Staff Report
Lawrence North Erupts in Second Half, Rolls Past North Central for Sectional Championship
INDIANAPOLIS — Lawrence North turned a three-point halftime deficit into a commanding victory, scoring 35 unanswered second-half points to defeat North Central 45-13 and capture the Class 6A Sectional 6 championship.
Izayveon Moore powered the Wildcats’ offense with 233 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 43 carries, while Lawrence North’s defense held the Panthers scoreless after halftime and intercepted three passes, including a 30-yard touchdown return by Davion Jones.
North Central struck first, taking a 6-0 lead before Cameron Knox connected on a 29-yard field goal to bring Lawrence North within 6-3 at the end of the opening quarter.
The Wildcats moved ahead 10-6 in the second quarter when Moore scored on a four-yard run and Knox added the extra point. North Central responded with a touchdown and extra point to regain the lead, sending the Panthers into halftime with a 13-10 advantage.
Lawrence North seized control in the third quarter. Quarterback Jackson Nowling connected with Karter Massey on a one-yard touchdown pass, and Knox’s extra point put the Wildcats back in front 17-13. Moore followed with a 10-yard scoring run, extending the advantage to 24-13 entering the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats continued to pound the football in the final period. Moore scored his third touchdown on an eight-yard run to make it 31-13, and Brody Day added a one-yard scoring plunge to push the lead to 38-13. Jones then intercepted a North Central pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown, with Knox’s extra point completing the 45-13 victory.
Lawrence North finished with 353 yards of total offense, including 307 rushing and 46 passing. Moore accounted for more than three-quarters of the team’s rushing production, averaging 5.4 yards per carry despite handling the football 43 times.
Nowling added 42 rushing yards on five carries while completing 9 of 18 passes for 46 yards and a touchdown. Day contributed 15 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Keivon Mattox gained 17 yards on four carries.
Mattox also led the Wildcats’ receivers with five catches for 26 yards. Davion Dean caught one pass for 10 yards, Moore added two receptions for nine yards, and Massey’s lone reception produced the one-yard touchdown that gave Lawrence North the lead for good.
Defensively, Jones was a difference-maker with two interceptions, including his touchdown return, while Dar’ran Jennings added another interception.
Anthony Whitfield recorded five tackles, two assists, a sack and a tackle for loss, while Julian Bray contributed five tackles, two assists and a tackle for loss.
Moore’s punishing rushing performance and a defense that produced three interceptions proved too much for North Central. The Wildcats overcame an early deficit, took the lead for good in the third quarter and finished with a 32-point victory and a sectional championship.
