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Wet grids makes scoring tough on local football teams
Sunday, September 14, 2008 9:34 PM CDT
In was a tough weather night on Friday and in proved to be a difficult night for the local Interstate Eight Conference teams to score points. Other than Coal City, a team which beat Westmont handily (37-0), Reed-Custer, Dwight and Seneca were shut out on the evening. The Comets lost at home to Wilmington 21-0, the Trojans fell 7-0 at Manteno and Seneca dropped a 15-0 contest at Herscher.
Wilmington 21,
Reed-Custer 0
Based on the merits of a solid and steady running attach which compiled 208 yards, the Wildcats put up a touchdown in each of the first three quarters in clinching the win. At the same time, the Wilmington defense limited Reed-Custer to just 56 total yards.
Reed-Custer managed only 24 yards on the ground against the Wildcats with Kyle Roach leading the way with 25 yards in eight carries.
Through the air, quarterback Casey Barnes completed 5-of-14 passes on the evening for 32 yards. Anthony Scaglione caught two passes for 18 yards, Chris Robinson a pass for seven yards, Jake Bolatto one catch for seven yards and Ryan Garbin a catch for no gain.
Colin Webb scored for Wilmington at 2:25 of the first quarter, Jeremy Bailey scored at 3:39 of the second quarter and Zach McWilliams scored on a 20-yard run with 7:55 remaining in the third quarter.
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Comets beat Irish in overtime thriller
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SENECA - Most football coaches hate giving up touchdowns.
Reed-Custer veteran coach Dean Cappel gave up a touchdown that put his Comets down 19-12 with 1:25 to go in regulation Friday night.
But Reed-Custer rallied to score on a fumbled flea flicker just 22 seconds later, kicked the game-tying extra point (after missing two earlier attempts) and then got a 7-yard scoring scamper from senior quarterback Casey Barnes in overtime to edge the Seneca Fighting Irish 26-19 in Interstate Eight Conference cross-over action.
“I've never done that before,” admitted Cappel, concerning declining a penalty which would have negated an opponent TD. “I have never had to make that decision, but I have seen it done in college.”
The play in question, a 33-yard scoring run by Seneca junior fullback Josh Higgins, capped a 68-yard drive by the Irish that had chewed nearly five minutes off the clock. Higgins went around left end, sprung by a block by senior halfback Meese Albarran. A yellow hanky decorated the dewy turf as the Irish stands erupted in glee. But after a consultation with the officials, Cappel declined the penalty.
“We had to do it,” Cappel explained, while sitting exhausted on the Comets bench afterward. “We needed to do that in order to give ourselves a chance to score. Otherwise, if we take the penalty, they probably just run the clock out and we lose.”
Of course, giving Seneca the touchdown did not ensure Reed-Custer was going to win. The Comets needed to make a play after the Irish went for the two-point conversion run, only to have the ball fumbled and the attempt stopped short.
And Reed-Custer needed to make a play with Barnes sitting on a bench on the sideline, after being hurt earlier in the fourth stanza. Enter junior backup QB Derek Albin. “I have to really compliment Derek Albin, for the way he played when we needed him to step in,” said Cappel. “He moved the ball downfield and threw the tying touchdown.”
Not quite.
Albin did throw a touchdown, after fumbling a flea flicker flip after handing off to a running back. Albin picked up the bouncing ball on the run and unleashed a pass that senior wideout Chris Robinson caught behind double coverage before motoring into the end zone for the 53-yard TD.
“It is one of our trick plays,” said Cappel. “Of course, with the fumble, we made it even tougher on ourselves. But Derek got the job done.”
So did Robinson on the PAT with 1:03 emblazoned on the board to forge the 19-19 deadlock.
“That was a smart move to accept the penalty to give us the touchdown,” said Seneca coach Ryan Reade of the Cappel decision. “And then we had a breakdown defensively when they threw that pass. The key to the game was the first half when we didn't play well.”
The Irish won the coin flip in OT and chose to play defense. Junior fullback Ryan Garbin gained two and junior halfback Garrett Sandefur one before Barnes (who came back in for the final play in regulation) skirted left end for the game-winning touchdown.
Seneca went nowhere on its first three snaps in overtime. Albarran was upended by Jim Benson for no gain before junior fullback Josh Higgins was submarined by Robinson for a loss of one.
“Holding them on first and second downs in overtime was another key,” said Cappel. “That forced them to do some things they didn't want to do.”
On third down, junior quarterback Joe Wichert lost five (Sandefur on the stop) before senior reserve QB Nathan Steele scurried for a gain of 6 before being halted by Tom Breen and Anthony Scaglione back at the original line of scrimmage.
Each team scored in the second quarter. Barnes had a 1-yard sneak on the first play before Deric Punke of the Irish blocked the PAT. Higgins went a yard over left guard with 3:56 showing.
Barnes added a 2-yard TD in the third frame before Wichert matched that feat with 7:15 left in the final stanza. Higgins gave Seneca a short-lived 13-12 edge with his left-footed boot. | |
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