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By STEVE HERMAN
AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Warren Central, led by running back Darren Evans and option quarterback Dexter Taylor, dominated The Associated Press All-State football team as decisively as it handled every opponent on its way to a third straight Class 5A championship.
The only loss for the Warriors this season was to Lawrence North, a game Evans missed, but with the two-time All-State selection back for the tournament, Warren rolled to its fifth title overall, finishing with a 55-20 rout of Hamilton Southeastern in the title game Saturday.
Taylor, a senior, and Evans, still just a junior, combined for almost 4,300 yards rushing, and the Warriors led the state in scoring at more than 52 points a game for the entire season.
Warren Central’s Jason Onyebuagu, a 305-pound center, also was named to the AP first team for the second year in a row, along with 295-pound offensive lineman Brian Beeler, linebacker Andre Hatchett and defensive back Jerimy Finch, another junior who led the state with 10 interceptions for the season. Finch also scored one touchdown in the championship game on a 55-yard punt return and set up another score with a 41-yard interception return.
The only player on the AP first team for Hamilton Southeastern was kicker Chris Summers, who had 14 field goals and 42 extra-point kicks and received the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s 5A Eskew Award for mental attitude. Summers also was a first-team selection last year.
With the speedy Taylor directing Warren Central’s prolific ground game, the AP also selected Bloomington South’s Ben Chappell as first-team quarterback. Chappell, an Indiana recruit, passed for more than 2,300 yards and 27 touchdowns with only five interceptions.
Three players were selected from Merrillville, which lost to Hamilton Southeastern in the tourney semistate. They are Brandon Jordan, a 290-pound offensive lineman and Illinois recruit; 275-pound defensive tackle Dexter Larimore, and linebacker Rayshon Richardson. Besides Evans, the other first-team running back is Ricky Crider of Evansville Reitz, whose 2,478 yards led all 5A rushers this season.
Other repeat first-teamers are defensive back Jeff Clemens of 4A champion Lowell, running back Luke Schmidt of Jasper, defensive end Walter Higbee of Lafayette Harrison and linebacker A.J. Edds of Greenwood, in class 4A; kicker Ryan Burkhart of champion NorthWood and linebacker Set Johannemann of Heritage Hills, in 3A; tight end Matt Hicks of South Putnam and kicker Jacob Kiger of Rensselaer, in 2A; and tight end Matt Gates of Pioneer, defensive back Matt Kobli of Whiting and punter Ryan Kemp of West Washington, in Class A.
Chris Owen of Evansville Central, who led the state in passing with more than 270 yards per game, was the top 4A quarterback on the AP All-State team. Joining Schmidt at running back were Scott Gray of Lowell, who rushed for more than 2,300 yards and scored three touchdowns in the championship game, and Tyler Vieck of Vincennes.
Roncalli, which was going for a record fourth straight playoff championship but lost 28-27 to Lowell, placed offensive guard Max Weisenbach and linebacker Bill Perry on the AP 4A team.
State rushing leader Bryan Schroeder of North Harrison, only a sophomore, was named to the 3A All-State team, along with quarterback Jason Doerffler of Fort Wayne Concordia, running back Eric Alcorn of New Palestine and defensive back Derren Lengacher of NorthWood.
The only first-team selection for 2A champion Jimtown was linebacker Tyler Nine, while Class A champ Sheridan and runner-up Knightstown each had three players.
Knightstown’s picks were quarterback Eric freeman, running back Matt Cox and receiver Michael Guinn; Sheridan had center David Covert, offensive tackle Robert Hobson and defensive tackle Garland Cooper on the AP team.
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