GREENWOOD – This night would have happened last fall, probably some time in late September, or October, had Carson Steele been healthy. But Steele, after churning through defenses for two seasons, spent the first 11 games of his junior year in street clothes due to a hamstring injury.
In hindsight, maybe it turned out better this way. Steele, the 6-foot, 225-pound senior, was the last player to retreat to the locker room Friday night, after a game that saw him become Center Grove’s all-time leading rusher. Young kids wearing Center Grove sweatshirts and jerseys, standing on the other side of the chain-link fence, asked for pictures with Steele, still fully in uniform, including his helmet.
Steele did as asked, fresh off rushing for 175 yards and three touchdowns in Class 6A top-ranked Center Grove’s frighteningly easy 47-0 demolition of third-ranked North Central. Steele was happy to oblige the young fans because, well, he was once on the other side of that chain-link fence.
“It’s just a blessing to come out here and play and have these kids cheering,” Steele said. “When I was younger I was in the bleachers watching guys like Titus (McCoy) and Max Norris. When I was a kid those were the guys I was watching. Some of these kids will be out here playing in a couple years just like I am. It’s a great thing. In this CG community, that’s what it’s all about.”
► ROUNDUP: Scores, stats, highlights from Week 5
This Center Grove team, with a healthy Steele added to its already-talented roster, is in the process of putting together a season of dominance rarely — if ever — seen in the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference. Through five games, the Trojans (5-0) have three shutouts and have outscored their opponents 127-7 in the first half.
This seems too easy, doesn’t it? This is reminiscent of those great 6A undefeated champions of Ben Davis in 2017 and Warren Central in 2018 — with a more dominant defense. It is hardly worth mentioning the gory details of Friday’s win over North Central. But here are a few:
>> North Central did not pick up a first down until the 3:30 mark of the third quarter and never crossed midfield;
>> Center Grove picked up 26 first downs, while North Central finished with 26 yards of total offense;
>> Center Grove rushed for 348 yards and finished with 483 yards of total offense;
>> North Central punted 11 times and was 0-for-14 on third-down conversions;
>> Center Grove led 40-0 at halftime and the entire second half was played with a running clock after the 35-point margin was reached.
There is more, but you get the point. Center Grove, ranked No. 13 in the latest USA TODAY Super 25 national rankings, did as it pleased on both sides of the ball.
“All I care about is effort,” Center Grove coach Eric Moore said. “And this is probably the easiest year to coach effort because everybody is just thankful to play football. That’s how we are. You don’t know who is going to get walked out of school (with a positive COVID-19 test or contact tracing). We’re just thankful to play football in Ray Skillman Stadium, a great stadium, in a great community with great parents.”
No one is more thankful than Steele, who did return to play in the final three tournament games last season for the Trojans, but was not 100% healthy, though he rushed for 275 yards and two touchdowns for the 6A finalists.
Now, he’s clearly feeling fine. Moore compared tackling Steele to “tackling a bag of hatchets.” Steele set the tone on Friday with touchdown runs of 22 and 9 yards on Center Grove’s first two drives. He tacked on a 1-yard touchdown in the second quarter after setting it up with a 40-yard run up the right sideline.
“It was felt horrible last year knowing I let down my teammates,” Steele said. “To not be able to play the game you love out on this great field was horrible... You learn that you can’t take anything for granted, especially after having the freshman and sophomore year that I did.”
With a 5-yard run late in the first quarter, Steele become the school’s all-time leading rusher. He passed Jonny Zwitt, who finished his high school career in 2000 with 4,697 rushing yards. Zwitt, the son of Center Grove athletic director Jon Zwitt, played on Moore’s first two teams in 1999 and 2000, the latter reaching the 6A state finals for the first time in school history.
“That’s a 20-year record,” Moore said, “of one of the best players I’ve had here in Jonny Zwitt my first year. That’s an unbelievable statement to break that record in yards and touchdowns. I’m very proud of Carson. And he missed a year.”
Steele broke Zwitt’s school record for rushing touchdowns last week (Steele now has 63) and also became the record-holder at Center Grove in total points (386) and total touchdowns (64), both records that were also previously held by Zwitt.
“He’s such a humble kid,” Moore said of Steele. “He doesn’t say much. He’ll be at the bantam fields tomorrow after we run. He’ll talk to little kids down there and encourage them. He’s a very encouraging kid at school. He’s what high school football is all about. He’s done a great job. He got on the field early as a freshman, which helped him out. His work ethic and offseason training, everything he does is 100% He’s a good student, but he’s a better person. That’s what I love about him. He’s a great kid.”
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
Center Grove 47, North Central 0
North Central 0 0 0 0 — 0
Center Grove 14 26 0 7 — 47
C — Carson Steele 22 run (Austin Watson Kick)
C — Steele 9 run (Watson Kick)
C — Connor Delp 10 run (Watson Kick)
C — Steele 1 run (Watson Kick)
C — Watson 36 FG
C — Safety
C — Delp 55 pass from Tayven Jackson (Watson Kick)
C — Jake Eiler 3 run (Nolan Foley Kick)
Rushing — Center Grove, Steele 21-175, Daniel Weems 8-67, Eiler 11-58, Delp 2-31, Jackson 1-13, Austin Green 2-6, Micah Coyle 1-3, Lucas Hoffman 1-2. North Central, David Smith 12-6, Zayd Vestal 2-(-15).
Passing — Center Grove, Jackson 9-19-135. North Central, Vestal 6-25-35.
Receiving — Center Grove, Delp 3-70, Trent Veith 3-26, Harrison Stomps 1-17, Steele 1-16, Mason Long 1-6. North Central, Keyshaun Pipkin 4-22, Thierno Diallo 1-7, TJ McWilliams 1-6.
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