Senior Dylan Downing rushed for 203 yards behind ferocious blocking from the offensive line, leading CHS (1-1) to a 37-0 shutout of the Noblesville Millers (0-2) in the home opener.

The Hounds, coming off a 14-41 drubbing at Trinity (KY) last week, flipped the script and powered to a 23-0 first half lead. CHS racked up 452 yards of offense to Noblesville’s 73; 360 of those yards were produced by a rampant running game.

“Our offensive line really turned it around from last week,” coach John Hebert said. “Our three running backs were very good tonight, and that set the tone for us.”

After a tenuous start, the Hounds pinned the Millers at their own 1 yard line after a booming punt by junior J.D. Rogers. Two plays later, senior Kyle Lozen and junior Scott Hudson swallowed up Noblesville quarterback Alex Zavac for a safety to put the Hounds on the board 2-0.

Off the ensuing punt, CHS gained a first down at the Noblesville 45 when Downing streaked through a massive hole for his first touchdown of the game, and the Hounds first home touchdown of the season. The Hawaiian-themed student section erupted, and the luau had begun.

Quarterback and senior Gabe Quigley joined in the party on the very next drive. On a third-and-one from the Noblesville 37, Quigley faked a handoff to Downing and was immediately confronted by heavy pressure from his left. Quigley, unruffled, took his time and fired a 10 yard strike to wide receiver and senior Zach Gish, who zoomed untouched to the end zone to put the Hounds up 16-0.

“I think Gabe did a really nice job of delaying the decision to the last moment. He stood in there strong, took the hit, and fired a perfect throw to Zach Gish. It feels good when that connects,” Hebert said.

The Millers’ best scoring opportunity came soon after when sophomore quarterback Zach Osborne gifted them an interception deep in Carmel territory. The ensuing 37-yard field goal, however, was wide right, and the Hounds did not hesitate to take advantage.

Taking over at their own 20 with 3:42 left in the half, the Hounds put together a methodical drive to close out the first half with a touchdown and put the game out of reach. Downing started off by rushing for 20 yards on two carries, before a Quigley check-down gained 14 yards off of a 2nd-and-17. Downing converted the ensuing third down to cross midfield as the clock ticked below two minutes.  Senior wide receiver Christian Williams then caught two accurate tosses from Quigley to bring the Hounds inside the red zone. Williams then put on the finishing touches to the drive, and the half, by waltzing in from the one through another enormous gap created by the offensive line.

At the half, Downing had 140 rushing yards. He crossed the double hundred by ripping through a pair of defenders for a 50 yard touchdown on the very first drive. On the next possession, Rogers concluded the scoring by plunging in from a yard out after accruing 63 yards to set himself up.

NEXT WEEK

CHS hosts conference rivals Center Grove (0-2) next week. Center Grove, the #4 ranked team in the state, lost to New Palestine 28-9.

“I have competed against them enough over the decades now, and Coach (Eric) Moore’s teams are always great,” Hebert said. “We have to be at our best. It’s going to be really physical and hard-hitting and tough, and not for the faint of heart.

“We’re going to need to play our best game yet.”

EXTRA POINTS

CHS extended its winning streak over Noblesville to 15 games, and has not lost to them since 2000.

The CHS defense forced 5 punts, 3 interceptions, and a safety. Senior linebacker Ty Wise led the team with 7 tackles, and senior Will Padgett, senior Garrett Sharp, and junior Luke Conley brought down the interceptions.