Greenfield-Central quarterback Dallas Freeman, shown here against Pendleton Heights, threw for two touchdown passes and rushed for another in the Cougars 42-7 win at Delta Friday.
The Daily Reporter File Photo
MUNCIE — Greenfield-Central had some familiar faces in its lineup and it led to some familiar results.
Starting running back/linebacker Cooper Hinton, fullback Braylen Benavente, linebacker Eddie Mullins — who all missed last week’s 21-7 loss to Yorktown — returned to the lineup and running back/linebacker Payton Foley, a Division I recruit who left the Yorktown game in the second half, was in his usual starting spot too to help lead the Cougars football team to a 42-7 victory at Delta Friday.
The win ended a rare two-game losing streak and improved the team’s overall record to 6-2, guaranteeing a fourth straight winning season, a first in program history.
“It’s huge. It goes to show how far we have come as a program in the six years our staff has been here,” Greenfield-Central Travis Nolting said of the four-year run of winning seasons. “When I got here in the winter of 2019 we were probably at the lowest the program had been in a long time. The hard work of the guys on staff and the hard work from the players in the weightroom, committing to the process and the direction we’ve established, I think that speaks volumes for what type of kids we have.
“I told our kids when I got here I was going to build the program with Greenfield people that wanted to be Greenfield people. I think we had 49 guys on that first team and we took some beatings, but they never stopped fighting and they helped build the foundation for what the team is experiencing now. Those guys that came before this group started laying the bricks down that built the house we’re building and we’re not done yet.”
Delta scored four minutes into the game, but it was all G-C the rest of the way. With the lead growing to 35 points, the game finished on a running clock.
Late in the first half, Greenfield-Central had a key 11-point swing.
Quarterback Dallas Freeman, who finished 8-for-11 for 166 yards and two touchdowns, connected with Zach Waterman on a 21-yard touchdown pass and Foley scored on the two-point conversion with 28 seconds left in the half to give G-C a 25-7 lead.
The Cougars recovered the ensuing onside kick. With time running out, Andrew Trabel connected on a 29-yard field goal, his second of the game, to give G-C a 28-7 halftime lead.
Freeman scored on a 7-yard run in the third quarter and connected with James Learey on a 35-yard TD strike six seconds into the fourth quarter to start the running clock.
Following the Delta first-quarter touchdown, Hinton evened the game with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. He had a 56-yard run to set up the score.
Trabel hit the first of his two 29-yarders to give G-C the lead for good, 10-7, with 6:52 to go until halftime. Freeman scored on a 15-yard run less than three minutes later to give the Cougars a 17-7 lead.
Along with converting an onside kick and connecting on two field goals, Trabel was 4-for-4 on PATs.
“We were pretty much full strength and we played like we’re capable of playing,” Nolting said. “When we’re healthy and everybody is available, we’re a pretty good team.”
Greenfield-Central (6-2, 4-2) plays host to New Castle (4-4, 3-3) on Friday.
Delta (4-4, 2-4) wraps up its regular season at New Palestine (7-0, 6-0).
–
Greenfield-Central 42, Delta 7
Greenfield-Central (6-2, 4-2);7;21;7;7;-;42
Delta (4-4, 2-4);7;0;0;0;-;7
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
D – Bryce Strobel 4 run (PAT good), 8:00
G-C – Cooper Hinton 2 run (Andrew Trabel kick), 6:21
2nd Quarter
G-C – Trabel 29 FG, 6:52
G-C – Dallas Freeman 15 run (Trabel kick), 4:05
G-C – Zach Waterman 21 pass from Freeman (Foley run), :28
G-C – Trabel 29 FG
3rd Quarter
G-C – Freeman 7 run (Trabel kick)
4th Quarter
G-C – James Learey 35 pass from Freeman (Trabel kick), 11:54
