ELKHART — Those baby lion cubs are playing well ... but there are two experienced veterans leading the way.
Junior Ta'Michael Brown caught four touchdown passes and senior Frankie Willis rushed for 130 yards and added a score, as Elkhart defeated South Bend Adams 40-23 in Friday to finish the regular season 6-3 and 5-2 in the Northern Indiaan Conference.
"Our offense is clicking and I think we left a couple scores out there,'' Elkhart coach Travon Curry said. "We have some young kids in there and they're really coming through for us in a big way.''
One of those young kids is freshman quarterback Brayden Barkman-Narvaez, who completed 12 of his 24 passes for 218 yards and those four touchdowns to Brown in his first varsity start. He also had two long potential touchdown passes dropped.
"I like the way he runs the offense ... he takes charge out there,'' Curry said. "Brayden is a real football nerd, so he knows the game really well and he throws a really nice ball.''
Barkman-Narvaez threw touchdown passes of 44 and 35 yards to Brown in the first quarter, the first coming one play after Adams fumbled a punt. with the Lions recovering at the Eagles' 44.
After junior kicker Kemden Kemble drilled a 47-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter, Elkhart led 16-0 and looked to be on its way to an easy win.
But the Eagles responded with their best drive of the evening, going 80 yards on 13 plays — aided by two Elkhart pass interference penalties — to cut the lead in half.
Amani McKeel finished the drive with a 12 yard touchdown run and then added the two point conversion to cut the lead to 16-8 at the half.
The game began to change early in the third quarter, when Willis got off a good punt that turned into a great one thanks to some bounces on the Rice Field turf.
Willis' 53-yard punt was downed at the Adams four and three plays later, the Eagles were forced to punt.
Elkhart took over on the Adams 29 and on the first play, Barkman Narvaez threw a perfect pass to Brown in the left corner of the end for a touchdown that pushed the lead to 23-8.
Another fumbled punt by the Eagles, this one recovered by Elkhart's Zane Guerrero at the Adams 10, would help put the game away.
One play after the fumble, Willis scored to push the lead to 30-8 going into the fourth quarter.
Barkman Narvaez would find Brown again for a 49-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the final quarter, before Adams would score back-to-back touchdowns on a 49-yard run by Jarvis Saurel-Banner and a 52-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Gubi to Jeffrey Seitz to pull a little closer
Kemble's second field goal of the game, this one a 30-yarder with 3:03 left, put the finishing touches on the Lions' win.
Saurel-Banner had a strong game for Adams, carrying the ball 21 times for 151 yards and a score.
Elkhart finished with just 24 more total yards than the Eagles, but Adams was obviously hurt by four turnovers.
Brown led the way for the Lions, catching eight passes for 188 yards and his four touchdowns.
Now both teams will get two weeks before opening IHSAA sectional play on Oct. 30. The extra week off is something Curry says his team needs.
"It's been a crazy year for injuries ... I think we have 11 or 12 kids with broken bones,'' Curry said. "We can use the week to get healthy and ready for the playoffs. But I will say, those young guys that have had to step in and play have done a great job and gained some valuable experience.''
One of the players on the sidelines for Elkhart was senior Micah Jarrell, who injured a hamstring working out at a college visit this week. The team's starting quarterback until Friday, who played receiver for much of the Lions' win over Marian last week, hopes to be back for the sectional.
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ELKHART 40, SB ADAMS 23
Adams;0;8;0;15;—;23
Elkhart;13;3;14;10;—;40
First Quarter
E — Ta'Michael Brown 44 from Brayden Barkman Narvaez; Kemden Kemble kick 10:46
E — Brown 35 pass from Barkman Navaez; kick blocked; 4:11
Second Quarter
E — Kemble 47 field goal; 11:55.
A — Amani McKeel 12 run; McKeel run; 6;31.
Third Quarter
E — Brown 29 pass from Barkman Navaez; Kemble kick; 6:12.
E — Frankie Willis 10 run; Kemble kick; 2:03.
Fourth Quarter
E — Brown 49 pass from Barkman Navaez; Kemble kick; 11:54.
A — Jarvis Saurel-Banner 49 run; McKeel run; 9:40.
A — Anthony Gubi 52 pass to Jeffrey Seitz; Carlos Cubilio kick; 4:40.
E — Kemble 30 field goal; 3:03.
Team Statistics
;SBA;Elk
Rush yards;180;100
Pass yards;108;212
Total yards;288;312
First downs;13;17
Fumbles-lost;3-3;2-2
Had intercepted;1;0
Penalties-yds;14-94;4-50
Individual Leaders
Adams: Rushing — Jarvis Saurel-Banner 21-151, Amani McKeel 3-18, Lamarr Shaw 1-8. Passing — Cayden Keen 4-10-18, Anthony Gubi 3-7-90. Receiving — Jeffrey Seitz 3-72, Lennox Benton 1-12, Amani McKeel 1-8.
Elkhart: Rushing — Frankie Willis 15-130, William Smith 9-20. Passing — Brayden Barkman Narvaez 12-24-212. Receiving — Ta'Michael Brown 9-188, Dakren McGhee 1-20, Frankie Willis 4-4. Interception — Spencer Leininger.