BROWNSBURG, Ind. — The Class 6A No. 1 Brownsburg Bulldogs recovered from a disappointing first half to storm back and keep their season perfect with a 22-18 win over the Noblesville Millers.
It was a tale of two halves for the top-ranked Bulldogs. Brownsburg kicked off to Noblesville to start the showdown between the two Hoosier Crossroads Conference rivals and the Millers offense immediately took control.
After draining the clock in the first quarter, Noblesville sophomore running back Tyler Holmes punched his way in to put the Millers up 6-0 after a missed PAT over the undefeated Bulldogs. Once Brownsburg took over on offense, the Millers defense started giving them trouble, eventually resulting in a turnover on downs.
At the start of the second quarter, Millers senior quarterback Max Miller found junior tight end Calvin Moody in the red zone at the Bulldogs' 11-yard line. From there, it was another easy run to put the Millers up 12-0 following another missed PAT.
Noblesville extended their lead shortly before halftime thanks to a 37-yard field goal by sophomore place kicker Caden Lydle that put the Millers up 15-0 over the Bulldogs.
Overall, it was a tremendous first half of football for the 2-5 Millers. Unfortunately, they could not build on their two-score lead after halftime.
Brownsburg received the second half kickoff and proceeded to do what Brownsburg football has done all season: score. Almost immediately, sophomore quarterback Oscar Frye hurled a deep pass to a wide-open Avin Robinson.
The Bulldogs' defense then continued to push the game's momentum in the way of Brownsburg by intercepting Millers' quarterback Max Miller, which eventually led to a 10-yard touchdown pass when Brownsburg senior quarterback Iosua Stephens found the junior wide receiver Robinson for his second touchdown catch of the night.
A two-point conversion tied the game at 15.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Noblesville's offense found itself at the goal line, but unable to punch their way into the end zone. The Millers settled for a field goal, but took the lead back from the top-ranked Bulldogs.
However, Brownsburg took the lead away late in the fourth when sophomore running back Brady Lewis forced his way into the end zone to make it 21-18 with around four minutes to play.
Noblesville's offense then tried for late-game heroics, but ultimately fell short, turning the ball over on downs at Brownsburg's 8-yard line.
Brownsburg moves to 8-0 following the victory while Noblesville falls to 2-6. The win extends the Bulldogs' lead in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference standings.
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