Delta waxes Frankfort, faces rematch with New Palestine
October 15, 2011
The StarPress

MUNCIE -- Suddenly, Class 4A Sectional 13 just got awfully intriguing.
Delta and New Palestine each won their football sectional openers Friday by identical, wildly lopsided scores: 62-0.

Now, the two programs will clash again.
Class 4A No. 1 New Pal beat Central at home, and Delta -- impressively resurgent the last few weeks -- absolutely throttled visiting Frankfort. The two teams now will play each other at Delta next Friday in a rematch of a game from earlier this season, one the Eagles lost 31-20 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

"They are a very good football team," Delta coach Grant Zgunda said. "We had our chances to beat them earlier this year. We're going to have to play really, really well, but it's a challenge. If you're a competitor, you look forward to that."

Speaking of looking forward, Delta was able to do that relatively early during Friday's game against Frankfort.

After a flawless offensive attack in the first quarter that included three touchdowns, two by Landon Lambert -- one on the ground and another receiving -- the Eagles exploded in the second quarter with four more touchdowns for a 49-0 halftime lead.

A series of events in the second quarter pretty-well encapsulated just how the game went for Delta.

Faced with a fourth-and-14 but too far out to kick a fieldgoal, the Eagles attempted to convert a first down with a pass play, ahead 21-0, but failed. After the change of possession and on the ensuing play, Frankfort fumbled the ball and Delta's Ryan Bickford recovered. Set up on the Frankfort 11-yard line after the turnover, Delta quarterback Ozzie Mann connected with Jake Greenberg -- blanketed by two defenders -- with a wonderfully thrown ball for a quick score.
On Frankfort's very next offensive possession, Delta's Avery Haisley picked off a pass over the middle by Frankfort quarterback Kansas Varner and returned it 31 yards. On Delta's ensuing offensive play, Mann threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Landon Lambert.The two Delta touchdowns were Nos. 2 and 3 of five straight touchdowns on five consecutive offensive plays for the Eagles.

"I'm proud of the way we played," Zgunda said. "I thought we were sharp in the running game and the passing game. We weren't sloppy, and things of that nature. It doesn't matter who you play, if you play as well as we did in the first half, you're doing something right."

Lambert, a senior, was a spark all night for the Eagles, who broke the 60-point barrier for the first time since the 2004 season.

In addition to the three touchdowns in the first half, he also had a second-quarter interception that he returned for 45 yards to set up the fourth TD in the five-score spurt.

"My guys threw some good blocks tonight," Lambert said. "I think as a team we played pretty well."

In the third quarter, Lambert tacked on a fourth touchdown just before the starters were pulled.

"He's a heck of a player. He's so multidimensional," Zgunda said of Lambert "... I'm happy for him that he had a big game like that. He means a lot to our football team, obviously."

Friday's win -- Delta's most lopsided victory since an 81-14 win against Jay County in 1999 -- was the fourth straight impressive win for Delta. The Eagles have allowed a combined 35 points in the four games and only 13 points in its last three.

The success has come after three straight losses in the middle of the season, and after the team was forced to forfeit two wins earlier in the season due to an ineligible player.

"I'm real happy with the progression we've made," Zgunda said.
Now the Eagles will get the chance to test that progression against the top-ranked 4A program in the state."It's definitely going to be a battle," Lambert said. "We have to come ready to play for sure."

Delta 45 Shelbyville 6
October 15, 2011
The StarPress

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. -- In one play, Delta quickly set the tone for what was to come Friday night at Shelbyville.

On a 63-yard pass, 30 of which was through the air, quarterback Ozzie Mann connected with Landon Lambert for a first-play score that vaulted the Eagles ahead, never to look back again.

"We talk a lot about the team that scores first," Delta coach Grant Zgunda said. "We want to strike first. That's something we talk about a lot."

The score was the first of many for the Eagles.

Bryce Dishman added a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and the Eagles scored four more in the second.

Jalen Robinson caught a nine-yard pass from Mann for a score, Mann ran for a 2-yard touchdown, Mason Bechdolt busted loose for a 52-yard touchdown run and Ryan Bickford added another.

Bickford's came with just seconds left in the half. Shelbyville scored their only points of the game just before halftime and with a few seconds remaining had to kickoff to Delta. Bickford proceeded to return the kick 80 yards for a score and a 36-6 Delta lead at the break.Mann connected with Robinson again in the third on a 15-yard touchdown pass.

All told, Mann completed 12-of-19 passes for 196 yards, no interceptions, three touchdowns and he rushed for the one score, too.

"He's played that way for a while now," Zgunda said. "He's playing really well. Even the incompletions we've got, they're non-catches and really good plays by the defense."

After experiencing a three-game losing streak in the middle of the season, the Eagles finished the regular season strong with Friday's win. It was the third straight for Delta, who allowed just 13 total points in its final two games.

"There is no question about it, these last three games we have played better on both sides of the ball," Zgunda said.

The Eagles play host to Frankfort on Friday in the sectional opener at 7 p.m.

Arabians run over Delta
By George Bremer
The Herald Bulletin
September 24, 2011

PENDLETON, Ind. - Jon Furrow ran 66 yards for a touchdown on the team's first play from scrimmage, and Pendleton Heights rarely stopped running Friday night.

In front of an estimated 5,000 fans on homecoming, the Arabians rushed for 282 yards and wore out rival Delta 31-12. It was the first time Pendleton Heights (5-1) had beaten the Eagles (1-5) since 2005, and the smile on head coach John Broughton's face afterward likely was visible from outer space.

"I'm real pleased with the way our kids handled themselves out there," Broughton said. "They did a really nice job."

Jacob Lyons led the ground attack with 157 yards on 22 carries. Furrow added 113 yards on 14 tries. He scored three touchdowns, was perfect on four extra points and added a 27-yard field goal for good measure.

Quarterback Mitch Patishall had a highly efficient evening, completing eight of 10 passes for 134 yards. He added a one-yard touchdown run and outdueled Ball State-bound Ozzie Mann of Delta, who went 14-of-20 for 124 yards and one passing touchdown.

Mann, who also led the Eagles with 31 rushing yards, completed just four of eight passes for 22 yards in the second half.

The teams traded scores on five straight possessions in the first half, capped by Furrow's field goal with 4:49 remaining that gave the Arabians a 17-12 lead at intermission.

Pendleton Heights took control of the game on its second drive of the third quarter, marching 65 yards for a touchdown and milking 5 minutes, 34 seconds off the game clock.

Most of the damage was done on the ground, but Patishall did complete a 28-yard pass to Austin Coffel on third-and-8 from his own 38 to keep the drive alive early.

Furrow ended it with a three-yard touchdown run, and the Eagles' fate was sealed.

"The defense came alive and got the ball back on a three-and-out (on the prior series)," Broughton said. "Then the offense went on a really long drive and ate up almost the entire (remainder of the) quarter. That really changed the ballgame."

Delta got the ball back, suddenly trailing by two scores, with just 2:17 left in the period. Another three-and-out followed, and the Arabians put the game away with a 51-yard drive capped by Furrow's seven-yard scoring plunge.

"We improved in all three phases (in the second half)," Broughton said, "and won the game going away."

It was the third straight win for Pendleton Heights after opening conference play with a loss at New Palestine.

It also marks the first time since 2002 that the Arabians have swept Hoosier Heritage Conference rivals Delta and Mount Vernon in the same season.

Pendleton Heights continues conference play next week at Yorktown (3-3), and Broughton said there's no room for a letdown.

"Yorktown beat this Delta team by two touchdowns, 28-14, last week," he said. "So it's gonna be a battle."

Tigers triumph over Eagles
The Star Press - Jess Temple
September 16, 2011

MUNCIE -- The laminated sheet of paper sailed high in the air, a game's worth of plays whipping behind Grant Zgunda's head on the sideline, drifting past a dozen cheerleaders before resting on the track surface by a chain-link fence.

It was a momentary release of frustration from Delta's footballcoach, who tossed the page in disgust after witnessing his quarterback, Ozzie Mann, uncharacteristically throw his second interception of the first half.

Things didn't improve for Mann's statistical line or Zgunda's frustration level the rest of the night.

Yorktown intercepted Mann four times, twice scoring touchdowns on the ensuing drive, during a 28-14 triumph against Delta on Friday night in The Star Press Game of the Week. It marked Yorktown's first victory over Delta since 2006.

"People didn't give Yorktown a chance to win this game, but our seniors believed the entire year that they could compete with anybody," Yorktown football coach Mike Wilhelm said. "It obviously showed tonight."

Mann, a Ball State recruit, began the night with just one interception on 60 pass attempts this season. A year ago, he tallied only six picks for the entire year. But a combination of Yorktown's strength at the line of scrimmage, porous pass protection and unluckiness on tipped balls resulted in four on Friday.

Zgunda took the blame for the turnovers and the loss.

"This one's on me," he said. "I didn't have them prepared well enough. That's all there is to it."

Mann completed 13-of-29 pass attempts for 141 yards with no touchdowns and the four interceptions.

"Our defensive backs are very improved," Wilhelm said. "We just have some very good DBs who are willing to tackle on the run. I'll put our DBs up against anyone just because they are quick guys. They're starting to get that football savviness that you need."Compounding Delta's misery was the loss of its top running threat -- senior Austin Fuatavai -- who sustained a hit to his legs on an 11-yard screen pass with 7:55 left in the first quarter. He appeared to clutch his right ankle and did not return.

Zgunda said the initial prognosis did not look good for Fuatavai, who entered the contest with 399 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in four games.

"It's a key, crucial part of our offense and defense," Zgunda said of Fuatavai, also a defensive lineman. "I feel bad for him. I really do. He's a senior and it's just devastating."

Delta (1-4) managed to take a 6-0 lead on the same drive in which Fuatavai suffered his injury when running back Landon Lambert scored a four-yard touchdown run at the 4:21 mark of the first quarter. But Yorktown responded immediately, when Tigers running back Chandler Carroll broke free for a 64-yard touchdown two minutes later. Kicker Derek Fox drilled the extra point, and the Tigers never trailed again.

Yorktown (3-2) added to its lead two minutes before halftime on a trick play. Widereceiver Mason Patterson connected with Jason Brown on a reverse halfback pass for a 46-yard touchdown. The score put Yorktown in front 14-6 at halftime.
"I thought the ball was in the air forever," Brown said. "I was just hoping it would come down soon. We'd been working on that play. It worked out to a T. It was nerve-wracking for it to come down, but it was awesome."

The Tigers padded their lead in the third quarter when quarterback Joe Todd found tight end Joe Journay in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. The score proved even more important when Delta drove 68 yards on nine plays for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Eagles running back Nate Sanders capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown, and Mann ran in the two-point conversion to trim the deficit to 21-14.

The backbreaking play of the game, however, occurred with just a shade over two minutes left. That's when Yorktown's speedy running back Brendon Barnes scooted toward the left sideline on third-and-five from his team's own 14-yard-line, cut back across the field and scored on an 86-yard touchdown.

"I just got the ball and did what I do best, which is run," Barnes said. "I just thought to myself, 'End zone, end zone,' and I made it happen."Minutes later, Barnes and the rest of his Yorktown teammates had made a stirring victory against their biggest Delaware County rival happen.


New Palestine 31 Delta 20
The Star Press - Jess Temple
September 10, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS -- When Delta's football team reluctantly slides in the game tape from its performance on Saturday, Eagles coach Grant Zgunda undoubtedly will have any number of pause-worthy teaching moments at his disposal.

In the kicking game, a missed extra point put Delta behind the eight-ball early. The pass defense allowed a season-high 265 yards in the air. And when it mattered most, the offensive line folded up like a faulty camping tent, providing quarterback Ozzie Mann with little time to release the ball.

"You can have Joe Montana back there, and if you can't protect for him, then it doesn't matter," Zgunda said. "That's where we're at. We've got a lot of work to do. It's time to do it, I guess."

The quantity of mistakes was an unusual sight for Delta fans in recent years. But for the second straight season, Delta was outplayed by New Palestine, this time in a 31-20 loss on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Excluding Class 3A No. 10 Delta's two forfeit losses earlier this season due to an ineligible

player, the Eagles have lost just twice in their last 31 regular-season games. They have Class 3A No. 5 New Palestine to thank for both of those defeats.

"We're coached to be great each year," Delta fullback Austin Fuatavai said. "So it's kind of disappointing we didn't beat the team that we wanted to beat at the start of the season."

Fuatavai led the Eagles with 63 yards rushing on 12 carries with two touchdowns. He scored on a toss sweep play to the left sideline from two yards away at the 2:21 mark of the first quarter, giving Delta a 6-0 lead.

But the ensuing extra point try missed, and the Eagles found themselves playing catch-up for most of the game from there.

New Pal struck back when quarterback Connor Simmons connected with wide receiver Brandon Collins over the top for a 36-yard touchdown pass. Collins caught the ball in stride and stretched just past the goal line for the score. The extra point pushed the Dragons in front 7-6 with 9:52 left in the second quarter.

Simmons completed 17-of-23 passes in the game for 245 yards with three touchdowns, continually finding gaps in Delta's secondary.

"They're a good football team," Zgunda said. "We just made too many mistakes. Way too many mistakes."

Despite the miscues, there were several positives on Delta's end. Delta twice forced turnovers on fumbles with New Palestine inside the Eagles' red zone. Delta also held New Palestine's running game to just 63 total yards on 36 carries.

Those accomplishments kept the Eagles in the game long enough for them to score 15 unanswered points in the second half after trailing 17-6. Mann scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak, trimming the deficit to 17-12. In the fourth quarter, Fuatavai scored from 19 yards out, and Mann completed the two-point conversion attempt to Jake Greenberg, giving Delta a 20-17 lead.

But New Pal marched 57 yards down the field in eight plays, taking a 24-20 lead behind Simmons' one-yard touchdown run with 7:51 left, and Delta never threatened again.

Delta ran five plays over two possessions the rest of the game, gaining just two yards. Mann finished the contest 4-of-12 with 92 yards passing, no touchdowns and an interception.

New Pal (4-0, 2-0 Hoosier Heritage Conference) now has won 15 consecutive games in HHC play. Delta (1-3, 1-1), meanwhile, falls a game behind both New Pal and Mount Vernon in the race for a conference title.

"We're used to being on top and now we're kind of the underdogs," Mann said. "It's definitely a motivation to our team."

Delta 19 Greenfield-Central 17
The Star Press - Jess Temple
September 2, 2011

GREENFIELD, Ind. -- Saying his team wasn't particularly sharp in any phase of the game, Delta coach Grant Zgunda was pleased with the way his team gutted out a victory at the end of a tough week.

"We struggled on both sides of the ball and special teams," Zgunda said. "We have a lot to work on, but I was proud of the kids.

"With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, we had only run 31 plays on offense. We usually run 70."

The victory technically was the first of the season for the Eagles, ranked seventh in the state Class 4A poll. The school reported at the beginning of the week that an ineligible player was used in its first two games of the season, resulting in Delta forfeiting both contests.

Zgunda didn't think there was a lingering emotional effect on his players during the game.

"We just ... we had a lot of third-down situations -- probably six that I know of for sure -- where it was third and 12 or longer and they got a first down on all of them," he said. "Defensively, that was an issue. The offense also made a lot of mistakes, and the kicking game wasn't good."

Delta downs Class 5A team with come-from-behind effort
The Star Press - Jess Temple

MUNCIE -- A specific purpose existed for the Delta football program scheduling a game against a bigger Class 5A program like Fort Wayne Carroll on Friday night. A couple of motives, actually.

For one, the Eagles have dominated the area football scene with relative ease the past two decades. With a few exceptions in the Hoosier Heritage Conference, the only time Delta saw an opponent with the size and strength of Carroll came in sectional play or, occasionally, at the regional.

But the Eagles also haven't been past the regional round since 2001. And games like Friday are exactly the kind of grind-it-out affairs they'll see should they get that far this season.

"We needed to come out and make a statement," Delta runningback Austin Fuatavai said.

Mission accomplished.

Class 4A No. 8 Delta came from behind on three occasions to upend Fort Wayne Carroll 28-23 on Friday night. The decisive score came with just 2:35 remaining in the contest, on a 1-yard quarterback sneak from Ozzie Mann in a fourth-and-goal situation.

In battling back for victory, the Eagles demonstrated a toughness that will no doubt serve them well in their quest for a fourth consecutive season with double-digit victories.

"They're 5A, and we're one of the smallest 4As," said Fuatavai, who finished with 123 yards rushing on 25 carries. "We probably should be 3A. People underestimate Delaware County. Coach stressed that all week."

Delta needed less than two minutes to crack the scoring column on a 10-yard run from Fuatavai. The Eagles made it look easy on their four-play drive, set up from a 60-yard kickoff return by Landon Lambert to begin the game.

But the touchdowns came far less frequently as the contest progressed, and the Eagles fell behind 14-7 in the second quarter. Carroll operated out of a no-huddle offense that kept the pressure on Delta's defense the entire evening.

Delta tied the game at 14-14 on a pretty 35-yard play-action pass from Mann to wide receiver Jake Greenberg down the middle of the field at the 8:40 mark of the second quarter.

Mann completed 4-of-11 passes for 60 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. He also carried the ball 19 times for 49 yards with two touchdowns. This season, the Ball State recruit has been adjusting to an entirely new batch of receivers, and he's 24-for-39 in two games so far with 254 yards passing.

"They're doing a great job," Mann said. "They're doing a good job filling in spots. As a quarterback, you've got to adjust."

The Eagles led 21-20 into the fourth quarter, but Carroll kicker Cody Schweitzer drilled a 37-yard field goal with 7:07 left, giving the Chargers a 23-21 lead.

Delta responded with less than six minutes remaining, when Eagles defensive lineman Jim Schafer forced a fumble at Carroll's 34-yard-line.

Delta ran the ball on six of seven plays, including Mann's 1-yard touchdownrun on fourth-and-goal when a field goal would have given the Eagles the lead.

"We've struggled with long snaps and kicking all through two-a-days," Delta football coach Grant Zgunda said. "We're just not comfortable with that angle. Our odds in my mind are better to pick up two inches than it is to kick it."

The Eagles sealed victory on a fourth-down sack from Avery Haisley, pushing Delta to 2-0 this season.

Delta played Carroll for the first time since 2001, when the two teams were in the same regional in Class 4A. Delta won that game 17-0 on its way to a state championship appearance.

"We want to try to play the best teams we can play," Zgunda said. "That's a good football team. I couldn't be more proud than I am tonight knowing we got down twice and both times we fought back."

Delta QB Ozzie Mann
verbally commits to play football for Ball State
Source: The StarPress - April 7, 2011

Delta quarterback Ozzie Mann has verbally committed to play football for Ball State, Eagles coach Grant Zgunda confirmed today.

Zgunda said Mann made his decision on Wednesday night. Mann, a junior, will be a part of the 2012 class for the Cardinals. In two seasons with Delta, Mann has thrown for 3,668 yards, 27 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He also has gone 22-3 with the Eagles, guiding the team to a sectional championship in 2009.

Posted 3/8/2011

"(Football) has just instilled so many values in me. The hard work ethic, you have to be dedicated, and you can't be weak in the game. You've got to do your best to be the best," Zgunda said.

Zgunda's father Grant has not only been his biggest role model, but was his high school coach as well.

"He was not only my dad, but my high school football coach," Zgunda said. "We got really close there. We were able to talk about any issues academically or the football field. It just helped me grow into a better person."

Zgunda has become quite the young man. He hopes to pursue a biology degree at Indiana University