Cliche? Perhaps. But given Delta's success, particularly on Friday night, who'd like to argue?

Fort Wayne Wayne gave away the run time and time again, and Delta happily obliged, scrapping nearly every throwing play in the playbook.g

The result was 50 rushes, one pass and a convincing 18-6 Class 4A sectional championship victory in which the Eagles gained 237 yards on the ground.

"That's what we wanted to do all night," Eagles running back Teddy Dawson said. "Just run the ball down their throat."

Dawson carried 30 times for 184 yards, scoring two touchdowns. He reached the 100-yard plateau well before the first half ended with Delta leading 18-0.

"That was huge," Delta coach Grant Zgunda said. "He was taking some hits. With the combination of the way our line blocked and the way he ran the ball, that was the key to the game."

The reason for Delta's one-sided gameplan stemmed more from Wayne's defensive scheme than anything else. In an effort to negate Eagles star wideout and Indiana University commit Logan Young, the Generals placed only six men in the box, leaving five defensive backs in for nearly the entire contest.

"We knew they were going to double Logan," Delta right tackle Kegan Morris said. "There was just no reason to pass the ball when they've got five guys back in coverage. So we knew we had to run the ball. I think we did that pretty well."

The Eagles received the opening kickoff and promptly plowed down the field. On the 10th play of the drive, Dawson bulldozed in for a two-yard score that put Delta ahead 6-0.

Wayne countered with 10 rushing plays of its own, but kicker Christian Harmeyer missed a 47-yard field goal attempt, giving the ball back to Delta. Without throwing a pass yet again, Delta drove into the endzone, with quarterback Ozzie Mann scoring on a two-yard rush on the 11th play of the drive.

In fact, Delta ran 41 times before being forced into throwing the ball. Following a 10-yard loss on a botched toss play to Dawson, the Eagles found themselves facing a 3rd and 19 from Wayne's 42.

Not to worry.

Mann connected with Young for 27 yards and a first down. Because it was the Eagles' only pass play, Mann finished the contest a perfect 1-for-1.

"If you can have one completion, that's awesome" said Young, who just a week earlier caught 10 passes for 133 yards. "That's what we want to do. We've got a fantastic offensive line. Teddy's got wheels. If I didn't have a catch, I didn't care. That was awesome."

Wayne only score came with the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. Fullback Tyrell Jones, who scored two TDs in the Generals' sectional semifinal victory a week earlier, rumbled in for a one-yard TD.

By that time, however, just there was just 9:20 remaining in the game, and Delta did not give the ball back. Delta reached Wayne's four-yard line before the clock ran out, allowing the Eagles to celebrate their second consecutive sectional title.

Delta (12-0) will take on Fort Wayne Dwenger (12-0) next week in the regional opener. Dwenger defeated Columbia City 56-0 to capture its sectional title.

A year ago, Dwenger defeated Delta 49-20 in the opening round of regional play.

He'd only had a moment since breaking the team huddle to take in what had just transpired, but he had to admit: This was by far the most wildly horrendous weather conditions in which he'd ever played a football game.

"I'm pretty muddy," Delta's sophomore quarterback said. "I like it, though."

He liked the outcome of the crazy contest even more.

Mann connected with senior wideout Logan Young for a fourth-quarter touchdown, and kicker Daniel Walters drilled the extra point, allowing undefeated Delta to squeak by upstart Southside 7-6 in the Class 4A sectional semifinals on a muddy, sloppy, thrilling Friday night at Southside.

Delta (11-0) advances to play host to Fort Wayne Wayne (7-4) on Friday for the sectional title.

Seven weeks earlier, the Eagles and Rebels met at Southside and Delta scored six first-half touchdowns en route to an easy 42-10 victory.

But the combination of torrential rains and Southside's stout defense made certain the second contest would not be a blowout like the first.

"We knew it would be a lot better ballgame than the last time we played them because last time we got a lot of big plays on them," Delta coach Grant Zgunda said. "There weren't going to be any big plays on them tonight in this kind of stuff."

For much of the night, the biggest plays actually came from Southside (6-5). The Rebels recovered one of Mann's fumbles -- each team fumbled five times -- at Delta's 25-yard-line just seconds into the second quarter.

"The field was nasty," Mann said, "and I just knew it was going to be a rough game."

Five plays later, Southside fullback Shaq Buchanan rumbled one-yard into the endzone, putting the Rebels ahead 6-0.

Southside quarterback Nick Dyer's two-point pass attempt fell harmlessly to the turf in the end zone, and the Rebels' defense was forced to try and hold on, which they did for some time. They even turned back Delta four times with the Eagles just five yards away from the end zone as the first half ended.

Delta repeatedly tried involving Young, an Indiana University footballcommit, in the offense with a series of passes early. Despite his talents, the rain made it difficult for even the most skilled players to grasp the ball. On one series, Young dropped three consecutive pass attempts.

"I've played football four years at Delta, and there have been pretty bad games," Young said of the elements. "It's always around sectional time. Never have I played in anything like this. I'm talking backyard football, anything. Nothing like this."

Young would get another opportunity. And when he did, he came through in a big way.

Still trailing with under 10 minutes remaining in the game, Mann threw a screen pass to Young at Southside's 40 on the right side of the field.

Young churned upfield, made a cut that caused a defender to slip and scampered through mud puddles into the end zone for Delta's only score.

"Ozzie got the ball out there quick and I literally just made kind of a cut," said Young, who finished with 10 catches for 133 yards. "I couldn't move at all in this stuff, and it was kind of a lane. I just tried to take it."

The play was simple, but it worked to perfection. And after Walters' clutch kick, Delta had its first lead.

"Just throw it to your playmaker and let him do what he does," Mann said.

Southside tried responding on the very next drive, as Dyer scrambled 10 yards for a first down to the Delta 16-yard-line. But on third down, a snap drifted over Dyer's head for a 16-yard loss, and the Rebels were forced to punt with 4:54 remaining.

They never saw the ball again.

Delta made use of its substantial size advantagein the trenches, running six quarterback sneaks with Mann under center. The Eagles produced three first downs until Mann took a knee to salt the contest away.

The Eagles finally could breathe a collective sigh of relief as they trudged off the field muddy and happy, on to their fourth sectional title game in five years.

"These are the kind of nights that upsets are made on," Zgunda said.

On this night, though, Southside's monumental upset-bid came up just short.

---

Eagles Win Game One of Sectionals 21-7

October 24th

Source: The Star Press

MUNCIE -- Grant Zgunda had barely wrapped up his postgame speech on Friday night when a song suddenly began emanating from the Delta football players that knelt in front of him.

The Eagles were serenading their coach with a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday."

It was spontaneous. It was off-key. It was music to Zgunda's ears.

Especially after Delta polished off a thrilling 21-7 victory over Fort Wayne South Side in the Class 4A Sectional 12 opener at Delta moments earlier, helping Zgunda truly celebrate his 42nd birthday in style.

"It was a nice birthday present," Zgunda said. "No question about it. It's nice to see the players having a good time."

They had just as good of a time on the field, in what played out as the Eagles' most challenging and rewarding victory of their undefeated season (10-0).

"This is the best competition by far we've faced," Eagles senior defensive back Parker Holsten said. "We were the underdog in this game, even though we were ranked higher."

Delta, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A, won its first nine games by an average of more than 29 points per contest, but it became evident from the start that a blowout victory would not be in the cards on Friday against the Archers (8-2), ranked No. 8 in Class 4A.

The opening quarter resulted in a scoreless tie, as each team punted to the other twice. Delta made just one first down in the first quarter, when it took the ball back with under a minute remaining.

"Nobody wants to make that first mistake," Zgunda said. "But there comes that point where you've got to go out and play."

For the Eagles, that time began in the second quarter.

Running back Jake Smedley's 27-yard scamper moved Delta to the six-yard line two minutes into the second frame. Two plays later, junior running back Zach Overfield capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown around the right side for a 7-0 lead, which held up until halftime.

The Eagles ran the ball on all eight plays during the 60-yard scoring drive, which became a recurring theme. Delta rushed 42 times for the game, scoring all three of its touchdowns on the ground.

The second of which came just out of halftime, when Smedley barreled in for a five-yard TD, giving Delta a 14-0 edge one minute into the third quarter.

But as quickly as the Eagles established a two-touchdown lead, the Archers made it a one-score affair.

On the very next play, Fort Wayne quarterback Greg Johnson broke a hole down the middle of the field for a 70-yard score, moving the Archers within 14-7.

"Our whole gameplan was to make them earn everything," Zgunda said. "You saw how amazing he was on that play."

Perhaps the play of the game, however, belonged to Holsten on the final snap of the third quarter. With Fort Wayne driving into Delta's redzone, Johnson lobbed a ball from the 17-yard-line into the endzone.

A touchdown would have tied the game.

Instead, Holsten emerged through a sea of wide receivers. He dove forward and appeared to bobble the ball in the endzone before clutching it in his chest. After some hesitation, referees ruled the pass an interception. Delta's sidelines celebrated, while Fort Wayne's sidelines protested.

"I thought I had it," Holsten said. "Honestly, I had my hands under it and everything. Who knows? Adrenaline was pumping. I was just in the moment."

The pick proved to be a game changer.

On the ensuing drive, Delta methodically plodded down the field, rushing on its final 11 plays before Teddy Dawson punched in a three-yard score on a toss play to the right side, putting the Eagles ahead 21-7.

Dawson led the rushing charge all evening for Delta, carrying the ball 22 times for 117 yards and a TD. Smedley contributed 44 yards on six carries with a rushing score and Overfield finished with 81 yards on 11 carries and the other Delta TD.

Delta moves on to face Southside (6-4) next Friday at Southside in the second round of sectional play, and there is some recent playoff history between the two squads. Last season, Delta knocked off Southside 42-6 in the very same sectional round. The year before, it was Southside that captured a 38-20 sectional victory.

On Friday, however, players weren't thinking that far ahead. They were too busy cheering their victory and singing to their coach.

"He didn't want us to sing it," Dawson said. "I made them."

Zgunda certainly didn't mind.

"It was the best birthday present I've had in a while," Zgunda said.

---

MUNCIE -- Grant Zgunda scowled as his offense walked off the field in the first quarter and screamed, "Good luck winning a championship if you have to throw on every play."

The Eagles (9-0) took the opening possession of the second half and drove 67 yards on 13 plays, capped by a 9-yard Teddy Dawson touchdown. Delta ran the ball on all 13 plays and took 6:30 off the clock. The Dawson touchdown put Delta up 24-7 and wiped away any chance of a Shelbyville comeback.

"At halftime, we talked and tried to figure out what they were doing," Zgunda said. "Teddy ran the ball hard and we did a better job up front."

The Golden Bears (7-2) outgained Delta in the first half, but the Eagles scored off of all three Shelbyville turnovers to take a 17-7 lead into intermission.

Delta put the Golden Bears in a hole in the opening two minutes. Delta senior Parker Holsten intercepted a Kevin Prosch throw at the Shelbyville 26-yard line and returned the ball to the 10. The Eagles lost a yard on their first two plays, but on third-and-11 quarterback Ozzie Mann rifled a pass into the end zone and wide receiver Logan Young hauled the ball in between two Shelbyville defensive backs in Jake Knight and Prosch.

"We were going to run a slant and coach yelled 'sluggo' before the play to change to like a go route, a slant-go," said Young, who caught six passes for 138 yards. "Coach was yelling and I didn't hear him and so I ran a sluggo and Ozzie threw the slant and both guys were turned around looking at me, and so it happened to come right between them and I got it. Ozzie threw a real good ball."

The Golden Bears took momentum back in the final minutes of the first quarter as Knight scored on a 39-yard run and Michael Parks tacked on the extra point to tie the score at 7-all.

Delta Beats Mt. Vernon at Lucas Oil Stadium 24-16

October 11th

Source: The Star Press

INDIANAPOLIS -- Delta coach Grant Zgunda frowned and spoke somberly after Saturday night's game in Lucas Oil Stadium, part of Hoosier Heritage Conference day.

His reaction seemed a bit surprising considering the Eagles pulled out a 24-16 victory over Mount Vernon and clinched a share of the HHC title.

Delta led 10-9 at halftime, thanks to a last-second 38-yard field goal by Dan Walters. But the Eagles seized control in the second half behind the running game.

Delta ran a balanced offense in the first half with 17 passes compared to 16 rushes. But in the second half the Eagles relied heavily on the ground game, running the ball 24 times for 111 yards and dominated possession holding the ball 16 of the 24 minutes.

"They were in a 4-3, then a 5-2 and then six deep. They were doing a good job of mixing it up," Zgunda said. "I couldn't really get a read on any down or distance with what they were doing. It was just a chess game."

The Eagles scored on the opening two drives of the second half.

Delta drove 65 yards on 13 plays on its first drive, capped by a Zach Overfield 6-yard touchdown run.

"We didn't have to make any real adjustments, but we did have to play harder," Overfield said. "(The coaches) told us we played a little lazy in the first half. We played it like we should in the second half."

Mount Vernon answered with a Trey Ross 13-yard touchdown run. The score was set up by a 49-yard completion from Austin Parker to Jake Davis. The pass accounted for half of Mount Vernon's yardage through the air for the night.

Mount Vernon coach Doug Peacock elected to go for the extra point, rather than trying for a two-point conversion to tie the game. Matt Horton made the PAT to cut the deficit to one, 17-16.

The Eagles put the advantage back to eight on the ensuing drive.

Delta moved the ball effectively on the ground to set up a 9-yard touchdown pass from Ozzie Mann to Logan Young on a fourth-and-6 play.

The Eagles held on the eight-point lead by stuffing the Mount Vernon running game. The Marauders rushed for 85 yards in the first half but only 24 in the second half.

"Sometimes Logan has single coverage and sometimes he's got three on him," Zgunda said of what his star receiver often faces.

Delta improved to 8-0 on the season and 6-0 in conference play. The Eagles play host to Shelbyville on Friday with a chance to win their second consecutive conference title outright.

---

Delta Wins Homecoming Game 48-21

October 3rd

Source: The Star Press

 

For the last 12 years, Delta has played Rushville and beaten the Lions soundly each time.

 

But number 13 started off with an unlucky first half, causing the Eagles to come from behind in the first quarter after Rushville scored the first touchdown. The early score helped Rushville to build some early confidence against Delat, the leaders of the Hoosier Heritage Conference.

The score was tied at 14 at halftime, but everything changed when players stepped on the field for the second half, when Delta scored 5 touchdowns for an eventually convincing 48-21 win.

"We made a lot of mistakes (in the first half). We just came out flat," said Delta coach Grant Zgunda. "It's sports and so much of it is motivation."

Delta, last ranked sixth in the Indiana Football Coaches Association Class 4A poll, won with the help of senior wide receiver Logan Young and running back Teddy Dawson, who turned their games around in the second half.

Dawson, who ran for 148 yards and scored two touchdowns, felt his team simply turned their emotions around when the second half began, reverting to what has made them successful in the past.

"I think sometimes we take teams like this for granted and dig ourselves in a whole," Dawson said. "So, we decided to get our act together and start playing some Delta football."

Young only had 29 receiving yards in the first half, but he added four catches for an additional 79 yards in the second and scored Delta's final touchdown of the night.

The team leader also thought his fellow players may have looked past Rushville (2-5) when they prepared for this week, but after the teams were tied at the half, they had to play their best to remain undefeated.

"We had no intensity in the first half, the defense or the offense, but in the second half (quarterback) Ozzie Mann did a great job ... both sides of the ball were better," Young said.

Next week, the Eagles travel to Lucas Oil Stadium for the Hoosier Heritage Classic, where they'll play Mount Vernon (Fortville), a team they've also beat the last six times they've met, including a 49-13 blowout in last year's sectionals.

Young knows the team may be excited, but as a leader, he wants to make sure his team pays attention to the teams in front of them, not what might be ahead down the road.

After all, there are still two more games left before the sectionals begin.

"We need to stop underlooking people and take it one game at a time," Young said. "We've had to make up (deficits ) in the second half and we can't have that against Mount Vernon or Shelbyville, especially."

 

---

Eagles Spoil Arabians Homecoming 44-20
September 26th

Source: The Star Press



The Eagles' victory train kept rolling Friday, and it did so with a season-high turnover total in its way.


Despite losing three fumbles and throwing one interception, Delta took care of business at Pendleton Heights in part with defensive scoring.

The Eagles (6-0) scored on a safety, a blocked punt return and an interception return.


"We didn't play real well. I thought we fought through a lot of adversity," Delta coach Grant Zgunda said.


After Pendleton Heights (1-5) scored 20 first-half points, the Eagles held the Arabians scoreless in the second half.


"We were able to come back and kind of shut them down cold at the end," Zgunda said.


Running back Teddy Dawson had a big night on offense, rushing for three touchdowns and 130 yards on 18 carries.


Wide receiver Logan Young had seven catches for 208 yards and one touchdown.


The Eagles, now 6-0 for the third straight season, return home on Friday for a Hoosier Heritage Conference game against Rushville at 7 p.m.

---

Delta Defeats Yorktown 56-13 - Still Unbeaten
September 19th

Source: The Star Press


Delta line coach Jim Thompson slipped on a black T-shirt midway through the fourth quarter.

The caricature of a hog with the words "Delta Hogs" appeared on the front of the shirt. The back showed the backside of a hog with the words, "We work off ours to put you on yours." The words "Boss Hog" adorned the left sleeve of his shirt.

Thompson said he planned all along to put on the shirt assuming his linemen took care of business. His linemen held up their end of the bargain with a dominant performance as the Eagles dismantled its arch-rival Yorktown 56-13 in front of a capacity crowd at Delta on Friday night.

The Eagles (5-0) ran all over Yorktown (3-2) behind their offensive line, and their defensive line held the Tigers' running game in check.

Delta prepared this week to move the ball through the air, but that changed when Yorktown lined up on defense.
Eagles senior lineman Kegan Morris expressed bewilderment when he glanced across the line and spotted only three Yorktown defensive linemen. The Tigers played five defensive linemen in the first four games.

Yorktown coach Mike Wilhelm feared the Eagles passing game enough to switch to three linemen and sit his safeties back in pass protection.

The changes paid off on two of the first three drives as Yorktown held Delta to two three-and-out series.
But then the Eagles found their groove on the ground with senior tailback Teddy Dawson and ran the Tigers into submission.

"We're not going to try and throw into eight DBs, especially double coverage. I mean, why?" Delta coach Grant Zgunda said. "That was their game plan to make us come out and run the ball, and so that's what we did."

Delta rushed for 318 yards in the first half alone. Dawson accounted for 199 of those yards and two touchdowns.
"I was just following my blocks," said Dawson, who finished with 248 yards on 18 carries. "I didn't really have to make any cuts. I just saw the hole and accelerated."

Dawson scored his first touchdown on a 90-yard sprint straight up the middle that put the Eagles up 14-0 with 9:30 left in the second quarter. His 90-yard scamper ignited an offensive explosion in the second quarter as Delta scored four touchdowns. Dawson provided the first-half capper with a 3-yard touchdown with 10.5 seconds on the clock.
"We felt we had to stop their big play," Wilhelm said."They did what they needed to do. They ran the ball well. We couldn't stop it."

Eagles quarterback Ozzie Mann threw only three passes in the first half, completing one for eight yards.
Yorktown opened the second half with five defensive linemen, and Mann answered with a 76-yard touchdown strike to Logan Young on the Eagles' first play from scrimmage.

Mann threw only two passes in the third quarter with both resulting in touchdowns. He connected with Jake Smedley for a 19-yard touchdown on the next Delta possession as the Yorktown crowd headed for the exit gate. Zgunda pulled his starters late in the third quarter with Delta up 49-6.

"They beat us all down the field. They beat us offensively. They beat us defensively," Wilhelm said. "They're a great team."

---

Delta Defeats Muncie Southside 42-10 - Record Now 3-0

September 12th

Source: The Star Press

 

Southside football coach Mike Paul might have had a pregame premonition about the level of effectiveness Delta was going to achieve when the teams played Friday.

Paul told Delta coach Grant Zgunda that the Eagles were the easiest team to prepare for and the hardest to stop because of how simply and efficiently they run their offense.

A short time later, the Eagles directed a virtual clinic on offensive execution at Barnett Field. Delta's crisp offense piled up 445 yards in the first half and produced touchdowns on its first six possessions to roll to a 42-10 victory

"They have three blocking schemes, and they do it over and over and over," Paul said. "It's hard to get mad at your team when they're just getting whipped. That's what happened."

Class 4A No. 6 Delta produced 233 yards while scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter. The first two scores came on passes from Ozzie Mann to Teddy Dawson (27 yards) and Logan Young (71 yards), and the third was a 59-yard gallop on a counter run by Jake Smedley.

The Eagles (4-0) added second-quarter touchdowns on two more Mann passes and a Smedley run.

Delta averaged 17.4 yards on its 23 plays in the six touchdown drives. Ten of the plays were for 16 yards or more.

"Sometimes you get in a groove, and sometimes you get lucky and call the right play at the right time," Delta coach Grant Zgunda said. "As far as execution, I didn't see us being sloppy. We were blocking to the whistle, the backs were running hard, and we were executing in running our routes correctly. From the sideline, it all looked pretty good."

Delta didn't play with the same sharpness in the second half, and didn't score in the final two quarters. Its starters exited the game late in the third quarter, and the second-team offense produced no yards while fumbling the ball four times in a span of seven plays in the fourth period.

Mann completed 8-of-11 passes for 241 yards and four touchdowns. Young snagged five passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns.

Young's first touchdown reception broke Delta's school career record, which he shared with brother Brady.

Delta wingbacks Jake Smedley and Zach Overfield and tailback Teddy Dawson combined to rush for 208 yards on 21 carries.

"All we've ever tried to do over the years is take what the defense gives us," Zgunda said.

Delta didn't appear to play with the same mindset in the second half. The Eagles gained just 24 yards and fumbled seven times after halftime.

Paul was pleased his team hung in and didn't let the game disintegrate into something embarrassing.

"I told the kids at halftime not to quit because that would have been easy," Paul said.

The Rebels (2-2) scored the only points of the second half on a 33-yard field goal by Justin Belcher with 5:30 remaining in the game. The score was set up when Tim Woods-Barrett recovered a fumble by Delta backup quarterback Jake Bryan at the Eagles' 32-yard line.

Shaq Buchanan scored Southside's only touchdown on a 1-yard run in the second quarter.

 

---

Eagles Down Another HHC Foe 35-3

September 5th

Source: The Star Press

Delta started its game with a solid runback on the opening kickoff to begin the game at its 45-yard line. On the first play, the Eagles turned to a play-action pass from quarterback Ozzie Mann to receiver Logan Young for a 41-yard hookup.

From there, the statistical onslaught was on.

The Eagles finished the night with 331 yards rushing and 219 yards passing. For the second straight week, they prevented their opponent from penetrating the end zone.

"I'm real happy with our defense right now," said Delta coach Grant Zgunda, whose defense has allowed only one touchdown (in Week 1 against Jay County) in three games. "(Greenfield-Central) wound up with right at 200 yards of offense. They had 25 carries for 55 yards rushing. We're pleased with that."

The Delta offense was powered by tailback Teddy Dawson, who finished the night with 220 yards on just 18 carries (an average of 12.2 yards per carry). He had runs of 33, 35 and 49 yards in the game.

"The thing I like about him, he's really running hard," Zgunda said. "He's being more of a physical back this year. That's the role he had to take on. He's great with his feet and makes a lot of cuts."

Zach Overfield added 51 yards on the ground in six carries and scored twice.

Mann scored once on the ground and connected on 13-of-24 passes for 219 yards and one interception. He hit Young eight times for 145 yards.

Jake Smedley, who had four carries for 11 yards, had one touchdown.

Delta (3-0), which extended its regular-season win streak to 12, returns to action on Friday at Southside for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

 

---

Delta Blanks New Palestine 23-0
August 29th

"We talk about it a lot, but the most important thing is getting the win," Logan Young said. "It's nice to have (a share of the record) on the side, and I can go home and call him and let him know I'm right there with him."

Young, who gave an oral commitment this summer to play at Indiana in 2010, caught four passes for 100 yards against New Palestine. His first touchdown came on a 13-yard slant from the right side, making a nice adjustment to haul in the ball from quarterback Ozzie Mann that was thrown slightly late.

The record-tying touchdown reception was the game's only score in the second half. Mann lofted the ball 30 yards with a deft touch to the right sideline, and Young snagged it over the outstretched arms of New Palestine cornerback Jordan Rizzo. Young ran freely to the end zone for a 51-yard play.

"The offensive line did an incredible job to give Ozzie time," Young said. "It was third and 21, and (New Palestine) knew we had to pass. The line gave Ozzie a good three or four seconds to get the ball there."

Class 4A No. 9 Delta (2-0) wasn't as sharp in several phases of play as coach Grant Zgunda would have liked, but he was pleased with the overall effort of his team.

The Eagles claimed a 447-203 advantage in total yards and forced a turnover, but they also committed two turnovers and failed to score on two trips inside the 10-yard line in the fourth quarter.

"Anytime you get a shutout you have to be pleased," Zgunda said. "I'm very happy with the win."

The shutout was a boost for the Eagles' players on defense, who are adjusting to a transition from a 5-2 scheme that Delta ran the past 11 years to a 3-5 this season.

Zgunda expressed mild surprise that the defense was able to blank an opponent just two weeks into the season.

"I guess I am because we're still learning the defense as a coaching staff, too," he said. "Each week we're trying to figure out what we're doing with it."

Delta jumped to a 14-0 lead less than 14 minutes into the game by scoring on drives of 78 and 80 yards on two of its first three possessions.

Running back Teddy Dawson was a key figure in both touchdown drives. He scored the first touchdown on a 3-yard run, and ran 34 yards on a draw in the second scoring drive to set up Young's first touchdown catch three plays later.

Dawson, champion in the 100 and 200 dashes in the Delaware County track meet last spring, romped for 105 yards on 15 carries in the first half before finishing with 143 on 23 attempts for the game.

"He has that speed, and he ran the ball hard," Zgunda said. "He was trying to run people over and be physical."

Delta 56 Jay County 6
August 22nd
Indy Sports Nation video

June 30th, 2009

Delta WR Commits to Hoosiers
By THOMAS ST. MYER
The Star Press.com