The Sword stays at Harrison behind stingy defense, Ben Henderson's big night

WEST LAFAYETTE – Ben Henderson right. Ben Henderson left. Ben Henderson up the middle.

Notice a trend?

More Ben Henderson moments – a long touchdown pass to Brendan Gothrup and another deep completion to Carter McDonald to set up a score.

Add it all up and Harrison’s quarterback accounted for five touchdowns Friday night as the Raiders rolled past rival McCutcheon 38-3 at Rickard Field. The Sword stays at Harrison.

“It means everything,” defensive lineman Josh McKelvin said. “We want to keep The Sword every chance we get.”

Henderson played a role in making sure the rivalry trophy didn’t head south but so did the defense keeping the Mavericks (1-3, 1-1) off the scoreboard during the game’s final 44 minutes. Gavin Goodwin intercepted quarterback Owen Smith in the end zone with McCutcheon poised to take the lead in the second quarter.

From there, the Raiders stymied the Mavericks’ offense and Henderson tormented the defense by gaining 320 total yards. The 6-foot-4 senior quarterback hasn’t been a big centerpiece of the offense during the first three games but showcased his skill set Friday.

“I feel like we can get better,” Henderson said. “I feel like we have a lot of ground to gain, and we definitely can do it. It’s a new offense and we’re going to keep getting better.”

Scary thought for future opponents but the new offense is gaining traction every week. Friday was a significant step against a county and North Central Conference rival for the Raiders (3-1, 2-0) as they approach the halfway mark of the season.

The changes to the offense are starting to pay dividends.

“We knew he could throw and that brought in the throwing option,” Harrison coach Terry Peebles said. “Instead of having three running backs and the quarterback, the quarterback is one of the running backs. It’s the best fit for the kids we have.”

Henderson had TD runs of 5, 3, 24 and 5-yards and a 42-yard strike to Gothrup to open the second half and build a 17-3 lead. After losing two fumbles in the first quarter, the Raiders and Henderson started gaining yards, points and momentum.

“It reminds me of a train,” said Henderson, who rushed for 163 yards on 16 carries and was 9 of 13 passing. “Once a train gets going, it’s hard to stop.”

It was the same with the defense, which took over the game after the interception and made it difficult for the Mavericks, who have lost four straight in the series.

Through four games, Harrison’s defense is in a good place by making stops and forcing turnovers. The Raiders have allowed a combined 23 points in the last three games, all wins. They limited the Mavericks to 180 total yards.

“We’ve had our ups and downs and this year we set a new tone to get every stop, every 3-and-out and get turnovers,” McKelvin said. “It’s good for us to keep the offense in the game and let them know the defense still has their back.”

McCutcheon was coming off its first win last week against Muncie Central but still saw progress by scoring first and keeping it a one-possession game at halftime. It may be hard to see but the Mavericks are moving forward under first-year coach Josh Strasser.

Smith made plays in the passing game and Strasser sprinkled in some razzle-dazzle with a halfback pass to set up an early field goal.

“I feel like every week that’s been the case,” Strasser said. “Our kids are taking those steps. We’re doing a lot more than what people expected us to do early on in this transition. We threw some punches, and we were in position again with some opportunities.”

But this night belonged to Henderson, his dual-threat style and a defense that continues to make strides.

“Our defense played great,” Peebles said. “We had those terrible fumbles but after the second one, we were moving the line of scrimmage and moving the ball. It was nice to come out in the second half and play well on both sides of the ball.”

Mike Carmin covers Purdue sports for the Journal & Courier and USA Today Network. Email mcarmin@gannett.com and follow on Twitter and Instagram @carmin_jc

HARRISON 38, McCUTCHEON 3

M 3 0 0 0 - 3

H 0 10 14 14 - 38

First Quarter

M - Grubb 28 FG

Second Quarter

H - Stene 26 FG

H - Henderson 5 run (Stene kick)

Third Quarter

H - Gothrup 42 pass from Henderson (Stene kick)

H - Henderson 3 run (Stene kick)

Fourth Quarter

H - Henderson 24 run (Stene kick)

H - Henderson 5 run (Stene kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: McCutcheon, Gagnon 10-18, Escalara 10-24, Fell 1-4, Smith 5-(minus 14). Harrison, Henderson 16-163, Popp 10-68, Knoy 10-63, Ferguson 2-18, Debernardi 1-(minus 3), Klemme 1-(minus 3).

PASSING: McCutcheon, Smith 11-17-1-121, Little 1-1-0-27. Harrison, Henderson 9-13-0-157.

RECEIVING: McCutcheon, Little 3-74, Arnold 1-27, Morrison 5-23, Sorrells 2-13. Morland 1-11. Harrison, McDonald 3-58, Gothrup 3-41, Knoy 1-36, Walters 2-22.

Harrison is 3-1 (2-0 North Central Conference); McCutcheon is 1-3 (1-1)

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: IHSAA football: McCutcheon at Harrison scores highlights analysis