PRICE HILL - Elder High School senior quarterback Kaden Estep accounted for four touchdowns Friday night as the Panthers earned an important 31-21 victory over Indianapolis Bishop Chatard at The Pit.
Estep ran for three touchdowns and connected with senior wide receiver Chase Walpole for another, helping Elder improve to 7-2 with its second consecutive victory. He completed 15 of 26 passes for 202 yards and added 75 rushing yards.
Elder led 21-14 at halftime and scored all 10 points in the third quarter to build a 17-point advantage. Chatard pulled within 10 early in the fourth, but junior defensive back Caleb Curry intercepted Harrison Odom in the red zone with 2:32 remaining to help the Panthers extinguish the Trojans' final threat.
The victory was a significant one for Elder's postseason position. A loss could have dropped the Panthers out of the top four in their region, but beating a Chatard team that arrived in Cincinnati with a 7-1 record strengthened Elder's pursuit of a first-round bye and potentially two home playoff games.
Chatard, a traditionally physical program, showed why it has regularly been a valuable late-season opponent for the Panthers. The Trojans ran the ball effectively in the first half, sustained several long drives and answered Elder's first two touchdowns.
Elder's offense, however, answered every time it needed to.
Elder travels 90 yards on opening possession
Chatard received the opening kickoff and moved from its 34-yard line into Elder territory. The Trojans converted two third downs on the possession, but Elder's defense eventually forced a punt.
That left the Panthers starting their opening series at their own 10.
It did not take long for Elder to escape the difficult field position. After senior running back Andrew Tallen picked up eight yards, Estep broke loose on a long quarterback run that moved the ball into Chatard territory.
Estep later connected with Walpole for 28 yards on third-and-six, placing Elder inside the Trojans' 15. Junior Jake Bier added an eight-yard reception, and Estep finished the eight-play, 90-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run.
Senior Tyler Homan made the extra point, giving Elder a 7-0 lead with 3:33 left in the first quarter.
Chatard responded with a methodical drive of its own. Odom completed passes to Cam Harden and Julio Graves, while running back Danny Adams kept the Panthers occupied on the ground.
After a penalty pushed the Trojans backward early in the second quarter, Odom found Graves for a touchdown in the right corner of the end zone. The extra point tied the game at 7 with 11:21 remaining in the half.
Elder immediately answered.
Estep completed an 18-yard pass to senior Andrew Lyman and then escaped what appeared to be two certain sacks on a third-and-10 play. Keeping his eyes downfield, Estep found Lyman for another first down.
Later in the drive, Estep hit Walpole for 14 yards and found Bier for a 20-yard gain on third-and-eight. On third-and-goal from the 3, Estep connected with Walpole in the middle of the end zone.
Homan's extra point put Elder back in front, 14-7, following a 13-play, 73-yard drive.
Chatard again responded behind Adams. The senior running back produced several tough runs, including an 18-yard gain into the Elder red zone. His nine-yard touchdown run tied the game at 14 with 1:01 left in the half.
Instead of settling for a halftime tie, Elder's offense delivered one of the night's defining possessions.
Senior Drew Wauligman gave the Panthers useful field position with a strong kickoff return. A Chatard penalty and an Estep completion to Walpole moved Elder to the Trojans' 13 with time still available.
From there, Estep took off, changed direction near the goal line and completed a 13-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds left. Homan's third extra point made it 21-14 at halftime.
The Panthers had scored in only 35 seconds.
Panthers take control in third quarter
Elder received the second-half kickoff and again put together an extended scoring drive.
Tallen supplied one of his best runs of the night with an 11-yard gain. Estep then completed passes to sophomore tight end Jason Forte, Walpole and Bier as the Panthers advanced inside the Chatard 20.
The drive stalled, but Homan came through with a 34-yard field goal. His kick had plenty of distance and increased Elder's lead to 24-14 with 8:34 left in the third quarter.
It was Homan's third successful field goal over a two-game span, including his game-winning kick in Elder's 30-27 victory at Highlands the previous week.
The Panthers' defense then forced Chatard's only three-and-out of the game. Senior Andrew Paff tackled Adams short of the first-down marker on third-and-five, and Elder regained possession after a punt.
Elder overcame a holding penalty that created third-and-17 when Estep connected with Walpole for 18 yards and a first down. A later facemask penalty against Chatard further extended the drive.
Tallen converted another third down with a seven-yard run, and Estep followed with a 10-yard carry to the Chatard 6. Two plays later, the quarterback scored from 3 yards away.
The 12-play, 62-yard drive consumed 5:14 and gave Elder a 31-14 advantage with 1:28 remaining in the third quarter.
Tallen finished with 43 yards on 12 carries, giving the Panthers a needed complement to Estep and the passing attack.
Walpole led Elder's receivers with six catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Lyman made several important catches over the middle, while Bier contributed both as a receiver and runner despite being considered a game-time decision before kickoff.
Curry's interception seals the victory
Chatard did not go away.
Odom completed passes to Harden and Graves as the Trojans marched 82 yards early in the fourth quarter. Adams finished the 10-play possession with a one-yard touchdown run, cutting Elder's lead to 31-21 with 8:31 remaining.
The Trojans then attempted an onside kick. The ball briefly appeared available to Chatard, but senior defensive back AJ Meyer secured it for Elder.
The Panthers went three-and-out, but their defense answered with one of its strongest series of the night. Junior linebacker Pete Fortkamp and Paff helped stop Adams on consecutive runs before Elder forced an incompletion on third down.
Chatard elected to punt with just over six minutes remaining, and its defense forced another Elder punt to regain possession with 4:02 left.
A pass-interference penalty against Elder extended the Trojans' final drive on fourth down. Odom then connected with Graves for a first down at the Panthers' 33.
Chatard reached the Elder 28 before Odom tested Curry near the end zone. Curry stayed with the receiver, established position and intercepted the pass at the 10 before returning it to the 15.
The turnover effectively secured the victory. Estep later converted a third down with his legs, allowing Elder to finish the game in victory formation.
Fortkamp led the Panthers with nine tackles, raising his season total to 83, according to the broadcast. The junior linebacker was again one of Elder's most active defenders. Curry supplemented his late interception with several important plays in coverage and run support.
Adams finished with more than 100 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns for Chatard, which fell to 7-2. Most of his production came during the first half. Elder's defense limited him to fewer than 20 rushing yards after halftime, according to the postgame broadcast.
The game included nearly 130 combined penalty yards, with several pass-interference calls helping extend drives. Elder nevertheless finished five-for-five in red-zone scoring opportunities, producing four touchdowns and Homan's field goal.
Estep's 202 passing yards also moved him within 67 yards of Peyton Ramsey's Elder career passing record. Ramsey, a former Elder and Indiana University quarterback, was in attendance at the Panthers' win over Highlands one week earlier. Estep's pursuit of every record available to him had his support.
Regular-season finale awaits at The Pit
Elder will close the regular season against Mt. Zion Prep of Maryland at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at The Pit.
The Panthers can finish 8-2 and further strengthen their position for a first-round playoff bye. Other regional results and computer points will ultimately determine Elder's seed, but the victory over Chatard ensured the Panthers remained firmly in the race for the No. 2 spot and the possibility of two home postseason games.
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