PENDLETON — Pendleton Heights ushered in the overdue autumn chill in the grandest of ways. On a night perfect for football, the Arabians not only knocked off one of the Hoosier Heritage Conference’s toughest teams, they knocked off the No. 6-ranked team in Class 4A.
The 28-22 defeat of the visiting Delta Eagles gives the Arabians the motivation needed to not only finish the season, but also to go into the sectional with confidence and focus.
Pendleton Heights clamped its defense on an Eagles team who hadn’t scored less than 27 in any game this season and had held its opponents to 10 points or less before Friday.
Joe Rios scored twice for the Arabians.
Arabians quarterback Kirby Hess did not have the best night passing but rushed for one touchdown.
Late in the game, Hess intercepted a Delta pass and ran back for a touchdown.
“He’s a heck of a ballplayer, and you saw that this evening,” coach Jed Richman said.
Richman said his running backs want the action even if they don’t have the ball, and all put up key blocks for their teammates.
“Rios got his run. That was a senior taking the football game over,” Richman said.
“Delta’s for real, and I think we are, too, but we haven’t proven it. Tonight’s the first step in that,” Richman said. “We’re going to enjoy this one.”
Longtime Arabians head football coach John Broughton was honored at halftime for his induction to the Indiana Football Hall of Fame. The Arabians ran one of Broughton’s signature plays to open the game.
Richman knows his team has gotten better, but with back-to-back losses to New Palestine and Mt. Vernon, he said sometimes it’s hard for others to see.
“Tonight was proof of what we’ve been seeing in practice,” Richman said.
There’s little time to breathe as the Arabians — 4-3 on the season (3-2, Hoosier Heritage Conference) — travel on Friday to Yorktown (5-2, 3-2 HHC).
“We’ve got to build on this,” Richman said. “We didn’t play perfect. We also didn’t throw the ball effectively tonight.”
Game time at Yorktown is 7:30 p.m.
