2015 Football Playoffs

Transcription

READY
TO RUN
PLAYOFFS 2015
Carter Lewis and
the Hornets are
ready to make a
run in the playoffs
Pages 12-13
A special supplement to the Journal-Courier
Friday, October 30, 2015
2
2015 football playoffs
Jacksonville journal-courier
Hawks flying high again
Good Luck at
the Playoffs!
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The Carrollton football team
won its last eight games to finish the regular at 8-1, and is
now gearing up for its matchup
against 5-4 Red Hill in the first
round of the IHSA Class 1A
playoffs this Saturday in Carrollton.
Carrollton head coach Nick
Flowers talked about the
season, the playoffs and the
Hawks’ mindset heading into
the first round during a Q&A
with the Journal-Courier this
week.
•••
Q: How did you feel about
how the regular season went
for the team?
A: “It’s been a great year,
and I was telling someone
the other day that it’s probably been one of the most
rewarding regular seasons I
can remember as a coach in a
long time. Obviously this last
year we had an undefeated
(regular) season, but we had
returned so many kids last
year that — I don’t want to say
it was expected, but we had
very high expectations. And
then coming into this year, I
don’t want to say that teams
were looking past us, but I
don’t think people were giving
us credit early on in the year.
I think a lot of people thought
we were going to be down,
that we were going to be average. So, I was very, very happy
about how our kids responded
to maybe some low expectations by the other conference
Go Hawks!
Good Luck!
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Carrollton’s Alex Bowker heads upfield during a game against Triopia earlier this season.
By Rob Evans
509 5th St, Carrollton, IL
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JacksOnville JOurnal-cOurier
schools, and some of the people in the community.
“I think it was very important that right out of the gate
we said, we did graduate a
ton of players, but we’re not
lowering our expectations as
a program at all. It really felt
like the kids bought into that,
and we battled week in and
week out. We had some tough
ballgames and some adversity at the start of the season,
going without some seniors.
That kind of got us off on the
wrong foot — having to go to
Brown County. But we learned
a lot from it, and we put it all
together. It seemed like week
after week we got better, and
the kids had fun. I think that’s
something we have to remember as well — that kids play
this game to have fun.”
Q: The team ended the
season with quality wins
over Triopia, Beardstown
and Calhoun. Do you feel
like the team is playing its
best football right now?
A: “We are definitely playing
some great ball. Triopia, they
gave us a heck of a ballgame,
and we knew they would. It
was kind of do-or-die for them.
We played them last year in
round one, and I think there
was some bitterness with us
going up there in Week 9 and
they’re 4-4. They played us
awfully tough, and it was a
physical ballgame. It was probably about as physical a game
as we’ve had in awhile.
“Once we clinched the playoffs, at that point we kept say-
Friday, OctOber 30, 2015
ing that we have to take them
one game at a time, and understand that we’re still going to
get people’s A-game. We’re still
going to have a target on our
backs, and people are going
to play us tough. We tried to
focus on each opponent and
not overlook anybody. But
once we did clinch the playoffs, now each and every game
from here on out is about the
playoffs. After Friday night,
with Calhoun beating Brown
County, from our standpoint it
was a heck of a bump for our
playoff seed. We’re a number
four seed in the South 16, and
with Pawnee under us and
Brown County right under us,
that’s huge to take each and
every game serious and not let
anybody beat us. Because 8-1
going into the playoffs is a big
difference from 7-2 or 6-3.”
Q: What have you seen on
film from Red Hill, and what
do you expect from the Salukis?
A: “We’ve got a couple of
films on them, and they’re a
very strong 5-4 team. They
play in a very large conference enrollment-wise (the
Little Illini), so they’re playing with Newton, Marshall,
Olney (Richland County) and
Lawrenceville. Most of those
schools are 2A and 3A. So,
they’re 5-4, but they’re very
competitive. They’ve had to
fight each and every week to
get wins, and they’re going to
be a very competitive opponent for us.
See HAWKS | 16 Carrollton’s Logan Duba subdues a Mendon Unity player during a game earlier this season.
dennis Mathes | Journal-courier
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Rushville-Industry ready for fresh start
This is a new year, and Rushville-Industry is going into
these playoffs flying high after
Rushville-Industry worked
a 31-30 win over Farmington
hard all last year just to get
last week.
back to the playoffs. Then sud“It was very, very nice to get
denly, in the space of just a few a win on senior night and kind
hours on one dismal Saturday of go into the playoffs on a
afternoon, the season was over. high note like that,” Hebb said.
Actually, the season ended a
The opponent this Friday
week before the playoffs ever
night is Taylor Ridge Rockstarted, at Farmington. The
ridge, a perennial playoff team
Rockets lost that game 46-22,
that finished 10-2 last season.
but they lost a lot more than
This year’s roster is different,
just the game.
but those Rockets are riding
“Last year we went up to
a four-game win streak. They
Farmington and we got a little finished second in the Three
shell-shocked,” RushvilleRivers (Rock) Conference with
Industry coach Jon Hebb
a 5-1 league record. Rockridge
said. “They came out and just is 6-3 overall.
played a heckuva ballgame
“Rockridge, they’re your typagainst us, and our guys were ical playoff team,” Hebb said.
left reeling a little bit. We had “They’re a well-coached team,
Christian (Downs) go down
they’re fundamentally sound,
with a broken leg, and Rylan
they run a high-powered
Hynek got a pretty nasty conspread offense, they’ve got a
cussion in that game, so neiquarterback who can throw the
ther of those guys were availball and run the ball, they’ve
able for the playoffs.”
got a couple of good running
A Rushville-Industry ball carrier turns the corner during a recent practice.
backs and some good receivers
to catch it. So it’s going to be a
good challenge.”
Rockridge returned some
linemen from last season, but
the team has a sophomore,
6-1, 185-pound Michael Griffin, at quarterback. He can run
and throw, but Rockridge is a
run-first team. Starting run61 Plaza Drive, Beardstown, IL 62618
ning back Dalton Woeber was
sidelined with a knee injury a
www.jenningsbeardstown.com
couple of weeks a, but sophomore Nathan Parchert filled
in with 143 rushing yards in a
win over Fulton.
“Obviously, they’re going
to be a physical team,” Hebb
said. “They come from a physiBest of luck to all area teams!
cal conference. They played
Sterling Newman and Spring
Valley Hall and teams like that.
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And they’ve got a lot of tradition.”
They’ve also got a pretty
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features a sneaky counter trey,
and the option — and they’ve
gotten better at that as the season has progressed.
“Anytime you face a team
like that, it’s going to make
you a little bit nervous,” Hebb
said. “You just have to prepare
the kids as best as possible
to know what they’re facing,
and know what the tendencies
are.”
But Rushville-Industry
should make Rockridge a little
bit nervous, too.
Senior quarterback Christian Downs has had a terrific
season, and he’s playing a very
high level at this point in the
year. He completed 5-of-6 passes for 127 yards in a 43-0 win
over West Prairie two weeks
ago, and then ran for 231 yards
and three touchdowns to help
the Rockets beat Farmington
last week.
For the season, Downs has
completed 34-of-63 passes for
688 yards, and he’s rushed
119 times for 1,019 yards.
He’s averaging 8.6 yards per
carry, and 10 yards per passing
attempt. “To me, that is just
a phenomenal number,” Hebb
said.
And the offensive line has
given up only one sack this
year, and that was in week one.
Colton Boyd and Hynek are
averaging more than six yards
per carry, and Ethan Downs is
averaging more than five yards
per carry.
And the Farmington game?
Hebb said his players went
into that contest with last
year’s game in the back of
their minds. The Rockets
never trailed, and led 31-22
before Farmington scored with
less than two minutes left.
Farmington then recovered an
onside kick and put together
a short drive, but RushvilleSee RUSHVILLE | 16
5
Calhoun grabs spot in playoffs
By Dan Chamness
Calhoun’s offense relies heavily on Blake Booth, the senior
quarterback. The three-year
The Calhoun football team
starter finished the regular
hadn’t made it to the Illinois
season with 850 rushing yards
High School Association Class
and 600 passing yards. He
1A playoffs since 2010.
rushed for 14 touchdowns and
But they are far from strang- passed for four more.
ers to the postseason. And
“He is so versatile,” Elmore
neither is their coach, Aaron
said. “He has always been a
Elmore. On Saturday aftergood football player, but he
noon, Elmore, who coached
has gotten better and better
Calhoun to a 5-4 mark this
each year. He is crafty with the
year, will take his team to Arcfootball.”
ola at 2 p.m. Calhoun is seeded
On the defensive side of the
14th in its bracket, while 9-0
ball, the 5-foot-10, 160-pound
Arcola is seeded third.
Booth finished with 30 solo
“Arcola is very
tackles and 20
explosive both
assisted tackles.
offensively and
But the defen“We knew we had to
defensively,”
sive
leader is
win the last game.”
Elmore said.
Wes Klocke, a
“Throughout the
“Their quarterjunior. He has
back and their
season, we had some 110 tackles, 70 of
running back are injuries and other
which are solos.
both extremely
Klocke stands 6-5
problems. We made
quick.”
and weighs 180
a decision that we
That explopounds. He has
were going to get to
siveness has led
650 yards as a
to Arcola scorfive wins —
running back and
ing 58 points
somehow, some way.” has scored nine
per game. Only
total touchdowns,
three teams
—Aaron Elmore seven of which
were fortunate
were rushing
coach for calhoun
enough to score
touchdowns.
against Arcola.
The Warriors
They allowed 18
scored 211 points
points in nine
this year, an average of 23.4
games and also posted six
points per game. Three teams
shutouts.
that beat them, GreenfieldBut Calhoun has faced great
Northwestern, Carrollton
teams this year, and beaten
and West Central, have all
them. They did it to advance
advanced to the playoffs, as
to the playoffs, beating an
has Brown County, which was
undefeated Brown County
topped 21-14 in the final game
team in the last week of the
of the season by Calhoun. Carregular season.
rollton and Brown County both
“We knew we had to win
finished with 8-1 marks, while
the last game,” Elmore said.
West Central and Greenfield“Throughout the season, we
Northwestern finished at 6-3.
had some injuries and other
The Warriors finished the
problems. We made a decision
season with one shutout, and
that we were going to get to
held another team to just one
five wins — somehow, some
touchdown.
way.”
“I feel great about our
For the Journal-courier
Calhoun coach Aaron Elmore walks off the field after talking to his team during practice in August.
strength of schedule,” Elmore
said. “The competition that we
played week in and week out
will pay dividends on Saturday.
We showed on Friday night
that anyone can be beaten. We
are playing our best football at
the end of the season, when we
need to.”
Elmore has been the coach
of Calhoun for the past three
years. At Beardstown, Elmore
led the Tigers to the playoffs
during his final three years as
their head coach.
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6
Crimsons head to Champaign
By Rob Evans
13th, and will take on the Central, the four seed.
Central finished the regular
Jacksonville High head football season at 8-1 playing out of a
coach Mark Grounds said his
tough Big Twelve Conference
team’s return to playoff contenthat includes several larger
tion came about because of the
schools like Danville and Normal
efforts of everyone on the team,
Community.
not just one or two standout playOffensively, the Maroons hang
ers.
their hat on their running game,
“I think across the board, our
which features a wing-T attack
guys are stepping up,” the coach similar to the ones at Triopia and
said. “They’re feeling that sense
West Central. They’re deep in
of urgency at the right time of the the backfield, with three different
year.”
running backs to share the load.
That sense of urgency always
Josh Parker, Matt Brown and
heightens in the win-or-go home Brad Dee are all proven playmakreality of the postseason, and
ers.
right now the Crimsons are gear“We’ve got to prepare for an
ing up for a first-round date with 8-1 team that’s very, very fast,”
Champaign Central. Kickoff is
Grounds said. “They’ve got some
set for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday in
tremendous running backs, and
Champaign.
they put a lot of pressure on
After finishing with a 6-3 regu- people defensively.
lar season record, Jacksonville
“They play in a big conference
(Class 5A) was likely going to be — play a lot of 6A and 7A compeA pair of Crimson defenders latch onto a Chatham Glenwood ball carrier during a
the lower seed in the first round. tition,” he said,” so they’re going
game in Jacksonville last Friday night.
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The Crimsons ended up seeded
to be seasoned. We’re going to
have to be at our best. We have
to make sure we stay healthy this
week, and we continue to focus
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run and force Chatham to throw
the ball.
The win over Chatham was
great, and it was a huge momentum boost, but Grounds said the
team has to stay hungry going
into the playoffs.
“One of my responsibilities
as a coach is to make sure that
we’re not satisfied with a big
victory — because it felt like a
playoff victory in their minds,”
he said. “And that’s how they
kind of approached it. So, we’ve
got to make sure our feet are on
the ground, and our head is in
our preparation. If we do that,
then we’ll go out and have a great
effort, and hopefully have a shot
at being alive in round two.”
Jacksonville comes in having won three of four games to
end the season, with wins over
Decatur MacArthur, Lincoln and
Glenwood. The Crimsons won
back-to-back games over Lanphier and Southeast to start the
season before losing two of three,
putting them at 3-2 through Week
5.
Jacksonville averaged 38 points
per game on offense, and scored
at least 40 points in five of nine
games. The defense gave up an
average of 34 points.
The Crimsons missed the
playoffs last season after a heartbreaking loss to Chatham Glenwood in Week 9 after making
the playoffs in two consecutive
seasons.
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Jacksonville quarterback Joe Brannan throws from the pocket during a game against Chatham Glenwood last Friday night in Jacksonville.
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8
Tigers back
in the playoffs
By Dan Chamness
Greenfield-Northwestern head
football coach Joe Pembrook
must feel right at home.
Pembrook, who has been at
the Tigers’ helm for the past
four years, has taken GreenfieldNorthwestern to the playoffs
three times. As an assistant
coach for 15 years, his teams
made the playoffs 10 times.
Pembrook’s Tigers will enter
the first round of this year’s playoffs with a 6-3 mark, as will their
opponent, LeRoy.
Just as it has all year, Greenfield-Northwestern will rely
heavily on Taegan Grigsby, a
5-foot-8, 190-pound running
back. He has posted over 1,400
yards rushing this year. Grigsby
is also an outside linebacker for
the team.
“Taegan is definitely one of
the best running backs in our
area,” said Pembrook. “Although
he does play defense for us as
well, we want to make sure he
is prepared to play offense. We
work him in and out on defense.”
Jacob Foils, Greenfield-Northwestern’s sophomore fullback,
spends most of his time blocking
for Grigsby, but he has 600 rushing yards of his own.
“Jacob and Taegan are a great
one-two punch in our ground
game,” said Pembrook. “Our
offensive line has made it possible. The success we have had
is due to their play. We have had
some explosive plays out of the
backfield. Those offensive linemen deserve a big pat on the
back.”
Greenfield-Northwestern is
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Greenfield-Northwestern’s Taegan Grigsby skips past a Triopia defender during a game earlier this season.
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Route 267 South,
Greenfield, Illinois
primarily a team that runs the
ball, but their starting tight end,
Austin Bishop, has 300 receiving
yards.
“We try to spread the ball
around a little bit,” said Pembrook.
The Tigers scored more than
50 points in two of their games
this year. They had 38 or more
points in three other games and
averaged 35.9 points per contest. After starting the season
with a 1-2 mark (beating Routt
Catholic, then losing to Camp
Point Central and Carrollton),
the Tigers won five games in a
row to clinch a playoff spot.
LeRoy is not a carbon copy of
Greenfield-Northwestern, but in
the win/loss column, they also
had an extended winning streak,
with three victories in a row in
the middle of the season. Two
of LeRoy’s three losses were
to teams that finished the year
with perfect records: Gibson
City-Melvin Sibley and Downs
Tri-Valley. Like Greenfield-Northwestern, LeRoy started the season with a 1-2 record.
“They are a balanced running
attack, physical up front, well
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and Service
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coached and a perennial playoff
team,” said Pembrook. “We will
have our hands full with them.”
Bryce Dooley, who was the
LeRoy quarterback, was moved
to running back. He has rushed
for almost 1,200 yards this year,
averaging 6.0 yards per carry. He
is also adept at catching passes,
both as a receiver and as a defensive player. He has rushed for
eight touchdowns, caught another four passes for touchdowns,
and intercepted five passes. He
has 397 receiving yards.
Brett Egan and Ethan Bryant are the other big offensive
threats for LeRoy. Bryant has
rushed for 600 yards and has
eight touchdowns. Egan took
over the quarterback position
after Dooley was moved to running back. He has completed 30
passes for 696 yards, with nine
touchdown passes.
Greenfield-Northwestern will
serve as host for this Saturday’s
game, which will start at 1:30
p.m. Greenfield-Northwestern
enters the game as the No. 8
seed in their bracket. LeRoy is
the No. 9 seed.
Greenfield-Northwestern’s Jacob Foiles stares down a West Central defender during a game earlier this season.
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10
Cougars get back to the playoffs
By Dennis Mathes
[email protected]
The West Central football
team is back in the playoffs. And
that’s cause for celebration.
But being matched against
another spread offense in the
first round is … well, let’s just
say the Cougars haven’t had the
best luck against spread offenses
(think Superman and Kryptonite). West Central gave up
56 points to Carrollton and 65
points to Mendon Unity this season in a pair of losses to teams
that run the spread.
West Central coach Alex Ebbing said his players have learned
from those losses. But Decatur
St. Teresa offers some unique
challenges. The Bulldogs are
big, and they’re fast. They have
a quarterback who has thrown
for 1,149 yards this season and a
freshman running back who has
rushed for 1,445. And until this
year, they’ve been in Class 3A
for the IHSA playoffs.
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This game is a tall order for
the Cougars, make no mistake
about it.
“We’re going to have to
execute and do our assignments
and play our style of football
and hopefully control the clock
on them and move the football
down the field and play the style
of football that we want to play,”
Ebbing said.
Fortunately for the Cougars,
ball control is exactly what West
Central’s offense is designed to
do. St. Teresa has not faced a
wing-T offense all season, and
that could play into the Cougars’
favor in this game.
Different teams attack the
wing-T in different ways, so
Ebbing said it’s usually just as
much a challenge for his players to adjust to whatever the
opponent’s defense is doing. It’s
anyone’s guess what St. Teresa
might try.
“Our kids are used to that,
and that’s kind of the nature
of the wing-T,” Ebbing said.
“Every week you’re going to see
something different, and so that
prepares our kids. It’s all about
roles and execution and doing
their job.”
The wing-T is hard to defend
because it requires a disciplined
approach. Defensive players
have to cover their assignments
and nothing else; when players
try to do someone else’s job,
everything starts to break down.
West Central’s Kobie Hoover looks for a receiver during a game earlier this season.
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That’s because the wing-T has so
many options in the backfield. If
you leave one unattended, that’s
the one that will beat you.
West Central has plenty of
options in the backfield. Luk
Weder and Lance Barnett have
developed into a solid one-two
punch. Barnett has rushed for
more than 1,000 yards at the
fullback position. Weder, at
wingback, is approaching 1,000
yards. Both bring power and
speed to their positions. Wingback Kobie Hoover, who’s often
called on to block for the other
two, has rushed for more than
800 yards himself.
And the offensive line — well,
the line has been doing its job.
“They really understand the
scheme, and what we’re trying
to accomplish,” Ebbing said.
“They understand where everyone’s going to be, and they’re
able to adjust to the defensive
schemes that people throw at
us. They’re a physical group up
front, and they enjoy blocking
for those guys behind them. So
it’s just kind of a special group of
kids — a very nice dynamic for
what we’re trying to run offensively.”
St. Teresa’s size up front
shouldn’t be much of an advantage in West Central’s scheme of
things.
“That’s kind of what’s nice
about our offense, is we’re able
to play an angle game with you,
and also be able to get some
down blocks, and just take what
they give us, and go from there,”
Ebbing said.
St. Teresa has a rich tradition of making the playoffs, but
in recent years, they’ve been
bumped in the early rounds.
Being moved to Class 1A could
change the dynamic somewhat.
The Bulldogs’ numbers are
scary. Quarterback Ryan Fyke
has completed 77-of-137 passes
for 1,149 yards. He’s thrown 11
touchdown passes and six interceptions, and he averages 127
yards passing per game. The 6-0,
191-pound junior has quick feet
and a strong, accurate arm. And
he can run the ball. He’s rushed
West Central’s Luk Weder heads upfield during a game against Greenfield-Northwestern earlier this season.
for 434 yards on 90 carries this
season.
Jacardia Wright is the Bulldogs’ feature back out of the
spread. The 6-0, 185-pound
freshman has rushed for 1,445
yards on 138 totes — an average of 10.5 yards per carry. He
ran for 309 yards and three
touchdowns last week against
Warrensburg-Latham.
“If you want to advance,
you’ve got to play good football
teams,” Ebbing said, “and that’s
one thing we feel about the
WIVC, is that we face very good
competition throughout the year
— and we think that’s going to
help prepare us for the playoffs,
and that’s the best part about
playing in the WIVC.”
Both teams have hit a few
bumps this season. St. Teresa
started its season with losses
against Tolono Unity and MaroaForsyth, two playoff teams.
The Bulldogs lost to unbeaten
Tuscola in week seven, and just
edged 3-6 Warrensburg-Latham,
44-43 in overtime last week, to
earn their sixth win.
West Central lost two of its
last three regular-season games,
falling to playoff teams Greenfield-Northwestern and Mendon
Unity. But Ebbing said he liked
the way his players bounced
back to beat Beardstown last
week in a game they needed to
win to clinch a playoff berth.
West Central focused and took
care of business early against a
team that was playing well at the
end of the season.
“We like where our players are
at,” Ebbing said. “We’re starting
to get healthy again, which is
always nice. Our kids are excit-
11
ed, and we’re looking forward to
the opportunity.”
Good Luck
COUGARS!
Beardstown • Murrayville • Winchester
80692624
12
Hornets ready for a run in playoffs
By Travis Zuellig
For the Journal-couri er
The 2014 season was a tough
one for the Brown County football team. Heading into that season, head coach Tom Little and
the Hornets had earned a playoff
spot for 10 straight years. In
2014, Brown County finished
4-5 and narrowly missed clinching a spot.
This season was more like the
ones from years past. The Hornets had a very strong regular
season and took home the Western Illinois Valley North conference title with an unbeaten
league record and an 8-1 overall
record. Brown County will host
Salt Fork Saturday at 2 p.m. in
the first round of the Class 1A
IHSA State Playoffs.
“Last year, we missed the
playoffs and we wanted to see
if we could get back in and see
how much the kids developed in
the offseason,” Little said. “(We)
improved on being a better team
and improved their football
knowledge and everything. It
was some big steps, and I am
really proud of the boys and the
steps they have taken.”
The Hornets started the season red-hot with a 26-14 win
over Class 1A state runner-up
Carrollton in Week 1. It was
the sort of start Brown County
needed to show how good this
team could be this season. Over
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Mt. Sterling, Il.
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[email protected]
A Brown County ball carrier tries to push away from a Triopia tackler during a game earlier this season.
80670615
13
against Calhoun was the only
time this season when the Hornets scored less than 20 points
in a contest.
Wide receiver Blake Law and
running back Carter Lewis have
also been key to the Brown
County offense. Little said the
offensive and defensive lines
have been a big factor as well.
“Overall, our offensive line
has done really well and our
defensive line has done really
well,” Little said. “Jared Fry has
done a great job at quarterback,
just managing the offense and
making plays when he has to.
We are just really proud of the
group as a whole.”
Brown County’s first-round
opponent, Salt Fork, finished
with a 6-3 record and a 4-2
record in the Vermilion Valley
Conference, which was good
for a third-place finish in league
play. It’s a high-scoring team,
averaging 36.1 points per game.
On defense, Salt Fork is allowing just under 18 points per
game.
This will be a big test for the
Hornets. In Salt Fork’s three
losses, it was held to 20 points
twice, and 31 points. If Brown
County can keep the Storm off
the scoreboard, the Hornets will
have a good chance of advancing to the second round.
“Both teams are very similar
in size,” Little said. “With their
athletes, they are very talented,
too. I would say it is a pretty
even first-round game with the
talent they have versus our talent, and with their size versus
our size. It is a pretty good
matchup.”
We Support You
Two Brown County tacklers stop a Triopia ball carrier during a game earlier this season.
the next two months, the Hornets would continue to improve
each and every week.
Brown County clinched a
guaranteed playoff berth in
week six with a 47-22 road win
over rival Camp Point Central. The Hornets earned two
more wins over Beardstown
and North Greene to set up a
chance at an undefeated season.
But Calhoun came out strong
against the Hornets in Hardin,
and the Warriors came away
with a 21-14 win in Week 9.
“Calhoun came out and just
outplayed us,” Little said. “They
played a better game and exe-
cuted much better than we did.
They deserved that victory.”
One of the strong points of
Brown County’s game is the
defense. Mendon Unity, Camp
Point Central and Calhoun are
the only teams to score 20 or
more points against the Hornets. Brown County is allowing
only 14 points per game, the
lowest in the WIVC North.
On the offensive side of the
ball, quarterback Jared Fry has
been leading the offense all
season long. The senior is one
of the main reasons why the
Hornets are averaging close to
30 points per game. The game
Hornets!
Mt.Sterling
217-773-3327
www.bcsb.com
14
Pretzels have great expectations
By Travis Zuellig
Heading into the 2015 season, the New Berlin football
team had some big expectations after making the playoffs
and winning a postseason
game last year. Despite losing
some talented seniors, including school record-holding quarterback Jake Hunt and receiver
Chase Creviston, New Berlin
still had enough firepower to
forge another successful season.
Led by senior quarterback
Cam Cummings and the countless receivers he had at his
disposal, the Pretzels reloaded
their offense and won another
seven games in the regular
season. The Pretzels will play
Nashville Saturday at 2 p.m. in
New Berlin in the first round
of the IHSA Class 2A football
playoffs.
New Berlin ended the regular season with a 28-26 win
over West Hancock in Week 9
after losing to Auburn in Week
8. Pretzels head coach Barry
Creviston said it is always nice
heading into the playoffs after
a win.
“Going into the playoffs with
a two-game losing skid would
not have been detrimental,
but everyone wants to be on
a positive note as you head
G o W F NB
P re t z e l s
Whalen Trucking
Waverly, IL 62692
217-435-2231
Toll free: 800-937-6469
New Berlin’s Dom Pointer hauls in a pass during practice early this season.
toward the playoffs,” Creviston said. “We are excited
to be where we are at, and
happy that the playoffs are
starting.”
It was a strong finish.
New Berlin ran only 40
plays, but the Pretzels
scored on almost every
possession. Trailing by five
points midway through the
fourth quarter, Cummings
found Jack Eason for a
75-yard touchdown pass,
and that was the ballgame.
The Pretzels’ only two
losses this season were to
unbeaten North Mac and
playoff-bound Auburn. In
both of those games, New
Berlin was within a touchdown in the second half and
had opportunities to win
the games.
“Every game is a learning
experience,” Creviston said.
“We have learned from each
game and I think the Week
9 game against a non-conference opponent that did
something we haven’t seen
all year — we came away
with a win, and it was a big
boost for the playoffs.”
On the offensive side of
the ball, Cummings has
been leading the team in
his first season behind
center. The senior ran and
threw for a combined 2,700
yards and 35 touchdowns in
the regular season. Danny
McCloud has been the main
ball-carrier behind Cummings; he ran for nearly 300
yards, and has two touchdowns.
Connor Burger has been
one of Cummings’ main
targets and has 10 touchdown receptions. The two
of them have been playing together since they
were young. Also, Eason
and Johnny Finke have a
combined 59 receptions on
the season and are other
players that Cummings will
look for in the offense. As a
team, the Pretzels are averaging nearly 34 points per
game.
“When you take away
one person, that opens up
another side of the field,
and Cam is smart enough to
not force things,” Creviston
said. “I think he is throwing
the ball at a 60 percent clip,
which is phenomenal. He’s
smart, he makes good reads
and when things break
down, he can use his legs to
take off running.”
On defense, Creviston
said that the mentality is
to bend but not break, and
to make stops in key situations. This season, New
Berlin is allowing 22.4
points per game and has
only allowed 40 points or
more twice — in both of
the Pretzels’ losses.
New Berlin’s first-round
opponent is Nashville, a
member of the Southern
Illinois River-to-River
Conference. The Hornets
finished third in the conference behind DuQuoin and
Carterville. Nashville is
run-first team with good
backs and a solid quarterback. The Hornets will load
the box on defense.
“They are predominately
a run team and a run conference, so I think we could
pose some problems for
them with our spread offensive attack,” Creviston said.
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16
IHSA Football Playoffs • First Round Pairings
Class 1A
No. 16 Tremont (5-4) vs. No. 1 Toulon Stark County (9-0) at
Wyoming,
Saturday, Oct. 31, 1 p.m.
No. 9 Forreston (7-2) at No. 8 Dakota (7-2),
No. 13 Elgin Westminster Christian (6-3) at No. 4 Polo (9-0),
Friday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m.
No. 12 Warren (6-3) vs. No. 5 Chicago Hope Academy (8-1) at
Chicago (Quest Multisport),
No. 15 Alden-Hebron (5-4) at No. 2 Ottawa Marquette (9-0),
No. 10 Stockton (7-2) at No. 7 Galena (7-2),
No. 14 Princeville (5-4) at No. 3 Lena-Winslow (9-0),
No. 11 Chicago Douglass (7-2) at No. 6 Orion (8-1),
No. 16 Camp Point Central (5-4) at No. 1 Tuscola (9-0),
No. 9 LeRoy (6-3) vs. No. 8 Greenfield-Northwestern (6-3) at
Greenfield,
Saturday, Oct. 31, 1:30 p.m.
No. 13 Bridgeport Red Hill (5-4) at No. 4 Carrollton (8-1),
No. 12 Decatur Lutheran (5-4) at No. 5 Pawnee (8-1),
No. 15 Mt. Olive (5-4) at No. 2 Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley
(9-0),
No. 10 West Central (6-3) at No. 7 Decatur St. Teresa (6-3),
No. 14 Calhoun (5-4) at No. 3 Arcola (9-0),
No. 11 Catlin Salt Fork (6-3) at No. 6 Brown County (8-1),
Rushville
From page 4
Industry’s defense stopped
the Farmers on fourth down
to seal the win. Earlier in the
game, with Rushville-Industry
leading 24-22, Manning Plater
batted down a Farmington
Class 2A
No. 16 Savanna West Carroll (5-4) at No. 1 Downs Tri-Valley
(9-0),
No. 9 Taylor Ridge Rockridge (6-3) at No. 8 Rushville-Industry (7-2),
No. 13 West Hancock (6-3) at No. 4 Deer Creek-Mackinaw
(7-2),
No. 12 El Paso-Gridley (6-3) at No. 5 Mendon Unity (7-2),
No. 15 Rockford Christian Life (5-4) at No. 2 Kewanee
Wethersfield (8-1),
No. 10 Knoxville (6-3) at No. 7 Minonk Fieldcrest (7-2),
No. 14 Momence (5-4) at No. 3 Bismarck-Henning (8-1),
No. 11 Monmouth United (6-3) at No. 6 Spring Valley Hall
(7-2),
No. 16 Georgetown-Ridge Farm (5-4) at No. 1 Pana (9-0),
No. 9 Lawrenceville (7-2) at No. 8 Chester (7-2),
No. 13 Johnston City (6-3) vs. No. 4 Villa Grove-Heritage (8-1)
at Villa Grove,
No. 12 Auburn (6-3) at No. 5 Shelbyville (7-2),
No. 15 Athens (5-4) at No. 2 Eldorado (9-0),
No. 10 Westville (7-2) at No. 7 Maroa-Forsyth (7-2),
No. 14 Cerro Gordo-Bement (5-4) at No. 3 Niantic Sangamon
Valley (8-1),
No. 11 Nashville (6-3) at No. 6 New Berlin (7-2),
pass on fourth-and-four in the
red zone. A couple of plays
later, Downs broke an 82-yard
run for a touchdown to build
the lead to nine.
Rushville-Industry’s defense
has posted three shutouts
this season, against teams
that had been scoring a lot
of points. “They’ve definitely
done a great job stepping up,”
Hebb said. “The big thing
is that our kids have really
bought into our system.”
Hebb said RushvilleIndustry wanted to play the
first-round game on a Friday
night. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. The
Rockets are hoping for a loud,
raucous crowd.
Class 5A
No. 16 Glen Ellyn Glenbard South (5-4) vs. No. 1 Chicago
Westinghouse College Prep (8-1) at Chicago (Lane Stadium),
No. 9 Chicago Payton (7-2) at No. 8 Tinley Park (7-2),
No. 13 Chicago DuSable (6-3) vs. No. 4 Chicago King (7-2) at
Chicago (Gately Stadium),
No. 12 Olympia Fields Rich Central (6-3) at No. 5 Burbank St.
Laurence (7-2),
No. 15 Chicago Solorio Academy (5-4) vs. No. 2 Chicago
Lindblom (8-1) at Chicago (Stagg Stadium),
Saturday, Oct. 31, 12 noon
No. 10 Sycamore (6-3) at No. 7 LaGrange Park Nazareth
Academy (7-2),
No. 14 Vernon Hills (6-3) vs. No. 3 Joliet Catholic Academy
(8-1) at Joliet Memorial Stadium,
Friday, Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m.
No. 11 Belvidere (6-3) at No. 6 Woodstock Marian (7-2),
No. 16 Bartonville Limestone (5-4) at No. 1 Washington (9-0),
No. 9 Sterling (7-2) at No. 8 Metamora (7-2),
No. 13 Jacksonville (6-3) vs. No. 4 Champaign Central (8-1)
at Champaign Centennial,
No. 12 Decatur Eisenhower (6-3) at No. 5 Highland (8-1),
No. 15 Mattoon (5-4) at No. 2 Troy Triad (8-1),
No. 10 Dunlap (6-3) at No. 7 New Lenox Lincoln-Way West
(7-2),
No. 14 Normal University (6-3) vs. No. 3 Peoria (8-1) at Peoria Stadium,
No. 11 Marion (6-3) at No. 6 Centralia (8-1),
Hawks
From page 2
“They run, basically, a
traditional-type set. The positive to that is that we’ve seen
a lot of it this year. So, what
that’s going to come down
to is who’s more physical in
the trenches. They’re wanting to come over and run a
lot of power football. We have
seen that, so we know where
our strengths are defending
that and also know where our
weaknesses are defending that.
We definitely have our work
cut out for us when it comes to
defending them.”

2015 Football Playoffs

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