Week 2 roundup: Rigney scores 3 TDs as Caston routs N. White

McFatridge leads Pioneer in rushing, receiving in loss to Knox; Winamac falls to Frontier in Roudebush opener; Culver blanked after first quarter in loss to W. Central

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Football

Caston 55, North White 0 (Friday): Landen Rigney scored all three times he touched the ball, and Ashton Bowyer ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries for the visiting Comets in a rout of North White Friday.

Gavin Mollenkopf, Gage Minniear and Tucker Woolever also ran for touchdowns for Caston (1-1).

Ashtyn Peters added 45 yards on three carries, and he also had an interception on defense.

Rigney had two carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns, and he also returned a punt 44 yards for a score.

Woolever also had eight tackles and blocked a punt. Cameron McFatridge had four tackles and a fumble recovery, and Braxton Smith and Bowyer added four tackles each. Parker Zimpleman recovered the punt that Woolever blocked and also had three tackles. Logan Mollenkopf, Peters, Jayden Cox, Ethan Reasor and Jake Farrer had three tackles each. Mollenkopf and London Herd each had a pass defended.

Caston led 28-0 after one quarter and extended the lead to 48-0 at halftime.

The entire second half was played with a running clock, per the IHSAA Mercy Rule.

The shutout was Caston’s first since a 36-0 win over North White in 2020. The 55 points scored were the most for Caston in Chris Ulerick’s 23 seasons as coach. They also were the most for Caston in a game in at least the last 30 years.

Caston had scored 53 points against North White in their previous three meetings against them combined.

Caston 55, North White 0

Caston 28 20 7 0 – 55

North White 0 0 0 0 – 0

Knox 38, Pioneer 20 (Friday): Phillip McFatridge ran for a team-high 62 yards and also had a team-high 21 yards receiving on two receptions, and Micah Rans accounted for three touchdowns for the host Panthers in a loss to Class 3A, No. 8 Knox at the Panther Pit Friday.

Rans threw for 38 yards and two touchdowns – one to Mason Shaver and one to Carter Mize – and also ran for 52 yards and a touchdown.

McFatridge also had 12 tackles and averaged 27 yards per punt on four punts. He also converted both of his extra point tries as a placekicker.

Noah VanMeter ran for 30 yards on nine carries, and Shiloh Rine ran for 28 yards on six carries.

Rine had 28 yards rushing on offense and also took part in 14 tackles on defense.

VanMeter had 10 tackles, and Cole Franklin had six.

Colten Long had an 81-yard kickoff return.

Knox’s Myles McLaughlin ran 30 times for a school-record 428 yards and five touchdowns. Knox won despite not completing a pass.

Knox 38, Pioneer 20

Knox 6 0 24 8 – 38

Pioneer 0 0 7 13 – 20

Frontier 54, Winamac 21 (Friday): Quarterback Ayden Justice accounted for 352 yards of offense and five touchdowns – three rushing, two passing – as the visiting Falcons handled sectional rival Winamac in the home opener at Roudebush Field Friday.

Justice threw for 162 yards and ran for 190.

Dustin Stagge ran for 111 yards, including touchdown runs of 2, 3 and 45 yards.

Frontier outgained Winamac 549-194.

Frontier led 26-13 at halftime.

Tearson Wolford had 13 carries for 47 yards and two touchdowns, and he also led the defense with 15 tackles and six assists. Ethan Burgess ran for a team-high 65 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. He also had both of the team’s pass receptions for 18 yards.

Adriano had 61 yards rushing and 18 yards passing, and he also had four tackles and seven assists on defense. Ivan Cardenas and Michael Shidler took part in 10 tackles apiece.

Frontier 54, Winamac 21

Frontier 6 20 21 7 – 54

Winamac 7 6 0 8 – 21

First quarter

FRO – Ayden Justice 1 run (two-point conversion failed)

WIN – Tearson Wolford 4 run (Carter Ulerick kick)

Second quarter

FRO – Dustin Stagge 2 run (PAT good)

FRO – Stagge 3 run (PAT good)

FRO – Wyatt Wiese 7 run (two-point conversion failed)

WIN – Ethan Burgess 39 run (kick failed)

Third quarter

FRO – Chase Winkler 33 pass from Justice (PAT good)

FRO – Justice 13 run (PAT good)

FRO – Stagge 45 run (PAT good)

Fourth quarter

FRO – Justice 19 run (PAT good)

WIN – Wolford 11 run (two-point conversion good)

West Central 32, Culver 6 (Friday): Drea Villarreal ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns, and Kaiden Gutwein ran for 75 yards and a score and added four catches for 41 yards for the host Trojans in a win over sectional rival Culver Friday.

Sophomore quarterback Connor Huber ran for 46 yards and a touchdown and passed for 47 yards, and he also had an interception and a fumble recovery on defense.

West Central ran for 349 yards as a team.

West Central led 8-6 after one quarter and extended the lead to 24-6 at halftime.

Culver had four turnovers.

Culver (1-1) hosts Triton this Friday in their Hoosier North opener.