- Indiana
Culver Academy pitches another home shutout, handing Bremen a second straight loss
CULVER — Through seven weeks of the season, the Bremen Lions had an unblemished record. But the last place they wanted to be headed, fresh off their first loss last week, was on the road to Culver Academy, where it’s been nearly impossible for anybody to score this season.
That trend held to form on Friday, as the Eagles blanked Bremen, 17-0, as both teams prepare for sectionals.
A perfect 5-0 at home this season, Culver (6-2) allowed just 13 points in five games on its home field, posting three shutouts.
The temperature hovered just about freezing throughout the night as rain continued to fall. Offense was at a premium until the Eagles took over late in the first quarter.
Suddenly Culver reeled off several big plays behind Deontae Craig and Jordan Freeman to draw themselves inside Bremen territory. With just a minute left to play in the quarter, Ty English took a handoff outside before beating the Lions in what would amount to a footrace towards the end zone. The score gave Culver Academy the first points of the game and a 7-0 lead.
Facing a big third-and-9 to open the second quarter, quarterback Ryan Caldwell pulled down the ball before scrambling for the first down. That would ultimately be the last positive for Bremen as a loss of 1 was followed by a Craig sack. Facing a third-and-15, Ken Ezeadiugwu of Culver Academy would pin his ears back and bring down Caldwell for another sack.
A few possessions passed with the teams trading field position. As Bremen was forced to punt from inside deep inside their own territory, English returned the kick all the way to the Bremen 16-yard line. The Lions defense would ultimately stiffen, forcing a fourth-and-4, before breaking to allow Miller a 9-yard rushing touchdown. The score increased the Eagle lead to 14-0 with a minute left in the first half. The score would hold firm as the two teams headed into the break with very different outlooks.
Coming out of halftime the Eagles wasted no time extending their lead when Brady Braun connected on a field goal from 35 yards out to push the score to 17-0 just three minutes into the half.
Again, both offenses would go cold a silent afterward as the defense rose to the occasion. As the third quarter came to a close, possession shifted back to the Eagles.
As the Lions looked to be picking up steam on the offensive side of the ball, the effects of the weather showed up again. On third-and-4 a Bremen ball carrier appeared to be rumbling towards a first down before being stripped of the ball. The Eagles recovered, halting Bremen’s momentum.
Culver Academy would proceed to run the clock on their next possession, putting the game on ice. The Eagles improved to 6-2 with the win while Bremen dropped to 7-2 with their second consecutive loss, following last week’s 35-28 defeat at the hands of Jimtown.
Culver hosts Angola next Friday in the 4A sectional bracket, while Bremen hosts Woodlan in 2A.
