On Friday, October 28, the 10-0 Gibson Southern Titans traveled 86 miles north to play the 10-0  Owen Valley Patriots. This matchup would determine the team that would get a chance to play for the Sectional title a week later. Both teams anticipated good play on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball throughout the game. Owen Valley was led to a Western Indiana-Gold Conference title under head coach Rob Gibson. Gibson Southern was led to a Pocket Athletic Conference title under head coach Nick Hart. 

As the game started, Gibson Southern was poised with the ball, slowly progressing down the field with junior quarterback Tanner Boyd leading the attack. A combination of running and passing led to an early 7-0 lead on a 23-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Isaac O’Neal, on what was 4th and 8. 

“We executed things very well offensively to start the game,” Boyd said.

The Titan defense was able to hold on the next drive by tough defense on both the line and secondary of the Titans. Senior defensive back Tristen Boyd helped lead the defensive stand by breaking up passes on Owen Valley’s opening drives. 

“I think by the offense coming out first and scoring, that gave us the energy we needed to feed off on the defensive side of the ball,” Tristen Boyd said. 

The Titans continued their offensive success with another drive down field led by Tanner Boyd, in which he again found O’Neal on a 17-yard touchdown pass. After sophomore kicker Cam Novotony scored the extra point through the uprights, it was 14-0 with the Titans in the lead. 

“We really executed well out of the gate on both sides of the ball and it was a great start,” Hart said. 

Once the Titans got the ball back, after stopping Owen Valley, Tanner Boyd threw an interception to the Patriots’ Tim Harden, which resulted in a pick-six to make the score 14-7 after a completed kick. After another rushing touchdown from Owen Valley’s running back Christian McDonald, the score was 14-14 heading into halftime. 

“I didn’t like our body language and how we were handling that,” Hart said. “It was a tied game, and we were acting like we were already beat.” 

The second half continued the success between Tanner Boyd and O’Neal as they connected on a 37-yard touchdown pass to make the score 21-14, after a good field goal. 

After this score, the Titan offense came to a halt, and the defense stalled to a standstill after they let up a long drive that resulted in a 4-yard rushing touchdown for the Patriots. The Titan offense was forced to punt on the next drive, and the Patriots continued their offensive success to score another rushing touchdown to make the score 28-21. 

“Nearing the end of the game I was thinking it was going to be a tough game that we were going to have to battle harder than we already were to win,” senior defensive lineman Tye Whitledge said. “I didn’t think we executed as well as had been in the past weeks, which I think is what got us in the end.” 

The Titans ran out of time, finding their season at its end with a final score of 28-21 in Spencer, Indiana that Friday night. The Patriots move on to face the Pike Central Chargers for the Sectional title this Friday.