WHITING — Culver Community’s football team put its collective foot on the accelerator and never let up Friday.
The Cavs racked up 379 rushing yards and 145 passing yards to snare a 48-21 Class A Sectional 33 title-round win at Whiting, also the site of Culver’s last sectional championship in 2001.

“Our kids started fast, which we haven’t done for a long time,” Culver Community head coach Andy Thomas said. “They came out with a lot of emotion and energy and sustained it for the whole game.”
Michael Salary and Kevin Hogan both rushed for nearly 150 yards to power the Cavs’ ground attack. Freshman quarterback Collin Stevens tossed a trio of touchdown passes — a pair to Sam Hendrickson and one to Salary. Salary scored two rushing touchdowns, while Hogan and Hendrickson each crossed the goal line once from the ground.
Defensively for Culver, Robert Molebash caused a fumble and Brian Nelson picked off a Whiting pass.
“We had everything go right,” Thomas said. “That’s a product of our kids playing hard, flying around on both sides of the ball.”
“(Whiting) tried a fake punt that we stopped and then scored,” he added. “We had a fake punt of our own that we made. We covered a pooch kick after a score. We had no turnovers and forced four.”
Friday’s Sectional 33 championship victory represents the end of a eight-year drought for Culver and Thomas’ first since taking over the program four years ago.
“We let the kids know that we can be successful,” Thomas said. “Our seniors have given us phenomenal leadership, starting in the weight room. This means a lot to our school. Our school has been very supportive; our administration has been very supportive. I’m thrilled for our kids.”
• CULVER 48, WHITING 21
At Class A, Sectional 33 at Whiting
Score by quarters
Culver:    14    20    7    7 —  48
Whiting:    0    7    0    14   —  21
First quarter
CC — Michael Salary 5 run (Collin Stevens kick)
CC — Sam Hendrickson 9 run (Stevens kick)
Second quarter
CC — Salary 59 pass from Stevens (Stevens kick)
CC — Hendrickson 11 pass from Stevens (Stevens kick)
W — Juwan Simmons 26 pass from Matt Aponte (Sal Salazar kick)
CC — Salary 39 run (kick blocked)
Third quarter
CC — Kevin Hogan 1 run (Stevens kick)
Fourth quarter
CC — Hendrickson 58 pass from Stevens (Stevens kick)
W — Emerik Quiroz 2 run (Salazar kick)
W — Matt Aponte 29 run (Salazar kick)
            CC    W
First downs            18      8
Yards rushing        379    89
Yards passing        145    88
Interceptions by        2    0
Punts -Avg.         0-0    1-27
Fumbles-Lost         3-2   8-2
Penalties-Yards         4-30  4-45
Records: Culver Community 8-4, Whiting 7-5 (final)
Culver individual rushing leaders
Michael Salary: 14-145, 3 TDs
Kevin Hogan 19-142