Ben Davis High School running back Lamont Osborne® led the Giants to their first sectional championship since 2008. Osborne carried the ball 17 times for 146 yards and scored four touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. The Giants defeated Avon 64-41 to win the Sectional 6 championship.
Game of the Week:
Carmel at Ben Davis:
The Nov. 18 regional championship game between the Ben Davis Giants and Carmel Greyhounds is a week nine rematch. In mid October, both teams finished their regular season with a physical defensive game. The Giants held the Greyhounds scoreless in the first half and held a 10-0 lead going into the half.
Ben Davis quarterback and leader Matt Brock threw an 80 yard touchdown pass to running back Lamont Osborne to give the Giants their only touchdown of the game. The Greyhounds looked flat in the first half and the Giants defense shut down the vicious Carmel running attack and running back Jalen Duncan.
After some halftime adjustments, the Greyhounds’ defense held the Giants scoreless in the second half and scored 20 unanswered points to clinch the victory.
Ben Davis keys to victory:
Establish a physical running game early: The Giants are a physical team and have to establish their physical presence early. In the sectional championship game against Warren Central, Carmel struggled against Warren’s physical running attack and when they stacked the line of scrimmage to stop the run, Warren took advantage of Carmel’s man to man coverage with big pass plays.
Stop Carmel’s senior RB Jalen Duncan: Duncan had 35 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown in the week nine matchup. Duncan is a bruiser and looks for contact as he runs the ball. He wore down the Giants’ defense in the second half of the week nine game.
Establish overall team speed: there is no doubt that Ben Davis has the faster team, but you have to play fast to have the speed advantage.
Rely on toughness and experience: The Giants have been in some major dog fights this year and those battles should prepare them mentally for a game like this.
Carmel keys to victory:
Establish full back Jalen Duncan: For Carmel to win he has to average at least 6.5 yards per carry.
Let your senior quarterback lead: Carmel senior QB Brandon Denning is one heck of a football player. In the sectional championship game versus Warren Central, Denning made play after play to lead his team to victory. Even after it seemed like Warren had knocked Denning out of the game, he limped back out on the field to finish the Greyhound victory. It is evident Carmel’s coaching staff and head coach Kevin Wright have full confidence in their quarterback after allowing him to throw the ball 28 times (19-28, 233 yards 3 TDs) against a tenacious Warren defense.
Bring your defense to the party: The most glaring difference in the 2011 Carmel team and the Carmel teams from the past is their defense. The Carmel defense has played lights out this year and has allowed opponents to score only 9 points per game. The defense allows the Greyhound offensive coaching staff to stay patient with their play calling and triple option/zone attack.
