Catch the action of former Churubusco athlete and current football player for DePauw University, Eddie Schmidt, this Saturday when the Monon Bell game between DePauw University and Wabash College will be nationally televised on HDNet Saturday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m.

It will be Schmidt’s final game of the season, the 115th showdown between the two football programs, and the 77th played for The Monon Bell Trophy.

Eddie Schmidt at right and Marc Hoeppner, both starting defensive backs at DePauw University. Hoeppner was Hall of Fame coach Leland Etzler's last college recruit from Woodlan, while Eddie is Coach Etzler's son, Lee Etzler's first college recruit from Busco.

Wabash leads the overall series, 53-52-9, while DePauw leads in the games played for The Monon Bell Trophy, 36-34-6. DePauw currently holds the trophy after last year’s 27-24 victory.

Schmidt starts at Cornerback for the Tigers. Other Tigers with local connections include Strong Safety Marc Hoepnner from Woodlan, Linebacker Kyle Sherer from Homestead, and two Fort Wayne Snider grads, Offensive Lineman Shea Noonan and Tight End Mitch Vondreau.

HDNet can be found on

Eddie Schmidt with his sisters, Sarah, left, and Becca.

For those who do not have either of those channels, DePauw and Wabash grads will be hosting a viewing at the Covington Bar & Grill in Covington Plaza, Fort Wayne. No cover charge, and families are welcome.

Photos contributed.

The stands were full. The weather was gorgeous. The seniors were honored.  The Colts cheerleaders were signing autographs. And the Eagles won.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

The Busco Eagles triumphed over Lakeland Friday night, 42-7.

Before the game, the Indianapolis Colts - who are traveling Indiana and visiting high school football games - set up a display trailer and Colts cheerleaders signed autographs for eager fans.

The senior athletes of all fall sports were honored and escorted onto the track in front of the grandstands by their parents and/or guardians.

Curt Bonar sent us this link for those whould like to view the Churubusco photos posted on the Colts Web site.

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=events_photogallery&startrow=26&cal_id=3581

The Colts cheerleaders sign an autograph for a young fan at Friday night\'s game against Lakeland.

Character.

Webster defines it as “the set of qualities that make a person or group of people different from others of the same kind.”  Churubusco High School lost a football game and a shot at a possible NECC conference championship to the Fairfield Falcons on Friday night 41-30, but if you ever wanted to see character personified, you got to witness it along with about 5000 other folks on the Falcons home turf.

This loss will hurt for a while, and Head Coach Lee Etzler told his team “it should hurt, but we still have things we want to accomplish.”  The character that the Eagles demonstrated Friday night will help them achieve those goals.

On the opening kickoff, Fairfield found a seam and ran it back for a touchdown, taking a 7-0 lead with all of 13 seconds gone in the game.  Some teams quit as soon as they are faced with this kind of adversity, but not a team with character. 

The Eagles first series was inauspicious, with two consecutive motion penalties leading to a three and out.  Fairfield scored on their next series, with a 52-yard halfback pass gaining most of the yardage, and suddenly Busco was down 14-0. 

School spirit galore! Carly Comparet and Kelsey Gibson go all out for the Black and Gold at the Busco vs Fairfield game Friday night.

It could have gotten ugly at this point, but the jitters disappeared with discipline and execution taking over, and the Eagles took it the length of the field to get right back into it 14-7.  It was at this point that the Eagles were gaining confidence, running the Wing-T offense to perfection, gashing Fairfield’s defense consistently with traps and sweeps, and driving to tie the score from inside the red zone.

A tipped pass, however, resulted in a very long interception return for a touchdown by Falcon star Alic VanOver, making the score 21-7.  This was a gut punch, something that would make most teams absolutely quit and opt for a running clock the rest of the game.

Character.  When it is too tough for the rest of ‘em, it is just right for us.  Insert your own sports cliché here. 

The teams traded touchdowns, and with Busco down 28-14, they again came up with a stellar drive in the final minutes of the first half, scoring with just 3.3 seconds left in the first half to get within 28-21.

The momentum was clearly favoring the Eagles, they were moving the ball at will, and they were ready to head to the locker room down just one score after giving up some big plays in the first half.

Busco squib kicked to avoid a long return, and a facemask penalty was called on the Eagles.  Since the half can’t end on a defensive penalty, Fairfield was given the ball at the 35, and on the final play of the half, Alic VanOver showed his speed and got loose on offense for the only time, taking it to the end zone to give the Falcons a 34-21 lead at half.  If his interception return was a gut punch, then this was getting slugged right in the mouth.

Surely, Churubusco would not recover from this kind of disappointment, what team could? Tremendous character.  All the Eagles did was come out and absolutely dominate the second half, scoring nine points to get within 34-30 with just under four minutes to go.  Driving for the go-ahead score down to the Falcon six-yard line, it just wasn’t to be.

It is often said that teams learn more from losses than wins, and this one hopefully taught a lot.  Busco never hung their heads, never quit, when they had every excuse in the world to do exactly that.

Tough times don’t last, tough people do.  They will be back.

Story by Brian Graham

A wee fan sits amid the adults.

Busco fans watch the fireworks display at halftime.

Check out those gold tights!

The parking lot was filled to overflowing an hour before the game started. Many had to park on the highway and walk to the field.

Perfect football weather.

Coach Lee Etzler gives a post-game talk.

Game over.

Churubusco will be host to a first round sectional game with South Adams High School Friday, Oct. 24. The winner will play the survivor of the Eastside-Southwood game in Sectional 34.

Unbeaten Southern Wells is in the opposite bracket, playing host to Northfield, while Fremont travels to Adams Central to round out the pairings.

The sectional finals will be played on Friday, Nov. 7. All sectional games start at 7 p.m. and admission is $5.

A 56-0 shutout of Bowman Academy of Gary was a greater accomplishment than it seems, as the guys from Gary threw it nearly every down with an athletic quarterback running the show.

The Eagles were equal to the task, with Kyle Monk taking two picks all the way to the endzone for scores.  Can you say “Oskie”?

The conference comes down to the final two weeks,  and watch this spot for more updates from the coaches as Friday nears.

Joey Tartaglia, assistant sports announcer, is a familiar sight in the press box at the Churubusco High School football games.

Possibly one of the greatest homecoming games in school history!

What a game! Now, repeat that over and over and over.  What an outstanding high school football game.  Churubusco moved to 5-0 with a defeat of previously unbeaten Angola 22-15.

The Eagles scored the go ahead touchdown with just 19.7 seconds left on the clock when Jeff Geiger slipped into a corner of the end zone and Cameron Amber delivered the ball for a Homecoming win that will be talked about for years to come.  This opportunity came about after Kyle Monk worked the tip drill to perfection, intercepting the ball with just 48 seconds to go in the game with Angola gambling, throwing deep in their own territory.

Ashley Gilbert was crowned Homecoming Queen. She was escorted by Brenan Herendeen. Watch this Web site for complete Homecoming coverage plus video within the next 24 hours.

Starting at the Hornet 31, Busco took a shot at the end zone on first down, stopping the clock with the incompletion.  A miscommunication between Quarterback Cameron Amber and receiver Geiger on 2^nddown caused a second straight incompletion, making it 3^rd and 10 with just 37.4 seconds on the clock.  A draw play went for 5 yards, leaving it 4^th and 5 from the 26 yard line.  The Eagles picked up the first down on a 15 yard gain from Amber to Geiger, moving the ball just inside the 10 yard line.  QB Amber killed the clock with a spike on the ensuing play, and the next play he found Geiger for the winning score.

 What a game!

Churubusco looked like they had lost the chance at a regulation win when a field goal try went awry, kicker Jason Eakins never getting a chance to put a foot into the ball with 1:10 remaining.  Angola could have played it safe, knelt it out, and played for overtime with momentum having switched to their sideline, but they didn’t.  They put the game in Angola Quarterback Alexx Bauer’s hands, trusting the accurate sophomore to get them out of the shadow of their end zone, but it backfired with Monk’s pick.

Braylon, 2, sports the number of his favorite Eagles quarterback - his Uncle Cameron Amber.

 Busco had scored on 28 yard touchdown pass to Corey Richards, their first possession of the game, and it looked like they might dominate this game the same way they had the previous 4 games.  They held a 7-0 lead until just 1:10 remained in the first half, and then things went south in a hurry. 

 A screen pass that should have been a safe call went horribly wrong, and QB Amber was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone, by rule resulting in a safety.  Amber’s kickoff after the safety went from 20 yard line to 20 yard line, and with 34.9 seconds left the Hornets had driven to the Busco 19 yard line. 

Angola converted a big 3^rddown play, and with 13 seconds left scored on a 9 yard touchdown pass, putting the Eagles behind for the first time this season.  Tom Zumbrun batted away a two-point conversion try, but Busco went into the locker room trailing 8-7.

The third quarter was a field position struggle, with The Eagles playing on the Angola end of the field for most of it.  Busco started the 4^thquarter just 12 yards from pay dirt, and Ryan Tartaglia used his blockers well to put Busco back in the lead 13-8.  A quarterback keeper by Amber converted the two point try, making it 15-8 with just a few seconds gone in the 4^th, but Angola wasn’t about to quit.

Starting from their 20, the Hornets marched methodically down the field, taking almost 7 minutes off the clock, converting two key 4^th down plays during the march, and tying the game at the five minute mark when the tight end worked free in the back of the end zone. It was just setting up the late game heroics by Amber and Geiger as it turned out.

Go! Fight! Win!

 Coach Etzler talked to the team afterward, and after complimenting them on an exciting win, had already turned the focus toward next week’s contest with West Noble.  But, it will be hard to top this game for excitement. 

Watch this Web site for complete Homecoming coverage within the next 24 hours.

Photos by Viv Sade; video by Chris Tomlinson and Brian Graham; story by Brian Graham.

The football moms raffle off merchandise and hold a 50/50 drawing to raise money for the football department.

The CHS Homecoming court.

Tailgaters gathered long before the game to celebrate the Churubusco Eagles Homecoming.

Collins United Methodist Church held a bake sale at the front gate of the football game to raise money for its mission trips.

The Eagles are dominating football opponents at a clip not seen, since, well, last year! Granted, the first four games of the schedule are the least challenging, but they have done exactly what was expected of them and more.  They are averaging over 50 points a game, while giving up just over 3!

 Ryan Tartaglia is leading the ground assault, with just 35 carries for 331 yards and a 9.5 average.  He has been playing sparingly as most games have been decided early.  He leads the team with 6 touchdowns.  Corey Richards has 28 carries for 239 yards and an 8.5 yards per carry average. 

 Amazingly, 12 different players have scored for the Eagles this year, and as a team they have scored 30 touchdowns. Jason Eakins has booted a very dependable 29 extra points as a result. 

 Churubusco has not had to put the ball in the air very much, but when they do it has been very effective.  Quarterback Cameron Amber has 11 completions in 24 attempts, and 4 of the completions have gone for TD’s.  Jeff Geiger is averaging an amazing 35 yards per catch with 3 touchdowns to his credit, while Corey Richards is just a shade under 24 yards per catch on 5 receptions. 

 If you think the offense is functioning at a very high rate, (and it is), their defensive stats might be even more spectacular.  The Eagles have 22 takeaways in 4 games, which would be a great season’s worth for most teams.  Corey Richards excels in this area also, with 3 picks and 1 fumble recovery.  Andrew Grawcock and Jordan Hamilton have 3 takeaways each, while Jared Hill leads in the sack department with 4 from his outside linebacker position.

 So now begins the more challenging part of the schedule, starting with the Homecoming game tonight.  The undefeated Angola Hornets come to town looking for some revenge for last years lopsided loss, and it will be a better gauge as to where the Churubusco High School football team is in relationship to the rest of the NECC conference.

The halls of Churubusco High School are decorated and a homecoming court has been selected.

A homecoming queen will be chosen from senior class nominees at halftime of the Busco vs Angola football game tonight. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. In front, from left, class representatives, Alisha Royer, Sarah Schmidt, Peyton Hunsberger; in back, seniors Ashley Gilbert, Tiffany LeFever, Brooke Shearer and Alayna Skinner. Not pictured: Allison Norris.

And tonight’s the night!

One lucky representative of the senior class will be chosen as the 2008 Homecoming Queen at halftime of the Busco vs Angola football game tonight. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Photos by Ben Rosswurm

Churubusco High School Homecoming Court, from left, Alisha Royer, Ashley Gilbert, Tiffany LeFever, Brooke Shearer, Alayna Skinner, Peyton Hunsberger and Sarah Schmidt. Not shown: Allison Norris.

Friday’s  football game between Churubusco and Prairie Heights  ended in a 55-6 Busco victory, but the story of the night was almost who didn’t play for the Eagles as well as who did. 

Busco had two senior co-captains on the sidelines for this tilt, as well as their leading rusher, a starting inside linebacker, and a two-way starting lineman.  That is the nature of the game, and the Eagles merely adjusted and didn’t miss a beat in taking a 20-0 first quarter lead.

Andrew Grawcock used his blockers up front push well in scoring twice in the quarter, while QB Cameron Amber hooked up with Jeff Geiger on a 56-yard scoring toss shortly thereafter.

Corey Richards took one into the end zone at 11:01 left in the second quarter, and Busco took advantage of a Lee Blake fumble recovery deep in Panther territory to score again less than one minute later. 

It was at that point that a lot of starters left the game, including the entire backfield with the exception of Quarterback Cameron Amber.  He had to stay in to take snaps because his backup also was out with an injury.  Amber’s leg is proving to be as valuable as his arm, with his kickoffs and punting giving opponents fits.

Sophomore Kyle Monk also scored two touchdowns in this game from a running back position.  He is normally a quarterback,  but he looked just fine taking handoffs rather than giving them.

Coach Etzler credited Assistant Coach Zach Dock with having players ready, especially on defense.  “He keeps the intensity up during the week, and it carries over to the games.” 

Busco is looking very much like a team that has outscored its opponents 153-13 on its way to a 3-0 mark. Next week is Eastside at Butler, and the Eagles will work hard to add to those numbers.

Story, photos, video and editing by Chris Tomlinson, Brian Graham and Viv Sade.

The Busco Eagles dominated Friday evening, trampling the Central Noble Cougars in football action 42-0.

Just like last week, the knockout blow was delivered quickly with the Eagles scoring early and often, taking a 21-0 lead with just over seven minutes gone in the game.

They benefited from four consecutive Cougar turnovers on their first four possessions.

Senior Ryan Tartaglia led the Busco backs consistently breaking first contact.

Quarterback Cameron Amber hands off in first quarter action.

As good as the Eagles looked at times, they had a few miscues themselves with three fumbles lost. You can bet that the coaches will be demanding ball security as the central theme to this week’s practices.

“This was a game where our kids wanted to prove themselves,” head coach Lee Etzler said after the game. “For awhile Central Noble had four or five winning seasons in a row and that has changed around.”

“We’ve got a good group of kids,” Etzler said. “And we want to continue to build that momentum every year. We have people who are excited about Churubusco football. The last couple of years have done that.”

Watch for an update on this story with complete statistics as we receive them.

Busco defense dominated Friday night, defeating the Central Noble Cougars 42-0.

Churubusco football fans cheer on the Eagles…

Some boys play a little sideline football.

Some fans have a football picnic while watching the game at Central Noble Friday night.

Some eighth graders turned black and gold for the game.

The superior Eagle team was Churubusco Friday night when they easily handled Fremont, 56-7.

If this was a prize fight, they would have stopped it in the first round.

Busco’s defense scored more than half of the touchdowns, including a beautiful 75-yard interception return by Shawn McCoy.

Busco led at halftime 35-7 and scored their first two touchdowns through the air, both thrown by returning senior quarterback, Cameron Amber.

Amber led in passing yards and broke the single season record for touchdowns last season.

Following last year’s successful season where the team made it to semi-state raises the bar for Busco Eagle football fans, team members and coaches.

But head football coach Lee Etzler didn’t want the easy first win going to the players’ heads.

Coach Lee Etzler talks to his team after the Friday night game against Fremont while his assistant coaches look on.

“There were some frustrating moments. We didn’t feel like offensively we did our best at times and we have to be more consistent,” Etzler said. “We get better with each practice and each game.”

“The defense played well, with five defensive touchdowns,” he said. “We preach going after the ball when you’re on defense and the kids did that tonight. Those things are important.”

Etzler said the team needs to be working all phases of offense. “A threat with one running back or to threaten with running the ball but not with throwing the ball just hurts our offense,” Etzler said. Three running backs that can effectively run the ball and have a passer associated with it … well, we think that type of offense is fairly dangerous.”

Busco lost a large part of its rushing offense when Brandon Hiatt and Paul Liggett graduated in June. Hiatt and Liggett made CHS history when they become the first duo to rush for 1,000 yards for the Eagles.

The Eagles take on Central Noble this Friday night at Central Noble in Albion. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

Catch exciting video coverage of the game on this Web site.