ST. JOHN | In the preseason scrimmage, Lake Central brought nearly 100 rostered players to Griffith and turned more heads than a barber college.
Then the games began for real and coach Bill Melby's Indians finished 1-8, losing their last seven.
Friday night, on a rain-soaked, torn-up field resembling a monster truck track, Lake Central shocked Munster 7-3 in a Class 5A Sectional 1 opener.
Amid the celebrating, Melby took a running start and dove head first through the muck after promising his JV players earlier that he would if L.C. prevailed.
"Great heart. Great desire," he told his huddled team on Friday. "This is why we want you to feel so stinkin' good."
The revived Indians (2-8) play host to Merrillville (9-1) in next Friday's semifinals.
"This is the same team for the past 4-5 weeks," Melby said. "Early in the year, the thing killing us was turning over the ball. But we've been improving."
L.C. fumbled four times in Friday's slop but lost none.
"All year, in only one quarter against Chesterton did we not play as hard as we could. Our kids have been busting their butts for the most part, like they did tonight," Melby said. "I knew we'd come in here today and win this game. I just knew it."
L.C. sophomore Chase Fieldhouse made sure by intercepting quarterback Josh Lukoshus at the Munster 47 with 29 seconds to play.
All the points came in the first quarter as Tanner Redlarczyk scored on just the second play of the game, a 79-yard run over right tackle. Munster (7-3), held to only 112 yards for the game, got a 27-yard field goal from Ian Svoboda late in the opening period.
The Mustangs had beaten L.C. in the opener and coach Leroy Marsh had said he didn't like playing the same team twice in one season. His worst fears were realized in the Mustangs' biggest game of the year.
"They were playing lesser competition and we played better competition, so we got better," Redlarczyk said of the Duneland Athletic Conference.
The determined junior, a two-way performer, had 26 carries for 168 yards and the game-winning TD.
"I love running in the mud. It benefits me because I don't make cuts to the outside. That's (Tony) Albomonte's game. I run north-south," Redlarczyk said.
Said Melby: "Tanner's a mudder, no doubt about it. Tanner Redlarczyk ran the ball like we knew he could. Albomonte ran like a freak. (Adam) Brown ran like a freak, too."
The wretched weather attracted a small but loyal fan turnout on the L.C. side and its players appreciated that.
"The fans here tonight believe in us," Redlarczyk said. "But we play this game for our teammates, for the guys next to us."
PREP FOOTBALL
Class 5A Sectional 1
Lake Central 7, Munster 3
Tanner Redlarczyk ran for 168 yards and the game's only touchdown.
