BROWNSTOWN
The Cardiac Braves did it again on Friday night.
After being shutout during a stilted, frustrating first half, Brownstown Central’s football team exploded in the second half to subdue Salem, 32-21.
Friday’s contest marked the third time in the last six games — including last season’s 35-28 sectional final win over Batesville and a 21-14 win at Charlestown two weeks ago — that BC used a second-half comeback to pull victory from what appeared to be certain defeat.
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Brownstown was limited to 50 yards, three first downs and zero points in the first half thanks to Salem’s ball-control offense.
But the Braves (4-0) found traction in the second half.
Down 14-0, BC quarterback Derek Thompson ran 32 yards to the Salem six yard line to set up a Braeden Walker touchdown run that narrowed the deficit to 14-6.
Thompson and Walker were just getting started.
After Salem (2-2) answered with a 52-yard scoring run by QB Brandon Corbin to push its lead back to 21-6, Thompson capped a 10-play, 67-yard drive with a seven-yard run to cut the Lions’ lead to 21-12.
Walker then turned the game’s momentum when he picked up a Salem fumble at midfield and galloped 50 yards for a touchdown, closing Salem’s lead to 21-18.
Brownstown’s defense applied relentless pressure on Salem’s talented offense thereafter. In their final three possessions, the Lions ran 14 plays, generated negative-12 yards and were forced to punt each time.
Brownstown’s offense, meanwhile, kept rolling.
Thompson connected with Eli Brown on a 32-yard pass to the Salem three yard line, setting up another Thompson TD run. After Thompson’s two-point conversion, the Braves had their first lead of the night, 26-21.
BC sealed the win moments later when Thompson ran 47 yards deep into Salem territory and then scored on a 16-yard run, putting the Braves ahead 32-21.
Thompson finished with 168 rushing yards on 19 attempts and accounted for 20 points. Walker followed with 67 rush yards on nine carries and scored BC’s other 12 points.
Defensively, the Braves were led by Lucas Hines, who helped slow Salem’s running attack in the second half. The junior ended with a game-high 12 tackles and two tackles for loss.
Justin Brewer finished with three quarterback sacks, including two game-altering drops late in the fourth quarter.
Isaiah Wineinger and Walker contributed key pass breakups in the second half.
After being limited to 50 first-half yards, BC’s offense rebounded with 262 total yards in the second half, including 230 rushing yards.
Salem saw the reverse fortune, gaining 186 yards in the first half before being limited to just 40 yards in the second half.
Friday’s victory extends Brownstown’s win streak against Salem to 18, the longest current BC streak vs. any of its opponents.
The win streak over Salem is the second longest in program history (surpassing a 17-game run vs. Charlestown) and is beginning to approach the Braves’ record of 21 straight wins vs. North Harrison from 1993 through 2014.
Salem last defeated Brownstown, 20-6, in 2005.
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Braves;32
Lions;21
Salem (2-2);7;7;7;0;—;21
Brownstown Central (4-0);0;0;12;20;—;32
First Quarter
S-Shane Mahuron 15 pass from Brandon Corbin (Luke Noel kick), :08
Second Quarter
S-Mahuron 5 pass from Corbin (Noel kick), 4:09
Third Quarter
BC-Braeden Walker 6 run (kick failed), 5:30
S-Corbin 52 run (Noel kick), 4:42
BC-Derek Thompson 7 run (run failed), :39
Fourth Quarter
BC-Walker 50 fumble return (run failed), 11:50
BC-Thompson 3 run (Thompson run), 9:14
BC-Thompson 16 run (run failed), 3:17
INDIVIDUAL BC STATISTICS
Rushing: Thompson 19-168, Walker 9-67, Kiernan Tiemeyer 3-14, Sam Huber 4-12, Jayden Steinkamp 2-12, Lucas Hines 2-7.
Passing: Thompson 2 for 5, 32 yards.
Receiving: Brown 1-32, Tiemeyer 1-0.
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