Multiple droughts - and one long winning streak - came to an end when Muncie Central football beat Delta Friday night.
MUNCIE ― The Kyle Buresh era of Muncie Central football is off to a 1-0 start.
The Bearcats kicked off their season against Delta for the fifth year in a row, and while the first half felt like Delta was going to make it five season-opening victories in a row, Central came storming back in the second half for a 16-13 win.
"I'm just really, really proud of our kids, especially in that second half, for responding and battling," Buresh said. "Game ones, they're not always pretty, and I thought we did a great job of showing grit, passion, drive, and played with way more energy."
Delta got the ball to start the game, and the Eagles' first drive took up almost eight minutes of the first quarter. A 13-yard tackle-for-loss on a reverse by Muncie Central junior Doiron Montgomery forced Delta to settle for a 35-yard field goal. Eagles senior Maddox Huffman converted a 35-yard kick, but a false start forced him to try again from 40, and that kick was no good after a mishap on the hold.
Muncie Central took over and had a solid drive going with a few completions from sophomore quarterback Mason Ferguson. The Bearcats had the ball in Delta territory as the second quarter began, but a fumbled handoff gave the ball back to the Eagles. Soon thereafter, junior quarterback Deacon Blevins found senior receiver Matt Morey wide open downfield, and he strolled into the end zone untouched for a 58-yard touchdown to put the first score on the board.
Late in the second quarter, Central faced a two-minute drill to try and get some points on the board before half, but a deflected pass fell into the hands of Delta linebacker Ryan Neal to set the Eagles up in Bearcat territory. With less than 30 seconds to go until half, Blevins went to the corner for Amir Wright-Hill, who made a diving grab for an 18-yard touchdown. A blocked extra point made it a 13-0 halftime advantage for Delta.
As the Bearcats entered the locker room down by two possessions, Buresh reignited the team's energy while also reminding them to focus on the details.
"We've got to have some energy, got to have some passion, but we've just got to focus on the details and do the little things right," Buresh said. "In that first half, we had a turnover when we were moving in to score, we blew a coverage we had repped all week long. Just staying in the moment, trying to go 1-0 on each play, our guys did that much better in the second half."
Some quick thoughts on @MuncieCentralFB ‘s 16-13 victory over the @DeltaEagles_pic.twitter.com/KeBTnkyNHu
— Cade Hampton (@CadeHamp10) August 23, 2025
Muncie Central senior running back Dae'Cion Echols was held to 12 yards on six carries in the first half, and the Bearcats made it a priority to get him going in the second half. They did exactly that, as Echols had 19 carries for 119 yards in the second half. Although he didn't get into the end zone himself, he was the biggest factor in setting up the Central offense on both of their touchdown drives. He finished with 25 carries for 131 rushing yards.
"We just knew we had to come out and make a change for us to win," Echols said. "We were all determined, all in the same boat, and we all wanted to do the same thing."
Senior running back Landan Johnson scored the first touchdown for the Bearcats on an 18-yard carry up the middle to end the first drive of the second half. Central would later tie the game on the first play of the fourth quarter with an 18-yard passing touchdown from Ferguson to Montgomery. The score stayed knotted at 13 thanks to another blocked PAT.
Delta's subsequent drive got within the 30-yard line, but a failed fourth down conversion gave Central the ball back. Penalties and a sack by Delta senior Cade Utsler set up a fourth-and-long for the Bearcats, and Delta took over on the opponent's 33-yard line remaining following a short punt. However, the Eagles only managed one yard and failed another fourth down conversion to give Central the ball back with about three minutes to play.
Now firmly in clutch time, it was a different Echols who came up big for the Bearcats. Sophomore wide receiver Carlos Echols Jr. ran a quick out route and wiggled away from the Delta defensive backs for a 69-yard catch and run that set up the Central offense at the 10-yard line. It was the varsity football debut for the younger Echols cousin, and he certainly made the most of it with three catches for 91 yards and one of the most clutch moments of the game.
"I'm feeling great," Echols Jr. said. "This is my first year on varsity as a sophomore, but I'm doing it for my cousins and my teammates, the seniors, honestly. It's been since 2006 since we beat (Delta), and we finally got the win, it feels great."
A few plays later, a 28-yard field goal from junior kicker Judah Smith gave the Bearcats the lead with just over a minute to play. Delta had two timeouts for one last gasp of a drive, but a second-down sack by Dae'Cion Echols pushed them into a 3rd and long scenario. Although they got it to a 4th-and-2 thanks to a Bearcat penalty, Blevins' pass fell incomplete, and the Bearcats took two snaps out of victory formation to finish it off.
Not only was the victory Central's first over Delta since 2006, it was also its first win in a season opener since 2016. The victory will certainly give the Bearcats some confidence going forward as they look to establish a winning culture under a new coach.
"It's like a domino effect," Echols Jr. said. "Once you get going, it's hard to stop us. We're good on defense, and we're good on offense. We fix up the little things, we're going to be good."
FINAL SCORE@MuncieCentralFB - 16@DeltaEagles_ - 13
— Cade Hampton (@CadeHamp10) August 23, 2025
The Bearcats score all their points in the second half to come from behind and take down the Eagles! What a win for @CoachKyleBuresh and the @MCHSBearcats ! pic.twitter.com/EVyen2vLEI
Rare opening night loss for Delta football
On the other sideline, Delta suffered its first loss in a season opener since 1995. Delta's offense was firing in the first half, as Blevins went 9-for-10 with two touchdowns and the Eagles ground game was rolling.
However, the Bearcat defense completely stymied them in the second half, holding Delta to just 43 yards of offense in the second half.
"I just feel like we didn't keep doing the things that had got us there and gotten us the lead," Delta coach Billy Lynch said. "It was a compilation of things, and we'll watch the tape, and we'll learn from it and get better. Winning a football game's hard, right? It takes four quarters of intense focus, the ability to handle the peaks and valleys of a game and just stay consistent."
Next Friday, Muncie Central (1-0) will host Yorktown (1-0) in its home opener, while Delta (0-1) will travel to Heritage (1-0). The Bearcats and Tigers will kick off at 7 p.m., while the Eagles and Patriots will kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Contact Cade Hampton via email at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie Central football beats Delta IHSAA 2025 season opener
Category: General Sports
