Like many places in Northeast Indiana, weather played a role in Friday night’s rivalry showdown in DeKalb County. But while it may have changed the narrative of the game, it couldn’t change the outcome as Garrett picked up a 33-30 overtime win at DeKalb.
It was the second time in the history of the series that the game went to overtime. The first also saw the Railroaders win back in 1974.
The win made Garrett coach Chris Depew the winningest coach in Garrett football history. It was a milestone victory that led to an emotional postgame speech in what was an emotional night between the two rivals.
Garrett opened the game up like wildfire, overcoming an early turnover to jump out 20-0 on the host Barons before lightning delay caused a 30 minute delay. Unlike in other parts of the area though, the 30 minutes was all that mother nature was able to take away and the two teams reconvened on the field with all signs pointing towards a Garrett beat down of their county foes. Instead, DeKalb regrouped during the delay and got to work clawing their way back into the game.
Garrett opened the scoring after the teams exchanged fumbles, but first set up their score with a 40 yard connection between Calder Hefty and Parker Skelly that got things past mid field. It all set up Cam Ruble’s opening score late in the first quarter. After a second quarter holding call brought back a potential long touchdown, Hefty doubled down and the Railroader quarterback took it himself for an 86 yard score. Another DeKalb fumble led to Garrett’s third touchdown and the second for Ruble on the ground, marking the second week in a row that Garrett had scored two touchdowns in a row in less than 20 seconds.
And then the lightning struck in the distance forcing a 30 minute delay.
When the teams got back together, it was almost all DeKalb. The teams traded initial possessions but the Barons started working the ball down the field on Caiden Hinkle runs and quick hitter gains passing with DeKalb quarterback Will Weber working it to Noah Spears and Xavier Bell consistently. DeKalb found pay dirt for the first time just before half on a Hinkle six-yard touchdown run.
The second half opened with DeKalb in the hole, but a Brady Culler hit forced another Garrett fumble and just 59 seconds into the second half, Weber and Bell connected for a 16 yard touchdown. The Railroaders swung back with Hefty and Skelly, first connecting on a 43 yard pass and then finishing a scoring drive with a reverse sweep to extend their lead to 27-13. It would take just over two minutes though for DeKalb to score again with Weber and Bell connecting; Weber would tie the game on a 20 yard touchdown pass to Hinkle briefly into the fourth quarter.
That all brought the game into overtime with the host Barons getting there first crack from 10 yards in. Hinkle was the go to guy early in overtime, but DeKalb couldn’t break their way into the end zone and instead had to settle for a field goal to push them ahead 30-27. It would then be up to the Baron defense to hold the Garrett offense after another night of quick hitters and grind them out drives.
It came down to a fourth down a yard out from the goal line and the Railroaders perfectly used Ruble as a decoy up the middle, only for Hefty to break out to the right side for the win.
Hefty led Garrett with 126 yards passing on three completions while also running for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Ruble also scored twice on the ground while running for 61 yards; Skelly was the recipient of all 126 passing yards.
Weber took the lead for DeKalb, throwing for 184 yards on 13-of-22 passing with three touchdowns. Bell and Hinkle each caught six passes with Bell having 101 yards receiving to Hinkle’s 71. Hinkle added 76 yards rushing for the Barons.
Postgame, the Garrett players doused Depew with the contents of their water cooler to celebrate the career win milestone as well as the victory over a rival before NECC play starts next week at Churubusco. Garrett is now 2-0 for the first time since 2021, a year that also included an overtime victory in that two week span; Garrett has not started 3-0 since 2016’s 12-2 campaign.
Be the first to comment