The hype was there and the excitement was building for a Dayton football team sitting at 7-0 for the first time in nearly 60 years.
Greendevil Stadium was buzzing Friday night.
Standing across the field was Newport Central Catholic, a program that has long set the standard in the district. The Thoroughbreds entered the night with a 2-5 record, a mark that might have suggested vulnerability to some. NewCath, however, had no intention of surrendering its place atop the district hierarchy.
By the time Friday night was over, the message was unmistakable. NewCath is still here.
The Thoroughbreds reminded everyone why they remain the team to beat in the Class 1A, 3rd District, racing past Dayton 47-7 at Greendevil Stadium and delivering a decisive reality check.
NewCath did it by doing something Dayton had made a habit of doing all season: controlling the game on the ground. The Thoroughbreds gashed the Greendevils with their rushing attack, giving Dayton a taste of its own medicine while largely shutting down the potent ground game that had fueled the Greendevils’ remarkable start.
It was a complete team performance, highlighted by four touchdowns from Van Hundemer, who found the end zone three times on the ground and once through the air.
“Hats off to our offensive line. They just dominated up front.” Thoroughbreds coach Terry Brown said. “Van Hundemer did a great job of running behind his blocks, running behind the shoulder pads, picking up those hard yards. Defense was able to create some turnovers and it was just a great overall team win.”
PHOTOS: Slideshow provided by Charles Bolton
From the opening stages, NewCath made it clear that Dayton would have to deal with something it hadn’t faced all season: adversity.
The Thoroughbreds jumped out to a 14-0 lead, putting the Greendevils in an unfamiliar position. For the first time this season, Dayton found itself in a hole, forced to chase the game rather than dictate its terms.
“I call it the blue flu. So over all the years, we play the jersey,” Greendevils coach Jesse Herbst said. “Overcoming that mental hurdle has been our biggest problem.”
To their credit, the Greendevils responded. A touchdown from Malachi Kennedy three yards out cut the deficit to 14-7 with 32 seconds to go in the first.
The Thoroughbreds answered with authority, and Hundemer delivered one of the night’s defining plays. Tyler Fennell connected with Hundemer on a 26-yard leaping touchdown grab, extending the lead and helping send NewCath into halftime with a commanding 26-7 advantage.
If there was any hope of a second-half comeback, the Thoroughbreds quickly extinguished it.
NewCath poured in three more touchdowns in the third quarter, pushing the margin to 47-7 and turning the remainder of the night into a formality. The Thoroughbreds’ ground attack continued to roll as Max Meyer found the end zone twice, while Dayton’s offense was unable to generate the kind of response.
“We melted like butter,” Herbst said.
Not to mention, NewCath dealt with short fields all night. The defense forced four turnovers, constantly putting the ‘Breds on the positive side of the field.
On a chilly Friday night, the result sent the Dayton faithful home early, the pregame buzz replaced by the sobering reality of a lopsided defeat.
For NewCath, the victory was about far more than improving its record. At 2-5, the Thoroughbreds arrived with something to prove, and they did so in emphatic fashion. They were battle-tested, prepared for the challenge of playing on the road, and seemingly unfazed by the atmosphere surrounding Dayton’s historic start.
“We knew our non-district schedule was going to be tough,” Brown said. “But it challenged us. It showed us what we needed to work on, and I think we’re starting to come to fruition now.”
The 40-point victory also secured NewCath yet another regular-season district title. The Thoroughbreds will close out district play at home next week against Bellevue.
For Dayton, the loss stings, particularly after a 7-0 start, but plenty of important football is still ahead. Next week’s trip to Newport will determine which team earns the No. 2 seed in district play and the valuable opportunity to host a first-round playoff game.
THOROUGHBREDS 47, GREENDEVILS 7
NEWCATH — 14-12-21-0 — 47
DAYTON — 7-0-0-0 — 7
Scoring Plays
1st Quarter
(NCC) V. Hundemer 2-yard run (6:28) Wittrock kick
(NCC) V. Hundemer 2-yard run (4:18) Wittrock kick
(D) Kennedy 3-yard run (:32) Weaver kick
2nd Quarter
(NCC) P. Hundemer 4-yard run (7:54) kick failed
(NCC) Fennell 26-yard pass to V. Hundemer (:22) Pass failed
3rd Quarter
(NCC) V. Hundemer 5-yard run (9:41) Wittrock kick
(NCC) Meyer 2-yard run (4:39) Wittrock kick
(NCC) Meyer 3-yard run (:45) Wittrock kick)
Records: Newport Central Catholic (3-5, 2-0), Dayton (7-1, 1-1)
