PREP FOOTBALL: Northridge scores last, survives scare at Concord

Sep. 29—DUNLAP — Leads flipped, kicks were blocked and Jake Field was the stage for an exciting Northern Lakes Conference matchup between Northridge (6-1, 4-1) and Concord (4-3, 2-3).

The road Raiders were the victorious team when the final second ticked off the clock, beating the Minutemen 21-14.

Three separate players surpassed 100 yards rushing, but it was freshman running back Adam Sloop who was the difference. With Concord having a 14-13 advantage, Sloop gave the Raiders the winning score on a 19-yard run through the heart of the defense.

It was his second carry of the season.

"I mean, shoot, he's an incredible player," Northridge head coach Chad Eppley said of Sloop. "We knew that coming through the grades. He did a heck of a job."

McClain Miller returned for the Raiders after suffering a hamstring injury earlier this season against Mishawaka. The senior barreled through the Minutemen defense, picking up 180 yards on 26 carries, scoring once as well.

Concord put together a tremendous effort for the win, but the Raiders wore down what started as an impenetrable Minutemen defense, slicing through on the winning drive to pick up the vital victory to assist Northridge's NLC title hopes.

The home team got the ball back with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. They reached the Northridge 46-yard line, but a fourth down throw fell off the fingertips of a Minutemen receiver, falling incomplete and helping seal the 21-14 Raider victory.

Equalizing the return of Miller was the loss of quarterback Brayden Clark for Northridge. On the first drive, Clark was hit hard on a third-down loss by Concord defender Cody Byler. Clark got up grabbing his right shoulder. He remained out for the rest of the game, sending in sophomore Brady Scholl.

Scholl struggled to start, relying on Miller to pick up the majority of the Raiders' yards.

That's when Concord put an exclamation point on the board.

Taking off after the snap, Minutemen quarterback Bo Brunner weaved up the field, firing to the left sideline for a 59-yard score and giving the home team the 7-0 advantage.

Following empty possessions for both teams, Northridge finally found the end zone as Scholl found his motion.

Airing out a throw on third down, Scholl completed a pass to Zach Baugh for a 28-yard completion at the Concord 28-yard line. Then, he found Judah Hochstetler for another 28-yard completion, evening the score at seven with under two minutes before halftime.

At the half, Brunner had reached over 100 yards rushing, but for how much it seemed Concord had the edge, Northridge had seemed to gain some momentum entering the break.

Scholl came out throwing to start the second half. Miller too returned and set the stage for the visiting Raiders to take their first lead of the game. The senior stuffed the ball in from one yard out, but the point after was bobbled and no kick was attempted, leaving Northridge claiming a 13-7 lead.

Over the course of the night, Jake Field saw two block field goals, a botched point-after and wayward snaps on punting situations. The grass became very moist as the darkness overhead began to cloak the area.

"We talked about it before the game, special teams is an area in which we're gonna have to win," Eppley said. "Obviously I don't think we did; we got a lot of corrections to make."

Concord's Jaron Thomas responded with a couple long runs himself, the latest being a 27-yard score in which Thomas shook off contact on his way to end zone. With the extra point, the Minutemen took a 14-13 lead with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

Thomas would end up rushing for 135 yards on 22 carries and Brunner ran for 103 yards on seven carries. Craig Koehler's team however, fell short of grabbing a win over Eppley's squad.

The Raiders coach dropped an interesting fact in his passionate postgame speech to his team.

"I was told, as far back as our record books go, it's the first time in school history that we beat Concord in back-to-back games," Eppley said.

Northridge, whose only loss was to Mishawaka earlier this season, needed the Cavemen to loss to NorthWood today. This may have been the one time Eppley was willing to cheer for the Panthers.

"I don't like to say this very often, but we are cheering for NorthWood tonight," Eppley said. "We need them to beat Mishawaka for us to have a chance."

NorthWood beat Mishawaka 43-42 in overtime in Nappanee, creating a three-way tie at the top between the Cavemen, Raiders and Warsaw.

Northridge continues the strong season and moves to (6-1, 4-1 NLC). The Raiders will face Plymouth at home next week while Concord (4-3, 2-3 NLC) will travel to Mishawaka.

PREP FOOTBALL

Northridge 0 7 6 8 — 21

Concord 7 0 7 0 — 14

SCORING First quarter

C 7:45 — Bo Brunner run for 59-yard touchdown up the left sideline. PAT is good. (C: 7-0)

Second quarter

N 1:46 — Brady Scholl completes 28-yard pass to Judah Hochstetler for a touchdown (Tied 7-7)

Third quarter

N 8:52 — McClain Miller runs in a one-yard touchdown. PAT is bobbled, no kick. (N 13-7)

C 5:45 — Jaron Thomas runs up the middle for a 27-yard touchdown. PAT is good. (C 14-13)

Fourth quarter

N 5:23 — Adam Sloop runs for a 19-yard touchdown, two-point conversion is run in by Miller. (N 21-14)

STATISTICS

(N) Brady Scholl — 12/19, 120 yards passing, TD, 1 carry, 15 yards rushing

(C) Bo Brunner — 5/11, 58 yards passing, 7 carries, 103 yards rushing, TD

(N) McClain Miller — 26 carries, 180 yards rushing, TD, 4 catches, 19 yards receiving

(C) Jaron Thomas — 22 carries, 135 yards rushing, TD, FML

(N) Chase Clark — 4 catches, 42 yards receiving

(N) Judah Hochstetler — 2 catches, 29 yards receiving, TD

(N) Adam Sloop — 2 carries, 19 yards rushing, TD

Reach Matt Lucas at 574-533-2151, ext. 240325, or at matt.lucas@goshennews.com.