Slicers rally behind power running game, defense

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SOUTH BEND -- There weren't any tricks, just plenty of treats as the combination of Bryce Holland and Carlton Austin overpowered the South Bend Adams Eagles at School Field on Halloween night in a 37-27 LaPorte victory.

Adams drew first blood just 32 seconds into the game with quarterback Nolan Dieters scoring from 17 yards out.

Holland knotted the game up at 7 on a 5-yard run, but the Adams' quick-strike offense regained the advantage, riding fullback Allen McPherson to two scores.

"It felt good to have a performance like this after the was the regular season went," Holland said. "I'm proud of the defensive effort in the second half. Their effort really motivated us offensively."

The much-maligned defense held McPherson to just 25 yards in the second half and 137 for the game.

The 21-7 deficit was dented after Brett Wade logged a 43-yard catch-and-run touchdown. An offsides penalty created a two-point conversion opportunity, taken advantage of by Austin Carlton, who rumbled in to make it 21-15.

But Adams took a 27-15 halftime lead after missing a twopoint conversion attempt of its own.

"The touchdown right before the half really killed us," LaPorte coach Bob Schellinger said. "We didn't catch any breaks in the first half and that put us down at the half when we should have been leading."

A second-half rally was in the bag for the Slicers though. Storming out of the locker room, LaPorte hung 22 points on the board in the third behind a fierce rushing attack and an Adams turnover deep in its own territory.

"We have big bruising backs and we just went right at them," Schellinger said. "We wore them out and the defense came of age to make this a complete team effort tonight."

Both Carlton and Holland got their turns with Holland notching one score and Carlton taking two.

"Everyone stepped up big tonight. Once we stopped making mistakes we were able to get the running game going the way we always believe we can," Carlton Austin said.

Both Austin and Holland finished the game with two touchdowns. Austin tallied 83 yards while Holland totaled 74 yards of his own on the ground.

The 37-27 victory sets up a sectional championship in Mishawaka next week against Penn, which downed Mishawaka 17-7 in the other side of the bracket.

"This is our chance to erase the past and everything that happened earlier this season," Austin said. "I'd like to beat Penn again. We beat them my sophomore year and I really badly want to do it again."