The Indiana Football Coaches Association is looking at its proposal for revamping the football playoff system as a way to improve the sport, while IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox wants it to transcend to multiple sports.
FORT WAYNE – Overtime is an extra chance to decide the outcome.
Harding and North Side needed it, times four.
The host Redskins improved to 2-0 with an 18-12 four-overtime win over the Hawks on Friday.
All of the scoring took place in the final three overtimes, with both offenses falling to futility and turnovers in regulation.
North Side backup quarterback C.J. Jackson, a sophomore, scored twice in overtime and got the eventual game-winner in the fourth overtime. The Redskins’ defense sealed the win by stopping the Hawks in one final overtime attempt.
“We talked about adversity all week and not being overconfident,” North Side coach Ryan Hall said.
“We are just trying to make steps every week, and we made another step tonight because we had to battle the whole game and some.”
Jackson entered the game at the start of the fourth quarter when senior starter Josh Hagelberger left with an apparent ankle injury. Jackson missed his only pass attempt, but ran six times for 55 yards.
“We were fighting hard; we had to,” Jackson said. “The team stuck together and we pulled off a win. I always have the mindset to get in (the game), and I had to lead my team.”
After a scoreless regulation, neither team scored in the first overtime as both Hawks quarterbacks Zac Haydock and Jordan Hogue were sacked on back-to-back plays, but the Redskins turned the ball over on a D.J. Neal fumble.
In the second OT, North Side’s Adrian Williams scored a touchdown, but after a celebration penalty pushed the ball back 15 yards, Tim Hillery’s PAT attempt went wide left. Harding tied the score at 6 on a touchdown run by Myikell Payne, but was stopped on a two-point conversion attempt.
The third overtime opened with Harding getting a touchdown run by Trevon Carr, but they were stopped short on the two-point conversion. Jackson punched in his score on a 1-yard sneak, but Hillery’s PAT kick went wide right to keep the score tied at 12.
Jackson scored from 3 yards out to make it 18-12, with the two-point conversion again failing, but Haydock’s pass to Walter Cable was caught out of bounds on fourth down, and the Redskins celebrated the win.
“You have to give it to our defense,” Hall said. “We made stops on fourth down and on the goal-line. We just came up with answers. That defense played their tail off tonight.”
Regulation was tough on both offenses. North Side lost three fumbles and had a 21-yard field goal by Hillery go wide left with 2 seconds remaining.
Harding (0-2) outgained North Side 137-108, but lost 2 of 4 fumbles and couldn’t get its passing game going. Haydock was 2 of 8 passing for 19 yards, while backup Hogue was 0 for 1.
The Redskins sacked Haydock and Hogue a combined six times. At halftime, Harding had 55 yards of total offense, and North Side had only 17.
