The North Vermilion Falcons, with the No. 1 defense in Class A football, used that asset when they needed it most in the state championship game. Clinging to a one-point lead in the final 2 minutes, North Vermilion forced and recovered a fumble by the Pioneer Panthers and held on for a 27-26 victory. Dakoda Chapman forced the fumble, and Braeden Hollowell jumped on it at midfield. The stout defensive play preserved the Falcons' triumph over Pioneer and the top offense in Class A. The Falcons surrendered 451 total yards to Pioneer while collecting just 270 themselves. But North Vermilion produced a timely 10-play, 64-yard drive for the winning score with 2:49 remaining. Adam Scott made the extra point that nudged the Falcons ahead. North Vermilion won its first football state title in its first finals appearance. Coach Brian Crabtree's team, ranked second in the Associated Press poll, completed a perfect 14-0 season while defeating four consecutive top-10 clubs at the end. Jacob Earl rushed for 108 yards on 21 attempts for the Falcons. Cody Wright completed 12-of-24 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Earl caught three passes for 72 yards and a pair of scores. Early in the second quarter, North Vermilion's Vaughn DePugh returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown. That set a record for a scoring interception for all classes. Coach Mike Johnson's Pioneer team, ranked fifth by AP, finished 13-2. The high-scoring Panthers averaged 53.2 points in beating their first five opponents in the tournament. They surpassed 60 three times. The Panthers amassed 415 rushing yards in the title-game loss, led by 157 from Justin Mersch and 113 from Keith Nies. At the conclusion of the state championship game, the IHSAA Executive Committee named Parker Englert of Pioneer High School as the winner of the Phil N. Eskew Mental Attitude Award in Class A football. Longest Interception Return Overall: 95 by Vaughn Depugh, North Vermillion vs. Pioneer A: 95 by Vaughn Depugh, North Vermillion vs. Pioneer Most Touchdown Receptions (tied) 2 by Jacob Earl, North Vermillion
2014 IHSAA Class A State Championship: North Vermillion 27, Pioneer 26 - YouTube |
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