Is the third time the charm?
Adams Central fans and all of Adams County will find out Friday in Indianapolis if the old saying is true after the Flying Jets dominated the second half of the 1A North Semi-State in Monroe and advanced to the State Finals in Indianapolis for the third consecutive year, 42-18 over North Judson.
The win, which will bump the program up to 2A next season, pits the Jets against an all-too-familiar foe: Indianapolis Lutheran. The two schools will play for the 1A state title for the third time in three years when the clock strikes 11 a.m. Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
North Judson and AC each ran the same numbers of plays on offense and were fairly even in rushing yards, with the Jets only outgaining the visitors by 26 yards on the ground, but it was the passing yards that made all the difference, as Jack Hamilton finished with 145 in the air, compared to just 21 for North Judson.
Hamilton rushed for 125 yards and a score and also connected with Trevor Currie on a 47-yard touchdown.
The workhorse, of course, for AC was Keegan Bluhm. Even though he only finished with 75 yards rushing, he scored four of the team’s touchdowns in his final game at Minnich Field.
The two teams traded touchdowns twice in the first half, with Bluhm answering each of North Judson’s touchdowns with a score of his own. The difference at halftime was two made extra points by the Jets and two misses by the visitors.
Currie’s catch from Hamilton came just a minute into the second half and started a run of four unanswered touchdowns in a span of 18 minutes.
North Judson added a consolation touchdown in the final minute before the fireworks lit up the sky in Monroe.
