It took 63 years, but the Clinton Prairie Gophers finally climbed the mountain, winning their first-ever football Sectional Championship on Friday.
“Just happy for our players; I think our players have earned it,” Clinton Prairie head coach Kurt Schlicher said. “You always put on the shirt, ‘you have to earn it,’ but these kids truly have earned it.”
To earn it, the Gophers had to go through former Hoosier Heartland rival and football powerhouse Lafayette Central Catholic.
The Knights, who play in the Hoosier Conference, moved back to 1A after playing at the 2A level from 2021 to 2025.
Central Catholic’s history preceded them, with 17 Sectional Championships and eight State Titles.
But the history and the records were thrown out Friday night as the teams clashed in the Sectional 42 Championship game.
Quarterback Dru Stapleton brought Central Catholic’s high-powered passing offense to the Gophers on Friday.
After receiving the opening kickoff, the Knights marched down the field, and Stapleton found Wyatt Williams for the game’s opening score.
Clinton Prairie’s first drive faced two fourth downs, but the Gophers converted on both, including a fourth-and-15 pass to freshman receiver Jalen Kirkpatrick.
Quarterback Gaige Kuzmicz connected with Jackson Price on second and goal to even the score at seven.
“Gaige has been playing outstanding, I mean, running hard, avoiding sacks, and man, did he make some good throws,” Schlicher said.
Central Catholic’s offense answered quickly, however, as Stapleton connected with Jackson Newkirk for a score on the team’s second possession.
In the second quarter, Kuzmicz was intercepted by Williams, and the momentum was squarely in the hands of the Knights.
But after a defensive stand, Clinton Prairie got the ball back and Kuzmicz connected with Trendan Kaser to set the Gophers up at the one. Two plays later, a quarterback sneak got the Gophers to within one at 14-13.
On the next possession, the Gopher defense made the first game-changing play of the night.
Karson Neal chased down Stapleton on a scramble and ripped the ball away. Ryder Mitchell picked it up and avoided defenders for a 50-yard return for a touchdown, giving the Gophers a 20-14 lead.
“The defense is the heart and soul of this team,” Kuzmicz said. “If it weren’t for them, teams would score a lot of points; it would be hard on the offense, but they just make it so much easier for us.”
The defense forced a turnover on downs on the ensuing possession, and Clinton Prairie took a six-point lead into the halftime break.
Out of halftime, both offenses struggled to get moving. A turnover on downs by the Gophers was followed by a punt from Central Catholic.
Then the Knights got a break, intercepting Kuzmicz for the second time and setting up the offense for a potential go-ahead score.
Stapleton went to work, finding Joey Metzger on a handful of plays to set up the Knights at the Clinton Prairie five-yard line.
The Gopher defense struck again.
Senior Alex King jumped a route by Metzger and intercepted the pass, taking it 99 yards to the house for the pick-six.
“I heard the quarterback staring at number two (Metzger), and he was saying ‘out, out, out’, so I just jumped on it, and I took it to the house,” King said.
Central Catholic bounced back as Stapleton found Metzger on a crossing route, and the receiver did the rest, breaking tackles for a 30-yard touchdown to pull the Knights within six points at 27-21.
After a punt and turnover on downs, the Gophers went for a knockout blow, but Kuzmicz was intercepted by Ethan Miller, keeping the Knights in the game.
With five minutes remaining and Central Catholic running the ball well, the Gopher defense struck again.
Karson Neal ripped the ball out, and Ryder Mitchell recovered for Clinton Prairie.
The Gophers were five minutes from history, but needed a few first downs to get there.
“We knew we needed a few first downs; I went to the line and told them, ‘Five minutes is all we need out of you guys’,” Kuzmicz said. “Five minutes or you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life.”
Strong running from Ryder Mitchell and a face mask call against the Knights helped the Gophers pick up a first down. The Knights were then called for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
Out of timeouts, Central Catholic had one chance to get the ball back, needing a stop on fourth and three.
“We go in (the huddle), and I looked at King and said, ‘Can you get it?’ he said, ‘Give me the ball, coach, I’ll get you three yards,” Schlicher said. “So we ran the same play, and that’s what he did.”
King bounced the run to the outside and dove for the marker, gaining four yards and sealing a Sectional Championship.
“I popped it out because after the first play they went inside, so I popped it out and got the first down,” King said.
Clinton Prairie won 27-21, their first win over Central Catholic since 2001, but more importantly, their first Sectional Title in school history.
“Emotions are high, it’s the first one, obviously, for the school,” Kuzmicz said. “Everybody played their heart out, nobody quit on us.”
The Gophers advance to the Regional Championship, where they will face 11-1 North Judson.
Clinton Prairie will host the Blue Jays Friday at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on WILO.
Coverage of the Sectional Championship was brought to you by:
Stone Alley Hardware and Industrial Supply
Davis Comfort Solutions
Wampler’s Services, Inc