Second-half surge propels Shelbyville to 35-25 win at Silver Creek

SELLERSBURG – The Shelbyville offense scored five touchdowns and its defense produced five takeaways to get Shelbyville a hard-fought 35-25 victory Friday at Silver Creek.

The Golden Bears trailed 19-7 at halftime before scoring four second-half touchdowns to eventually wear down the Dragons in the Class 4A, Sectional 23 opener for both programs.

With the win, Shelbyville (7-3) will host Columbus East (6-4), a 56-36 winner over Charlestown Friday, in the second semifinal round on Friday at McKeand Stadium.

“There were a lot of things that happened, and we just felt like we shot ourselves in the foot in so many different ways all night long,” said Shelbyville head coach Scott Fitzgerald. “Our defense really pulled through a lot in that first half. We created some turnovers and did some different things to keep ourselves in the ball game.”

Senior quarterback Tyler Gwinnup (photo), who was injured on the game-winning touchdown run one week earlier which limited his practice reps this week, battled through a shoulder injury and threw three touchdown passes – and a fourth if you count Deontay Gazaway’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown that denied Shelbyville points just ahead of halftime.

Gazaway sprinted untouched down the Silver Creek sideline for what could have been Silver Creek’s knockout blow.

“Before we walked back into the lockerroom, I told the kids that just knocked our breath out. Now, what are you going to do?” explained Fitzgerald. “That’s character right there. How do you react when bad things happen.

“We talked more at halftime, and before the game as well, about maintaining a singular focus and making sure our eyes were staying on the prize.”

Shelbyville needed to respond in the third quarter – and did.

An 8-play drive opened the second half, and after a 49-yard completion to Camden Thoman moved the Golden Bears to the Silver Creek 4-yard line, Layden Fitzgerald raced into the end zone to cut the deficit to 19-14.

The pass-oriented Dragons had more success running the ball in the first half Friday. Shelbyville’s defense had to shut that down in the second half and then continue to deny trips to the end zone.

Silver Creek had three first-half drives that started in Shelbyville territory and only one produced points when quarterback Gideon Harris ran 36 yards for a score on a fourth-down play.

Harris struggled in the first half to find any rhythm with his receivers and back-to-back incompletions on the opening drive of the second half continued that trend.

Shelbyville got the ball back and stunned the Dragons when Kameron Holland (photo) burst through the line of scrimmage and sprinted 85 yards for a touchdown. Nick Hadler’s extra point kick failed but Shelbyville now led 20-19.

“We weren’t getting anything all night long (running the ball) and that was one of the plays that finally the line did a nice job and we got them sealed. With what they were running, the ends were making a lot of plays, and we were able to get up on the linebacker and (Kameron) found a little crease. And when he hit that crease, he found his wheels and did a nice job.”

Holland produced his second consecutive 100-yard rushing performance with 130 yards on 23 carries in the absence of starting running back Grantland Fitzgerald.

A two-touchdown third quarter squarely put the Golden Bears back in the game and set up an intense fourth quarter.

Austin Martzall (photo), who delivered Shelbyville’s opening touchdown with a 41-yard catch and run early in the second quarter, mishandled a Silver Creek punt and the Dragons recovered at the Shelbyville 30.

Five plays later, Harris connected with Gazaway for a 31-yard strike and a 25-20 lead. Silver Creek faked the extra point kick with Brady Anderson, the kicker, lofting a high pass to the corner of the end zone for Drake Oltman, who tried to hide his presence on the field at the snap. Layden Fitzgerald finally recognized the receiver and arrived just in time to pop Oltman and not allow him into the end zone with the ball.

“We were kind of expecting some trickery, but we weren’t really expecting that,” explained Layden Fitzgerald (photo). “We were getting yells from the sideline that there was a guy (Oltman) down there. I took one look and saw him, but I didn’t think anything of it. Then I started sprinting and got there and put the body on the line for this team.”

Shelbyville had Silver Creek pinned down on its next possession and forced a punt that Luke Coomes (photo) got a hand on. That set up the Golden Bears at the Dragons’ 22 with 3:02 to go.

Consecutive holding calls moved Shelbyville back 20 yards. Gwinnup connected with Holland to get 21 yards back on first down.

After an incomplete pass, Gwinnup found Jackson Myers (photo) down the middle of the field. The senior snagged the ball with one hand then juggled it for two more steps before securing the touchdown in the back of the end zone.

A quick pass to Martzall finished off the two-point conversion and Shelbyville led 28-20 with 2:27 to go.

Silver Creek’s turn for heroics quickly ended when Nolan Cord (photo) stripped the ball from Harris and Coomes recovered.

Shelbyville’s next goal was to force Silver Creek to use all three of its timeouts and take as much time off the clock as possible.

The first goal was accomplished and set up Shelbyville with a fourth-and-8 play at the Silver Creek 28.

Gwinnup found Thoman (photo) once again, this time in the end zone for the game-sealing victory.

“I just use my athletic ability and jump up and catch it,” said Thoman. “We work on those balls in practice all the time. I trust Tyler to get it there and I go up and get it.”

Thoman had three catches for 96 yards and a touchdown and produced one of three Shelbyville interceptions.

Cooper Thoman (photo) intercepted Harris’ final throw of the night to end the game.

Layden Fitzgerald had an interception at the goalline on Silver Creek’s third offensive possession of the game.

Kendrick Hook (photo) had a fumble recovery in the first half as well.

Gwinnup completed 12 of 24 pass attempts for 233 yards and three touchdowns in his first postseason appearance.

Silver Creek finished with just 12 rushing yards in the second half. Harris completed just 11 of 28 passes for 149 yards.

In the other half of the Sectional 23 bracket, Class 4A, No. 5 East Central cruised to a 51-7 win over Madison. The Trojans (8-2) will host Jennings County (2-7) in the semifinal round.

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