Photo by TRAVIS DAVID | North Knox's Camden McCory takes off on a rush in the first half of Friday's game at North Daviess. McCory rushed for a game and career-high 121 yards in the loss.

BY TRAVIS DAVID

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ELNORA — Friday night’s Southwest Conference championship game boiled down to two fourth-down plays. Unfortunately, neither play went in favor of North Knox.

North Daviess executed in the clutch moments in securing a 12-6 win to deny the Warriors back-to-back conference championships.

The first key play happened on the Warriors’ opening possession. 

A steady diet of power run plays marched the visitors down inside the red zone. But the 14-play, 9-minute drive stalled inside the Cougars’ 10-yard line. On fourth-and-five from the six, the Warriors ran their fourteenth straight run play which North Daviess turned away at the two.

The second key play and arguably the biggest of the game came late in the fourth quarter. With the game tied at 6-6, the Cougards faced a 4th and 5 from their own 43. Quarterback Keaton Graber swung a pass out in the flat to Anderson Aiman. The Warrior defense looked poised to make the stop, but Aiman bounced off a Warrior defender, tight-roped the right sideline and out raced the defense for a 57-yard go-ahead score.

“We had opportunities tonight and we faltered,” Warriors’ coach Josh Chambers said of the two key plays. 

After falling behind for the first time in the game, North Knox still had plenty of time to tie or win the game. The Warriors started their final drive from its own 29 with just over three minutes left on the clock and had all three timeouts remaining. But a 2-yard rush on first down would be the only positive gain on the drive as three straight incomplete passess followed.

Three plays later, Graber picked up five yards on third-and-five to seal the Warriors’ fate.

The two teams played to a scoreless tie in the first half. 

Receiving the second-half kick, North Knox broke the scoreless tie with 4:53 left in the third. Senior quarterback Brennan Messel — who started the game as a wingback — bullied his way into the end zone from two yards, giving the Warriors a 6-0 lead. The score capped a 12-play, 65-yard drive.

Camden McCory set up the score, ripping off a 25-yard counter run on the previous play.

McCory, who had a highlight-reel interception in the first half, finished the night with a game-high 127 rushing yards. The rushing total was a career-high and marked the first career 100-yard game for the junior. 

Following Messel’ score, the Warriors’ defense came up with another big play. Mark Lehman forced a fumble which was recovered by Messel at the Cougars’ 44.

But the Warriors were not able to capitalize on their second turnover of the game. Four plays later, North Daviess took over on downs at their own 37.

“We had a chance to take over the game and could not take advantage,” Chamber said of the Warriors’ second takeaway of the game.

Eight plays later the Cougars pulled even.

Graber tossed a ball up in the back corner of the end zone for Aiman. After a slight push off by the 6-foot-2-inch wide receiver, Aiman came over the top of a Warrior defender to haul in the game-tying pass. The score came with 9:47 on the game clock.

A 7-yard rush by Messel preceded a 6-yard screen pass from Messel to McCory for a first down. But the drive ended three plays later with a booming punt by Blayne Boger.

North Daviess picked up two more first downs, before Graber and Aiman teamed up for the game winner.

Although the loss cost the Warriors with what would have been their fifth conference title in the last six years, Chambers is still looking at the bigger picture.

“We had to make a lot of changes this week because of our health,” the veteran coach said of a plethora of injuries that have run rampant through the roster over the last few weeks. “Not making any excuses, but we are still not at full strength here. We are still rolling through with really just one varsity running back. We just wanted to keep this game tight. And I think we did everything that we could in this game except for two plays. The effort from the kids was there tonight.

“We just were not as crisp tonight as what I think we can be in a couple of weeks.”

Messel added 79 yards on the ground in his first game back after being withheld due to a concussion.

The Warriors are expecting to get key two-way lineman Korbin Jones back.

“He’s one of our best players,” Chambers said of his junior.

Senior Lane Adams and junior Will Arnold are two other key players — among others — who have been missing for the Warriors due to injury.

North Knox (2-6) wraps up the regular season next Friday, hosting Paoli.