Cougars take back the skillet
By Todd Swank Contributing sportswriter

Carroll quarterback Riley Eller drops back to pass in Friday night's Bacon Bowl. Blocking for Carroll are #32 Ben Bennington, #53 Chandler Keown and #78 Steve Keith Rushing for Delphi are #51 Zach Condon and #57 Matt Dent. The Cougars came out on top, 14-0. Bill Stauffer photo

As the scoreboard was turned off last Friday the Carroll Cougars were celebrating a 14-0 victory over the Delphi Oracles in the annual Bacon Bowl showdown. The game was not nearly as close as the score indicated.

Carroll is clearly a better team at this stage of the season. The Cougars (2-0) forced six turnovers and held the Oracles (0-2) to zero net yards in 22 carries. Penalties at crucial times kept the Cougars from many more points.

The Oracles started the game with a bad snap from center on the first play of the game, losing 11 yards. A delay of game penalty pushed them further toward the wrong goal. On fourth down, Cody Kelly of Carroll returned a Delphi punt 27 yards to set up a first and goal at the ten. Travis Yoakum and Justin Snider allowed the Cougars just two yards on two carries before Carroll committed two penalties around a short completion by QB Riley Eller. What started out as a gift field position for Carroll turned into a fourth and goal at the 29 and forced a 12-yard punt.

Delphi's #67 Daniel Clawson and #45 Derek Bradshaw make a solid hit on Carroll's #84 Drew Yoder Friday night. Yoder was knocked unconscious on the play but recovered before being removed by an ambulance. Delphi's #58 Travis Yoakum and #15 Justin Snyder trail the play. Bill Stauffer photo

After getting the ball back, a 21-yard pass play from Eller to Drew Yoder highlighted the Cougars' 12-play, 59-yard drive for a touchdown. The Cougars led 7-0 at the end of the first period.

Early in the second quarter it looked like the Oracles were going to answer with their own long drive. But a tipped pass that was intercepted by Carroll's Eller ended that threat in Cougar territory.

The next four possessions (two by each team) resulted in turnovers. Carroll's Carson Spesard fell on a fumble at the Oracle 20-yard line to set up the second Carroll touchdown shortly before halftime. Eller tossed a soft floater over the outstretched hands of the defender in the right corner of the end zone for the final four yards. The score stood at 14-0.

Carroll was effectively moving the ball to open the third when the turnover bug bit them again. The Cougars fumbled deep in the Delphi end of the field. The next four possessions resulted in three and outs for both teams.

A 22-yard pass from Delphi's AJ Beckett to Brad Roth on a third and 16 at their own eight-yard line gave the Oracles enough momentum early in the fourth to keep the ball long enough for a 10-play drive. But the Oracles couldn't sustain the drive long enough to score. They were forced to punt.

Delphi's last chance to avoid the shutout resulted in a turnover at the Cougar 35- yard line with five minutes left in the game.

The Oracles host a highly touted West Lafayette Red Devil team with record-setting QB Matt Lancaster Friday at 7 p.m., while the Cougars entertain Tri-Central in Flora at the same time.