Class 2A, No. 7 Triton Central routs Northeastern to get rematch with Lapel in sectional championship

Northeastern suffered a Halloween nightmare Friday in Fairland.

The Knights’ offense arrived for its Class 2A, Sectional 38 semifinal game against No. 7 Triton Central averaging 51 points per game. Two quarters later, it was the Tigers who nearly scored 50 points.

Northeastern had seven first-half possessions that either ended on turnovers or downs and Triton Central immediately answered with seven touchdowns and cruised to a shocking 49-6 victory.

Triton Central (10-1) will travel to No. 3 Lapel (11-0) for a rematch of the 2024 sectional championship game won by Lapel in Fairland.

Traiven Dunbar (photo) forced a fumble on the third play of the game and Braden Brown recovered to set up Triton Central on Northeastern’s side of the field. Brown then scored on a short pass play from 21 yards out.

Two plays later, Henry Kemper (photo) intercepted an errant Marshall Phillips pass at the Northeastern 38. Brown made it 14-0 with a 19-yard catch and run to the end zone.

Already feeling desperation, the Knights (9-2) went for it on fourth-and-short on its next drive and Phillips was stuffed giving the ball back to the Tigers in Northeastern territory.

Brown ended TC’s third possession of the opening quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run and a 21-0 lead.

The second quarter was no better than the first for the Knights. Its fourth drive ended with a bobbled snap on fourth down. The Tigers responded with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Wilkins to Conner McClure (photo).

A fourth down incomplete pass gave the ball back to Triton Central and Wilkins collected his fourth scoring pass of the first half with a 35-yard strike to Henry Kemper.

Another fumble and interception led to two more scoring runs by Brown – the first went 92 yards, his second 90-plus yard rushing touchdown this season, and the second was from three yards out to make it 49-0 just before halftime.

Brown (photo) had more than 100 rushing yards in the first half and scored five total touchdowns. He finished the game with 139 yards rushing on 13 carries and 51 yards on four receptions.

Wilkins (photo) was 10 of 12 passing for 160 yards.

McClure and Kemper each had an interception and a touchdown catch in the first half.

For the second time in three weeks, Lapel scored late to defeat Eastern Hancock. On Friday in Charlottesville, the Bulldogs trailed much of the game but rallied for a 26-22 victory.

In Fairland last season, Lapel ended Triton Central’s five-year run as sectional champions with a 27-17 victory. The Bulldogs lost to Indianapolis Lutheran, 35-0, in the regional championship.

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