Concord 19, Indian River 12
For details on the Indians' loss in the Division II state tournament semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 29, click on the score above.
Indian River 7, Smyrna 6
For details on the victory that gave the Indians the Henlopen South crown and an automatic berth in the Division II state tournament, click the score above.
Indian River 21, Milford 14
The Indians set themselves up for a shot at the Henlopen Conference Southern Division title with a come-from-behind win in the fourth quarter on Friday, Nov. 7.
IR trailed 14-13 in the fourth quarter before running back Therman Hagans scored on a 12-yard run and added the two-point conversion run for the go-ahead points.
The win lifted IR to 6-3 overall and ensured a winning season for the first time since an 8-2 record in 1998 and only the 11th winning season in the program's 34-year history.
More importantly, it gave the Indians a 4-1 record in the Henlopen South with one game remaining against unbeaten Smyrna.
If the Indians beat Smyrna and Lake Forest loses to Milford on Friday, Nov. 14, the Indians would win the Henlopen South championship and the automatic Division II state tournament berth that goes with it.
If Lake Forest beats Milford, the Indians would have to beat Smyrna by at least 8 points to claim the title under the conference's three-way tie-breaking procedure that uses the total points between the three tied teams.
To date, Smyrna is 5-0 in the South and IR and Lake Forest are both 4-1. Lake Forest beat IR 7-0, while Smyrna beat Lake Forest 7-0.
"It's one of those things (division title) that early in the year you put on the 3x5 card that asks what are your goals," said IR head coach Jim Bunting, whose resignation at the end of the season was announced earlier in the week.
" I guess each year, as optimistic coaches, we all say we want to win the South, but we have a talented group of guys that believes they can. They were talking last night about the (tie-breaking) scenarios just like we were. We don't want to go in the back door, though. Their idea is to beat Smyrna and win it straight out."
As for the Milford win, Bunting was pleased to get the program its first winning season in five years.
"So far it's been a good ride," said Bunting. "They can't take that (winning record) away from me this year. That's the worst I can do."
Bunting said he expected a tough game with Milford and its backfield and that's just what the Indians got. The Bucs took leads of 7-0 and 14-13 to force IR to come from behind.
The Indians did that with some big pass plays, some key defensive plays, and a powerful running attack that accounted for 258 yards.
Hagans lead the way with 118 yards on 18 carries, Josh Long added 82 more on 14 carries, and quarterback Grant Hastings rushed 9 times for 46 yards including a pair of two-yard quarterback sneaks for touchdowns in the second and third quarters.
Hastings only completed 2 of his 7 passes, but they went for 52 yards to Long to set up one score and 35 to Phil Hall to set up another.
Bunting spread the credit for the Indians' winning season around, from the offensive line to the special teams to defensive coach Mike Norton, a former Laurel and Indian River head coach, and offensive coaches Ray Steele and Paul Kmetz, also a former Laurel head coach.
The offensive line is keyed by tackle Frank Shockley, the only senior on a line that also includes center Zack Mitchell, left guard Scott Bollinger, right guard Milton Taylor, tight end D.J. Singleterry, and Bulkeley at split end. Brian Lynch has filled in for injured starter Dustin McCray at right tackle the past two games.
"Frank Shockley, if he isn't all-state, then somebody is blind," said Bunting.
Defensively, the Indians got an interception from Jerry Meiklejohn in the fourth quarter and a fumble recovery by Jon Bulkeley on the Milford 6 to set up a score.
As for his resignation, Bunting said the kids have known for some time that he planned to leave the program at the end of the season to spend more time with his family. He said his decision wasn't meant to be announced publicly until after the season.
"That was a mistake or a slip of the tongue," said Bunting. "The kids have known this. I think it's more that the community is upset with me and wondering why I did it (announcement) now. I didn't mean to do it now.
"I don't see an emotional letdown or a high from the kids over it. We talked about it as a staff and with the kids. We have those who say, 'Come on coach, we can win it again and we want you to be there'. It's not like they didn't know this. But now it's out and we'll just go from there."
Indian River 40, Polytech 8
The Indians routed Polytech in a nonconference game on Friday, Oct. 31, and learned the next week that head coach Jim Bunting plans to resign at the end of the season.
The victory guaranteed at least a .500 season for IR, which improved to 5-3 overall.
The Indians are 3-1 in the Henlopen Conference Southern Division and visit Milford on Nov. 7 and host Smyrna on Nov. 14 with their post-season hopes in the balance.
Bunting, meanwhile, said his second stint as the Indians' head coach will end after this season so he can spend more time with his family.
The game with Polytech didn't start as a rout as the Indians built a 13-0 lead only to see Polytech pull within 13-8 in the second period.
IR, however, ran off 20 unanswered points to take a 33-8 halftime lead on a 1-yard sneak by quarterback Grant Hastings, a touchdown run by running back Therman Hagans, and a 50-yard interception return by Jerry Meiklejohn.
Josh Gott scored on a 4-yard run in the second half to close the scoring and give the Indians their first 40-point game since a 40-17 win over Polytech on Oct. 27, 2000.
The Indians started fast with a 56-yard touchdown run on an end-around by wide receiver John Bulkeley on the game's first play from scrimmage.
The Indians then went ahead 13-0 on their next possession on a 53-yard pass from Hastings to running back Josh Long.
The Indians' final two regular season games will determine their playoff fate.
With three losses, they must beat Milford on Nov. 7 and unbeaten Smyrna on Nov. 14 and hope that Lake Forest loses one of its final two games to Laurel on Nov. 7 or Milford on Nov. 14.
If that happens, the Indians would win the South and the automatic Division II state tournament berth that goes with it.
Smyrna is 4-0 in the South, while IR and Lake Forest are both 3-1, with Lake Forest having beaten Indian River but having lost to Smyrna. Smyrna faces Delmar on Nov. 7 before visiting IR on Nov. 14.
Indian River 29, Laurel 23 (OT)
The Indians threw a wrinkle into the Henlopen Conference Southern Division race with the overtime upset on Friday, Oct. 24.
In improving to 3-1 in the division and 4-3 overall with their second straight win, the Indians set themselves up for a chance to win the South title and automatic Division II state tournament berth if they can beat Milford on Nov. 7 and Smyrna on Nov. 14 and if Lake Forest loses one of its last three games.
In the process, they also dealt Laurel a devastating blow. Coming off a Division II state tournament season, the Bulldogs were the pre-season favorites to win the South.
The Indians hadn't beaten Laurel since 1989, but behind a pair of rushing touchdowns by Matt Long and Therman Hagans, including a home field bounce, they pulled the game out in the extra period.
In overtime, Hagans took an option pitch and dropped it, only to have it bounce back into his hands on his way to the winning 6-yard touchdown run.
The Indians forced overtime when quarterback Grant Hastings scored on a 1-yard keeper and Hagans ran in the two-point conversion to make it 23-23.
The IR defense then came up with the stop of the year by nailing Laurel quarterback Andy Hartstein on fourth-and-goal within inches of the goal-line to keep the game tied.
Long rushed for 77 yards on 20 carries, while quarterback Grant Hastings did his damage on the ground with 63 yards on 12 attempts.
Indian River 23, Delmar 7
The Indians beat Delmar for the first time in six years and kept their Henlopen Conference Southern Division title hopes alive on Friday, Oct. 17.
Now 2-1 in the South and 3-3 overall, IR spotted Delmar a 7-3 lead before scoring 20 unanswered points behind quarterback Grant Hastings.
Hastings completed 9 of 10 passes for 186 yards including of 11 and 60 yards to running back Josh Long and tight end D.J. Singleterry.
Long also scored on a 49-yard run in the third quarter to end any hopes Delmar had of a comeback. He finished with 114 yards rushing on 15 carries.
Matt Polly gave the Indians their first points with a 30-yard field goal.
Lake Forest 7, Indian River 0
The Indians were shut out for the first time this season in a tough Henlopen Conference loss on Friday, Oct. 10.
In falling to 1-1 in the Southern Division and 2-3 overall, the Indians fell behind 7-0 in the first quarter and were unable to penetrate Lake Forest's defense despite moving into Spartan territory on several occasions.
IR turned the ball over four times on interceptions. Lake Forest capitalized on one of those interceptions to scored its only touchdown in the first quarter.
Indian quarterback Grant Hastings completed 7 of 13 passes for 90 yards, but leading rusher Therman Hagans was limited to just 22 yards on the ground.
The victory improved Lake Forest to 1-1 in the conference and 3-3 overall.
Indian River 19, Woodbridge 6
The Indians started their Henlopen Conference Southern Division season with a come-from-behind victory on Friday, Oct. 3.
Trailing 6-0 in the first quarter, IR improved to 2-2 overall by scoring the game's final 19 points, starting with a 37-yard touchdown run by Phil Hall and an extra point by Matt Polly in the second period.
The Indians expanded their lead to 13-6 to start the fourth quarter when quarterback Grant Hastings hooked up with end John Bulkeley on a 12-yard scoring pass.
That score was set up by a fumble recovery by Josh Gott.
The Indians closed the game out on a 1-yard touchdown run by Therman Hagans. The score was set up by a fumble recovery by D.J. Singleterry deep in Woodbridge territory.
Indian River 27, Washington (Md.) 8
Photo: IR running back Therman Hagans (21) runs behind the blocks of fullback Tremayne Moorman (40) and receiver Jerry Meiklejohn (85).
The Indians collected their first victory of the season with the nonconference win over the visitors from Princess Anne, Md.
Indian River, now 1-2 overall, took a 14-0 halftime lead on a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Grant Hastings to split end John Bulkeley and a 1-yard sneak by Hastings that was set up by a 40-yard toss from Hastings to tight end D.J. Singleterry.
Washington, however, scored a touchdown and two-point conversion to start the third quarter and pull within 14-8. But the Indians responded with a long drive capped by a 9-yard touchdown run by Therman Hagans.
"They showed character," said IR head coach Jim Bunting of his team's response to Washington's third quarter score. "I've seen teams here that would go belly up after that."
Bunting expressed frustration with his team in the first half, when the Indians coughed up one fumble and committed a number of penalties.
But after Washington's score to open the second half, Bunting said his team came together. Tremayne Moorman scored the Indians' final TD on a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter.
"I was kind of aggravated in the first half," said Bunting. "The team I know we have showed up in the second half."
Hastings completed 7 of 15 passes for 141 yards. Hagans rushed for 83 yards.
Sussex Central 16, Indian River 6
The Indians took their district rivals to the limit on Friday, Sept. 12, in the closest score in years between the two teams.
Although they fell to 0-2, the Indians made much more of a game of it than they did in a 63-14 loss to Sussex Central a year ago.
The Indians took a surprising 6-0 lead in the third period on a 6-yard run by Therman Hagans. The run was set up by a 62-yard pass from quarterback Grant Hastings to wide receiver John Bulkeley.
The Knights, though, came back with a touchdown for a 7-6 lead in the third quarter before adding a touchdown and a safety in the fourth period.
Nandua 15, Indian River 14
The Indians started strong but couldn't hold on to an early lead as they started their 2003 campaign with a nonconference defeat on Friday, Sept. 5.
The Indians took a 14-3 lead in the first quarter but saw Nandua take the lead for good with a touchdown on its first possession of the second half.
The Indians jumped out to their early lead on touchdown runs of 7 and 35 yards by Therman Hagans. Hagans' 35-yarder gave IR a 14-3 lead with 2:28 remaining in the first period.
Hagans finished with 104 yards rushing on 12 carries, while fullback Tremayne Moorman ran for 50 yards on 6 attempts.
2003 Video Clips
