Frosh QB keys win for Portage

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PORTAGE -- Portage's 28-19 victory over LaPorte on Friday night was like an ugly Christmas sweater.

It had all the charm of a deep thigh bruise and was about as pretty as a hockey fight. But Indians coach Mark Peterson won't worry about saving the receipt; he'll take it no matter how it fits.

The game featured 285 penalty yards and more laundry in the air than a tri-state clothes line.

And it was a story of two halves and a freshman quarterback who depended on a couple seniors for big plays.

With freshman Kris Kneis under center for his first varsity start, it was the Indians who controlled much of the first half. Kneis was 5-for-5 in the half, including touchdown passes of 25 and 43 yards to senior Clark Mussman. Zach Huston also ran in a 7-yard score in the second quarter.

"On the second (touchdown), I told Kris to look at me because I thought I could get open," Mussman said. "He really stepped up and played big."

Mussman squirted free on an out pattern that Kneis saw and hit Mussman in stride for the score.

That drive was set up by a LaPorte fumble, one of two it lost on the night.

LaPorte, though, roared back in the third quarter trailing by 21. On the shoulders of 6-foot-1, 215-pound running back Carlton Austin, the Slicers pounded back into the game. Austin had 13 carries in the quarter, and scored on a pair of 1-yard runs, then added another 7-yard score in the fourth to pull LaPorte to only a 21-19 deficit after the Slicers botched an extra point and missed a conversion on another.

"We played a very good second half," LaPorte coach Bob Schellinger said. "We played with a little more emotion in that half."

However, Portage turned to senior leadership in the fourth quarter in the person of Ryan Cherry.

Silenced much of the night until the final quarter, Cherry exploded. He had a 31 yard run negated by a blocking foul to open the quarter, but came back with a huge play with 4:35 left.

On a third-and-17 at Portage's 21, Kneis flung a quick shovel pass to Cherry shooting from the backfield; he broke wide to the LaPorte sideline and was brought down 45 yards later by the facemask, which added 15 more yards to the play. Five plays later Cherry scored on an 8-yard inside handoff.

"It was a hard-fought win, and our young quarterback showed some great character and great poise in the end," Peterson said.