Switzerland County Athletics

VEVAY, Ind. — The Switzerland County Pacers battled from start to finish Friday night but came up short against the visiting South Dearborn Knights, falling 28-12 in a hard-fought home contest. Despite facing a South Dearborn program from a significantly larger school and dealing with a numbers disadvantage, the Pacers showed plenty of fight throughout the evening. Switzerland County had opportunities to keep the game within reach but was unable to capitalize on enough of them against the Knights. South Dearborn struck first with a 23-yard touchdown pass in the opening quarter and added a 33-yard scoring pass early in the second quarter to build a 14-0 advantage. The Pacers answered with a big play of their own when Aiden Mosley connected with Masin Stroud for a 45-yard touchdown. Switzerland County then closed the gap to 14-12 when Aiden Greene scored on a 5-yard touchdown run later in the second quarter, however, the 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete to Stroud. The Pacers went into halftime trailing by just two points, but South Dearborn used its size and depth to pull away in the second half. The Knights scored on an 18-yard run in the third quarter and added a 26-yard touchdown run in the fourth to secure the 28-12 victory. Mosley completed 3 of 8 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown, with Stroud accounting for all three receptions and all 76 receiving yards, including the 45-yard touchdown that saw him break multiple tackles on the way to the end zone. Greene carried the ball 18 times for 22 yards and scored Switzerland County's other touchdown. South Dearborn controlled the statistical battle, running 67 plays to Switzerland County's 44 and outgaining the Pacers 366-102 in total offense. The Knights rushed for 203 yards and added 163 through the air while picking up 17 first downs. Switzerland County recorded five first downs, and while the Pacers converted 5 of 12 third-down opportunities, they were unable to generate enough sustained offense to overcome South Dearborn's advantage in total yardage. Defensively, the Pacers continued to compete and came away with two interceptions, both recorded by Stroud. Stroud also led Switzerland County with six tackles and an assist. Grayson Levell and Peyton Stewart each recorded four tackles and an assist, while Greene finished with three tackles and three assists. Brackston Sullivan contributed three tackles, two assists, a sack and a tackle for loss. Head Coach Ryan Jesop said he was proud of the way his team refused to quit against a bigger and more experienced opponent. “I’m really proud of the way our kids fought until the very end. We were going up against a much bigger school and a very physical football team, and our guys continued to compete all night. We had some opportunities that could have changed the momentum of the game, but with such a young and inexperienced group, we just weren’t able to capitalize on all of them. Those are things we have to learn from and continue to grow through. There are no moral victories, and we know we have a lot of work to do, but I’m proud of the heart and fight our kids showed. If they continue to compete like that and learn from these experiences, I believe this team has a chance to keep getting better every week.” The loss drops the Pacers to 1-1 after a challenging early-season test, but Switzerland County showed it could compete and battle against a larger opponent. With a young roster continuing to gain valuable experience, the Pacers will look to build on Friday night's effort as they turn their attention to the next challenge on the schedule as they go on the road to face Clarksville.