North Judson lost to Providence in 1A state finals

INDIANAPOLIS (WNDU) – The North Judson Bluejays’ historic season ended just short of their ultimate goal when they fell to Providence 35-20 in the Class 1A state final on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

North Judson (14-1) was seeking its first state title in program history after winning its first state title since 1986 and losing in the semistate the previous three seasons. On the other hand, the Pioneers (14-0) captured their first-ever state football championship, returning to the finals for the first time since 1993.

Providence was able to take control of the game thanks to its defense, which kept the state’s top-ranked offense out of the end zone throughout the first half, and quarterback Preston Kempf, who rushed for 200 yards and scored five total touchdowns. day (four are in a hurry, one is fleeting).

Although the Bluejays offense failed to score in the first half, they scored the first points of the game after Grayson McDaniel recovered a Providence punt in the end zone for a touchdown. A failed 2-point conversion attempt gave North Judson a 6-0 lead.

Providence recovered from that mistake, scoring 21 unanswered points. Kempf scored two points and scored another in the final seconds of the first half to give the Pioneers a 21-6 lead.

North Judson started the third quarter strong, holding Providence to three and out on its first offensive drive and proceeding to march down the field on a 13-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 13-yard run by Jeziah McDaniel. touchdown. Another failed 2-point attempt made the score 21-12.

The Bluejays seemed to find new life again near the end of the third quarter after returning a fumbled punt, but the game was abandoned due to an inadvertent whistle, much to the disappointment of the North Judson faithful in attendance at Lucas Oil.

Instead, Providence got the ball near midfield and Kempf ran for a 44-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving the Pioneers a 28-12 lead.

North Judson wasn’t done yet, as the Bluejays found the end zone later in the fourth on a 16-play, 84-yard drive that culminated with Cole Wilcox’s 1-yard rushing touchdown – his 44th of the season. He then ran the game again with a two-point try to bring the score to one.

The Bluejays appeared to be in good position to get the ball back one final time when Providence was on 3rd-and-8 with just over two minutes remaining. However, Kempf not only converted the first down, but also ran 46 yards to the end zone, ending North Judson’s comeback hopes.

North Judson is coming off a stunning 14-1 season. After the game, Brock Benson took home the Blake Ress Mental Attitude Award for Class 1A football.

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