own territory with a punt. But the snap flew over the kicker’s head and landed at the Rebels’ 45.
A couple of turnovers – an INT for South, a fumble recovery by Central – and three-and-outs later, Southside began to gain momentum. Starting near midfield, junior Nick Dyer tossed the ball 28 yards to senior Troy Lewis, who made a spectacular grab. Freshman McKenzee Nash then went 30 yards off left tackle on the next play to score with 37 seconds left in the third period.
Another two-point try missed again, but Muncie South had its first lead with four minutes to go.
With assistance from a couple huge South penalties, the Bearcats moved the ball deep into Rebel territory. But Woods-Barrett slammed the door on that last-minute hope with his humongous INT.
Though each team lost only one fumble in a mistake-filled endeavor, Central put the ball on the ground five times and South coughed it up thrice.
Muncie South will look to move to 3-0 for the first time since 1995’s 4-0 start Sept. 4 at Yorktown (1-1), a 32-0 Week 2 loser at Mt. Vernon (Fortville). Muncie Central will host 0-2 Anderson, a 62-34 victim at Southport, next Friday in both schools’ North Central Conference opener.
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