After fumbling on his second carry of the game Friday, Bishop Chatard sophomore Ari Pappas could've walked to the sideline, packed his bags and headed to the locker room.

Instead, he recovered his cool and carried his team to its seventh consecutive sectional championship.

Led by Pappas' 152 rushing yards, Chatard used an aggressive ground game to defeat Hamilton Heights 13-10 to win the Class 3A Sectional 22 at the Broad Ripple High School field.

After the rough start, Chatard coach Vince Lorenzano expected nothing less out of Pappas.

"Our tailback position is a demanding position. You better be a tough guy," Lorenzano said. "You better understand what you're getting into when you play tailback."

The game was a defensive battle until the fourth quarter when both offenses started rolling.

With the Trojans leading 6-3 midway through the third quarter, Pappas pounded the ball for 35 yards on nine carries, scoring what proved to be the decisive touchdown with 4:51 remaining to take a 13-3 lead.

"We just kept working it," Pappas said. "We were trying to waste time off the clock."

Despite being down two scores, Hamilton Heights did not fold. Rather, the Huskies answered with their first touchdown of the game just 48 seconds later. Running back Chad Sherer capped the drive with a 6-yard run with 4:03 remaining.

"When it really mattered, we were able to come through with some plays," Hamilton Heights co-head coach Gene Starrett said. "We've got some playmakers on this team, and it showed up on that touchdown drive."

Chatard was forced to punt on its next possession, leaving Heights with one more chance late in the fourth quarter. With 1:10 showing on the clock and starting at his own 2, senior quarterback Caleb Small quickly ran for an 18-yard gain.

Despite the promising start to the drive, the Trojans' defense stiffened and forces four straight incomplete passes to seal the victory.

"I was nervous the whole game," Lorenzano said. "I don't think I ever was not nervous. They had big-play capabilities, and they proved that. They're a good team."

The win was Chatard's sixth straight and its defense held Hamilton Heights to 151 yards of total offense, including just 57 rushing yards on 25 carries. The Trojans finished with 201 yards.

HH -- FG John Hird 21

BC -- Kyle Dietrick 25 pass from Rob Doyle (run failed)

BC -- Ari Pappas 2 run (Cody Dickson kick)

HH -- Chad Sherer 6 run (Hird kick)

Rushing -- Hamilton Heights: Sherer 15-42, Caleb Small 3-22, Corey willing 5-13, Brandon Bentley 1-0, Austin McKinney 1-(-20). Bishop Chatard: Pappas 34-152, Doyle 3-(-7), Jack Treesh 2-(-7).

Passing -- Hamilton Heights: Small 6-24-1 94, Lavasier Tuinei 0-1-0 0. Bishop Chatard: Doyle 6-10-0 63.

Receiving -- Hamilton Heights: Jake Henderson 2-38, Matt Murdock 1-22, Tuinei 1-21, Sherer 2-13. Bishop Chatard: Dietrick 3-47, Steve Valdiserri 1-8, Mike Dum 1-7, Jeff Huffman 1-2.