SAUK_Prep Football_082318

SAUK VALLEY MEDIA HELPS PLOT A COURSE TO STATE

Mapping A Route To Champaign

Sauk Valley Media • Football Guide 2018 • Thursday, August 23, 2018

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

2

Mapping A Route To Champaign | Table of Contents What’s Where Player essays

Conference previews

This and that

Sterling’s Isaiah Ryan................... 5 Dixon’s Alex Boswell.................... 7 Rock Falls’ Blake Boostrom......... 8 Newman’s Drew Ackman........... 11 Morrison’s Jake Schlegel............ 12 AFC’s Sawyer Murphy................ 15

Northern Illinois Big 12 West....... 4 Big Northern............................... 6 Three Rivers Mississippi............. 9 Three Rivers Rock.................... 10 NUIC Northwest....................... 13 NUIC Upstate........................... 14

Route to Champaign

Team capsule pages

Step 1: Hitting the weights.... 16-17 Covering the miles..................... 18 Road stories: Dixon..................... 23 Step 2: Summer camps....... 24-25 Step 3: Preseason................ 32-33 Cody’s road-trip advice................. 35 Road stories: Newman................ 37 Step 4: Game week.............. 40-41 Road stories: Rock Falls............. 43 Road stories: Sterling.................. 45 Step 5: Game day................. 46-47

Amboy..................................... 19 Ashton-Franklin Center............ 20 Bureau Valley........................... 21 Dixon....................................... 22 Eastland-Pearl City................... 26 Erie-Prophetstown................... 27 Fulton...................................... 30 Milledgeville.............................. 31 Morrison.................................. 34 Newman.................................. 36 Oregon.................................... 38 Polo......................................... 39 Rock Falls................................ 42 Sterling.................................... 44 West Carroll............................. 48

Ty Reynolds column................ 3 Preseason All-Area........... 28-29 SVM Predictions.................... 49 Illinois state champions......... 50 2017 final records................. 50 SVM Wall of Fame................. 51 Games of the week.......... 52-53 2017 Stat Leaders................. 54 Week-by-week schedule........ 55

SVM Honors > Sauk Valley Media’s Football Guide has won Top 10 awards in 10 of the Associated Press Sports Editors’ last 11 national competitions.

Best Special Section, under 40,000 circulation 2007 • 2008 • 2009 Best Special Section, under 30,000 circulation 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 2014 • 2016 • 2017

Section Credits Editor, Designer Ty Reynolds

Reporters

Cody Cutter Adam Feiner

Eric Ingles Brian Weidman

Photography

Alex T. Paschal Michael Krabbenhoeft

Cover design Alex T. Paschal

Community is More than Part of Our Name Good luck to all area teams on your upcoming season!

With locations in Dixon, Fulton, Morrison, Rock Falls & Sterling

Locally Owned & Managed

www.commstbk.com SM-ST1568135

COMMENTARY

R

always a satire of a popular film genre of the period.

Old movies are more of my sister’s forté than mine, but I’ve seen my fair share of oldies-but-goodies when visiting my parents’ house as an adult; my dad almost always had AMC or Turner Classic Movies on at some point during overnight visits.

Seems I’ve been covering football in the Sauk Valley for long enough now (how can this be my 19th football season?!?) that a lot of the games I talk about can now be considered oldies-butgoodies.

There sure have been some doozies, but that’s one of the best parts about sports in general, and football in particular: Every year brings new players, new games, new chances for legends to be made and instant classics to pop up.

This season, we turn

tyREYNOLDS Sports editor. He can be reached at treynolds@ saukvalley. com or 815625-3600, ext. 5554.

the focus of our annual award-winning football preseason preview section to a step-by-step look at what it takes to get to the pinnacle of immortality – playing for a state championship. As it’s an even-numbered year, that means a road trip to Champaign’s Memorial Stadium on the Friday & Saturday after Thanksgiving.

“Next year” starts almost as soon as last year ends, as players hungry to finish the

next fall with a better record – and ultimately with a state championship trophy and a gold medal – than the previous one get in the weight room and start working hard to try to make their title dreams become a reality.

Once the school year ends, things start to pick up. Summer contact days are often taken up by camps and 7-on-7 events, and that usually blends seamlessly into preseason practices once August rolls around.

And that’s when the football routine starts to find its rhythm. The preseason groove of practice then time off gets adjusted again when school starts up; then the weekly grind to prepare for the next Friday night kicks into high gear.

Then there are game days themselves, where the feeling in your gut slowly builds until school ends

and you get ready to suit up with your teammates and run onto the field in front of screaming fans and play the sport you love for the sheer joy of it.

Of couse, it’s a lot more fun when you win.

And you can’t lose with this special section, in which SVM delves into the intricacies and nuances of each of these parts of the journey that every team hopes will culminate in a nice, long holiday road trip to the state finals.

So sit back, relax, and turn the page to see how our local teams start the journey, then navigate the ups and downs – feed off the open road and avoid the road blocks, if you will – before reaching the end of the line.

And then reminiscing before starting it all over again.

CGH SPORTS MEDICINE 1-888-721-BUMP (2867) Orthopaedic Surgeon Shawn P. Hanlon, M.D., F.A.A.O.S Physician Assistant Ethan Brooks, DSC, PA-C

Orthopaedic Surgeon Jeffrey R. Thormeyer, MD, MA

Physician Assistant Josh Wade, PA-C, M.S.

Sports Physical Therapist Geoff Wright, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS

Treating sports injuries, strains, sprains, overuse injuries, and sports concussion 1809 N. Locust Street, Sterling, IL 61081 www.cghmc.com

Open Weekdays

by Appointment

• August 23, 2018

emember those old “Road to (insert place here)” movies from the 1940s starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope?

No? Don’t worry – I’m sure you’re in the same boat (or car) as a majority of readers. Still, I guarantee at some point you’ve heard that phrase and thought it sounded familiar.

Let me fill you in: There were seven movies – five in the 40s, one each in the early 50s and early 60s – in which Crosby and Hope traveled to various locales – Singapore, Zanzibar, Morocco, Utopia, Rio, Bali and Hong Kong, to be precise – and experience wacky, zany hijinks, usually while trying to make money as con men and chasing beautiful women. The series of movies had inside jokes and running gags, and was

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Road to immortality starts tomorrow

3

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

4

Conference Preview 2018

Northern Illinois Big 12 West Geneseo Maple Leafs

Enrollment: 843 Class: 4A Coach: Larry Johnsen Jr. (120-40, 15th year) 2017: 5-5 (2-2, 3rd) Playoff record: 76-37 (1st in 1976, ’77, ’78, ’82) Returning allconference: Zach Olson, sr. DB FYI: The Leafs have qualified for the playoffs in 41 of the last 44 years, but haven’t won in the postseason in the last 2 years. They have 6 runner-up finishes.

LaSalle-Peru Cavaliers

Enrollment: 1,217 Class: 5A Coach: Jose Medina (10-17, 4th year) 2017: 4-5 (1-3, 4th) Playoff record: 14-11 (2nd in 1977, ’78, ’79) Returning allconference: Cole Lynch, sr. DL FYI: The Cavs have failed to qualify for the playoffs in each of the last 9 years, and have missed the postseason in 19 of the last 25 seasons.

They lost their firstround game in 5 of those 6 playoff years.

Ottawa Pirates

Enrollment: 1,332 Class: 6A Coach: Chad Gross (0-0, 1st year) 2017: 1-8 (0-4, 5th) Playoff record: 8-12 (quarterfinals 1995, 2012) Returning all-conference: None FYI: The Pirates are seeking their first playoff trip since 2012, and their first NIB-12 West win since 2015. Ottawa hasn’t finished .500 or better in league play since 2014, when it went 2-2, & has a 3-13 record in the last 5 years.

Rochelle Hubs

Enrollment: 893 Class: 4A Coach: Kyle Kissack (0-0, 1st year) 2017: 8-4 (3-1, 2nd) Playoff record: 23-22 (semifinals in 1998, ’02) Returning all-conference: Will Jandak, sr. OL; Brandon Johnson, sr.

P; Eddie Villalobos, jr. LB FYI: The Hubs have a new head coach after Kevin Crandall retired following last year’s quarterfinal run; he was 16096 in 25 years at Rochelle.

Sterling Golden Warriors

Enrollment: 1,044 Class: 5A Coach: Jon Schlemmer (49-17, 7th year) 2017: 12-1 (4-0, 1st) Playoff record: 23-30 (semis in 2017, quarters in 1991, ’94, ’95, ’99, 2006, ’16) Returning allconference: Alek Duran, sr. WR; Isaiah Ryan, sr. KR FYI: The Warriors are coming off their best 4-year stretch in program history, amassing 38 wins – including 7 in the playoffs – since 2014.

Luck Of The Irish

To All Area High School Football Teams!

218 Locust St. Sterling www.kellysinc.com 625-7969 (for carryout)

Good Luck to All Area Teams!

1514 W. 4th Street, Sterling (815) 625-5949 SM-ST1563450

“The Friendly Place to Eat & Drink”

Featuring Fine Mexican Food And American Favorites!

THE ROAD TO BECOMING A WARRIOR... BY ISAIAH RYAN, STERLING SENIOR

T

N

ORTH END LIQUOR DRIVE - UP WINDOW

Reid Blackburn, Turner Morse, and numerous others set an example for underclassmen in the classroom, on the field, and in the weight room – and we took notice.

For most players, the physicality of the game and the deep-rooted friendships, especially when combined with success, separate football from any other sport.

During my junior year, Team 113 separated itself from any other team by becoming the best in Sterling history with a trip to the state semifinals. The seniors on this team were special. Their extra work translated into success on the field.

The heartbreak on each face after the final loss of the season, to Chicago Phillips, was a visual representation of how quick high school comes and goes.

I hope to lead Team 114 on the path to success by giving 100 percent in everything, whether it’s thriving on the football field, in the classroom, or simply as a person.

Teams 112 and 113 taught us that extra work is a necessity to succeed.

As a player, my favorite memory has become the result of the quarterfinal game against Marian Central Catholic. When Trey Morse took a knee and the buzzer sounded, the feeling was monumental.

The true reality of being “the best team ever” was surreal, but the team and I aren’t satisfied.

I won’t ever forget 113, but now it’s time for a new season with a very different team. Two weeks after the loss to Phillips, a majority of returners headed to the weight room, working and hungry for our ultimate goal – becoming state champions.

HERE’S TO A GREAT SEASON!

• August 23, 2018

he thunderous bang of the drums, the roar of the student section and crowd, and even the inviting smell of pork chops on the grill at Roscoe Eades Stadium all reminds me of the rich tradition behind Sterling Golden Warriors football.

Because my father was an assistant coach, I would leave school early to be the team’s “waterboy,” and take trips to interesting places like Streator, Ottawa and Chicago.

Aside from trips, I was fortunate to witness some of the greatest Golden Warriors in action: the three Rivera brothers, Niko, Marcos and Jando; the phenomenal linebacker Ryan Hermes; and former Northern Illinois University standout Tyler Loos, who dominated on the offensive line.

The common denominator for these special players was the result at the end of their high school football careers – all of them failed to reach past the quarterfinals. I will never forget the tears at the end of their memorable careers as Sterling Golden Warriors.

As a kid, I knew one of my personal goals was to work my hardest to surpass their extraordinary achievements. That was the past, now it’s time to put in the work to flourish.

As my buddies and I continued to play the game, freshman year came and went, but sophomore year separated itself from the rest for our football program. I watched as Team 112 (2016) developed into flourishing stars and ultimately helped raise the bar for our program. I was only a small part of their team as a sophomore; players like

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Sterling senior Isaiah Ryan was a team waterboy as a kid, and learned early on from past Golden Warriors what it took to be successful on the field: hard work, dedication, and a hunger to live up to the lofty tradition that is Sterling football.

Good Luck Newman Comets | Rock Falls Rockets ckets Sterling Warriors | Dixon Dukes es

SERVING LUNCH Monday-Friday: 11am - 2pm

and all other surrounding area football teams!

DAILY DRINK SPECIALS Mini Pizzas • Snacks (when not serving lunch)

208 W. Miller Road, Sterling

Call 815-626-2979 for carry out.

VIDEO SLOTS SM-ST1568212

STERLING 1203 W. 4th St. 815-626-1313

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

From waterboy to impact senior

5

Angelo’s 625-5163

Angelo’s II 625-5451

Angelo’s Delivery 625-5000

Angelo’s III 285-0055

Conference Preview 2018

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

6

Big Northern Byron Tigers

Dixon Dukes

Enrollment: 470 Class: 3A Coach: Jeff Boyer (48-20, 6th year) 2017: 11-1 (8-0, 1st) Playoff record: 34-23 (1st in 1999) Returning allconference: Tyler Elsbury, jr. OL FYI: The Tigers have qualified for the playoffs in each of the last 4 years, the second time they have that many consecutive trips to the postseason; they went to the playoffs 14 straight seasons from 19932006. Byron has won at least 1 playoff game in 19 of its 24 appearances all-time.

Enrollment: 742 Class: 4A Coach: Dave Smith (36-37, 8th year) 2017: 10-2 (7-1, 2nd) Playoff record: 7-9 (quarterfinals in 2006, ’17) Returning all-conference: Alex Boswell, sr.

OL; Finn Brandon, Dixon sr. LB; Bryce Christiansen, sr. DL; Tyler Christiansen, sr. WR; Joseph Heckert, sr. DB; Dylan Messer, sr. OL FYI: The Dukes have 4 playoff wins over the last 4 years, after totaling just 3 in the program’s first 5 trips to the playoffs in 1991, ’92, 2000, ’01 & ’06.

Oregon Hawks

Rock Falls Rockets

Enrollment: 422 Class: 3A Coach: Nick Schneiderman (1-8, 2nd year) 2017: 1-8 (0-8, 11th) Playoff record: 15-14 (2nd in 2000) Returning allconference: Dalton Hermes, sr. RB; Jake Mennen, sr. LB; Austin Strite, sr. OL FYI: The Hawks have missed the playoffs in each of the last 3 years, the longest stretch since missing out from 2003-05. Oregon has won at least 1 playoff game in 10 of the program’s 14 trips to the postseason all-time.

Enrollment: 645 Class: 4A Coach: Steve Disler (0-0, 1st year) 2017: 3-6 (2-6, 8th) Playoff record: 1-2 (win in 1992) Returning allconference: Nathaniel Wiles, sr. DB FYI: The Rockets’ 6 wins over the last 2 years are the most in consecutive seasons since the team went 8-10 in 2008 & ’09.

Rock Falls’ best 3-year stretch in the playoff era was a 16-12 record from 1985-87; its nextbest 3-year stint is 12-17 from 1990-92.

Genoa-Kingston Cogs

Mendota Trojans

North Boone Vikings

Enrollment: 588 Class: 3A/4A Coach: Chad Wilmarth (8-3, 2nd year) 2017: 8-3 (6-2, tied 3rd) Playoff record: 18-16 (1st in 1977) Returning allconference: Brett Mart, sr, RB; Nate Nesler, sr. DB FYI: The Cogs have qualified for the playoffs in 4 of the last 5 years, & have 3 postseason wins the last 2 years after not notching one prior to that since back-to-back seasons in 2007 & ’08.

Enrollment: 555 Class: 3A Coach: Keegan Hill (0-0, 1st year) 2017: 1-8 (1-7, tied 9th) Playoff record: 14-16 (quarterfinals in ’87) Returning allconference: Edwin Angulo, sr. K FYI: The Trojans have 1 conference win in 4 of the last 5 years, & are 9-27 in the league in that span – with 5 of the wins coming in 2014.

After 7 playoff trips in 8 years between 2004-2011, Mendota has just 1 since 2012, & a 15-49 record in that span.

Enrollment: 503 Class: 3A Coach: Aaron Sullivan (49-62, 13th year) 2017: 7-3 (6-2, tied 3rd) Playoff record: 13-17 (2nd in 1992) Returning allconference: Britton Morris, sr. QB; Ethan Rydell, sr. DB; Korey Yarc, sr. K FYI: The Vikings have an 8-8 record since the BNC merged into 1 division, & have 3 playoff trips in the last 6 years – following a playoff drought of 6 years.

Rkfd. Lutheran Crusaders

Stillman Valley Cardinals

Winnebago Indians

Enrollment: 575.85 Class: 4A Coach: Chuck Leonard (1-8, 2nd year) 2017: 1-8 (1-7, tied 9th) Playoff record: 10-10 (semifinals in 2013) Returning allconference: Christian Bonoquisti, sr. LB FYI: The Crusaders missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2011; they had a 50-9 record over that 5-year span from 2012-16. Prior to that, Lutheran was 9-72 in the 9 years from 2003-11.

Enrollment: 596 Class: 4A Coach: Mike Lalor (172-58, 21st year) 2017: 4-5 (4-4, tied 6th) Playoff record: 49-20 (1st in 1999, 2000, ’03, ’09, ’13) Returning allconference: None FYI: The Cardinals have missed the playoffs in each of the last 4 years, their longest stretch since 10 straight seasons from 1975-84. In the intervening years (1985-2014), Stillman went to the playoffs 24 times in 28 seasons.

Enrollment: 454 Class: 3A Coach: Mark Helm (68-47, 12th year) 2017: 6-4 (5-3, 5th) Playoffs: 9-15 (quarterfinals in 2011, ’12, ’13) Returning allconference: Jared Roberts, sr. RB; Jared Sprickler, sr.

OL FYI: The Indians have qualified for the playoffs in 9 of the last 11 years, amassing 7 postseason wins; they had 1 playoff win in the program’s first 6 playoff appearances.

THE ROAD TO BECOMING A DUKE... BY ALEX BOSWELL, DIXON SENIOR

I

• August 23, 2018

didn’t start football until fourth grade, when I really started to grow and all of my friends told me I should come out and play.

Thanks to them, I made one of the best decisions of my life by giving it a try and sticking to it no matter how hot, cold, or wet it was.

Even though I would whine and complain about how it was too hot and I didn’t want to go, my mom always forced me to go.

I always liked being there, because I had my friends with me to play and help take my mind off of everything that was off the field.

I remember my first year; I was not the best, but people around me kept pushing me forward, giving me advice, along with someone to push me forward to make sure I knew the techniques.

After that, I joined the Junior Dukes and we won the first championship in the program’s history. It boosted our confidence up enough that by the time the next season came around, it wasn’t even a question if somebody was still playing. We all started to love the game a lot more as we progressed all the way to high school.

A lot of the time, other players stay behind with me after practice to talk about things we can fix and what’s happening on and off the field, just like we did when we were little kids.

Another thing I will never forget is how I was accepted on to the varsity team with open arms even though I was a sophomore. My teammates guided me down a path as a football player and person, teaching me things I would have never learned anywhere else other than on the football field.

The bonds I’ve made throughout the years are some I never want to lose, along with the memories made between all of us. More than just bonds, most people I spend my time with on the field are like brothers I wish I actually had, and a few of us even share families – just walking into each other’s houses like you would your own because we have become family in every sense of the word.

These bonds and memories are ones I’ll never forget, and hold on to until I’m too old to remember or dead.

These same things are what bring me back to the football field every

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Still pushing through the elements

7

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Dixon senior Alex Boswell has loved every minute of his football playing days, no matter how hot, cold, or wet the conditions got. Through the years, he has developed close bonds with his football brothers, and has created memories that will last him for a lifetime.

June and push me to get better and protect my brothers out on the field with me, because seeing them happy after a Friday night of playing ball is one thing I’ll never get tired of seeing.

Now that I’m entering my senior year, I get flashbacks from the past just thinking about everything I have gone through in my time as a football player, student, friend, brother and son – picking up tips and characteristics from everyone around me.

There is not a thing I would have changed; otherwise I wouldn’t be me. I know being a Dixon Duke was the best decision of my life.

GOOD LUCK DUKES GOOD LUCK

TEAMS!

ADVANCE EMS 24 Hour Paramedic Certified Level Care 815-288-6898

1245 N. Galena Ave., Dixon, IL

815-284-2052

THE ROAD TO BECOMING A ROCKET... BY BLAKE BOOSTROM, ROCK FALLS SENIOR

Making new friends in NIYTF N

orthern Illinois Youth Tackle Football is the start of tackle football for many people in this area, with teams from Rock Falls to Dixon and more.

Youth football is where most kids start the sport. When I played youth football for Rock Falls we had two teams, green and black.

The green team was for the kids from in town, and the black team was for the kids that went to, for example, Montmorency.

I was on the black team.

NIYTF was where I started playing on the line, because we didn’t have enough people to play on my team.

Over the years of NIYTF, it was fun but also hard for me and many others. This is where we got to know each other before high school. Many of us didn’t know each other before.

This was a good thing for us as kids to play football and meet people.

Us, as kids, love playing in games. We all thought we were superstars.

After a couple years of NIYTF, I became tired of football, so when it became time to move to junior tackle football, I decided not to play. I was burnt out, which does happen to people.

Then, after my eighth-grade year, I decided I wanted to play again. I signed up my freshman year, then Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com I realized I missed football and Rock Falls senior Blake Boostrom made plenty of new friends while playing Northern Illinois Youth Tackle many of my friends I made while Football, then did not play junior tackle ball after becoming a bit burnt out on the sport. But after realizing he missed playing with his new friends, he started playing again in high school. playing it.

GOING ON VACATION?

Good Luck Newman Comets Rock Falls Rockets Sterling Warriors Dixon Dukes

Keep in touch with the news of the Sauk Valley

and all other surrounding area football teams!

625-5163

Angelo’s Delivery

Angelo’s II

Angelo’s III

Angelo’s SM-ST1568188

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

8

625-5451

625-5000

285-0055

Conference Preview 2018

Erie-Prophetstown Panthers

Enrollment: 561 Class: 3A Coach: Tyler Nichols (21-27, 6th year) 2017: 6-4 (5-1, 2nd) Playoff record: 4-10 (quarterfinals in 1999) Returning all-conference: Willie Terry, sr. OL

Enrollment: 530 (3A) Coach: Jeremy Adolphson (27-47, 8th year) 2017: 13-6 (3-3, tied 3rd) Playoff record: 1-3 Returning all-conf.: Rylan Heinrich, sr. LB; Akiri Lindsey, sr. OL; Jamonny Skinner, sr. WR/DB; Noah Tarsai, sr. OL

Princeton Tigers

St. Bede Bruins

Sherrard Tigers

Enrollment: 529 (3A) Coach: Ryan Pearson (3-6, 2nd year) 2017: 3-6 (3-3, tied 3rd)

Enrollment: 448.80 (2A) Coach: Jim Eustice (14-15, 4th year; 27-47 overall) 2017: 3-6 (3-3, tied 3rd) Playoff record: 13-9 (2nd, ’89) Playoff record: 8-16 Returning all-conf.: Jakob (semifinals in 2001) Ebner, sr. LB; Chase Tatum, Returning all-conf.: sr. OL/LB; Hayden Welte, Ben Bernabei, sr. RB/LB; sr. DL; Ronde Worrels, so.

Malcolm Roebuck, sr. DL; RB; Jud Wright, sr. OL Jack Senica, sr. LB

Your Area’s #1 Preowned Destination MORE THAN 25 BRANDS TO CHOOSE FROM!

THE AREA’S LARGEST SELECTION! Owner

Dan Danreiter

Dan Vereide Sales

Sales

Fred Hofmann Steve Scott

Office

John Watts Sales

Angela Perna Office Mgr.

Office

Mike Parent

Manager

Monmouth-Roseville Titans

Enrollment: 437 (2A) Coach: Randy Tieman (3131, 6th year) 2017: 6-4 (6-0, 1st) Returning all-conf: Brian Bergagna, sr. DB; Steven Brust, sr. WR; Anthony Buchanan, sr. RB/DB; James Mautino, sr. WR/DB; Christian Stefaniak, sr. RB/DB

Good Luck Area Teams!

Greg Majeski

Kewanee Boilermakers

Nick Melsness

Sales

Nick Mcclanahan RF

Sales

849 N. Galena Ave. Dixon • 815-288-9600 | 1701 East 4th St., Sterling • 815-625-9600 Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9am-7pm, Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 8:30am-4pm No Gimmicks – No Games – Just Great Cars At Great Prices!

SM-ST1568175

OVER 400 QUALITY PREOWNED IN STOCK!!!

Enrollment: 462 Class: 2A Coach: Scott Monson (0-9, 2nd year) 2017: 0-9 (0-6, 7th) Playoff record: 12-15 (semifinals in 1974) Returning all-conference: None

• August 23, 2018

Enrollment: 443 Class: 2A Coach: Jesse Abbott (0-0, 1st year) 2017: 1-8 (1-5, 6th) Playoff record: 1-4 (win in 2013) Returning all-conference: Mat Garrison, sr. LB FYI: The Panthers are looking for their first division record better than 2-4 since the conference moved to the “Mississippi” & “Rock” divisions in 2015.

After a 19-12 stretch from 2012-14 – the best 3-year stint since the co-op formed in 2001 – EP is 7-20 over the last 3 years.

Hall Red Devils

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Three Rivers Mississippi

9

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

10

Conference Preview 2018

Three Rivers Rock Bureau Valley Storm

Fulton Steamers

Morrison Mustangs

Enrollment: 351 Class: 2A Coach: Joe Schmitt (4-5, 2nd year) 2017: 4-5 (1-5, tied 5th) Playoff record: 17-9 (1st in 2005, 2nd in 2004) Returning all-conference: Kale Barnett, sr. WR/DB; Tyler Gustafson, sr. QB FYI: The Storm are hungry after missing the playoffs last season, a year after returning in 2016 for the first time since 2010. BV went into its Week 9 game against Morrison at 4-4, & saw its furious rally from a 36-16 deficit over the final 7:30 fall 2 points short.

Enrollment: 289 Class: 1A/2A Coach: Patrick Lower (53-53, 12th year) 2017: 7-4 (3-3, 4th) Playoff record: 23-17 (1st in 1976, ’91) Returning all-conference: Eli Pannell, sr. OL/DL FYI: The Steamers won playoff games in consecutive seasons over the last 2 years for the first time since 2000 & ’01. Prior to its 3-2 postseason record the last 2 seasons, Fulton had not won a playoff game since an 8-3 playoff record from 1999-2001.

Enrollment: 260 Class: 1A/2A Coach: Ryan Oetting (0-0, 1st year) 2017: 4-5 (1-5, tied 5th) Playoff record: 29-22 (1st in 2009, ’11) Returning all-conference: Riley Wilkens, jr. RB/DL FYI: The Mustangs started 3-0 last season for the first time since 2009, the first of its 2 state title seasons.

Morrison has not been to the playoffs since 2012, which was the last of a string of 9 straight postseason appearances for the Mustangs; they also had a run of 13 playoff trips in 14 years from 1986-99.

Newman Comets

Orion Chargers

Riverdale Rams

Enrollment: 367.95 Class: 2A Coach: Mike Papoccia (329-96, 39th year) 2017: 12-1 (6-0, 1st) Playoff record: 63-24 (1st in 1990, ’94, 2004, ’10, ’13) Returning all-conference: Drew Ackman, sr. OL/DL; Nick Clevenger, jr. LB; Nick Eddinger, sr. OL; Chase Graham, sr. LB; Luke Olson, sr. LB/RB FYI: The Comets have won at least a share of their league or division title (Big Rivers, TRAC North/Missisippi/ Rock) in 7 of the last 8 years, & have a 55-2 league/division record during that span.

Enrollment: 341 Class: 2A Coach: Chip Filler (64-33, 10th year) 2017: 9-3 (4-2, 3rd) Playoff record: 16-16 (semifinals in 2007) Returning all-conference: Chad Banfield, sr. LB; Ryan Fowler, sr.

K; Jeffery Holbrook, jr. DB; Cade Jackson, sr. OL/DL; Logan Lee, sr.

TE/DE; Austin Mack, sr. OL/DL; Michael Seabloom, sr. OL; Dawson Schulenberg, sr. QB; Seth West, sr.

RB/DB FYI: The Chargers have qualified for the playoffs in 13 of the last 16 years, with 14 postseason victories.

Rockridge Rockets

Enrollment: 350 Class: 2A Coach: Sam Graves (41-14, 6th year) 2017: 8-2 (5-1, 2nd) Playoff record: 22-19 (1st in 1994) Returning all-conference: Cody Bush, sr. TE/LB; Riley Fetterer, sr. QB/DB; Cameron Gerischer, sr. OL/DL; Reed Nelsen, sr. TE; Robert Young, sr. DL; Niko Zarlatanes, jr. LB FYI: The Rockets have playoff trips in each of the last 8 years, the longest consecutive string of postseason appearances in program history. Before the current streak started in 2010, Rockridge had 1 playoff trip between 2002 & ’09.

Enrollment: 329 Class: 2A Coach: Guy Dierikx (5-13, 3rd year) 2017: 3-6 (1-5, tied 5th) Playoff record: 2-4 (wins in 2000, ’01) Returning all-conference: Kyle Van Huizen, sr. DB FYI: The Rams’ 3 wins last season were the most since a 6-4 campaign in 2011 – which is the only winning record Riverdale has had in the last 16 years. In the playoff era (since 1974), the Rams have finished above .500 just 10 times, & only have 5 seasons with 6 or more victories – & just 1 of those has come since 2002.

PROUD SUPPORTER OF OUR AREA HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS!

Quality Customer Service Since 1962 Family Owned & Operated for 50 Years!

1409 W. 4th St. Sterling, IL 815-625-1851

720 N. Galena Dixon, IL 815-288-3211

THE ROAD TO BECOMING A COMET... BY DREW ACKMAN, NEWMAN SENIOR

F

• August 23, 2018

ootball: a game of blood, sweat, tears, teamwork and emotion.

It is a game that can give a participant so much more than a victory on a scoreboard. It can provide a string of relationships, a loophole to fight through hardships, and memories that last a lifetime. Every player has a different story; here’s mine.

The game of football was first introduced into my life at the young age of 7 by my father.

My dad, Kyle, played football at Newman Central Catholic High School, and continued at Benedictine University. From the start, football was obviously a big piece of our relationship.

It would be a lie to say that my love for the game started right away. Football started out a little rough for me; I played scared and timid, and had not yet developed a love for the game.

Even though my success did not start right away, I established one goal from the beginning: to be like my dad.

It wasn’t just the journey to be a collegiate football player, but everything in between. He worked hard, fought through adversity, and learned lessons along the way for the privilege to play at a higher level.

Those are the characteristics that make not only a great football player, but a better man. These are lessons that every boy should be able to admire about their father, but not everyone has that benefit. I am so thankful that my dad has shown me how to be a man in the truest sense of the word.

Throughout my 10 years of playing God’s favorite game, lessons have been handed out in abundance.

Lessons like learning how to be disciplined when getting to know assignments, or knowing when to stay humble and grateful when best friends play their last football game.

But none of these lessons come close to the one that I learned last year in a very difficult way. One of the hardest obstacles that an athlete has to face is watching from the sidelines. My role diminished to injured reserve starting Week 8 of last season.

I messed up my knee pretty bad and knew that this setback would cost me at least a couple of games, since the injury typically needed

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Encouraged every step of the way

11

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Newman senior Drew Ackman came by his love of football because of his father; though he wasn’t too fond of the sport at first, the lessons he has learned and the camaraderie he has shared – with his family and his teammates – has helped him develop plenty of passion for the game.

6 weeks to heal. All the workouts, two-a-days, and everything in between could be for nothing. Not being able to be there for my teammates took a toll on me.

Through some soul searching and prayers, I decided that there were two ways this could go for me: 1.

Feel sorry for myself, give in, and just wait for the doctors to clear me; or 2. Step up, be a leader, and work my butt off to get back to where I started.

In the beginning, option 1 felt like a much more comfortable one.

However, I knew this option would not help the team, and would not make me a better young man. I decided to take the “tough” route for the betterment of myself and others, and was back in 3 weeks.

This is not only a choice we can make for football, but also for life. This is why I love the game so much.

The love for the game is also fueled by the memories that I have made with the great people around me.

My friends, family, teammates, and coaches have made my high

school football experience such an exciting ride for myself, and others. But one of my favorite memories has to be after the quarterfinal game last year, when we beat Orion. It was my first game back from injury, and my dad came down to the field and said four words that make a son feel like they are on cloud nine: “I’m proud of you.”

There might be one experience that is going to be better than that, though.

If dreams come true, my favorite memory will be November 23, 2018, when the Blue Machine hoists up a state championship trophy on a big orange letter I in Champaign.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Stay live.

Good Luck This Season!

Dixon Autobody Clinic

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

1104 E. River Road, Dixon • 815-288-2722 24 Hour Towing 815-288-5111

Serving Lunch Monday-Friday: 11am - 2pm Dine-In or Carry-Out

113 E. 3rd Street, Sterling 815-622-4078

$$$$$$$$

Oregon Autobody

810 S. 7th St, Oregon • 815-732-3880

TRY OUR VIDEO SLOTS DAILY DRINK SPECIALS! Credit Cards Accepted

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

12

THE ROAD TO BECOMING A MUSTANG... BY JAKE SCHLEGEL, MORRISON SENIOR

Long journey still moving along M

y football journey began in second grade, and after that first year it has not stopped.

I have continued to play for 11 more years. Each year I love the game more and more.

Over the years, I have learned that one of the great things about football is that you become more than teammates, you become brothers. When you play football, you develop an incredible bond with your friends; and football becomes more than just a game, it becomes a brotherhood.

Brotherhood is something special. In football, the team’s bond needs to be strong.

One thing I’ve really enjoyed over my high school years is our team dinner on Thursday, the day before the big game. I’ve learned to persevere over adversity along the way. I have also learned about hard work, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

Football has always been a

passion of mine, and I have always worked hard to get better at the sport. I have a developed respect for my teammates, the players on the opposing team, and the coaches.

I started as a guard in Northern Illinois Youth Tackle Football, then became a running back in junior tackle, and finally a quarterback in high school. Each position I have played has been equally challenging.

I have welcomed each new challenge and enjoyed the learning experience. Many things I have learned during my years of playing football have helped me to become the person that I am today.

I hope to be able to continue to play in college, and continue to grow in the sport.

I would like to thank all of my Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com many coaches that I have had along the way. Each one of you has Morrison senior Jake Schlegel started playing football in second grade and has loved it ever since. He’s grateful for the experiences on the field played an important part in my that have helped mold him into the person he is off of it. football experience.

Your Local Source

To subscribe call 815-625-3600 • 815-284-2222

dailyGAZETTE

TELEGRAPH

Conference Preview 2018

13

Amboy Clippers

Forreston Cardinals

Enrollment: 268 Class: 1A Coach: Kyle Zick (0-0, 1st year) 2017: 11-2 (7-1, 2nd) Playoff record: 27-21 (1st in 2014, ’16) 2017 all-conference: 13 at 17 positions

Enrollment: 250 (1A) Coach: Joseph Free (10-7, 3rd year) 2017: 7-3 (6-2, 3rd) Playoff record: 25-20 (1st in 2005, ’07, ’11) 2017 all-conference picks: 7 players selected at 11 positions

Galena Pirates

Enrollment: 243 Class: 1A Coach: Ed Freed (9653, 15th year) 2017: 0-9 (0-8, 9th) Playoff record: 49-26 (1st in 1997, 2003, ’07) 2017 all-conference: 3 at 3 positions

E. Dubuque Warriors

Enrollment: 221 (1A) Coach: Terry Breitbach (66-52, 13th year) 2017: 2-7 (2-6, 7th) Playoff record: 7-7 (semifinals in 2000) 2017 all-conference picks: 5 players selected at 6 positions

Lena-Winslow Panthers

Enrollment: 236 Class: 1A Coach: Ric Arand (192-62, 23rd year) 2017: 14-0 (8-0, 1st) Playoff record: 35-21 (1st in 2010, ’13, ’17) 2017 all-conference: 12 at 19 positions

Eastland-P.C. Wildcatz Enrollment: 337 (2A)

Coach: Jared McNutt (1st year)

2017: 5-5 (4-4, 5th) Playoff record: 12-12 (1st in 2014) Returning all-conference: Addison Keltner, sr. OL; Jayden Kempel, sr. RB; Jarod Kempel, sr. RB/DB; Lucas Peterson, sr. WR

Durand-Pecatonica Rivermen

Enrollment: 428 Class: 3A Coach: Tyler Hoffman (1-8, 2nd year) 2017: 1-8 (1-7, 8th)

Playoff record: Pec 2-4; Durand 10-19 (2nd, ’85)

2017 all-conference: 1 player

West Carroll Thunder

Enrollment: 340 Class: 2A Coach: Matt Leitzen (16-14, 4th year) 2017: 7-4 (5-3, 4th) Playoff record: 2-5 (wins in 2007, ’17) Returning all-conf.: Kody Scheider, sr. OL

Join Us Before & After The Game!

SERVING FULL MENU UNTIL MIDNIGHT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

HOURS PUB OPEN

Sunday–Thursday 10am–12am Friday & Saturday 10am–1am

GRILL OPEN

ALL GAMES G N I L R E ST D LIVE! TELEVISE

PRESENTED BY

Sunday–Thursday 11am–11pm Friday & Saturday 11am–12am

FREE Local Business Lunch Delivery Weekdays 10:30am–1:30pm

CARRYOUT AVAILABLE 7 DAYS A WEEK! SM-ST1568235

2500 Ave. E Sterling (Corner of Lynn Blvd and Ave. E) • (815) 905-BLVD • www.theblvdpub.com

• August 23, 2018

Enrollment: 335 (2A) Coach: Gary Jones (129113, 25th year) 2017: 3-6 (3-5, 6th) Playoff record: 26-18 (1st in 1984) Returning all-conference: None (4 seniors selected at 5 positions)

Dakota Indians

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

NUIC Northwest

Conference Preview 2018

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

14

NUIC Upstate Aquin Bulldogs

Enrollment: 176.55 Class: 1A Coach: Broc Kundert (0-0, 1st year) 2017: 9-3 (6-1, 2nd) Playoff record: 37-23 (1st in 1981, ’86, 2005) 2017 all-conference picks: 8 players at 12 positions

AFC Raiders

Enrollment: 163 Class: 1A Coach: Brad Winterland (22-41, 7th year) 2017: 3-6 (2-5, 6th) Playoff record: 7-4 (quarters in ’94, ’03, ’05) Returning all-conference: None (5 seniors at 6 positions)

Milledgeville Missiles

Enrollment: 160 (1A) Coach: Jason Wroble (26-58, 10th year) 2017: 8-3 (5-2, 3rd) Playoff record: 17-21 (semifinals in ’98, ’99, ’08) Returning all-conf.: Carson Boyer, sr. RB/DB; Mason McKenna, sr. OL; Jack Munz, sr. DB; Nate Rahn, sr. RB/LB

Enrollment: 102 Class: 1A Coach: Jay Doyle (13-42, 7th year) 2017: 5-5 (3-4, 5th) Playoff record: 13-11 (1st in 1989) 2017 all-conference picks: 6 players at 8 positions

Polo Marcos

River Ridge Wildcats

Stockton Blackhawks

Warren Warriors

Enrollment: 160 (1A) Coach: Jeff Bumsted (11-8, 3rd year) 2017: 5-4 (4-3, 4th) Playoff record: 9-21 (quarters in 1983, 2008, ’15) Returning all-conf.: Ethan Phillips, sr. P; Brady Webb, sr. WR/DB; Draven Wells, sr. OL/DL

Enrollment: 142 Class: 1A Coach: Doug Nicholas (4-23, 4th year) 2017: 2-7 (1-6, 7th) Playoff record: 0-0 2017 all-conference picks: 6 players at 8 positions

Go Amboy Clippers!

Enrollment: 180 Class: 1A Coach: Jesse Snyder (8-3, 2nd year) 2017: 8-3 (7-0, 1st) Playoff record: 43-29 (1st in 1978, ’91) 2017 all-conference picks: 12 players at 16 positions

Orangeville Broncos

Enrollment: 110 Class: 1A Coach: Shawn Teske (0-0, 1st year) 2017: 1-7 (0-7, 8th) Playoff record: 1-9 (win in 2015) 2017 all-conference picks: 2 players at 2 positions

Experience matters …in football and in banking.

We Have the Vehicle You! For Yo ou The First National Bank in Amboy 5 locations to serve you in Amboy, Dixon & Franklin Grove

““Great Great Deals, Great Service, Since 19 1 1926”

815-857-3625

www.vaessenbrothers.com www vaessenbrothers co

Rt. 52 N. Sublette, IL., Ph. 815/849-5232 or 1-800-227-5203 After 6, 849-5251

SM-ST1566362

www.fnbamboy.com

THE ROAD TO BECOMING A RAIDER... BY SAWYER MURPHY, AFC SENIOR

T

• August 23, 2018

he first time I ever stepped onto a football field was when I was in first grade.

I remember getting out of the car not wanting to go practice. I was playing for Dixon’s NIYTF, I knew no one else that was playing, and I didn’t really want to play at first. So being the 6-year-old I was, I tried it for a day.

When practice was over, I got into the car and told my parents that I wanted to continue playing. And I continued playing for the program till fourth grade as the center for the team.

When fifth grade started, I started to play for our school junior tackle team. This year was different than the last four. This year would be the first year where I would put on an AFC jersey. That was a year where I would play on our football field. I continued to play center, but I also started to play defensive end.

The best year I ever had during junior tackle was my eighth-grade year. That year the coach put the three eighth graders as linebackers.

This was the first time I had ever played that position, but the three of us got the job done. Every play, at least one of us was in on the play. Those 4 years were really only the beginning.

Once I graduated eighth grade, I started lifting and conditioning for football. This was new to me. And God was it a lot of running, but it was good for me. Even though there were times when I wanted to quit, I looked at the team and realized that even though I’m just one person, I still make a difference. So I kept at it.

I was moved to a tackle and learned the plays real quick. My sophomore year, I played varsity. They needed me to know the whole offensive line in case something happened. Tight end was also another position I had to learn.

At the start of my junior year, coach had asked me if I wanted to play as a wide receiver. I didn’t even think about it and took the opportunity, as I would probably never get asked again if I said no.

For me this was a big move, because I had played on the line my whole life. I never thought I would be one to run the ball. So I stuck with it. Even though the ball was barely thrown to me that year, I still had a good season.

As my senior year is about to

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Giving it my all wherever I line up

15

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

AFC senior Sawyer Murphy started his football career as a lineman in Northern Illinois Youth Tackle Football, then transitioned to linebacker as an eighth grader. He will now enter his second season as a wide receiver for the Raiders, and has enjoyed experiencing the game from several different positions. start, I still play as the wide receiver, but I also need to learn some of the line, because this year our numbers aren’t as big as they have been. This year we play with only 25. We are barely able to have a

scout team for practice.

But we get by, we keep pushing ourselves even though we know that we won’t be getting a lot of breaks during games. To me, it will show who wants to be there. That

is how a team should be.

None of us know how we are going to be this year, but we do know that every play we run, we will run it the right way and leave it all out there.

ROAD TO STATE | STEP 1: HITTING THE WEIGHTS

| FOOTBALL 2018

Where champions are made

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

16

Teams use different programs to get similar results in weight room

BY ADAM FEINER afeiner@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5550 @AdamFeinerSVM

Football – like baseball – is a game of inches.

Outcomes are decided by which line gets more push at the goal line, whether a running back powers through a linebacker for a first down, or if a wide receiver can nab a touchdown catch over a smaller cornerback.

Plays are made in the fall, but gaining an extra edge often results from blood, sweat and tears in the weight room during the offseason.

At Sterling, defensive coordinator Mike LeMay combines old-school Olympic lifts with new-wave technology. LeMay posts videos on Twitter of Golden Warrior football players working out throughout the year. This summer, seniors John Rahn, Ezra Torres and Marquez Williams joined the 1K club – achieved by max lifts in the hang clean, squat and bench that add up to 1,000 pounds or more.

Over at Newman, the coaches have developed a strength and speed program where the results have spoken volumes on the field. The Comets utilize a stateof-the-art facility to conduct an in-season lifting schedule that is vastly different than the offseason schedule.

“It’s lifting and conditioning during the summer,” Newman head coach Mike Papoccia said.

“We don’t ask anything more of the kids. They don’t have to, but we get about 95 percent of the kids that never miss a lift.”

About 23 miles south of Sterling, kids from six different towns congregate in Manlius to work out as a team. Bureau Valley’s football program uses a modified 5-3-1 program.

Athletes go through three sets of the four core Olympic lifts – hang clean, deadlift, squat and bench press. Five sets of five are done for each lift during the program’s first week, and three sets of three are done the second week.

The third week has athletes do the core lifts in three sets of five reps, then three reps, and finally

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Weight room workouts are important to helping players gain strength and keep up their endurance during the offseason, so when they get outside for football practices over the summer and in the preseason, they can immediately pick up where they left off the previous season. It’s especially crucial in small schools like Polo (above), where athletes play multiple sports and can’t often focus on football during the winter and spring sports seasons. one max rep. Coaches keep track of each player’s max for each lift, and update the program after every 3-week session.

“All our coaches do a great job of promoting the weight room,” BV

head coach Joe Schmitt said. “They want their kids strong; strong is good for all sports. Our multi-sport kids are not just hearing it from me.”

Enrollments might be smaller at

Class 1A schools like Milledgeville, but the participation percentage in the weight room is still on par with larger programs.

MADE continued on 174

ROAD TO STATE | STEP 1: HITTING THE WEIGHTS

17

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018 Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Like most football programs, Newman spends a lot of time in the weight room during both the season and the offseason, working under vastly different programs depending on the time of year. The Comets’ state-of-the-art facility (above) gets used year-round, and like a lot of places, the coaches have designed lifting programs specific to their team and their players.

Technology helps coaches keep track of performance MADE

CONTINUED FROM 16

t The Missiles have a strong group of seniors who have pushed their teammates to spend more time lifting and conditioning. Assistant coach Ben Adolph, who used to run a speed clinic in Rockford, starts helping football players who do not play a spring sport in March prepare for the next school year.

An addition to Milledgeville’s curriculum has also helped multisport athletes stay in shape during the school day.

“Another thing that’s been nice is we have a weightlifting class kids

can take in lieu of P.E.,” Milledgeville head coach Jason Wroble said.

“Coach [Tom] Digmann runs that, and he does some of the ‘Bigger Faster Stronger’ stuff.”

The Missiles’ chief rival, Polo, deals with the challenge of staying competitive despite its enrollment by using the “Bigger Faster Stronger” program. The workouts are set up on 4-week cycles designed for athletes to lift three times per week for 45 minutes.

Polo football players do BFS workouts that include the four core lifts during the season, while coaches gather computerized data on each athlete’s respective numbers in the weight room.

Many Marco football players also play summer-league basketball in June while lifting for football. Once the football staff gets the kids’ full attention in July, Crossfit workouts begin.

Polo head football coach Jeff Bumsted said that it’s hard for multi-sport football players to lift during the winter and spring, but his staff feels like they’re passing on well-conditioned athletes to boys basketball coach Matt Messer and wrestling coach Jesse Culbertson.

“The Crossfit portion is something we do for endurance,” Bumsted said. “Coach Culbertson is a P.E. teacher, and him and I sat down and came up with a few

muscle endurance things.”

Over the last 15 school years, 11 SVM Boys Athlete of the Year honorees have played football. While talent and a strong supporting cast certainly helped, players like Sterling’s Tyler Loos, Newman’s Easton Bianchi, and Erie-Prophetstown’s Dylan Binion credited their respective success to one common theme – growth in the weight room.

Teams looking to make deep playoff runs need to be conditioned to play up to 14 football games over 3 months, but also strong enough to lift a state championship trophy over their heads.

Grinding through workouts is a good place to start on those goals.

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

18

Hitting the Road

As usual, every team will rack up some bus time this season – some quite a bit, others not as much. Here’s how far each Sauk Valley squad will travel in 2018 (round trips, rounded to the nearest mile) Farthest To Go

Closest To Home

Road trips: 4 To Champaign: 370 Week/town Miles 1. Orangeville 72 3. Edwardsville MetroEast Lutheran 502 5. Warren 100 6. River Ridge 110 9. Eastland-Pearl City 38 Total 822

Road trips: 4 To Champaign: 358 Week/town Miles 1. Rockford Lutheran 64 4. Byron 22 5. Stillman Valley 32 8. North Boone 100 Total 218

Polo Marcos

Oregon Hawks

Dixon Dukes

Sterling Golden Warriors

Road trips: 5 To Champaign: 342 Week/town Miles 3. Oregon 32 5. Mendota 56 6. Lutheran 96 8. Winnebago 78 9. Byron 56 Total 318

Road trips: 5 To Champaign: 360 Week/town Miles 1. Marengo 176 2. Pekin 190 5. Geneseo 80 7. Rochelle 72 9. Sycamore 130 Total 648

West Carroll Thunder

Amboy Clippers

Road trips: 5 To Champaign: 298 Week/town Miles 1. Milledgeville 70 3. West Carroll 120 4. Du-Pec (Pecatonica) 98 7. Dakota 118 8. Galena 190 Total 596

Milledgeville Missiles

Road trips: 5 To Champaign: 388 Week/town Miles 2. Polo 24 3. Stockton 76 4. Farmer City 336 5. Orangeville 86 7. AFC 72 Total 594 Eastland-Pearl City mileage calculated from Lanark Erie-Prophetstown mileage calculated from Erie Mileage according to Google Maps

Road trips: 4 To Champaign: 432 Week/town Miles 2. Du-Pec (Pecatonica) 108 5. Galena 70 8. Forreston 64 9. East Dubuque 96 Total 338

Erie-Prophetstown Panthers

Road trips: 5 To Champaign: 372 Week/town Miles 1. Bureau Valley 66 3. Monmouth-Rose. 152 4. Peru St. Bede 136 7. Sherrard 82 8. Spring Valley Hall 128 Total 564

Eastland-Pearl City Wildcatz Road trips: 4 To Champaign: 410 Week/town Miles 2. Amboy 88 4. Forreston 32 5. Lena-Winslow 40 7. West Carroll 32 Total 192

Bureau Valley Storm

Road trips: 5 To Champaign: 312 Week/town Miles 2. St. Bede 72 3. Fulton 96 5. Riverdale 78 7. Rockridge 152 8. Orion 94 Total 492

AFC Raiders

Road trips: 4 To Champaign: 326 Week/town Miles 2. Dakota 104 3. Freeport Aquin 96 6. Stockton 148 8. Polo 56 Total 404

Fulton Steamers

Newman Comets

Road trips: 5 To Champaign: 406 Week/town Miles 2. Monmouth-Rose. 172 4. Rockridge 128 6. Orion 86 7. vs. Riverdale 6 (at LumberKings Stadium) 9. Erie-Prophetstown 36 Total 428

Road trips: 4 To Champaign: 362 Week/town Miles 2. Princeton 88 5. Rockridge 156 6. Bureau Valley 52 8. Fulton 52 Total 348

Rock Falls Rockets

Morrison Mustangs

Road trips: 5 To Champaign: 358 Week/town Miles 2. Dixon 26 5. Winnebago 112 6. Oregon 60 8. Mendota 74 9. Rockford Lutheran 130 Total 402

Road trips: 5 To Champaign: 386 Week/town Miles 1. Sherrard 110 4. Newman 32 5. Fulton 24 8. Rockridge 122 9. Bureau Valley 78 Total 366

Team Notebook

Head Coach

Gary Jones • 25th season at Amboy • 129-113 (.533) • 13 playoff appearances

Roster

Jake Schaver chats about the Clippers

Returning starters in bold

2017

• 3-6 overall • 3-5 NUIC Northwest (6th place)

2017 Results Milledgeville 14, Clippers 6 EPC 40, Clippers 0 West Carroll 28, Clippers 6 Clippers 27, Pec-Durand 6 Clippers 33, East Dubuque 7 Le-Win 54, Clippers 0 Dakota 47, Clippers 6 Clippers 20, Galena 14 Forreston 54, Clippers 6

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 104 Points scored avg.: 11.6 Points allowed: 264 Points allowed avg.: 29.3 Playoff teams faced: 6 At home: 2-3 On road: 1-3

Clippers Win Report 9-2

• 8-4

•• 6-4

•••• 9-3

•

9-3

6-4

8-3

••

•

4-5

•

2-7

••• 3-6

Justin Hart

3-6

2-7

We’re your one-stop source offering professional designs, excellent print quality, fast turn-around times, friendly customer service and affordable pricing.

O D L U CK

Area Teams

235 Sr. OL/LB 225 Sr. OL/DL 205 So. OL/DL 180 Sr. OL/LB 290 Sr. OL/DL 240 Fr. OL/DL 200 So. OL/DL 180 So. WR/LB 145 Jr. K

Opponent 2017 at Milledgeville 8-3 Eastland-Pearl City* 5-5 at West Carroll* 7-4 at Durand-Pec.* 1-8 East Dubuque* 2-7 Lena-Winslow* 14-0 at Dakota* 7-3 at Galena* 0-9 Forreston* 11-2

* NUIC Northwest game

Homecoming: Week 5

Good Luck To All Area Teams!

Have a great season!

25 E. Main St. Amboy, IL 815-857-3691

Kaleel Clothing & Printing

704 N Galena Ave., Dixon • 815-284-5033

RB/LB WR/DB WR/LB WR/DB WR/LB QB/DB WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB WR/DB WR/DE RB/DL OL/DL OL/DL

Schedule

Game time Fri., Aug. 24, 7 Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 7, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 14, 7 Fri., Sept. 21, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 28, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 5, 7 Fri., Oct. 12, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 19, 7:30

Passing C-A-I Yds TD 40-116-6 482 2

Receiving

Rec. Yds TD Andrew Gillan 12 176 0 Reece Vaessen 12 149 1 Hunter Zimmerly 6 71 1 Dominic Moore 5 23 0

GO

Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr.

• Amboy assistant coach and athletic director George Schwamberger was a running back and defensive back on the Clippers’ state runner-up teams in 1979 and 1980.

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

Rushing

Att. Yds TD Ben Rhine 192 829 9 Jake Schaver 50 209 0 Justin Hart 47 140 3 Dominic Moore 16 56 1 Andrew Gillan 14 42 0 Wyatt Fultz 3 8 0 Kenny Hartman 3 7 0 Hunter Zimmerly 1 7 0

137 150 155 155 165 185 180 160 170 125 180 175 165 180

Did You Know?

5-5

9-3

5-5

2017 Stat Leaders

Contact Kris Sands at 815-632-6470 ksands@saukvalley.com 3200 E. Lincolnway, Sterling

1 Zachary Wicaryus 5-5 3 Marcus Winn 5-10 4 Hayden Montavon 5-11 5 Logan Whelchel 5-11 6 Preston Henkel 5-11 7 Mitchell McLaughlin 5-11 9 Hunter Zimmerly 6-4 10 Mike Stenzel 6-1 12 Jake Schaver 5-10 21 Luke Moore 5-6 25 Hunter Walzer 6-2 38 Austin Norman 5-9 52 Corey Pinter 5-10 54 Seth Browning 5-11 55 Maverick Lindenmeyer

6-0 68 Frank Piscitello 5-10 72 Dominic McClard 6-0 75 Dorian Barlow 5-9 76 Brady Becker 6-5 77 Justin Wicaryus 5-10 79 Joseph Ackert 6-0 80 Sean Kirkpatrick 5-10 83 Mario Carvahol 5-8

SM-ST1565120

F l a v o r s We bring life to products.TM

• August 23, 2018

Can’t wait to play: Milledgeville, first game of the year.

Strength of the Clippers: Defense.

We’ve got some bigger guys, they can tackle and get around the field quickly.

I think we’re going to be pretty good on defense this year.

All-time favorite Clipper: Dennis Nauman. He’s a beast, and he played in the state championship game as a freshman. He was a good ballplayer.

19

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Amboy

Conference: NUIC Northwest Enrollment: 300 Projected class: 2A

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

20

Ashton-Fr. Center Team Notebook

Head Coach

Brad Winterland • 8th season at AFC • 22-41 (.349) • 0 playoff appearances

2017

• 3-6 overall • 2-5 NUIC Upstate (6th place)

2017 Results Raiders 19, River Ridge 6 Dakota 47, Raiders 6 Aquin 42, Raiders 19 Orangeville 20, Raiders 0 Raiders 60, River Valley 0 Stockton 45, Raiders 6 Milledgeville 26, Raiders 0 Polo 28, Raiders 14 Raiders 34, Warren 8

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 158 Points scored avg.: 17.6 Points allowed: 222 Points allowed avg.: 24.7 Playoff teams faced: 5 At home: 0-4 On road: 3-2

Conference: NUIC Upstate Enrollment: 163 Projected class: 1A

Roster

Marcus Cater chats about the Raiders

Returning starters in bold

Team you can’t wait to play: I haven’t really looked at it too much, but there’s a couple of them we’re looking at.

Strength of the Raiders: We don’t have a lot of people, but we plan on coming out, running a lot of good plays, and change up a couple of things.

Weakness of the Raiders: We don’t have a lot of varsity guys.

All-time favorite Raider: Coach Matt Drew.

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

1 Dylan Moore 5-10 6 Ethan Drew 5-8 7 Rodney Ramirez 5-7 8 Marcus Cater 5-7 9 Mason Munroe 5-7 13 Jeremy Etes 5-9 16 Matt Thompson 6-0 18 Cameron Thomas 5-7 22 Austin Williams 6-0 24 Caleb McBride 6-0 25 Sam Lauer 6-1 26 Peyton Lanning 6-0 34 Malachi Ball-Alexander

5-8 46 Tyler Crowell 5-11 51 Sawyer Murphy 6-3 52 Jonah Hilliker 5-10 56 Josh Meyers 5-8 58 Tyler Reyes 5-10 62 Daniel Hoffman 6-2 66 Matt Nelson 5-8 68 Jaden Joseph 6-0 72 Jay Fike 5-11 73 Brody Willstead 5-7 74 Xavier Contreras 5-10 75 Aaron Case 5-9

Team Win Report 11-1

•

9-3

•

•

Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. So.

RB/LB FS/QB FS/RB RB/LB FB/DE RB/CB FB/LB RB/CB WR/FS RB/LB RB/LB RB/DB

140 170 195 170 168 215 225 210 195 225 165 215 300

So. QB/FS Jr. WR/LB Sr. WR/DE Jr. C/DE So. OL/DE Jr. T/DT Jr. G/DT So. G/DT Fr. T/DT So. T/DT So. G/DE Jr. G/DT Jr. OL/NG

5-4

7-4

• 3-6

1-8

•

•• 2-7

3-6

1-8

•

•• 4-5

1-8

•

•• 4-5

3-6

Did You Know?

••

• AFC coach Brad Winterland played in two state championship games, helping Stillman Valley to titles in 1999 and 2000.

3-6

2-7

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

2017 Stat Leaders

Rushing

Att. Yds TD Adam Hart 170 859 5 Caleb McBride 32 217 2 Cody Penick 76 180 3 Caleb Drew 78 143 4 Sam Hahn 39 120 1 Marcus Cater 15 85 1 Cameron Thomas 4 64 0 Devonte Harris 2 5 0

190 135 140 165 147 155 193 150 175 200 158 175

Caleb Drew Cody Penick

Passing C-A-I Yds TD 10-27-1 199 2 17-40-3 185 3

Receiving

Rec. Yds TD Sam Hahn 13 152 2 Caleb Drew 5 44 0 Cody Penick 3 87 1

Schedule

Game time Fri., Aug. 24, 7 Fri., Aug. 31, 7 Fri., Sept. 7, 7:30 Sat., Sept. 15, 1 Fri., Sept. 21, 7 Fri., Sept. 28, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 5, 7 Fri., Oct. 12, 7 Fri., Oct. 19, 7

Opponent River Ridge* at Dakota at Aquin* Orangeville* South Beloit at Stockton* Milledgeville* at Polo* Warren*

2017 2-7 7-3 9-3 5-5 2-7 8-3 8-3 5-4 1-7

* NUIC Upstate game

Homecoming: Week 7

Look for our weekly football pull out section every Saturday! publishers of

daily Gazette, Telegraph & Sauk Valley Weekend

Team Notebook

Head Coach

Joe Schmitt • 2nd season at BV • 4-5 (.444) • 0 playoff appearances

2017

• 4-5 overall • 1-5 TRAC Rock (5th place)

2017 Results

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 198 Points scored avg.: 22.0 Points allowed: 351 Points allowed avg.: 39.0 Playoff teams faced: 4 At home: 2-3 On road: 2-2

Eric Schoff chats about the Storm

Returning starters in bold

Favorite team to play: St. Bede. I love playing at their place, that’s why.

Funniest teammate: Ben Shipp.

Favorite part of football: I’d say the competitveness it brings out in people.

Team goal: Making it to the playoffs.

Favorite football memory: Going 9-0 sophomore year and being conference champs.

Best Coach Schmitt line: “We like that.”

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

•••

12-1

1 2 3 4 6 7 9 12 13 16 22 24 25 33 42 44 50 51 52 54 55 56 58 62 63 65 68 72 74 76 80 82 84 88

Storm Win Report

14-0

10-2

•

13-1

• 8-2

•• 7-3

•

6-4

3-6

•

•• 4-5

2-7

• • • • 6-4

5-4

4-5

4-5

3-6

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

Schedule

2017 Stat Leaders

Rushing

Att. Yds TD Eric Schoff 55 292 2 Payton Moore 68 220 4 Kale Barnett 5 42 0 AJ Hocking 11 31 0 James Macklin 11 26 0 Tucker Hartz 6 20 0 Kendile Whitford 6 15 0 Bryan Herr 2 13 0

Passing

C-A-I Tyler Gustafson 152-241-10 Receiving

Rec. Kale Barnett 53 Nate Paup 32 Payton Moore 28 Bryan Herr 12 Tucker Hartz 9

Dalton Dean Nate Paup Logan Hardy Tucker Hartz Kale Barnett Tyler Gustafson Evan Eckberg Dylan Harper Egan Scheidel Drew Spencer Ben Shipp Mac Nugent James Macklin Colin Kruse Jared Sterzinger Devan Batten Garrett Scott Gage Aber Jace Rediger Eric Schoff Matt Foster Joe Green Isaac Pond Thomas Blandford Arran Kruse Matt Philhower James Krieger Kole Sissel Logan Songer Bryce Taylor Connor Johnson Noah Simon Milo Bystry Elijah Risatti

Yds TD 2,027 20 Yds TD 961 10 422 2 231 1 148 2 150 1

Game time Fri., Aug. 24, 7:30 Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 7, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 14, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 21, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 28, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 5, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 12, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 19, 7:30

WEATHER ALERTS ANYWHERE YOU GO

txtALERTS SIGN UP FOR FREE ON WWW.SAUKVALLEY.COM

5-10 6-3 5-11 5-10 6-1 6-1 5-11 5-11 5-9 5-8 6-5 5-10 5-9 5-10 5-9 6-1 5-10 5-9 5-11 6-0 5-9 6-3 5-9 5-9 5-8 6-0 6-2 5-11 6-2 5-11 5-10 6-0 6-4 6-0

165 185 145 160 170 170 155 180 165 140 215 185 175 175 160 175 190 180 210 200 240 215 210 170 210 230 250 250 250 225 170 160 200 170

Opponent 2017 Erie-Prophetstown 1-8 at St. Bede 3-6 at Fulton* 7-4 Monmouth-Roseville 3-6 at Riverdale* 3-6 Newman* 12-1 at Rockridge* 8-2 at Orion* 9-3 Morrison* 4-5

Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. So. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. So. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr.

QB/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB QB/DB QB/DB RB/LB WR/LB WR/DB TE/DL RB/LB RB/LB RB/DB OL/LB OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/DB WR/DB TE/DL WR/DB

* TRAC Rock game Homecoming: Week 4 Radio: 98.1 FM

• August 23, 2018

Storm 23, Erie-P’town 20 Storm 33, St. Bede 23 Fulton 48, Storm 8 Storm 42, Mon.-Rose. 40 Storm 22, Riverdale 14 Newman 55, Storm 6 Rockridge 54, Storm 14 Orion 61, Storm 18 Morrison 36, Storm 32

Roster

21

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Bureau Valley

Conference: Three Rivers Rock Enrollment: 351 Projected class: 2A

Dixon

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

22

Team Notebook

Head Coach

Dave Smith • 8th season at Dixon • 37-34 (.521) • 4 playoff appearances

2017

• 10-2 overall • 7-1 Big Northern (2nd place)

2017 Results Dukes 69, Mendota 0 Dukes 42, Oregon 7 Dukes 63, R. Christian 26 Dukes 69, R. Lutheran 7 Dukes 44, Woodstock 13 Dukes 53, Stillman 32 Dukes 46, G.-Kingston 14 Dukes 48, Rock Falls 6 North Boone 48, Dukes 47 4A playoffs Dukes 40, Geneseo 35 Dukes 35, G.-Kingston 21 Raby 38, Dukes 13

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 569 Points scored avg.: 47.4 Points allowed: 247 Points allowed avg.: 20.6 Playoff teams faced: 6 At home: 6-0 On road: 4-2

Roster

Finn Brandon chats about the Dukes

Returning starters in bold 2 Tyler Christiansen 5-6 3 Kade Callison 5-10 4 Isaic Sanchez 5-6 7 Colin Brechon 5-7 8 Nate Long 5-9 12 Jacob Shafer 5-10 13 Cal Kyker 6-2 15 Alec Faley 6-1 16 Aidan Schmall 5-10 20 Isaiah Lloyd 6-0 21 Brayden Forrest 5-10 22 Joseph Heckert 5-11 23 Jericho Kirby 6-0 24 Garrett Helfrich 5-10 25 Talbir Chima 5-11 27 Finn Brandon 6-1 30 Sebastian Quintana 5-7 32 Nolan Randick 5-10 33 Bryce Christiansen 5-6 34 Matt Lohse 5-11 44 Clint Schielein 5-6 50 Christian Stephenitch 5-11 51 Patrick Grossman 6-2 52 Christian Smith 6-1 53 Alex Boswell 5-11 54 Zach Bass 5-7 55 Kade Frey 6-0 56 Preston McPhail 5-5 58 Caleb Buzzard 5-8 62 Brendan Boelter 5-9 65 Dylan Messer 6-2 66 Gage Clark 5-10 68 Charles Helfrich 6-0 70 Nick Engle 6-2 74 Cole Jones 5-9 75 Zach Scheffler 6-1 76 Noah Williams 5-11 79 Forrest Schmall 6-3 80 Hunter Pate 5-11 82 Zach Gaston 5-10 88 Noah Shaw 6-3

Team you can’t wait to play: Definitely North Boone. That’s going to be our homecoming this year, and I’ve still got a bitter taste left in my mouth from last year. We hope to come back, put our scheme together and play a better game.

Strength of the Dukes: Team chemistry.

I think we’re bonding together really well. Offense, defense, special teams – we’re all playing together as one.

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Dukes Win Report 10-2

•

• 1-8

•• 0-9

• 4-5

8-3

8-3

8-4

••••• 1-8

2-7

3-6

2-7

2-7

0-9

•

•

•

•

•

6-4

3-6

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

Schedule

2017 Stat Leaders

Rushing

Att. Yds TD Arthur Cox 215 2,115 39 Noah Wilcox 40 226 7 Brayden Forrest 27 111 0

Noah Wilcox

Conference: Big Northern Enrollment: 742 Projected class: 4A

Passing C-A-I Yds TD 200-280-3 2,550 29

Receiving

Rec. Jared Harrison 67 Oscar Van Sickle 49 Tyler Christiansen 39 Arthur Cox 29 Josh Dallas 13 Elijah McGlown 11 Kade Callison 4

Good Luck this Season to ALL area teams!

Yds TD 935 15 660 7 359 2 320 2 250 3 196 3 59 0

Game time Fri., Aug. 24, 7 Fri., Aug. 31, 7:15 Fri., Sept. 7, 7 Fri., Sept. 14, 7 Fri., Sept. 21, 7 Fri., Sept. 28, 7 Fri., Oct. 5, 7 Fri., Oct. 12, 7 Fri., Oct. 19, 7

142 147 149 126 153 182 180 179 183 158 145 151 168 170 142 215 180 179 155 157 202 213 157 260 265 203 173 178 224 197 216 166 262 282 220 265 202 286 171 146 178

Opponent 2017 Stillman Valley* 4-5 Rock Falls* 3-6 at Oregon* 1-8 North Boone* 7-3 at Mendota* 1-8 at Rkfd. Lutheran* 1-8 Genoa-Kingston* 8-3 at Winnebago* 6-4 at Byron* 12-1

Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr.

RB/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB QB QB/DB WR/DB WR/LB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/LB RB/LB WR/LB RB/DL WR/LB RB/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/LB WR/DB WR/DL

* Big Northern game Homecoming: Week 4 Radio: 1460 AM

CHOOSE THE TEAM THAT COMES THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH

We provide coverage and services that provide peace of mind to help you enjoy all of life’s victories.

Bob Maltry Agent

Hours: Monday-Friday 7-7, Saturday & Sunday 8-5 www.acehardwaredixon.com • www.acerentalplacedixon.com

709 N Brinton Ave Dixon, IL 61021 (815) 288-4206 bmaltry@amfam.com

Insure carefully, dream fearlessly.

American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. & its Operating Companies, American Family Insurance Company, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 008944– Rev. 10/16 ©2016 – 8395111

TALES FROM THE ROAD | DIXON DUKES

Finding the other team’s field hasn’t always been easy for Dixon coach

BY BRIAN WEIDMAN bweidman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5551 @BrianWeidman

• August 23, 2018

These days, possessing a decent cell phone pretty much ensures reaching a destination without too much difficulty, at least as far as directions go.

A person asks, or perhaps types in, how to get to a place, and turn-by-turn directions are soon on their way.

It hasn’t always been that way, however, and Dixon coach Dave Smith will be the first to point that out.

As the football coach at Mount Zion, he once had great difficulty finding the football field at Lincoln High School. He can laugh about it now, but at the time, it was a harrowing experience.

“I’m a first-year coach, and I’d never been to central Illinois other than to visit my grandparents, but I don’t know Lincoln,” Smith said. “The bus driver turns around as we’re getting close to Lincoln: ‘By the way coach, do you know where the high school’s at?’ I said, ‘You understand I’m from Dixon. I don’t know where the high school in Lincoln, Illinois is at.’

“We circled and circled and circled, and finally as it started getting darker, we could see the lights.”

That wasn’t the only time Smith has been part of a proverbial wild goose chase. He was once a wrestling coach at Algonquin Jacobs and was to take his team to Hinsdale South for a tournament.

“I get on the bus at 6 in the morning, and the bus driver says, ‘Don’t worry about it. I’m from Hinsdale and I know where I’m going,’” Smith said. “I said OK, and went to the back of the bus to have a meeting with my captains because we’re going to wrestle in an invite in Hinsdale.

“As I’m talking to the captains, one of the kids says, ‘Hey coach, is Hinsdale South next to the Sears Tower?’ I said, ‘Stop being a wise guy.’ He goes, ‘No, coach,

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Destination consternation for Smith

23

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Dixon head football coach Dave Smith has had some adventurous road trips to athletic events, from a bus driver not knowing where Lincoln High School is to an unplanned ride past the Sears Tower. look out the window.’ It’s the Sears Tower. We were lost in Chicago.”

One of Smith’s seniors on this year’s Dixon team, Finn Brandon, found himself giving, and later receiving, some bus-related justice.

“Some of the younger guys were falling asleep on the bus heading to some 7-on-7s this year, so I decided to wake them up with some cold water,” Brandon said. “After we got home, I

was walking to my car and they decided it would be a good idea to take their water jugs and pour it all on me.

“I was mad, but I knew it was coming.”

Bus trips to games for the Dukes are usually a sacred time.

Chatter is at a minimum. Most players have headphones on, listening to their favorite music.

Brandon’s favorite bus trip song is “Fired Up” by Hush.

“That’s a big part of our prepa-

ration,” Brandon said. “Everybody’s sitting there doing their own thing, no phones, just listening to music and getting their heads right for the game.”

That’s music to Smith’s ears. He wants players to be focused on the task at hand – getting ready to play a football game.

“I’m a big believer in visualization of what you’re about to do,” Smith said. “You’ve got to see the game. You’ve got to believe that you can achieve.”

ROAD TO STATE | STEP 2: SUMMER CAMPS

| FOOTBALL 2018

Playing it cool in the summer

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

24

June & July are a chance to improve skills with light workouts

BY ERIC INGLES eingles@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5555 @Eric_Ingles

Officially, practice for football teams starts the first Monday in August.

But even before that first practice of the fall season, players have been honing their skills through the summer with things like camps and 7-on-7 games, and staying sharp with conditioning and sessions in the weight room.

For several area teams, the summer was vital this year, as new coaches were able to use that period to introduce their teams to a new system.

Steve Disler was hired as Rock Falls’ new coach in May, and set to work almost immediately, working with the Rockets on everything from strength to cardio to simply sitting down with the players to talk about the program’s core values.

“June is mainly just lifting and getting our speed up,” Disler said.

“We do a lot of speed drills and agility drills.”

The Rockets were able to get some brain work in as well, going over the mental aspects of the game.

“The summer was very important,” Rock Falls offensive lineman Blake Boostrom said. “We got a lot of stuff done, like the fundamentals. Now the people that were here are more ready for the offense.”

In Jesse Abbott’s first summer as the head coach at Erie-Prophetstown, the Panthers skipped 7-on-7 events entirely.

“I didn’t think we’d be ready,” Abbott said. “I didn’t want to go and have to try to teach at the 7-on-7s. I wanted to be more prepared than that. I think we had about 10 nights in July where we just did a lot of play-running.”

Even teams with veteran coaches got work done during the summer.

At Fulton, the Steamers are looking for ways to replace a talented class of graduates.

“We ran a lot of plays,” senior Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com Kyle Schipper said. “We repped our Players from Eastland-Pearl City and Aquin battle to catch a pass during a 7-on-7 football game in the plays a bunch of times. Hopefully summer of 2017. Summer camps often consist of the less rigorous side of the sport, with a lot of teams doing we have them down by now. We speed workouts while also working hard on the mental aspect of the game. At 7-on-7 events like this one in just repped a lot to get it down.”

Lanark, teams are able to get their skill-position players some reps, while linemen often go work on their craft COOL continued on 254 at camps of their own.

ROAD TO STATE | STEP 2: SUMMER CAMPS

COOL

CONTINUED FROM 24

t

• August 23, 2018

Fulton comes into the season with one returning starter on the defensive side of the ball and two on the offensive side. With so many players getting plugged in and about to get their first taste of being a varsity starter, the Steamers didn’t change much of their summer routine, but did spend some extra time focusing on the little details.

“Just little things about alignment and understanding when an [opposing player] is doing this, this is what it probably means,” Steamers coach Patrick Lower said.

“The nuances of a crafty veteran that understands that about high school football, these younger kids might not understand that.”

At Newman, the schedule is not too rigorous. The Comets have their usual strength and conditioning work, with coaches opening the weight room for players who want to get some lifting in.

Newman played in some 7-on-7s, and practiced for those, but coach Mike Papoccia doesn’t want the schedule to be too heavy in the summer.

“We’re a small school, and we still have basketball,” he said. “The month of June is basketball time, so some of them play basketball.

Kids are playing about four times a week. I don’t want to fight that.”

That philosophy holds at Rock Falls as well, where Disler implemented a schedule for the summer he saw work well during his time as an assistant coach at Farmington.

June is a lot of off-the-field work, as he allows players to concentrate on other sports they play. The basketball players focus on their summer league games. The baseball players are back in the batting cages. Once July rolls around, the Rockets are back on the field and getting into a football mindset.

“That’s pulling a kid in too many directions, and we don’t want to have to make a kid choose between different sports,” he said. “Be comfortable, have fun, and be able to participate in what they love.”

Papoccia also wants kids to have free time during the summer, and that comes from personal experience.

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Mental side of game is often focus during summer

25

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Skill position players at Rock Falls run through drills earlier this month during practice. A lot of workouts during the summer look similar to these drills, as 7-on-7 tournaments, speed & agility workouts and the mental side of things are often the focus of teams during the hottest months of the year.

“One of my daughters was a cheerleader, a volleyball player, a basketball player,” he said. “Sometimes she would leave at 8 in the morning and not come home until 8 in the evening because of all her practices. That’s when I decided this was enough. This was nuts.”

The light summer schedule is

also a way for Papoccia and other coaches to guard against players getting burned out, or bored with football before the season ends.

For the veteran coach now in his 39th year with the Comets, even a light summer schedule is a departure from the summer schedule when he was a player, when players

would go through informal captains’ practices the week before official practices began, or maybe go through some drills with the Sterling players at Kilgore Park.

These days, even if football players aren’t on the field 7 days a week through June and July, they are still doing some work to stay sharp.

Eastland-P.C.

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

26

Team Notebook

Head Coach

Jared McNutt • 1at season at EPC • 0-0 (.000) • 0 playoff appearances

2017

• 5-5 overall • 4-4 NUIC Northwest (5th place)

2017 Results Wildcatz 56, E. Dubuque 7 Wildcatz 40, Amboy 0 Wildcatz 48, Pec-Durand 0 Forreston 30, Wildcatz 18 Le-Win 34, Wildcatz 6 Wildcatz 40, Galena 0 W. Carroll 26, Wildcatz 7 Dakota 21, Wildcatz 6 Wildcatz 41, Polo 7 2A playoffs GCMS 50, Wildcatz 14

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 276 Points scored avg.: 27.6 Points allowed: 175 Points allowed avg.: 17.5 Playoff teams faced: 5 At home: 1-3 On road: 4-2

Conference: NUIC Northwest Enrollment: 337 Projected class: 2A

Roster

Eli Dertz chats about the Wildcatz

Returning starters in bold 1 Brock Smargiassi 6-0 165 Sr. WR/DB 2 Braden Smargiassi 6-0 165 Sr. QB/DB 5 Jayden Kempel 5-9 175 Sr. RB/DB 6 Collyn Kuberski 5-11 165 Sr. WR/LB 10 Jase Sheffey 6-0 150 So. WR/LB 11 Lucas Peterson 6-3 175 Sr. WR/LB 14 Aidan Gassman 5-11 180 So. QB/LB 20 Travis Kaney 5-11 165 Jr. RB/DB 22 Logan Krell 5-7 160 So. FB/LB 24 Bishop Groezinger 5-6 160 So. FB/LB 29 Zander Endress 6-0 160 Jr. WR/DB 33 Colin Colehour 5-7 160 Sr. RB/DB 34 Davon Sweitzer 6-1 175 Sr. WR/LB 41 Jarod Kempel 5-9 175 Sr. WR/LB 42 Zach Lieb 6-0 195 Sr. TE/LB 43 Braeden Heeren 6-0 190 Jr. RB/LB 44 Jett Iske 5-9 185 Jr. RB/LB 50 Drake Musser 6-1 210 Sr. OL/DL 51 Bryson Sturtevant 6-1 235 Jr. OL/DL 55 Gunner Cassell 5-11 180 Sr. OL/LB 62 Caden Kuberski 5-7 184 So. OL/DL 64 Braden Diddens 5-10 190 Jr. OL/DL 69 Wyatt Hammer 5-10 215 Sr. OL/DL 73 Cadin Colehour 5-11 175 So. OL/DB 74 Caleb Tichler 6-0 225 Sr. OL/DL 76 Eli Dertz 5-10 205 Jr. OL/DL 77 Andrew Lorig 6-2 185 Sr. OL/DL 78 Addison Keltner 6-5 325 Sr. OL/DL 84 Carson Clouse 6-2 175 Jr. WR/LB 85 Travis Spong 6-2 210 Sr. TE/LB

Favorite bus trip memory: On our way to Gibson City, we watched Deadpool, and that was pretty funny. Maybe not the most appropriate, but it was funny.

Pregame bus routine: I usually like to talk with my friend Wyatt. I stay relaxed and don’t stress on stuff.

Team goals: Going to state is a goal.

Strengths: Our speed and talent. We have some talented people in the backfield.

14 13 12 10-1 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Wildcatz Win Report 10-2

••

1-8

••• 6-4

••• 9-2

8-3

•

14-0

••

8-2

•

10-1

9-1

7-4

6-4

5-5

•

•

• 5-5

2-7

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

2017 Stat Leaders

Rushing

Att. Yds Jayden Kempel 131 923 Jarod Kempel 97 759 Braeden Heeren 58 376 Collyn Kuberski 14 84 Eli Dertz 15 81 Brock Smargiassi 5 33 Braden Smargiassi 35 24 Zach Lieb 4 21

TD 8 9 4 2 2 0 5 0

Passing

C-A-I Yds TD Braden Smargiassi 59-123-8 873 8 Receiving

Rec. Lucas Peterson 22 Brock Smargiassi 13 Jarod Kempel 10 Brodie Kaney 6

Yds TD 455 2 129 2 154 0 54 0

Did You Know?

• The Wildcatz pitched three shutouts last season, the most since recording three shutouts en route to winning the Class 2A championship in 2014.

Schedule

Game time Opponent 2017 Fri., Aug. 24, 7:30 E. Dubuque* (Lanark) 2-7 Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 at Amboy* 3-6 Fri., Sept. 7, 7 Durand-Pec.* (P.C.) 1-8 Fri., Sept. 14, 7:30 at Forreston* 11-2 Fri., Sept. 21, 7:30 at Lena-Winslow* 14-0 Fri., Sept. 28, 7:30 Galena* (Lanark) 0-9 Fri., Oct. 5, 7:30 at West Carroll* 7-4 Fri., Oct. 12, 7 Dakota* (P.C.) 7-3 Fri., Oct. 19, 7 Polo (P.C.) 5-4

CARS815.com

* NUIC NW game Homecoming: Week 6 Radio: 100.3 FM (Wks. 5, 7, 9)

Team Notebook

Head Coach

Jesse Abbott • 1st season at E-P • 0-0 (.000) • 0 playoff appearances

2017

• 1-8 overall • 1-5 TRAC Mississippi (6th place)

2017 Results

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 130 Points scored avg.: 14.4 Points allowed: 304 Points allowed avg.: 33.8 Playoff teams faced: 4 At home: 1-4 On road: 0-4

Jacob Ryan chats about the Panthers Favorite place other than home to play: Bureau Valley. We’ve always had good competition with BV. Watch out for: Tyler Nipper. He’s put a lot of work in and I feel this year he’s going to be legit.

Pregame ritual: We sit in a circle and pray a little bit and then we chant.

Favorite football memory: Last year against Sherrard. Even though we were having a rough year, we came out and kept them scoreless.

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 15 16 18 20 22 23 24 34 42 44 50 51 52 54 55 58 60 64 66 67 68 70 71 74 77 80 81 89

Panthers Win Report

5-5

••• 4-5

3-6

3-6

1-8

1-8

1-8

•••

•• 3-6

3-6

1-8

•

• 8-3

• 6-4

• 4-5

•

2-7

•• 1-8

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

2017 Stat Leaders

Rushing

Att. Yds TD Garrett Passmore 139 588 2 Jacob Ryan 63 240 3 Logan Henrekin 27 183 3 Mat Garrison 18 108 2

Passing

C-A-I Yds TD Jacob Ryan 29-65-6 378 4 Dillin Tegeler 25-64-3 340 2 Receiving

Rec. Yds TD Logan Henrekin 19 364 3 Kade Kovarik 11 96 0 Mat Garrison 8 74 0 Carson Wiebenga 4 60 1

GOING ON VACATION? Keep in touch with the news of the Sauk Valley

Tyler Nipper Brady Abell Jacob Ryan Dean Otten Dalton Harms Damion Thompson Nevin Rosenow Willie Cochran Ross Purvis Jaime Miner Zak Jensen Jakob Grunder Reece Strike Tyler Smith Carson Wiebenga Gunnar Wuebben Robert Munther Cameron Stout Mat Garrison Gabe Friedrichsen Jon Jensen George Davis Mack Foy Travis Coleman Gabe Bohms Brady Ballard Brody Naftzger Reno Hoffman Jeremy Huizenga Max Jones Collen Conrady Blake Misfeldt Owen Cater Trevor Pratt Logan Johnson Erik Daubman Clayton Johnson

5-10 6-0 6-1 5-10 5-9 5-7 6-0 5-9 5-9 5-7 5-11 5-11 5-10 5-10 6-0 5-9 5-7 6-1 5-10 5-10 6-4 5-9 5-11 5-10 6-0 5-9 6-3 5-10 6-1 6-3 5-8 6-0 5-9 6-6 5-10 6-1 6-5

190 155 170 146 140 165 150 155 180 148 145 170 145 185 145 165 155 160 180 195 205 200 200 175 225 210 220 225 195 230 290 205 310 255 140 170 210

Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. So. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. So. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. Jr.

WR/LB WR/DB QB/DB OL/LB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/LB RB/LB QB/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB RB/DB RB/DB RB/LB RB/LB TE/LB RB/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/DB WR/LB TE/DL

Schedule

Game time Fri., Aug. 24, 7:30 Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 7, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 14, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 21, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 28, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 5, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 12, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 19, 7:30

Good Luck To All Area Teams!

from your friends at…

Opponent 2017 at Bureau Valley 4-5 Rockridge, at P’town 8-2 at Mon.-Roseville* 3-6 at St. Bede* 3-6 Kewanee*, at P’town 6-4 Princeton*, at Erie 3-6 at Sherrard* 0-9 at Hall* 6-4 Fulton, at Erie 7-4

DRUMMET’S

* TRAC Mississippi game

Homecoming: Week 5

HARDWARE

HANK

Paint — Plumbing Electrical — Tools Lawn & Garden Much More!

317 Washington St., Prophetstown 815-537-2881

www.rockriverag.com

Dan and Dave Drummet

• August 23, 2018

BV 23, Panthers 20 Rockridge 43, Panthers 12 Mon.-Rose. 27, Panthers 6 St. Bede 27, Panthers 26 Kewanee 39, Panthers 19 Princeton 47, Panthers 7 Panthers 20, Sherrard 0 Hall 52, Panthers 20 Fulton 46, Panthers 0

Roster

Returning starters in bold

27

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Erie-P’town

Conference: TRAC Mississippi Enrollment: 443 Projected class: 3A

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

28

Preseason All-Area Team Sauk Valley Media picks 24 players to watch this fall Portraits by Alex T. Paschal & Michael Krabbenhoeft Drew Ackman

Kale Barnett

Finn Brandon

Carson Boyer

Newman • Sr. • OL/DL

Bureau Valley • Sr. • WR/DB

Dixon • Sr. • LB

Milledgeville • Sr. • RB/DB

Nick Clevenger

Alek Duran

Nick Eddinger

Chase Graham

Newman • Jr. • LB

Sterling • Sr. • WR/PR

Newman • Sr. • OL

Newman • Sr. • RB/LB

Tyler Gustafson

Dalton Hermes

Jayden Kempel

Jarod Kempel

Bureau Valley • Sr. • QB

Oregon • Sr. • RB/LB

EPC • Sr. • RB/DB

EPC • Sr. • RB/DB

Sauk Valley Media picks 24 players to watch this fall Portraits by Alex T. Paschal & Michael Krabbenhoeft Dylan Messer

Cade Nailor

Luke Olson

Rock Falls • Sr. • WR/DB

Dixon • Sr. • OL/DL

Rock Falls • Sr. • QB

Newman • Sr. • RB/LB

Nate Paup

John Rahn

Nate Rahn

Isaiah Ryan

Bureau Valley • Sr. • WR

Sterling • Sr. • OL

Milledgeville • Sr. • RB/LB

Sterling • Sr. • DB

Braden Smargiassi

Braiden Soltow

Riley Wilkens

Marquez Williams

EPC • Sr. • QB

Polo • Sr. • QB/DB

Morrison • Jr. • RB/DL

Sterling • Sr. • RB/LB

• August 23, 2018

Dylan Leaf

29

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Preseason All-Area Team

Fulton

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

30

Team Notebook

Head Coach

Patrick Lower • 12th season at Fulton • 53-53 (.500) • 4 playoff appearances

2017

2017 Results

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 333 Points scored avg.: 30.3 Points allowed: 245 Points allowed avg.: 22.3 Playoff teams faced: 5 At home: 2-3 On road: 4-1 Neutral site: 1-0

Roster

Nick McQuistion chats about the Steamers Biggest thing to work on: A lot of learning.

Favorite place other than home to play: Morrison, it’s always a good energy there, it’s our rival, and it’s a lot of good fun there, a lot of good games there.

Keep an eye on: Ethan Rash, he’s a sophomore fullback, I think he’s going to surprise some people.

• 7-4 overall • 3-3 Three Rivers Rock (4th place)

Steamers 45, St. Bede 3 Steamers 37, Mon.-Rose. 35 Steamers 48, BV 8 Rockridge 40, Steamers 39 Steamers 38, Morrison 30 Orion 42, Steamers 0 Steamers 34, Riverdale 7 Newman 34, Steamers 6 Steamers 46, Erie-P’town 0 1A playoffs Steamers 34, Marquette 16 Forreston 30, Steamers 6

Conference: Three Rivers Rock Enrollment: 289 Projected class: 2A

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Returning starters in bold 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 17 19 21 22 23 24 30 33 34 42 43 51 54 57 58 59 66 68 69 74 75

Steamers Win Report 9-3

• 6-4

•• 3-6

•• 6-4

5-5

• 4-5

3-6

•

•

•

4-5

2-7

• 4-5

•• 5-4

6-4

• •

7-4

•

4-5

Connor Barnett Nick McQuistion Eathan Long Jake Pannell Kyle Schipper Anthony Miller Larson Barnett Hunter Gossard Ryan Snyder Michael Apostolos Max Lemke Logan Graham Noah Ford Tristan Toppert Will Conner Kevin Arnold Kraig Schipper Ethan Rash Kyler Pessman Travis Hill Clayton Howard Josh Huizenga Carter Ervin Eli Pannell Max Pannell Trae VanZuiden Nate Portz Konner Correll Jakob North Dylan Bridgeman Spencer Moore

6-1 5-10 5-10 6-0 6-2 6-3 5-11 6-0 5-11 5-8 6-0 5-10 5-10 5-11 6-0 5-9 6-3 5-6 6-1 5-10 5-11 6-0 6-0 5-9 6-0 6-3 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-4 6-0

140 170 150 170 170 180 180 140 160 140 160 140 130 150 160 150 180 180 170 180 150 180 200 210 220 240 220 280 220 280 240

So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. So. Sr. So. So. So. So. Jr. Jr. So. So. Jr. So. So. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. So. Jr. So. So. So.

QB/DB RB/DB E/DB QB/DB E/LB E/DB E/LB E/DB E/DB RB/DB QB/DB E/DB E/DB RB/DB E/LB RB/LB E/DB RB/LB RB/LB RB/LB RB/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL

2-7

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

2017 Stat Leaders

Rushing

Att. Yds TD Austin Schroeder 172 1,386 17 Austin Rash 138 741 9 Bryce Grant 41 370 4 Tyler Fleetwood 24 73 1 Nick McQuistion 15 66 0 Larson Barnett 9 40 0 Anthony Miller 2 4 0 Nathan McLuckie 2 3 0

Bryce Grant Max Lemke

Passing C-A-I Yds TD 67-115-6 905 11 4-10-1 54 1

Receiving

Rec. Tyler Bruggenwirth 25 Austin Schroeder 24 Nathan McLuckie 12

Yds TD 433 6 242 3 101 2

Look for our weekly football pull out section every Saturday! publishers of

daily Gazette, Telegraph & Sauk Valley Weekend

Schedule

Game time Fri., Aug. 24, 7:30 Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 7, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 14, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 21, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 28, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 5, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 12, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 19, 7:30

Opponent 2017 St. Bede 3-6 at Mon.-Roseville 3-6 Bureau Valley* 4-5 at Rockridge* 8-2 Morrison* 4-5 at Orion* 9-3 Riverdale* (Clinton) 3-6 Newman* 12-1 at Erie-Prophetstown 1-8

* TRAC Rock game Homecoming: Week 5 Radio: 1390 AM

Team Notebook

Head Coach

2017

• 8-3 overall • 5-2 NUIC Upstate (3rd place)

2017 Results

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 325 Points scored avg.: 29.5 Points allowed: 206 Points allowed avg.: 18.7 Playoff teams faced: 5 At home: 5-1 On road: 3-2

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

12-1

•

•

8-3

•• • • 4-5

1-8

•

4-5

3-6

2-7

Milledgeville Do-It-Best Home Center

Jack Munz Nate Rahn

••• 0-9

0-9

••

Passing C-A-I Yds TD 19-40-3 286 4 2-6-2 25 1

Receiving

Rec. Carson Boyer 8 Grant Schurman 4 Christian Toms-Smith 3

CK GOOD LUS! MISSILE

BUILDING REMODELING

• Windows • Kitchen & Bath Cabinets • Kitchen Designer Melissa Beran

FREE ESTIMATES • FREE DELIVERY FREE MEASURING

Mon-Fri 7-5, Sat 7-3

1-8

3-6

•• 4-5

•

Dr. Demi Blair-Sturtevant

444 N. Main Ave.•Milledgeville, IL

815-855-3061

www.empowerchiroclinic.com

Yds TD 113 1 89 2 48 1

5-10 150 So. RB/LB 5-7 120 So. QB/LB 6-3 205 Sr. TE/LB 5-10 160 Sr. QB/CB 5-9 155 Jr. QB/CB 5-11 160 Sr. TE/LB 6-2 200 Sr. RB/LB 5-3 125 Jr. RB/CB 5-6 135 Sr. RB/CB 6-1 190 Sr. TE/LB 6-0 160 Sr. RB/CB 5-6 145 So. RB/LB 5-5 125 So. OL/DL 5-11 185 Sr. OL/DL 5-9 210 Sr. OL/LB 5-8 195 So. OL/DL 5-8 150 So. OL/DL 5-11 185 Sr. OL/DL 5-10 230 Jr. OL/DL 6-0 240 Sr. OL/DL 5-7 170 So. OL/DL 5-8 200 Jr. OL/DL 5-9 180 So. OL/DL

Did You Know?

8-3

• The Missiles’ three losses in 2017 came against playoff teams from the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference: Stockton, Aquin and Lena-Winslow.

The three traditional NUIC powers combined to go 31-6 last season.

5-5

3-6

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

Rushing

Att. Yds TD Carson Boyer 99 889 11 Nate Rahn 105 615 13 Jacob Hartje 95 331 3 Jack Munz 46 296 6 Cayde Gusloff 45 233 0 Marcus McKenna 16 120 2 Damon Miller 7 114 1 Christian Toms-Smith 10 47 0

815-225-7677

4 Ryan Kendall 6 Nicholas Smith 9 Grant Schurman 11 Jack Munz 14 Marcus McKenna 20 Thane Yingling 22 Nathan Rahn 24 Connor Eubanks 26 Christian Toms-Smith 30 Cayde Gusloff 33 Carson Boyer 48 Damon Miller 52 Chase Sarber 54 Mason McKenna 60 Blayne Kappes 64 Logan Meiners 66 Daniel Lohnes 68 Connor Woodin 70 Brandon Eye 71 Corey Anderson 73 Maxwell Phillips 74 Dawson Hook 75 Nathan Strong

Missiles Win Report

2017 Stat Leaders

• Lumber • Building Materials • Shingles, Siding, Insulation • Doors

Returning starters in bold

Team you can’t wait to play: Stockton Blackhawks.

Favorite team to play: Polo Marcos.

Favorite part of football: Defense.

Favorite football memory: Cayde Gusloff drilled Thane Yingling in the temple with a pylon from 30 yards away. That resulted in Thane making a great chase-down tackle on Cayde. It was hilarious.

Funniest teammate: Carson Boyer.

Schedule

Game time Fri., Aug. 24, 7 Fri., Aug. 31, 7 Fri., Sept. 7, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 14, 7 Sat., Sept. 22, 1 Fri., Sept. 28, 7 Fri., Oct. 5, 7 Fri., Oct. 12, 7 Fri., Oct. 19, 7

M

Opponent Amboy at Polo* at Stockton* at Blue Ridge at Orangeville* Warren* at AFC* River Ridge* Aquin*

2017 3-6 5-4 8-3 4-5 5-5 1-7 3-6 2-7 9-3

* NUIC Upstate game Homecoming: Week 6 Radio: 100.3 FM (Wks. 3, 5, 8)

Go Missiles!

451 N. Main Ave., Milledgeville 815.225.7171 • www.milledgevillebank.com

• August 23, 2018

Missiles 14, Amboy 6 Missiles 14, Polo 6 Stockton 22, Missiles 20 Missiles 65, River Valley 0 Missiles 30, Orangeville 28 Missiles 58, Warren 30 Missiles 26, AFC 0 Missiles 26, River Ridge 6 Aquin 38, Missiles 0 1A playoffs Missiles 56, A-Town 21 Le-Win 49, Missiles 16

Roster

Connor Woodin chats about the Missiles

SM-ST1568205

Jason Wroble • 10th season at M’ville • 26-58 (.310) • 2 playoff appearances

31

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Milledgeville

Conference: NUIC Upstate Enrollment: 160 Projected class: 1A

ROAD TO STATE | STEP 3: PRESEASON PRACTICES

| FOOTBALL 2018

Prep starts before preseason

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

32

First official practices following summer are critical to teams’ success

BY BRIAN WEIDMAN bweidman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5551 @BrianWeidman

In 2018, August 6 was the first day high school football teams could begin practice in Illinois.

While in reality, practices began much earlier than that, the ability to hit the ground running on those first official days of practice is a crucial part of the preseason.

Per IHSA rules, teams are allowed 25 contact days during the summer, with coaches present to begin preparation for the coming season.

Coaches vary on how they use their allotted days.

At Dixon, head coach Dave Smith used all but one of the days, which included 7-on-7s at Northern Illinois University, Michigan State and Huntley.

By the time the “dead week” arrives, which is the week before the official start of practice on Aug. 6, the offense and defense has been installed. The Dukes wasted no time once the preseason began, and took off right from the get-go when practices officially began.

“We get into it right away,” Smith said. “The kids know what they’re doing, and when we’re done, we’re done installing.”

Conditioning doesn’t play as big of a part of summer contact days.

Head strength trainer Andrew McKay oversees weightlifting sessions Monday through Thursday in the summer, so that’s when the Dukes get the bulk of their off-field work.

Fellow Big Northern Conference member Oregon, under second-year head coach Nick Schneiderman, used just 11 days in the summer. That included a 7-on-7 scrimmage against Schneiderman’s alma mater, Forreston, and a tournament in Byron.

The Hawks likely will have more summer activity, however, down the road.

“Will it increase? Yes, there’s a good chance it will increase little by little, but this is only Year 2,” Schneiderman said. “We’re not just going to jump to 25 days.”

The 9 days Schneiderman uses are strictly to get the players familiar

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media

Oregon quaterback Ryker Finch throws a pass while Hawks coaches and players watch during the Red & White football scrimmage last Friday. The scrimmage marked the end of 2 weeks of preseason practices, and gave the fans a look at the team before they started preparing for their season opener at Rockford Lutheran. with his offensive and defensive schemes. Weight training is available on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at various times in the morning and afternoon, to accommodate players’ schedules.

“We use the summer for install, both offensively and defensively,” Schneiderman said. “We do not use those practices for conditioning purposes. Our conditioning is done

in the weight program, so those practices are strictly football skills.”

By the time August 6 rolled around, Schneiderman was pleased with where the Hawks were at.

“You always wish things could be a little bit better, but by Day 1, we were happy with where we were,” Schneiderman said. “We were taking steps forward, and getting

better each day, and that continued as the season got closer.

“Here, we talk about winning the day. How can we win that day, and if we don’t happen to win that day, how do we turn that around and win the next day? We were happy with where we’re starting, and we’re pushing forward.”

PREP continued on 334

ROAD TO STATE | STEP 3: PRESEASON PRACTICES

33

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018 Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Speed is the name of the game at Sterling, and not just the speed of the players. Coach Jon Schlemmer runs his guys through all their summer and preseason drills quickly, so the players can get used to that style by the time Week 1 rolls around.

Warriors practice fast, so they can play that way PREP

CONTINUED FROM 32

t At Sterling, coach Jon Schlemmer used 21 summer days, including 7-on-7s at NIU and Oswego. The contact days were from early June to late July, on Monday mornings, and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, with a few breaks here and there, and he was pleased with the attendance.

“Summer is not required, but the majority of our kids make it a point to be here throughout the summer,” Schlemmer said. “There’s no

consequences, but you might be behind. We want our kids to go on vacations. We want our kids to go out and do things, but if you’re in town, be here.”

Like other coaches, Schlemmer begins the X’s and O’s process in the summer, but his main goal is something else. It’s all about doing everything fast, to get players acclimated to that style when games start for real on Aug. 24.

That really picks up come the start of preseason practices, and that summer work really helps set the tone for when practices can officially start.

At Sterling, speed kills, and Schlemmer wants his team to not even have to think about playing that way. Just do it instinctively.

“It’s getting in and out of drills,” Schlemmer said. “It’s getting in and out of segments – that’s the kind of conditioning that we do.

Throughout the summer, we don’t focus on getting on a line and running, or anything like that. Within our drills, we expect our kids to get from place to place, and get there in a hurry.

“That really pays off when we get to the preseason practices in August.”

With his players up to the proper speed by the end of the summer contact period, it’s time to concentrate more on execution on both sides of the ball in the 3 weeks leading up to the first game.

“We had pretty much everything installed by the time we got to fall camp,” Schlemmer said. “Now it’s just refining it. It’s technique. It’s still working on your first step.

It’s still working on your stance – things that are always going to be important.

“Honestly, we’re pretty simple in our run game, but the big thing is to make sure people play fast.”

Morrison

Conference: Three Rivers Rock Enrollment: 260 Projected class: 2A

Team Notebook

Head Coach

Ryan Oetting • 1st season at Morrison • 0-0 (.000) • 0 playoff appearances

Roster

Keegan Anderson chats about the Mustangs

Returning starters in bold

Looking forward to this game: Newman and Fulton games, because they’re our rivals, but I’m just going to think about from Sherrard all the way to our last game.

Favorite place to play: My favorite place to play is home because you get to see everyone cheering you on.

Favorite football memory: Some of my greatest memories are the team dinners and celebrating victories after the games.

2017

• 4-5 overall • 1-5 Three Rivers Rock (tied for 5th place)

2017 Results Mustangs 40, Sherrard 6 Mustangs 26, Hall 14 Mustangs 41, Kewanee 28 Newman 54, Mustangs 0 Fulton 38, Mustangs 30 Riverdale 15, Mustangs 14 Orion 35, Mustangs 7 Rockridge 42, Mustangs 20 Mustangs 36, BV 32

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 214 Points scored avg.: 23.8 Points allowed: 264 Points allowed avg.: 29.3 Playoff teams faced: 6 At home: 2-3 On road: 2-2

•

•

•

••

11-2 11-1

8-3

•

14-0

•

•

•

13-1

10-2

8-3

• 6-4

5-5

•• 1-8

3-6

••• 4-5

3-6

TC Ottens Jarrett Wiebenga Keegan Anderson Jevin Smith Nicholas Allen Jake Schlegel Brendan Stearns Nathan Mickley Nathan Helms Wade Hackbarth Kolten Sage Keegan Manard Evan Wiebenga John Winkelman Aaron Wolf Ryan Kennedy Isaak Shetler Brandon Zigler Riley Wilkens Brody Fisher Brenan Linke Chace Garland Cooper Darby Tyson Smith Dillon Still Collin Roberts Eric Jackson Brevin Pruis Preston Behrens Jackson DuBois Gauge Richmond

6-7 5-11 6-1 5-7 5-6 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-2 5-11 5-9 5-10 5-11 5-9 6-1 5-8 6-2 5-9 5-8 5-9 5-11 6-2 5-8 6-1 6-3 5-10 6-0 6-5 5-10

175 165 165 165 140 185 170 180 160 185 185 180 155 165 185 155 165 165 225 160 155 180 215 200 200 210 200 185 170 225 160

3-6

2-7

Reilly Dolan

Passing C-A-I Yds TD 32-70-5 613 3

Receiving

Rec. Yds TD Ben Brackemyer 9 172 1 Tristan Demay 6 117 1 Jarrett Wiebenga 5 90 1 Jacob Schlegel 4 86 0

Schedule

Game time Fri., Aug. 24, 7:30 Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 7, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 15, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 21, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 28, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 5, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 12, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 19, 7:30

Opponent 2017 at Sherrard 0-9 Hall 6-4 Kewanee 6-4 at Newman* 12-1 at Fulton* 7-4 Riverdale* 3-6 Orion* 9-3 at Rockridge* 8-2 at Bureau Valley* 4-5

WORKMAN

HEATING & COOLING SERVING THE SAUK VALLEY AREA SINCE 1949!

FREE ESTIMATES 815-772-2010 15825 Lincoln Road, Morrison

502 E. Lincolnway, Morrison, IL

815-772-7451

www.morrisonautosupply.com Great People, Great Products, Great Prices!

So. E/LB Sr. E/DB Jr. RB/DB Jr. RB/LB Jr. RB/DB Sr. QB/LB Jr. E/DB Jr. RB/LB So. QB/DB Sr. E/LB Jr. E/LB Sr. RB/LB Jr. RB/LB So. RB/DB So. RB/LB Jr. E/DB Jr. RB/LB Sr. RB/LB Jr. RB/DL Jr. E/LB So. RB/LB Jr. OL/DL Jr. OL/DL So. OL/DL Sr. OL/DL Jr. OL/DL Jr. OL/DL Sr. OL/LB Sr. OL/DL Sr. OL/DL So. E/LB

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

Rushing

Att. Yds TD Aaron Deter 152 594 11 Grant Slater 61 436 5 Tristan Demay 57 270 2 Riley Wilkens 30 171 3 Jacob Schlegel 20 111 2 Keegan Anderson 8 97 0 Brevin Pruis 8 35 0 Brandon Zigler 12 33 1

Morrison Auto Supply, Inc.

2 3 6 8 9 10 13 15 16 17 20 22 24 26 30 33 39 40 41 43 44 50 51 52 55 60 61 65 72 77 81

Mustangs Win Report

2017 Stat Leaders

SM-ST1568208

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

34

YOUR COMFORT IS OUR CALLING

SM-ST1568220

www.schulermotors.com

* TRAC Rock game

Homecoming: Week 6

Cody’s Road Trip picks

Want to expand your horizons?

Maybe try a football road trip

Consider these additions to your Friday night plans

K

codyCUTTER Sports reporter.

He can be reached at ccutter@ saukvalley. com or 815625-3600, ext. 5552.

and West Side; and conclude the swing Saturday in Wisconsin to see Southwestern of Hazel Green host Black Hawk of South Wayne.

Plans changed when the allure of Kimberly-Fond du Lac proved too great.

Football isn’t contained to just the cliché of Friday night lights. Each football game has its own aura and circumstances, from 1A gridirons near corn fields to 8A stadiums in subdivisions.

Seeing multiple styles of football in differing atmospheres – no matter how packed or quaint – can give one a more diverse understanding of the game of football.

So if you’re willing to step outside of your high school football comfort zone, next

to this column are some trips to different games that may be worth your while.

Yes, there are a lot of Chicago Public League games. These may not suit nit-picky fanatics, but if you’re willing to step in their shoes and attempt to gain an understanding of what the game means to them, then stop by.

Saturday’s threegame High School Kickoff Classic at Northern Illinois University will feature Jordan Lynch back at his college alma mater in his first game as Chicago Mount Carmel’s head coach.

Week 2’s Gateway Scholars Football Classic in East St. Louis will pit Cahokia, and state powers Phillips, Homewood-Flossmoor and the hometown Flyers against four top St. Louis schools.

Addison Trail travels to Dyche Stadium in Glen Ellyn to face Glenbard West in Week 3 – one of the most scenic places in Illinois high school football.

The University of Illinois hosts four games pitting central Illinois

teams in Week 4.

Take in football in a farm atmosphere Week 5 in Toulon for Stark County-Ridgewood.

Montini at Loyola in Week 6 pits two of Illinois’ best state powers.

Two weeks of crosstown rivalry games follow, with Provisos East and West and The Battle of Decatur with Eisenhower and MacArthur.

Don’t go too far for Week 9. Seeing River Ridge and Hoopeston play at Gould Stadium in Ottawa will allow you to come back to the Sauk Valley for playoff pairings night get-togethers with your football friends.

Week 5 Monday, Sept. 17 • Alden-Hebron at Williams Bay, Wis. (8-man) Thursday, Sept. 20 • Concord Triopia at Jacksonville Routt Saturday, Sept. 22 • Bloomington vs. Urbana (at U of I) • Champaign Centennial vs. Peoria Notre Dame (at U. of Illinois) • Rantoul vs. Champaign St. Thomas More (at U. of Illinois) • Tolono Unity vs. Stanford Olympia (at U. of Illinois)

Week 2 Thursday, Aug. 30 • Noble/Comer vs. Dunbar (at Gately Stadium, Chicago) • Washington vs. King (at Gately Stadium, Chicago) Saturday, Sept. 1 • Cahokia vs. St. Louis Cardinal Ritter (at East St. Louis) • Phillips vs. St. Louis Chaminade (at East St. Louis) • Homewood-Flossmoor vs. St. Louis Lutheran North (at East St. Louis) • St. Louis Trinity at East St. Louis

Week 3 Thursday, Sept. 6 • Roosevelt vs. Kennedy (at Rockne Stadium, Chicago) Saturday, Sept. 8 • Addison Trail at Glenbard West • Curie vs. Al Raby (at Lane Stadium, Chicago)

Week 4 Thursday, Sept. 13 • Catalyst/Maria vs. Corliss (at Gately Stadium, Chicago) • Hubbard vs. Perspectives/Leadership (at Gately Stadium, Chicago) Saturday, Sept. 15 • Stark County at Ridgewood • Morrison at Newman

Week 6 Thursday, Sept. 27 • Goode vs. Sullivan (at Winnemac Stadium, Chicago) Saturday, Sept. 29 • Montini at Loyola • Julian vs. Lake View (at Lane Stadium, Chicago)

Week 7 Thursday, Oct. 4 • Aurora Central Catholic at Wheaton Academy Saturday, Oct. 6 • Proviso East at Proviso West • Niles Notre Dame at Chicago St. Patrick

Week 8 Tuesday, Oct. 9 • Kansas School of the Deaf at Illinois School of the Deaf (at Jacksonville) Wednesday, Oct. 10 • Chicago Academy vs. CICS/Quest (at Lane Stadium, Chicago) Saturday, Oct. 13 • Eisenhower vs. MacArthur (at Millikin University)

Week 9 Wednesday, Oct. 17 • Urban Prep West vs. Von Steuben (at Lane Stadium, Chicago) • Senn vs. Clemente (at Lane Stadium, Chicago) Saturday, Oct. 20 • Hoopeston vs. River Ridge (at Ottawa Marquette)

Good luck to all of our area teams!!

TEN FRANCHISES - ONE LOCATION

1100 n Galena Ave Dixon, IL

G O O D LU C K

AREA TEAMS!

l l a C Text 815-288-4455 or

CATCH ALL THE FALL SPORTS ON THE BEST TV’S IN TOWN! Monday - Thursday • Open 4pm Friday - Sunday • Open 12pm

HAPPY HOUR:

Monday - Friday 4 - 7pm

ALL STERLING GAMES TELEVISED LIVE! Try Your Luck in a Clean & Quiet Gaming Area provided by Accel Entertainment.

3 East 3rd St. Sterling • (815) 716-8408

SM-ST1568237

HOURS:

www.kennelsonauto.com

• August 23, 2018

IMBERLY, Wis. – As I’m typing the rough-draft version of this column, I am witnessing the end of the the Kimberly Papermakers’ 70-game winning streak, the nation’s longest then-active one.

Fond du Lac kicker Jared Scherbel hit a 26-yard field goal as time expired to give his team a 31-28 win to kick off Week 1 of Wisconsin’s high school season last Friday night. Fond du Lac never trailed, but Kimberly tied it at 21 and 28.

It was worth the 5-hour drive to this suburb of Appleton.

Wisconsin, Indiana and Iowa began their seasons 1 week before Illinois. If you’re extra anxious to cure that high school football itch, try attending an out-of-state game next year. It’s possible to see three true high school football games – not scrimmages – before Illinois’ Week 1.

My original plan was to see an 8-man game Aug. 16 in Janesville, Iowa; then head to Gary, Indiana the next day to see Roosevelt

Week 1 Saturday, Aug. 25 • Chicago Mt. Carmel vs. Hope Academy (at NIU) • Benet vs. St. Laurence (at NIU) • Lockport vs. Providence (at NIU) Sunday, Aug. 26 • Noble/UIC vs. Noble/Rowe-Clark (at Lane Stadium, Chicago) •Woodlawn vs. Noble/Academy (at Lane Stadium, Chicago)

35

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

COMMENTARY

Newman

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

36

Team Notebook

Head Coach

Mike Papoccia • 39th season at Newman • 329-96 (.774) • 28 playoff appearances • 5 state championships

2017

• 12-1 overall • 6-0 Three Rivers Rock (1st place)

2017 Results

Comets 47, Kewanee 0 Comets 46, Princeton 0 Comets 35, Orion 21 Comets 54, Morrison 0 Comets 22, Rockridge 21 Comets 55, BV 6 Comets 48, Hall 16 Comets 34, Fulton 6 Comets 51, Riverdale 0 2A playoffs Comets 27, A. Christian 18 Comets 41, Hope Acad. 22 Comets 40, Orion 14 GCMS 14, Comets 8

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 508 Points scored avg.: 39.1 Points allowed: 138 Points allowed avg.: 10.6 Playoff teams faced: 9 At home: 7-0 On road: 5-1

Roster

Eli Fiorini chats about the Comets

Returning starters in bold

Favorite football memory: The end of the Aurora Christian playoff game.

Oddest football memory: Last year when I dislocated my shoulder, I was rolling around on the ground and everybody was laughing and thought I was messing around.

Funniest teammate: Drew Ackman.

Favorite Coach Papoccia line: “We put these plays in when Moby Dick was a guppy.”

14 13 12 11 10 9 10-2 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

•

•

• 13-1

12 13 14 17 21 22 30 33 34 40 42 50 52 55 63 66 71 74 75 77 80 81 84 88

Comets Win Report

• 9-2

14-0

•

••• 8-3

8-3

•

•••

12-1

10-2

••

11-1

13-1

11-1

•

12-1

9-2

Passing

C-A-I Yds TD Landen Vesley 28-58-1 566 8 Receiving

Rec. Yds TD Easton Bianchi 9 152 3 Karter Decker 7 189 2 Clayton Yde 6 127 1 Luke Olson 4 63 2

6-1 5-11 5-11 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-0 5-10 5-10 5-8 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-0 5-10 5-10 6-0 5-10 6-1 6-6 5-10 6-1 6-2 5-8

200 155 125 195 160 210 200 165 170 165 225 200 215 220 190 195 205 235 225 290 185 190 170 195

Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr.

QB Back K End Back Back Back Back End Back Back Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line Line End End End End

• In the last 3 seasons, the Comets have bowed out in the playoffs to eventual state champions (2015, 3A Kankakee McNamara; 2016, 2A Deer Creek-Mackinaw; 2017, 2A Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley.)

6-4

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

Rushing Att. Yds TD 128 1,256 20 195 1,106 11 105 801 13 40 256 5 34 165 6 25 108 1 21 100 2 15 76 0

Brycen Bartel Nate Ahlers Maddy Jacobs Andrew Wilson Connor McBride Chase Graham Nick Clevenger Brody Ivey Colin Roberts Dylan Schmall Luke Olson John Simpson Drew Ackman Eli Fiorini Mason Newman Henry Bauby Ryan Waldschmidt Tyler Wescott Hunter Buser Nick Eddinger Collin Hoy Kyle Yde Alex Whelan Jose Luna

Did You Know?

8-4

2017 Stat Leaders

Easton Bianchi Cade Gorzny Luke Olson Landen Vesley Chase Graham Brody Ivey DJ Johnson Cade Bianchi

Conference: Three Rivers Rock Enrollment: 367.95 Projected class: 2A/3A

Schedule

Game time Sat., Aug. 25, 7 Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 Sat., Sept. 8, 7 Fri., Sept. 15, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 21, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 28, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 5, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 12, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 19, 7:30

Opponent 2017 Kewanee 6-4 at Princeton 3-6 Orion* 9-3 Morrison* 4-5 at Rockridge* 8-2 at Bureau Valley* 4-5 Hall 6-4 at Fulton* 7-4 Riverdale* 3-6

* TRAC Rock game

Homecoming: Week 7 Radio: 102.7 FM

Good Luck Newman Comets!

Dixon Glass C O M P A N Y

414 W. 1st St., Dixon 815-288-3000

TALES FROM THE ROAD | NEWMAN COMETS

Comets prep, take care of business, then cut loose on road

BY ADAM FEINER afeiner@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5550 @AdamFeinerSVM

• August 23, 2018

“The journey to state” has been a constant theme stressed by Mike Papoccia over his 38 seasons as the head coach of the Newman football program.

Five of those journeys to Champaign have ended in first-place finishes, and 329 games coached

by Papoccia have resulted in happy bus rides back to the school.

“We’ve had some great times going to and coming from state with the kids,” Papoccia said. “It’s just a blast. During the playoffs, all we talk about is keeping it going because we don’t want it to end.”

Newman players chant entering the school’s parking lot coming from a road victory, then pick somebody to climb the pole by the auxiliary gym entrance and ring a bell. A raucous time is had by all.

“Last year on the way to Gibson City, everybody was so hyped up,” junior running back Connor McBride said. “I feel like it would be 10 times as hyped for a state game.”

Bus rides to games, however, are much quieter. Players are seated next to teammates in the same position groups by the coaching staff to ensure everybody has the game plan down pat.

“It really makes sure we keep our heads in the game and not be distracted by other things,” senior quarterback Brycen Bartel said. “That way, we’re focused on putting forth our best performance during the game.”

Newman’s last trip to state was in 2013, in DeKalb. It worked out that the team’s hotel was located right next to an ice cream joint, the site of an unexpected turn of events for a pair of Papoccia’s assistant coaches.

“Coach [Kevin] McGinn and Coach [Terry] Messer told a couple players that they’d buy them

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Keeping the rhythm going

37

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

The Newman Comets have made some long trips over the years, like the 158-mile trip one way to Gibson City to take on the Falcons in the 2A semifinals in 2017. ice cream,” Papoccia said. “With modern-day texting, it wasn’t long until every kid was over there, and they had to buy them all ice cream.”

Music is a common theme of Newman bus rides, especially those after road wins. The music of Bob Marley once played through a boombox brought by

one of the players.

“One time we went down and beat Kewanee, and had this player who was Jamaican,” Papoccia said. “On the way home, we let the guys listen to music, and he was standing up and singing reggae songs. It was hilarious.

Everybody was going along with it, saying ‘Yah man!’”

The Comets used to have dance parties on the practice field after games, where players, coaches and cheerleaders would mingle and sing together to songs blaring out of Papoccia’s car radio.

“We didn’t do that last year,” Papoccia said as he started to show a wry smile. “We might have to bring that back this year.”

Oregon

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

38

Team Notebook

Head Coach

Nick Schneiderman • 2nd season at Oregon • 1-8 (.111) • 0 playoff appearances

2017

• 1-7 overall • 0-8 Big Northern (11th place)

2017 Results Hawks 13, Harvard 7 Dixon 42, Hawks 7 North Boone 42, Hawks 0 Rock Falls 31, Hawks 8 Winnebago 58, Hawks 30 Byron 62, Hawks 7 R. Lutheran 14, Hawks 7 Stillman 37, Hawks 20 R. Christian 49, Hawks 13

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 105 Points scored avg.: 11.7 Points allowed: 342 Points allowed avg.: 38.0 Playoff teams faced: 5 At home: 1-4 On road: 0-4

Rushing

Dalton Hermes Chase Prehn Savian Hernandez Reyes Carreno Jacob Bailey-Hadaway Jake Mennen Jacob Cullen Carter Fruin

Conference: Big Northern Enrollment: 422 Projected class: 3A

Roster

Jake Mennen chats about the Hawks

Returning starters in bold

Team you can’t wait to play: We enjoy playing Byron. That’s always one we get excited for.

Strength of the Hawks: One of our strengths is how well we work together.

It’s a really close-knit group of guys, and because of that we feel more of a family.

All-time favorite Hawk: My brother Caleb. He played 3 years of varsity football and did a really good job here.

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

4 5 6 7 8 12 14 15 16 22 24 26 28 31 32 33 34 36 45 51 52 53 54 55 58 60 63 64 65 67 71 72 75 79 84 85

Hawks Win Report 12-1

•

•• 8-3

•

8-3

•• 3-6

7-4

••• 6-5

••

6-4

4-5

6-5

• 2-7

2-7

6-5

•• 3-6

2-7

1-8

•

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

Schedule

2017 Stat Leaders Att. Yds 142 641 79 358 51 217 31 133 27 113 23 92 15 74 13 40

Passing

Completions Calvin Sullivan 32

Ryker Finch Jacob Milliman Nolan Thomas Andrew Herbst Breccan Berns Jake Mennen Wylee Rice Calvin Sullivan Nico Gioffre Brody Masselle Brock Prehn Gatlin Good Carter Fruin Austin Ebert Garret Moser Dalton Hermes Zachary Crandall Kainalu Barcai Jacob Hoyle Trenten Bettner Adam Glendenning Jed Bothe Tim Breeden Caleb Zellers Kyle Strite Gavin Miatke Anjel Chavez Austin Strite Robert Youngren Carson Sweeney Nicholas Alexander Jacob Davis Tyler Zellers Colton Manser LeRoy Brooks Jacob Smith

Yds 158

Receiving

Rec. Yds Savian Hernandez 9 114 Chase Prehn 6 28 Dalton Hermes 2 9 Jacob Bailey-Hadaway 2 7

Game time Fri., Aug. 24, 7 Fri., Aug. 31, 7 Fri., Sept. 7, 7 Fri., Sept. 14, 7 Fri., Sept. 21, 7 Fri., Sept. 28, 7:15 Fri., Oct. 5, 7 Fri., Oct. 12, 7 Fri., Oct. 19, 7

6-3 5-6 6-0 5-3 5-11 6-0 5-10 6-2 5-11 6-3 5-10 6-0 5-9 5-11 5-8 6-0 6-1 6-0 5-10 5-8 6-0 5-11 5-8 5-11 5-7 5-10 5-11 6-3 6-1 6-1 5-10 6-1 6-3 6-6 5-10 5-10

190 125 160 125 160 190 170 190 145 175 165 185 185 160 195 220 210 170 185 185 205 185 195 240 190 195 255 235 205 315 245 205 295 310 145 175

Opponent 2017 at Rkfd. Lutheran* 1-8 Genoa-Kingston* 8-3 Dixon* 10-2 at Byron* 12-1 at Stillman Valley* 4-5 Rock Falls* 3-6 Winnebago* 6-4 at North Boone* 7-3 Mendota* 1-8

Jr. Jr. Jr. So. So. Sr. So. Sr. So. So. Jr. So. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. So. So. So. Jr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. So. So. So.

* Big Northern game Homecoming: Week 6 Radio: 95.7 FM

Look for our weekly football pull out section every Saturday! publishers of

daily Gazette, Telegraph & Sauk Valley Weekend

QB/LB RB/DB TE/DB RB/CB QB/LB RB/LB RB/DB QB/DB TE/LB RB/LB RB/LB RB/DB RB/LB TE/LB TE/DL RB/LB RB/LB TE/LB TE/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL TE/LB TE/LB

Team Notebook

Head Coach

Jeff Bumsted • 3rd season at Polo • 11-8 (.579) • 1 playoff appearance

2017

• 5-4 overall • 4-3 NUIC Upstate (4th place)

2017 Results

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 207 Points scored avg.: 23.0 Points allowed: 180 Points allowed avg.: 20.0 Playoff teams faced: 5 At home: 4-1 On road: 1-3

Tucker Mumford chats about the Marcos

Returning starters in bold

Game you’re most looking forward to: Milledgeville.

Favorite thing about football: Getting to play as a team with all your buddies.

Don’t sleep on this teammate: Ethan Phillips.

Personal expectations for this year: I want to catch 60 percent of my targets.

Team goal: Playoffs. We’re hungry to make it this year after not making it last year.

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

2 5 10 11 13 17 24 31 50 52 54 55 56 65 72 74

Marcos Win Report

•• 1-8

•

6-4

7-3

5-5

8-4

7-3

• 8-3

• 4-5

2-7

1-8

•

••

•

•• 6-4

5-4

3-6

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

Rushing

Att. Yds TD Reid Taylor 121 718 10 Braiden Soltow 83 279 4 Brady Webb 54 271 2 Randal Gabaldon 19 46 0 Dakota Meyer 12 43 2 Tucker Mumford 7 35 0 Parker Wolber 2 16 1 Alex Davies 3 10 0

Passing

C-A-I Yds TD Braiden Soltow 40-69-5 608 7

Receiving

Rec. Brady Webb 18 Baylee Wiemken 14 Ethan Phillips 5 Reid Taylor, Polo 3

Yds TD 349 3 128 3 48 0 34 1

155 160 150 175 145 155 170 200 185 190 135 155 145 165 170 280

Sr. Sr. So. Sr. So. Jr. So. Jr. Sr. So. So. So. Jr. Sr. So. Sr.

RB/DB E/DB E/DB QB/DB E/DB E/DB RB/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/LB OL/LB OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL

• The Marcos missed the Class 1A playoffs last season for the first time in 3 years, despite reaching the fivewin mark. The six 5-4 playoff teams in 1A last season (Orangeville, Stark County, Catlin Salt Fork, Chester, Pleasant Hill and Moweaqua Central A&M) were 0-6 in the first round, and combined to be outscored 294-80.

The first-round opponents for Stark County (Lena-Winslow) and Chester (Tuscola) played for the state title.

4-5

2017 Stat Leaders

6-0 6-0 5-8 6-2 5-8 6-3 5-9 5-10 6-0 5-8 5-9 6-1 5-11 6-2 5-6 6-3

Did You Know?

11-1

•• • •

Brady Webb Ethan Phillips Jesse Powell Braiden Soltow Parker Wolber Tucker Mumford Cole Faivre Jace Coffey Casey Thacker Brady Clark Joey Bardell Logan Kindle Alex Davies Draven Wells Julian Warczak AJ Williams

Schedule

Game time Sat., Aug. 25, 1 Fri., Aug. 31, 7 Fri., Sept. 7, 7 Fri., Sept. 14, 7 Fri., Sept. 21, 7 Fri., Sept. 28, 7 Fri., Oct. 5, 7 Fri., Oct. 12, 7 Fri., Oct. 19, 7

Opponent 2017 at Orangeville* 5-5 Milledgeville* 8-3 at Metro-E. Lutheran 1-8 Aquin* 9-3 at Warren* 1-7 at River Ridge* 2-7 Stockton* 8-3 AFC* 3-6 at EPC (Pearl City) 5-5

* NUIC Upstate game Homecoming: Week 7 Radio: 94.3 FM

GO - FIGHT - WIN

CARS815.com (815) 864-2111 Shannon (815) 946-2777 Polo (815) 864-2125 Lake Carroll www.fsbshannon-polo.com SM-ST1567734

• August 23, 2018

Marcos 20, Orangeville 12 Milledgeville 14, Marcos 6 Marcos 55,

Metro-East Lutheran 6 Aquin 28, Marcos 0 Marcos 41, Warren 8 Marcos 29, River Ridge 8 Stockton 49, Marcos 21 Marcos 28, AFC 14 EPC 41, Marcos 7

Roster

39

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Polo

Conference: NUIC Upstate Enrollment: 160 Projected class: 1A

ROAD TO STATE | STEP 4: GAME WEEK PREP

| FOOTBALL 2018

Gearing up for Friday night

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

40

A whole week’s worth of preparation comes down to 48 minutes

BY BRIAN WEIDMAN bweidman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5551 @BrianWeidman

When a local football team wins its game under the Friday night lights, it’s the payoff for a full week’s worth of work.

Preparation for game night begins for most teams the previous Saturday morning, when coaches and players gather to watch film of the previous night’s game. At Amboy, longtime head coach Gary Jones noted his players generally head to the Casey’s downtown for doughnuts, then over to the high school by 9 a.m. for film work.

“We watch the game film with the kids, mostly going over mistakes,” Jones said. “You’re pretty much covering, ‘OK, they’re in this formation, we should have been in this defense. Why weren’t we?’ We try to correct some of those things.”

AFC coach Brad Winterland sometimes watches film with players on Saturdays, while other times, it’s just with the coaches.

“A lot of programs can attest to this,” Winterland said. “You’ve got 10 kids that are really interested in being there, 80 percent that are there because they have to be, and the other 10 percent that are struggling to stay awake. We’ve done it a variety of different ways, and we’ll probably continue to mix it up.”

Dixon players are off Saturday and Sunday. Dixon head coach Dave Smith noted they are expected to eat right, get plenty of rest, and catch up on schoolwork on weekends.

Dixon assistant coaches break down film on Saturday, then meet with Smith on Sunday to formulate a game plan for that week’s opponent. That is then passed on to the players on Monday, with Smith having the final say on strategies to be employed.

“It’s not set in stone, but a lot of it’s set,” Smith said. “I’ll be the first to tell you I tweak things throughout the week.”

Mondays are generally lighter days when it comes to practice.

AFC has several JV games on Monday nights, so player availability is limited.

GEARING UP continued on 414

Peter Balser/Sauk Valley Media

Dixon’s Joseph Heckert makes a tackle against Chicago Raby during last year’s Class 4A quarterfinal game in Chicago. After a weekend off following Friday night’s game, the Dukes start the next week of preparation by learning the game plan on Mondays, then starting to implement it in full force on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Dixon works on all three phases of the game each day, focusing on offense and special teams early on in practice before turning to defense in the latter stages.

ROAD TO STATE | STEP 4: GAME WEEK PREP

GEARING UP

CONTINUED FROM 40

t

• August 23, 2018

Amboy also limits physical contact, to keep its small roster as healthy as possible. There is some conditioning, and coaches watch film of the next opponent with players.

“Lower numbers have changed some of our philosophy,” Jones said. “There’s been years in the past when Monday wasn’t so much fun – ‘All right, we’re padding up and we’re doing everything on Monday.’

Right now, we try to limit as much contact as we can.”

The two main most-traditional practice days, as far as players wearing full gear and knocking heads, are Tuesday and Wednesday.

By then, the game plan has been implemented, and teams can begin to plan how to attack, and how to defend, the next foe.

Dixon works on its offense and special teams early in the practice.

Defensive coordinator Rich Crabel, who teaches at Burlington Central and arrives at practice by about 4:30 p.m., then takes over in preparing the defense.

Winterland described Tuesday and Wednesday as the “heavy days” in terms of preparation. The offense and defense each get plenty of attention. One day, the Raiders go over punt return and kickoff return. The next, it’s kickoff and punt coverage.

At Amboy, Tuesday is for the running game, on both sides of the ball. Wednesday is for the passing game.

Thursday, in general, is a review day, as players are given a reprieve after 2 days of hitting.

“Thursday is generally pregame run-through: all of our special teams, special situations, 2-minute drill, 4-minute drill, all the fun stuff,” Winterland said.

A committee of Dixon parents feeds the Dukes after Thursday’s practice, which is usually held at A.C. Bowers Field as opposed to the practice field at Reagan Middle School.

“It’s our chance to break bread together, as a team, which we feel is very important,” Smith said.

On game days at home, Amboy players gather at somebody’s home after school for a pregame meal – a tradition that goes back to “when

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Weekly schedule quickly becomes normal routine

41

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Amboy’s Brady Becker (76) and Kenny Hartman (7) stop Galena’s Lane Susek during the second quarter of last season’s game in Amboy. The Clippers have been following the same game-week routine for much of coach Gary Jones’ 24 years at the helm – and even before that. It involves a Saturday morning film session, work on the rush offense and defense on Tuesday, passing game prep on Wednesday, then a review day on Thursday. The team also has a tradition of gathering at a player’s house after school on Friday to enjoy a pregame meal. they invented rope,” Jones said.

Clipper football players also get to wear their jerseys to school on game days.

Dixon seniors get to decide what

the team wears on Friday game days, ranging from travel suits to shorts and T-shirts, or somewhere in between.

“The kids have a lot of say in this

program, especially the seniors,” Smith said. “I’m a senior guy. I believe it’s up to the seniors to lead us, and every year, my seniors make it happen.”

Rock Falls Steve Disler • 1st season at Rock Falls • 0-0 (.000) • 0 playoff appearances

2017

• 3-6 overall • 2-6 Big Northern (8th place)

2017 Results R. Christian 34, Rockets 8 Rockets 22, Mendota 18 G.-Kingston 49, Rockets 6 Rockets 31, Oregon 8 Byron 49, Rockets 13 Winnebago 48, Rockets 21 Stillman 38, Rockets 24 Dixon 48, Rockets 6 Rockets 20, Woodstock N. 14

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 151 Points scored avg.: 16.8 Points allowed: 306 Points allowed avg.: 34.0 Playoff teams faced: 6 At home: 3-2 On road: 0-4

Roster

Jayden Martinez chats about the Rockets

Returning starters in bold

Favorite place to play on the road: Dixon because it’s close to home, a lot of fans are going to go over there and support us.

People will be impressed by: Our offense, we’ve got some new plays and we’re dangerous.

Pregame ritual: Listen to music, stay focused, stay loose.

Strengths: Getting to know all the plays, I know all of them.

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

1 3 5 7 10 11 12 13 15 18 20 21 22 26 28 33 42 50 52 57 62 66 67 75 76 78 79 80

Rockets Win Report

• 2-7

0-9

•

•••• 2-7

2-7

2-7

•

5-4

3-6

1-8

•• 0-9

• 3-6

3-6

1-8

••• 0-9

0-9

Rushing

Att. Yds TD Xzaviar Epps 78 415 2 Dominic Schick 31 144 1 Nicholas Ebersole 45 91 1 Passing C-A-I Yds TD 57-96-5 846 7 34-75-2 534 4

Receiving

Rec. Yds TD Dylan Leaf 21 339 3 Keyon Wolber 18 290 4 Michael Austin 17 278 2 Scott Spears 14 153 0 Nathaniel Wiles 8 148 1 Austin Sandrock 5 123 1 Xzaviar Epps 5 31 0

GREAT SERVICE

••

Schedule

Opponent 2017 Genoa-Kingston* 8-3 at Dixon* 10-2 Byron* 12-1 Stillman Valley* 4-5 at Winnebago* 6-4 at Oregon* 1-8 North Boone* 7-3 at Mendota* 1-8 at Rkfd. Lutheran* 1-8

and all other surrounding area football teams!

625-5163

Angelo’s Delivery

Angelo’s II

Angelo’s III

Angelo’s

Quality work & honest value are the driving forces behind our success.

Pillars Repair, Inc.

215 W. 14th St., Rock Falls 815-625-7142

625-5451

Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. Sr.

RB/LB WR/DB WR/DB QB/DB QB/DB RB/LB WR/DB OL/DL WR/DB RB/LB WR/LB WR/DB WR/DB WR/LB WR/LB WR/DB WR/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/DB

• All three Rockets wins in 2017 came at Hinders Field.

Newman Comets Rock Falls Rockets Sterling Warriors Dixon Dukes

Commercial • Industrial Insured • Bonded

190 155 170 160 190 190 150 210 150 165 170 165 160 180 125 155 190 170 155 185 235 195 220 255 240 245 270 180

Did You Know?

Game time Fri., Aug. 24, 7:15 Fri., Aug. 31, 7:15 Fri., Sept. 7, 7:15 Fri., Sept. 14, 7:15 Fri., Sept. 21, 7:15 Fri., Sept. 28, 7:15 Fri., Oct. 5, 7:15 Fri., Oct. 12, 7:15 Fri., Oct. 19, 7:15

COMPLETE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS, INC.

Complete, Trained Mechanics • All Parts & Work Guaranteed Free Written Estimates

6-1 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-1 5-9 6-1 5-10 5-10 6-0 5-8 5-10 6-2 5-10 5-9 5-10 5-11 5-9 6-1 6-2 5-10 6-0 6-3 6-0 5-10 6-2 6-2

Good Luck

goes a long way

1022 E. Route 30, Rock Falls, IL • 815-626-6154

Dominic Schick Dylan Leaf Nate Wiles Evan Laws Cade Nailor Xzaviar Epps Izaih James Kye O’Brien Richard Reyes Alfred Sutton Ty Hudson Alec Akerman Austin Sandrock Keyon Wolber Skylar Able Brandon Morris Cam Anderson Cade Adams Blake Boostrom Daniel Noble Breyman Dile Nolin Roberts Brody Mulvaney Kyle Musselman Jayden Martinez LeRoy Neal Ben Blackburn Billy Tate

3-6

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

2017 Stat Leaders

Cade Nailor Zac McKinzie

Conference: Big Northern Enrollment: 645 Projected class: 4A

Team Notebook

Head Coach

SM-ST1568185

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

42

625-5000

285-0055

* Big Northern game

Homecoming: Week 4

TALES FROM THE ROAD | ROCK FALLS ROCKETS

Memorable Rockets road trips include bonding over rap, poor weather

BY ERIC INGLES eingles@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5555 @Eric_Ingles

• August 23, 2018

Before the Rock Falls football team gets into the flow of a game, they worry about flow of a different sort.

On the way to a getaway at a lake house last summer, the players had a chance to be introduced to the musical talents of other Rockets.

“We listened to some teammates’ rap songs on the radio on the way down there,” Dylan Leaf remembered. “The coaches got to hear some of their beats.”

Leaf said that Adam Conkling, a 2018 Rock Falls graduate, had the best skills on the mic.

“His rap name is King Crispy Hot Fire,” Leaf said.

Leaf describes Conkling’s style as more West Coast rap, and could not go into detail about any of King Crispy Hot Fire’s lyrics.

Team rap battles do more than just show others on the squad who has the best skills on the mic.

“It makes everybody more comfortable and makes our team chemistry better being able to mess around and stuff like that on the bus, and know that everybody’s going to laugh and have a good time with it,” Leaf said. “It’s mainly because of our friend group. Our class is a real close class, and we’re all real comfortable with each other.”

With Conkling graduated, the Rockets do have to figure out if they can fill that void at MC. “We’ll have to wait for the first away game. We’ll figure it out either on the way there or on the way home,” Leaf said.

For other Rockets, the memorable road trip from last year was Week 7 and the trip to Stillman Valley. Temperatures in the high 40s and rain through much of the evening led to muddy field conditions.

“It’s a lot of messiness, but that’s the fun part of it,” junior lineman Brody Mulvaney said. “You get your foot wrong in the mud and you’re just going to slip, you’re going to go nowhere.”

The wet conditions met the Rock-

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Enjoying the music and the mud

43

Zach Arbogast/Shaw Media

Rock Falls’ Dylan Leaf (left) breaks up a pass last season against Stillman Valley. That game was played in cold temperatures and wet weather, but the Rockets said the messy, muddy conditions were what made the game especially fun. ets as they got off the bus, and only to play like hell.” got worse from there.

As the center, Martinez had “It was awesome,” Rockets center another issue to deal with thanks Jayden Martinez said. “You’ve got to the mud.

“I’ve just got to make sure my snaps are good, make sure I’ve got a good grip on the ball,” Martinez said.

Sterling

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

44

Team Notebook

Head Coach

Jon Schlemmer • 7th season at Sterling • 49-17 (.742) • 5 playoff appearances

2017

• 12-1 overall • 4-0 NIB-12 West (1st place)

2017 Results

Warriors 28, Sycamore 14 Warriors 49, Pekin 7 Warriors 56, Alleman 7 Warriors 49, LaSalle-Peru 0 Warriors 45, Geneseo 8 Warriors 52 Yorkville 14 Warriors 41, Rochelle 6 Warriors 56, Ottawa 0 Warriors 31, DeKalb 3 5A playoffs Warriors 48, St. Viator 0 Warriors 46, Kaneland 20 Warriors 22, W. Marian 10 Phillips 27, Warriors 14

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 537 Points scored avg.: 41.3 Points allowed: 116 Points allowed avg.: 8.9 Playoff teams faced: 8 At home: 5-1 On road: 7-0

Conference: NIB-12 West Enrollment: 1,044 Projected class: 5A

Roster

Dylan Bryant chats about the Warriors

Returning starters in bold 1 Alek Duran 2 Camden Bailey 3 Dylan Bryant 4 Weston Sisson 5 Negil Bruce 6 Devante Johnson 7 Isaiah Ryan 8 Marquez Williams 9 Marquise Williams 10 Luke Heffelfinger 11 Savonne Highes 12 Cooper Willman 13 Xavier Arreola 14 Quintin Spaulding 15 Johnathan Davenport 16 Noel Aponte 17 Dante Coppotelli 18 Isaiah Yarbrough 20 Adrian Herrera 21 Eric Davila 26 Nicolas Allison 37 Issac Lendman 38 Emerson Folkers 44 Jerett Harrington 50 Matt Greenfield 51 Nick Simister 52 Esai Olalde 53 Nathaniel Beyers 54 Andres Olalde 55 JJ Thompson 56 Ethan Przysucha 58 JR Farnham 60 Jario Rodriguez 63 Adan Ramirez 64 Isaac Caudillo 65 Xavier Cavazos 66 Marco Garcia 67 Miguel Rios 68 Aidan Buntjer 71 Micha Cannady 72 Santiago Martinez 73 Dakota Cantu 74 Gannon Fiorini 75 John Rahn 76 Aidan Munoz-Ripley 77 Jacob Capes 79 Elias Moreno 80 Vince Vasquez 90 Ezra Torres

Best road trip memory: When we came back from Marian, we had an escort coming back into town and all those people lining up on the bridge.

Pre-game travel routine: I usually have my music on, just get in the zone and get that game-time feeling.

Goals aside from the usual winning achievements: We lost a lot of guys, and as a team we need to come together and pick up the pieces.

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Golden Warriors Win Report

••

11-1

•• 7-3

7-3

•• 9-1

9-3

• 6-4

•••• 9-2

8-3

8-3

9-2

12-1

•• 6-4

•• 7-4

8-3

5-4

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

Schedule

2017 Stat Leaders

Rushing

Att. Yds TD Nyrel Sullivan 228 1,710 33 Trey Morse 116 672 4 Negil Bruce 50 352 5 Vince Vasquez 37 173 2 Marquez Williams 19 163 4 Jayden Villegas 8 48 1 Camden Bailey 11 45 0 Alek Duran 7 35 0

Good Luck Newman Comets Rock Falls Rockets Sterling Warriors Dixon Dukes

Game time Fri., Aug. 24, 7 Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 7, 7:15 Fri., Sept. 14, 7:15 Fri., Sept. 21, 7:15 Fri., Sept. 28, 7:15 Fri., Oct. 5, 7:15 Fri., Oct. 12, 7:15 Fri., Oct. 19, 7:15

Passing

C-A-I Yds TD Trey Morse 84-141-5 1,307 14 Receiving

Rec. Yds TD Nolan Sullivan 26 388 7 Alek Duran 23 444 5 Weston Sisson 14 173 2 Nyrel Sullivan 9 83 0 Marcus Shetter 8 188 0

Opponent at Marengo at Pekin Alleman Kaneland at Geneseo* Ottawa* at Rochelle* LaSalle-Peru* at Sycamore

6-0 6-1 5-11 6-4 5-7 5-10 5-11 6-0 6-0 5-7 5-8 5-11 5-8 6-1 5-10 5-10 5-9 6-0 5-8 5-11 5-10 5-10 5-11 5-11 5-10 5-8 5-9 6-5 5-10 5-10 5-11 5-9 5-10 5-11 5-8 5-8 5-11 5-7 6-2 6-2 5-10 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-6 6-1 5-10 5-11

180 170 170 185 155 175 175 200 205 155 165 175 160 175 170 160 185 170 160 180 165 215 170 190 210 165 200 245 210 210 235 185 235 245 220 235 260 185 250 260 220 220 240 265 260 275 300 175 200

2017 2-7 4-5 5-5 7-4 5-5 1-8 8-4 4-5 3-6

Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr.

* NIB-12 West game

Homecoming: Week 6 Radio: 105.5 FM

PROUD SUPPORTER OF OUR AREA HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS! Quality Customer Service Since 1962 Family Owned & Operated for 50 Years!

and all other surrounding area football teams!

625-5163

Angelo’s Delivery

Angelo’s II

Angelo’s III

Angelo’s

625-5451

625-5000

285-0055

WR/DB QB WR/DB WR RB/DB RB/DB WR/DB RB/LB H/DE WR/DB WR/LB QB/DB RB/DB WR/LB WR/DB QB/LB WR/LB WR/DB K K WR/DB H/LB H/DE H/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/LB H/DL

1409 W. 4th St. • Sterling, IL 815-625-1851

SM-ST1568229

720 N. Galena • Dixon, IL 815-288-3211

TALES FROM THE ROAD | STERLING WARRIORS

Sterling AD got used to long bus rides during his Western Big 6 days

BY CODY CUTTER ccutter@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5552 @CodyCutter35

• August 23, 2018

Sterling athletic director and offensive line coach Greg King knows a lot about long bus rides.

King came to Sterling in 2002 from Rock Island, where he used to ride on a 282-mile round trip to Quincy every other year for nearly a decade.

The lack of physical movement can be a problem for kids on long trips. King hopes his current crop of linemen doesn’t go through such in the first 2 weeks of the season, with games in Marengo and Pekin.

“You go about halfway or so and get them out and have them stretch a little bit,” King said.

“Three hours, especially at my elderly age now, you got to get off and walk around a little bit. You want to stop part way and maybe get a bite to eat.”

In 2020, Sterling will make the trip to Quincy for a Western Big 6 conference game. Much of the route will be familiar to King, and chances are he’ll immediately know some places where the Golden Warriors can stop and shake off the motionless feelings.

Sometimes there may be special places along the way to keep kids in a football mindset. In 1999, Rock Island made a day trip out of a Week 9 game at Stevensville (Mich.) Lakeshore.

They left early in the morning and visited the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend and the University of Notre Dame football facilities.

It worked; the Rocks won 32-14.

“It relaxed them a little bit because it takes your mind off of the game a little bit, and keeps them engaged,” King said. “Whenever you’re doing something like that, too, you want to keep them so they’re calm.”

Over King’s 32 years of coaching, kids have gone from school bus rides on thin cushioned seats with only teammates to hear, to charter buses with restrooms in the rear and television units to enjoy

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Don’t let the road get you down

45

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Greg King talks to Sterling players during practice this month. The Sterling AD and assistant football coach has been on some long road trips, like a 1999 journey from Rock Island to Stevensville, Michigan. the occasional football-themed movie.

Walkmans and handheld radios have evolved into on-demand streaming music from cell phones these days. King noted that listening to music is a big way kids

can get their minds off of thinking too much about the game when there’s not much else to do for a couple of hours.

“The biggest thing is just to relax,” King said. “Too many people get amped up too early. Listen

to music, relax, play video games.

Think about what you got to do, but at the same time, calm yourself; and as you get closer, start getting ready for the game. You want to be ready to go when the lights come on.”

ROAD TO STATE | STEP 5: GAME DAY ROUTINE

| FOOTBALL 2018

The game before the game

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

46

Set routines are always crucial to smooth game-day operations

BY ADAM FEINER afeiner@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5550 @AdamFeinerSVM

Prior to stepping onto fields painted with a variety of white lines, high school football players gather in lines of a completely different kind.

Athletes of all grades, shapes and sizes wait with plates and trays in their hands, while familiar faces serve the fuel necessary for a victory.

Football teams throughout the Sauk Valley and across the country typically eat a meal together the night before a game, beginning different processes with one common goal.

In most cases, mothers of players serve meals that include pasta – a great source of carbohydrates that supply athletes with energy to last 48 minutes or more on the gridiron.

At Newman, players and coaches come together after the meal to talk strategy and receive inspiration.

“We have a meeting afterwards where someone on the team or someone I bring in gives a theme for the game,” Newman head coach Mike Papoccia said. “We got the idea from Mater Dei out in California. I read a book on them, and liked the idea.”

The Comets, like most schools, will wear their home or road jerseys to school the day of a game.

Before every game, Newman players attend Mass together – held after school Friday, or Saturday morning if the team is playing on the weekend.

Athletes on the fresh/soph and varsity travel in separate buses to road games, and both levels will dress at Newman so as not to avoid messing with a different school’s visitors locker room.

Bureau Valley players wear their powder blue home uniforms to school if their game is in Manlius, or white threads if they are on the road. The Storm’s varsity will watch the first half of the fresh/soph game before heading into the locker room to get dressed.

“We go through plays on grass, do formation recognition, and then

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Bureau Valley’s Kale Barnett runs downfield during last year’s game against Fulton. Like all teams, the Storm have a set routine on game days, starting with wearing their home or away jerseys to school, then continuing by watching the first half of the fresh-soph game, then culminating with a short run-through of plays and formations before heading down to the field as a team. a couple fresh/soph kids come up and join us,” BV head coach Joe Schmitt said. “We give them a talk, go back out, run through a tunnel, and it’s game on.”

The orange trim on Milledgeville’s ing white threads. The team doesn’t home and road jerseys is the same, do anything out of the ordinary before the game. but the Missiles host teams at Floyd Daub Field in the primary color of black instead of the travelBEFORE continued on 464

ROAD TO STATE | STEP 5: GAME DAY ROUTINE

47

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018 Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Milledgeville’s Carson Boyer (left) looks to break a tackle during last year’s game against Orangeville. The Missiles’ game-day routine is just like most other teams, but the way they go to the field from the locker room is a relatively recent tradition the program has started: The players lock arms, walk through a tunnel made up of their fans, then sprint onto the field for warm-ups.

Buzz builds throughout the day before it’s game on BEFORE

through the doors,” Milledgeville head coach Jason Wroble said. “I took that down for motivation, t and hopefully this year’s group can The entrance to the field is some- bring that back.” thing that has changed in recent Polo wears navy blue jerseys for years at Milledgeville. The team home games and traditional white locks arms coming out of the lock- threads on the road. After the final er room, walks through a fan-made bell of the school day, players run tunnel, and races onto the field for through a meticulous itinerary pregame warm-ups. starting at 5 p.m. if the Marcos do “In the locker room, there used not have to travel. to be a board that said something Varsity athletes will watch the first to the effect of champions walking half of the fresh/soph game before CONTINUED FROM 46

heading into the locker room. Players have time to themselves in the school’s weight room before coaches enter, prepared with a set game plan, any necessary adjustments and a variety of motivational speeches.

The team then exits the locker room with locked arms in sets of two. Captains and coaches lead the way to the field, and not a word is said while the buzz grows in the stands.

“With Polo football, the thing that sends chills down my back is when

we walk from the back of the school and you hear the spikes clacking on the pavement,” head coach Jeff Bumsted said. “When you get to the track and turn them loose, that’s what gets your blood flowing.”

The physical work of preparing for a game occurs when the opening whistle blows for Monday practice, and lasts until the final whistle during Thursday’s practice.

From then on, it’s about fueling the body and preparing the mind for the Friday night lights.

West Carroll

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

48

Team Notebook

Head Coach

Matt Leitzen • 4th season at W. Carroll • 16-14 (.533) • 2 playoff appearances

2017

• 7-4 overall • 5-3 NUIC Northwest (4th place)

2017 Results Le-Win 34, Thunder 20 Thunder 44, Pec-Durand 0 Thunder 28, Amboy 6 Thunder 14, Stockton 0 Thunder 46, Galena 0 Dakota 10, Thunder 8 Thunder 26, EPC 7 Forreston 44, Thunder 6 Thunder 43, E. Dubuque 6 2A playoffs Thunder 40, Fieldcrest 0 GCMS 24, Thunder 6

2017 By Numbers

Points scored: 281 Points scored avg.: 25.5 Points allowed: 131 Points allowed avg.: 11.9 Playoff teams faced: 7 At home: 3-2 On road: 4-2

Conference: NUIC Northwest Enrollment: 340 Projected class: 2A

Roster

Kody Scheider chats about the Thunder

Returning starters in bold 1 Chance Williams 2 Dominic Neis 3 Herman Lee 4 Derek Tracy 7 Kelden McCombie 8 Zach King 13 Colton Ballard 14 Michael Popkin 21 Aiden Sullivan 23 Grant Mangler 25 Jackson Miller 26 Timothy Fosdick 27 Kody Sipe 31 Cash Lower 33 Devin Davis 38 Camren Simpson 40 Miguel Watkins 42 Carson Rice 51 Gabe Guerra 52 Alec Tipton 54 Keelin Sisler 55 Jorge Rodriguez 59 Angel Esquivel 60 Daltin Coyer 64 Brad Tuftee 66 Haiden Bates 70 Kody Scheider 71 Chris Bork 72 Brady Handel 77 John McCombie 78 Alex Mull 82 Ashton Miller

Best road trip memory: Week 1 of the playoffs, we stopped down in Mendota.

When we got off that bus, there was just that feeling; everyone was tuned in and focused in. It broke through a level on how focused a team can be.

Pregame bus routine: Music really helps us. We find the wildest we can find.

Look forward to playing: Any opponent that wants to face us, we can’t wait to face them.

14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Thunder Win Report

• 3-6

••• 6-5

1-8

5-5

5-5

•

••• 4-5

3-6

3-6

••• 2-7

3-6

3-6

1-8

•

•• 5-5

•

Rushing

Att. Yds TD Kaleb Hartman 149 842 10 Kaleb Plattenberger 86 419 8 Kody Plattenberger 63 275 4 Cory Simpson 32 142 1 Chance Williams 17 63 0 Passing

C-A-I Yds TD Kody Plattenberger 85-165-10 1,345 15

Receiving

Rec. Yds TD Kaleb Plattenberger 28 491 4 Jacob Dunk 27 392 6 Kaleb Hartman 13 138 1 Cory Simpson 7 122 2 Chance Williams 6 45 0 Michael Popkin 3 72 1 Matt Eacker 1 78 1

175 115 135 180 175 170 145 175 160 185 145 170 185 145 175 180 125 160 150 240 180 170 190 190 225 190 195 250 250 200 300 175

Sr. Sr. So. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. So. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. So. So. Jr. So. So.

RB/DB WR/DB WR/DB QB/DB TE/DE RB/LB WR/DB WR/DE RB/DB TE/DE WR/DB RB/DB RB/DL RB/DL RB/LB RB/LB RB/DB WR/DB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL TE/DE

Did You Know?

7-4

• The 40 points scored against Fieldcrest in last year’s 2A playoffs is a school record for most points scored in a playoff game.

4-5

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

2017 Stat Leaders

5-11 5-6 5-10 6-2 6-0 5-10 5-11 6-1 5-10 6-1 5-8 5-7 5-6 5-8 5-9 5-9 5-1 5-6 5-10 6-2 5-10 5-6 5-4 6-1 5-10 5-6 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-0 5-11 6-0

Schedule

Game time Fri., Aug. 24, 7:30 Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 7, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 14, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 21, 7:30 Fri., Sept. 28, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 5, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 12, 7:30 Fri., Oct. 19, 7:30

Opponent 2017 Lena-Winslow* 14-0 at Durand-Pec.* 1-8 Amboy* 3-6 Stockton 8-3 at Galena* 0-9 Dakota* 7-3 Eastland-Pearl City* 5-5 at Forreston* 11-2 at East Dubuque* 2-7

* NUIC Northwest game Homecoming: Week 4 Radio: 100.3 FM (Wks. 2, 4, 6, 7)

Look for our weekly football pull out section every Saturday! publishers of

daily Gazette, Telegraph & Sauk Valley Weekend

Record Forecast

49

AFC

BV

Dixon

EPC

E-P

Fulton

M’ville

Cody Cutter

3-6

4-5

5-4

7-2

8-1

4-5

5-4

6-3

6-3

Adam Feiner

3-6

2-7

6-3

6-3

8-1

3-6

3-6

8-1

Eric Ingles

2-7

3-6

7-2

7-2

8-1

3-6

5-4

Ty 4-5 Reynolds

4-5

6-3

8-1

7-2

3-6

Brian 3-6 Weidman

3-6

6-3

7-2

6-3

1-8

FRIDAY

Morrison Newman

Oregon

Polo

RF

Sterling

WC

9-0

3-6

3-6

5-4

8-1

4-5

5-4

8-1

2-7

5-4

4-5

8-1

4-5

6-3

5-4

8-1

1-8

4-5

3-6

8-1

4-5

5-4

8-1

3-6

9-0

2-7

6-3

3-6

9-0

3-6

5-4

7-2

6-3

8-1

3-6

3-6

1-8

8-1

4-5

NIGHT

LIGHTS

LIVE RADIO On air and streaming DIXON

www.am1460wixn.com 8/24 HOME: Stillman Valley

AMBOY

OREGON

www.koolfm957.com

www.rivercountry1017.com

8/24 AWAY: Lutheran High School

8/24 AWAY: Milledgeville High School

PlayByPlay: Sam Ramirez (19th season) Color: Mark Herman (19th season)

PlayByPlay: Steve Marco (22nd season) Color: Paul Smith (5th season)

Youth Football & Cheer Night

PlayByPlay: John Kutz (7th season) Color: Chad Weigle (1st season)

All New on demand

red zone plays 30 MINUTES AFTER THE GAME ON LINE. SM-ST1567095

• August 23, 2018

Amboy

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

SVM’s sports staff picks how all 15 local teams will finish the regular season

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

50

Illinois state champions 1974-2017

Class 1A 1974 – Flanagan (12-0) 1975 – Triopia (13-0) 1976 – Hampshire (13-0) 1977 – Genoa-Kingston (13-0) 1978 – Arcola (11-1) 1979 – Hampshire (13-0) 1980 – Atwood (14-0) 1981 – Aquin (13-0) 1982 – Ziegler-Royalton (12-0) 1983 – Yorkwood (13-0) 1984 – Routt (13-0) 1985 – Arcola (14-0) 1986 – Aquin (12-2) 1987 – Bloomington C.C. (12-2) 1988 – Arcola (13-1) 1989 – Orangeville (12-2) 1990 – Newman (12-2) 1991 – Stockton (14-0) 1992 – Calhoun (14-0) 1993 – Calhoun (13-1) 1994 – Newman (14-0) 1995 – Carthage (14-0) 1996 – Chenoa (12-2) 1997 – Galena (14-0) 1998 – Carthage (14-0) 1999 – Carthage (14-0) 2000 – Carthage (14-0) 2001 – Wethersfield (13-1) 2002 – South Beloit (13-1) 2003 – Galena (11-3) 2004 – Alexis United (13-1) 2005 – Aquin (13-1) 2006 – Tuscola (14-0) 2007 – Galena (14-0) 2008 – Triopia (14-0) 2009 – Tuscola (11-3) 2010 – Lena-Winslow (13-1) 2011 – Dakota (12-2) 2012 – Maroa-Forsyth (13-1) 2013 – Lena-Winslow (11-3) 2014 – Forreston (13-1) 2015 – Arcola (14-0) 2016 – Forreston (14-0) 2017 – Lena-Winslow (14-0)

Class 2A 1974 – St. Teresa (13-0) 1975 – St. Teresa (13-0) 1976 – Fulton (13-0) 1977 – Mahomet-Seymour (12-1) 1978 – Stockton (12-1) 1979 – St. Teresa (12-1) 1980 – Schlarman (13-0) 1981 – Schlarman (12-1) 1982 – Bloomington C.C. (12-1) 1983 – Woodstock Marian (13-0) 1984 – Amboy (13-0) 1985 – Casey-Westfield (14-0) 1986 – Woodstock Marian (12-2) 1987 – Woodstock Marian (13-1) 1988 – Carlyle (14-0) 1989 – Woodstock Marian (14-0) 1990 – Seneca (14-0) 1991 – Fulton (14-0) 1992 – Richmond-Burton (11-3) 1993 – Coal City (14-0) 1994 – Rockridge (12-2) 1995 – Hampshire (12-2) 1996 – LeRoy (14-0) 1997 – Central A&M (14-0) 1998 – Aledo (12-2) 1999 – Stillman Valley (12-2) 2000 – Stillman Valley (14-0) 2001 – Aledo (13-1) 2002 – Aledo (14-0) 2003 – Iroquois West (13-1) 2004 – Newman (13-1) 2005 – Dakota (14-0) 2006 – Maroa-Forsyth (14-0) 2007 – Dakota (14-0) 2008 – Immaculate Conception (10-4) 2009 – Morrison (14-0) 2010 – Newman (14-0) 2011 – Morrison (13-1) 2012 – Mercer County (14-0) 2013 – Newman (13-1) 2014 – Eastland-Pearl City (14-0) 2015 – Tri-Valley (14-0) 2016 – Deer Creek-Mackinaw (13-1) 2017 – Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (14-0)

Class 3A 1974 – West Chicago (13-0) 1975 – Metamora (13-0) 1976 – Geneseo (13-0) 1977 – Geneseo (12-1) 1978 – Geneseo (13-0) 1979 – Mascoutah (13-0) 1980 – Morris (12-1) 1981 – Mount Carmel (13-0) 1982 – Bishop McNamara (12-0) 1983 – Monmouth (12-1) 1984 – Anna-Jonesboro (12-1) 1985 – Bishop McNamara (14-0) 1986 – Bishop McNamara (11-3) 1987 – Bishop McNamara (12-2) 1988 – DuQuoin (14-0) 1989 – Althoff (13-1) 1990 – Althoff (13-0) 1991 – Driscoll (14-0) 1992 – DuQuoin (14-0) 1993 – Pontiac (13-1) 1994 – Bloomington C.C. (13-1) 1995 – Hall (13-1) 1996 – Carterville (14-0) 1997 – Kaneland (14-0) 1998 – Kaneland (14-0) 1999 – Byron (14-0) 2000 – Harrisburg (14-0) 2001 – Hall (13-1) 2002 – Immaculate Conception (13-1) 2003 – Stillman Valley (13-1) 2004 – Driscoll (12-2) 2005 – Bureau Valley (14-0) 2006 – Plano (14-0) 2007 – Plano (13-1) 2008 – Illini West (14-0) 2009 – Stillman Valley (14-0) 2010 – Illini West (14-0) 2011 – Aurora Christian (13-1) 2012 – Aurora Christian (13-1) 2013 – Stillman Valley (12-2) 2014 – Wilmington (14-0) 2015 – Bishop McNamara (13-1) 2016 – IC Catholic (14-0) 2017 – IC Catholic (13-1)

Class 7A 2001 – Prospect (14-0) 2002 – Prospect (12-2) 2003 – Oswego (13-1) 2004 – Libertyville (14-0) 2005 – Prospect (13-1) 2006 – St. Rita (13-1) 2007 – Lake Zurich (13-1) 2008 – East St. Louis (13-1) 2009 – Wheaton Warrenville South (13-1) 2010 – Wheaton Warrenville South (14-0) 2011 – Boylan (14-0) 2012 – Glenbard West (14-0) 2013 – Chi. Mt. Carmel (13-1) 2014 – Providence (13-1) 2015 – Glenbard West (14-0) 2016 – East St. Louis (14-0) 2017 – Batavia (13-1)

Class 8A 2001 – Downers Grove South (12-2) 2002 – Lockport (13-1) 2003 – Lockport (12-2) 2004 – Downers Grove North (12-2) 2005 – Lincoln-Way East (14-0) 2006 – Wheaton Warrenville South (14-0) 2007 – Naperville North (13-1) 2008 – Maine South (14-0) 2009 – Maine South (14-0) 2010 – Maine South (12-2) 2011 – Bolingbrook (13-1) 2012 – Chicago Mt. Carmel (13-1) 2013 – Naperville Central (11-3) 2014 – Stevenson (14-0) 2015 – Loyola Academy (14-0) 2016 – Maine South (11-3) 2017 – Lincoln-Way East (14-0)

Most championships 1. Joliet Catholic 13 2007 2. Chicago Mt. Carmel 12 2013 3. Providence 10 2014 4. Driscoll 8 2007 4. East St. Louis 8 2016 5. Wheaton Warrenville South

7 2010 5. Rochester 7 2017 7. Carthage/Illini West 6 2010 7. Montini 6 2015 7. Maine South 6 2016 10. Newman 5 2013 10. Stillman Valley 5 2013 10. Sacred Heart-Griffin 5 2014 10. Bishop McNamara 5 2015 14. Arcola 4 2015 14. Bloom. Cent. Cath. 4 2008 14. Geneseo 4 1982 14. IC Catholic 4 2017 14. Woodstock Marian 4 1989

2017 BNC

2017 TRAC Rock

2017 NIB-12 W.

Conf. All Sterling 4-0 12-1 Rochelle 3-1 8-4 Geneseo 2-2 5-5 LaSalle-Peru 1-3 4-5 Ottawa 0-4 1-8

Conf. All Byron 8-0 12-1 Dixon 7-1 10-2 Genoa-Kingston 6-2 8-3 North Boone 6-2 7-3 Winnebago 5-3 6-4 Rkfd. Christian 4-4 5-5 Stillman Valley 4-4 4-5 Rock Falls 2-6 3-6 Mendota 1-7 1-8 Rkfd. Lutheran 1-7 1-8 Oregon 0-8 1-8

Newman Rockridge Orion Fulton Morrison Bureau Valley Riverdale

Conf. All 6-0 12-1 5-1 8-2 4-2 9-3 3-3 7-4 1-5 4-5 1-5 4-5 1-5 3-6

Class 4A 1974 – Rockford East (13-0) 1975 – Joliet Catholic (13-0) 1976 – Joliet Catholic (12-1) 1977 – Joliet Catholic (13-0) 1978 – Joliet Catholic (13-0) 1979 – Wheaton North (12-1) 1980 – Althoff (12-1) 1981 – Wheaton North (13-0) 1982 – Geneseo (12-1) 1983 – Woodstock (11-2) 1984 – Morris (13-0) 1985 – Washington (13-1) 1986 – Tinley Park (12-2) 1987 – Providence (13-1) 1988 – Richards (14-0) 1989 – Richards (14-0) 1990 – Joliet Catholic (14-0) 1991 – Providence (14-0) 1992 – Oswego (13-1) 1993 – Chicago Heights Marian (14-0) 1994 – Belvidere (12-2) 1995 – Providence (14-0) 1996 – Providence (14-0) 1997 – Providence (13-1) 1998 – Glenwood (14-0) 1999 – Joliet Catholic (14-0) 2000 – Joliet Catholic (14-0) 2001 – Driscoll (12-2) 2002 – Driscoll (13-1) 2003 – Driscoll (14-0) 2004 – Montini (13-1) 2005 – Driscoll (14-0) 2006 – Driscoll (13-1) 2007 – Driscoll (14-0) 2008 – Bloomington C.C. (14-0) 2009 – Metamora (13-1) 2010 – Rochester (14-0) 2011 – Rochester (12-2) 2012 – Rochester (13-1) 2013 – Rochester (13-1) 2014 – Rochester (12-2) 2015 – Chicago Phillips (14-0) 2016 – Rochester (13-1) 2017 – Rochester (14-0)

Class 5A 1974 – Glenbrook North (12-0) 1975 – Deerfield (13-0) 1976 – St. Laurence (13-0) 1977 – East Leyden (13-0) 1978 – St. Rita (13-0) 1979 – East St. Louis (12-0) 1980 – Chicago Mt. Carmel (13-1) 1981 – Joliet Catholic (13-0) 1982 – Guilford (13-0) 1983 – Glenbard West (13-0) 1984 – Richwoods (13-0) 1985 – Rockford East (11-3) 1986 – Wheaton North (13-1) 1987 – Joliet Catholic (12-2) 1988 – Richwoods (14-0) 1989 – Chicago Mt. Carmel (13-1) 1990 – Chicago Mt. Carmel (14-0) 1991 – Chicago Mt. Carmel (12-2) 1992 – Wheaton Warrenville South (14-0) 1993 – Belvidere (14-0) 1994 – Providence (14-0) 1995 – Maine South (12-2) 1996 – Chicago Mt. Carmel (14-0) 1997 – Woodstock (14-0) 1998 – Chicago Mt. Carmel (14-0) 1999 – Chicago Mt. Carmel (13-1) 2000 – Chicago Mt. Carmel (13-1) 2001 – Joliet Catholic (13-1) 2002 – Providence (14-0) 2003 – Joliet Catholic (13-1) 2004 – Joliet Catholic (14-0) 2005 – Sacred Heart-Griffin (14-0) 2006 – Sacred Heart-Griffin (14-0) 2007 – Metamora (14-0) 2008 – St. Francis (13-1) 2009 – Montini (10-4) 2010 – Montini (12-2) 2011 – Montini (12-2) 2012 – Montini (12-2) 2013 – Sacred Heart-Griffin (14-0) 2014 – Sacred Heart-Griffin (14-0) 2015 – Nazareth Academy (12-2) 2016 – Peoria Central (13-1) 2017 – Chicago Phillips (14-0)

Class 6A 1980 – Gordon Tech (12-1) 1981 – Brother Rice (11-2) 1982 – Reavis (12-1) 1983 – East St. Louis (13-0) 1984 – East St. Louis (13-0) 1985 – East St. Louis (14-0) 1986 – Buffalo Grove (14-0) 1987 – Hersey (12-2) 1988 – Chicago Mt. Carmel (14-0) 1989 – East St. Louis (14-0) 1990 – Thornton (12-2) 1991 – East St. Louis (13-1) 1992 – Naperville North (12-2) 1993 – Loyola (12-2) 1994 – Homewood-Flossmoor (13-1) 1995 – Wheaton Warrenville South (12-2) 1996 – Wheaton Warrenville South (13-1) 1997 – Lincoln-Way (14-0) 1998 – Wheaton Warrenville South (14-0) 1999 – Naperville Central (14-0) 2000 – Maine South (13-1) 2001 – Providence (14-0) 2002 – Chicago Mt. Carmel (13-1) 2003 – Mundelein Carmel (14-0) 2004 – Providence (13-1) 2005 – Morris (14-0) 2006 – Normal (14-0) 2007 – Joliet Catholic (13-1) 2008 – Sacred Heart-Griffin (13-1) 2009 – Cary-Grove (14-0) 2010 – Boylan (14-0) 2011 – Prairie Ridge (13-1) 2012 – Crete-Monee (14-0) 2013 – Batavia (13-1) 2014 – Nazareth (14-0) 2015 – Montini (14-0) 2016 – Prairie Ridge (14-0) 2017 – Prairie Ridge (14-0)

Top 40 team records in Illinois history School Years W-L-T 1. East St. Louis 1925-2017 771-201-36 2. Chicago Mount Carmel 1924-2017 743-244-31 3. Tuscola 1895-2017 716-329-43 4. Arcola 1894-2017 709-340-39 5. Wheaton Warrenville South 1912-2017 685-285-28 6. Chicago/Wilmette Loyola 1909-2017 691-356-42 7. Champaign Central 1894-2017 678-362-41 8. Carthage/Illini West 1895-2017 677-320-54 9. Geneseo 1915-2017 667-300-19 10. Rock Island 1890-2017 663-412-46 11. Oak Park-River Forest 1891-2017 658-394-38 12. Joliet Catholic/DeLaSalle 1920-2017 656-310-23 13. Peoria Central 1890-2017 643-436-60 14. Normal Community 1897-2017 642-352-35 15. Chicago Lane Tech 1908-2017 640-312-30 16. Bloomington 1892-2017 635-427-51 (tie) Moline 1890-2017 635-414-44 (tie) Naperville Central 1910-2017 635-323-19 19. Evanston 1889-2017 634-327-36 20. Morris 1900-2017 630-367-31 21. Mt. Carmel 1920-2017 624-294-31

2017 TRAC Miss.

Conf. All Hall 6-0 6-4 Kewanee 5-1 6-4 Princeton 3-3 3-6 Mon.-Roseville 3-3 3-6 St. Bede 3-3 3-6 Erie-P’town 1-5 1-8 Sherrard 0-6 0-9

(tie) Carlinville 1913-2017 624-320-42 23. Chicago St. Rita 1908-2017 622-317-35 24. Auburn 1909-2017 611-336-26 25. Sacred Heart-Griffin 1930-2017 609-248-23 (tie) Sterling 1899-2017 609-360-44 27. Belleville Althoff/Cathedral 1930-2017 600-376-47 28. Greenfield-Northwestern 1899-2017 599-418-40 29. Casey-Westfield 1921-2017 598-315-21 (tie) Danville 1904-2017 598-454-41 31. Stockton 1919-2017 592-282-34 32. DuQuoin 1928-2017 588-307-29 33. Aledo/Mercer County 1910-2017 576-319-26 34. Newman 1925-2017 574-300-31 35. Pontiac 1895-2017 567-390-45 36. Monticello 1914-2017 566-356-33 37. Harrisburg 1902-2017 565-412-28 (tie) Rkfd. Boylan/St. Thomas 1911-2017 565-319-25 39. New Trier 1915-2017 563-299-19 40. Taylorville 1907-2017 561-390-44 Credit: Tom Sikorski (historian) & Kev Varney (site author) Illinois High School Glory Days (illinoishsglorydays.com)

2017 NUIC Upst.

Stockton Aquin Milledgeville Polo Orangeville AFC River Ridge Warren

Conf. All 7-0 8-3 6-1 9-3 5-2 8-3 4-3 5-4 3-4 5-5 2-5 3-6 1-6 2-7 0-7 1-7

2017 NUIC NW

Conf. All Lena-Winslow 8-0 14-0 Forreston 7-1 11-2 Dakota 6-2 7-3 West Carroll 5-3 7-4 EPC 4-4 5-5 Amboy 3-5 3-6 East Dubuque 2-6 2-7 Durand-Pecatonica 1-7 1-8 Galena 0-8 0-9

Wall of Fame

51

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

SVM Players & Coaches of the Year 2017 Co-Players of the Year: Arthur Cox (Dixon sr. RB) & Nyrel Sullivan (Sterling sr. RB) Coach: Mike Papoccia, Newman

2016

• August 23, 2018

Player of the Year: Arthur Cox, Dixon jr. RB Coach: Jon Schlemmer, Sterling

2015 Player: Sterling Thornton, Sterling sr. QB Coach: Andrew Hofer, Polo

2014 Player: Brady Rude, Newman jr. RB/LB Coach: Randy Asche, EPC

2013 Player: Nick Williams, Erie-Prophetstown sr. FB Coach: Mike Papoccia, Newman

2012 Player: Brian Bahrs, Newman sr. FB/LB Coach: Chuck Milem, Erie-P’town

2011 Player: Alejandro Rivera, Sterling sr. RB/LB Coach: Cory Bielema, Morrison

SM-ST1567711

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

52

Games of the week Here are the week-by-week destination games in the Sauk Valley

Week 1 Amboy at Milledgeville

Week 2 Rock Falls at Dixon

Week 3 Alleman at Sterling

Week 4 Morrison at Newman

When: 7 p.m. Aug. 24 Where: Floyd Daub Field Radio: 101.7 FM Streak: Milledgeville 1 Last meeting: 2017 Week 1, Milledgeville 14, Amboy 6 Breakdown: An intriguing NUIC crossover game to open the season could provide a good look at how these squads might fare this season. The Clippers are looking to get on track in their third year in the NUIC Northwest after back-toback 3-6 seasons, while the Missiles bring back several key players and should contend for an NUIC Upstate championship.

When: 7:15 p.m. Aug. 31 Where: A.C. Bowers Field Radio: 1460 AM Streak: Dixon 4 Last meeting: 2017 Week 8, Dixon 48, Rock Falls 6 Breakdown: After playing each other toward the end of the season the last 2 years, the Dukes host the Rockets early on in 2018.

Dixon is looking to stretch its school-record streak of consecutive playoff appearances to 5 with some new faces in key spots, while Rock Falls is adjusting quickly to a new coach and his slightly different system.

When: 7:15 p.m. Sept. 7 Where: Roscoe Eades Stadium Radio: 105.5 FM Streak: Sterling 3 Last meeting: 2017 Week 3, Sterling 56, Alleman 7 Breakdown: The Golden Warriors have plenty of new players filling in the starting lineup, and they’ll be eager to show the home fans what they’ve got in their opener at Roscoe Eades Stadium. It comes against an always-scrappy Pioneer team that will be a Western Big 6 foe after this year, a group likely hungry to play well after blowout losses the last 2 years.

When: 7 p.m. Sept. 15 Where: Roscoe Eades Stadium Radio: 102.7 FM Streak: Newman 6 Last meeting: 2017 Week 4, Newman 54, Morrison 0 Breakdown: This annual rivalry showdown has an added element this season: new Morrison coach Ryan Oetting was an assistant at Newman from 2003-13, so he knows exactly what this matchup is all about – on both sidelines. The Comets are still among the best in the state, while the Mustangs are eyeing a return trip to the playoffs after a 5-year drought.

GOOD HEALTH Starts With

GOOD DOCTORS KSB Welcomes omes Back

BRANDON GUMBINER, DPM Podiatric ic Surgeon

To schedule an appointment call the KSB Foot & Ankle Center at (815) 285-5801

ksbhospital.com

Games of the week

53

Week 6 Newman at BV

Week 7 EPC at W. Carroll

Week 8 Newman at Fulton

Week 9 Dixon at Byron

When: 7:15 p.m. Sept. 22 Where: Bob Reade Field Radio: 105.5 FM Streak: Sterling 3 Last meeting: 2017 Week 5, Sterling 45, Geneseo 8 Breakdown: The Warriors have had their way recently in this longtime rivalry, which will continue into a new conference next year when both teams move to the Western Big 6. It will likely set the tone for the final NIB-12 West season, as it’s Sterling’s league opener & the Leafs’ second conference game of 2018.

When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28 Where: Manlius Radio: 102.7 FM, 98.1 FM Streak: Newman 6 Last meeting: 2017 Week 6, Newman 55, BV 6 Breakdown: The Storm are still smarting from their near-miss of the playoffs last season, and would like nothing more than to make a statement against the powerhouse Comets.

No doubt Manlius will be abuzz, not only because it’s Newman, but also because it’s BV’s lone home game between Weeks 5-8.

When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5 Where: Bob Massey Field, Savanna Radio: 100.3 FM Streak: West Carroll 1 Last meeting: 2017 Week 7, West Carroll 26, EPC 7 Breakdown: This game has been a good barometer for the Thunder’s playoffs chances: The last 3 times they’ve beaten EPC, they’ve played in the postseason. The Wildcatz will be hungry to get back in the win column, as they’ve lost 2 of their last 3 against WC after an 8-game win streak.

When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12 Where: Fulton H.S. Radio: 102.7 FM, 1390 AM Streak: Newman 11 Last meeting: 2017 Week 8, Newman 34, Fulton 6 Breakdown: The Steamers have to be extra-hungry against the rival Comets, not having won a game in the series since Week 9 of 2007 – which Newman promptly bounced back from with a first-round playoff win the next week. Fulton is one of those rare teams that loves to go toe-to-toe with the Comets’ physical style.

When: 7 p.m. Oct. 19 Where: Everett Stine Field Radio: 1460 AM Streak: Byron 1 Last meeting: 2015 Week 9, Byron 43, Dixon 14 Breakdown: A battle of two of the top teams in the Big Northern the last few years, and it will be their first showdown in 3 years.

Byron won the league title last year at 9-0, and Dixon came up a few minutes short of sharing that crown due to a late North Boone comeback in Week 9 last season.

Hike up to a higher interest rate every 3 months

Good Luck Amboy Clippers!

Your 1st and 2nd Chance Dealer!

Check out our website @

www.saukvalleymotors.com 1397 N N. Galena Ave Ave., Dixon

288-5626

708 First Avenue, Rock Falls

622-6655 Hours Mon - Fri 10-6 • Sat 9-3

1.88

Interest Rate

1.98

2.08

2.18

Interest Rate

Interest Rate

Interest Rate

12 month CD Blended APY 2.05% Open online or stop in today! saukvalleybank.com

This offer is valid 08/01/18 - 09/28/18. APY (Annual Percentage Yield) assumes principal and interest remain on deposit for the term of the certificate. Unless you elect to withdraw the accrued interest, interest will compound and credit every month for twelve (12) months. Penalty will be imposed for early withdraw. Fees could reduce earnings. Minimum balance of $2,500 is required to open and obtain the APY. The CD is automatically renewed into a 12 month standard CD. The interest rate increases every 3 months; 1-3: 1.88%, 4-6 months: 1.98%, 7-9 months: 2.08%, 10-12 months: 2.18% with a blended APY of 2.05%.

SM-ST1562799

• August 23, 2018

Week 5 Sterling at Geneseo

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

Here are the week-by-week destination games in the Sauk Valley

By the numbers: 2017 final leaders (returning players in bold)

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

54

RUSHING YARDS

Arthur Cox, Dixon Nyrel Sullivan, Sterling Austin Schroeder, Fulton Easton Bianchi, Newman Cade Gorzny, Newman Jayden Kempel, EPC Carson Boyer, Milledgeville Adam Hart, AFC Kaleb Hartman, WC Ben Rhine, Amboy Luke Olson, Newman Jarod Kempel, EPC Austin Rash, Fulton Reid Taylor, Polo Trey Morse, Sterling Dalton Hermes, Oregon Nate Rahn, Milledgeville Aaron Deter, Morrison Grant Slater, Morrison Kaleb Plattenberger, WC

RUSHING YARDS

Attempts Yards TDs 215 2,115 39 228 1,710 33 172 1,386 17 128 1,256 20 195 1,106 11 131 923 8 99 889 11 170 859 5 149 842 10 192 829 9 105 801 13 97 759 9 138 741 9 121 718 10 116 672 4 142 641 ?

105 615 13 152 594 11 61 436 5 86 419 8

Xzaviar Epps, Rock Falls Brayden Heeren, EPC Bryce Grant, Fulton Chase Prehn, Oregon Negil Bruce, Sterling Jacob Hartje, Milledgeville Eric Schoff, BV Jack Munz, Milledgeville Braiden Soltow, Polo Kody Plattenberger, WC Brady Webb, Polo Tristan Demay, Morrison Landen Vesley, Newman Cayde Gusloff, Milledgeville Payton Moore, BV Savian Hernandez, Oregon Caleb McBride, AFC Jake Schaver, Amboy Noah Wilcox, Dixon Cody Penick, AFC

PASSING YARDS

Attempts Yards 78 415 58 376 41 370 79 358 50 352 95 331 55 292 46 296 83 279 63 275 54 271 57 270 40 256 45 233 68 220 51 217 32 217 50 209 40 226 76 180

TDs 2 4 4 ?

5 3 2 6 4 4 2 2 5 0 4 ?

2 0 7 3

Noah Wilcox, Dixon Tyler Gustafson, BV Kody Plattenberger, WC Trey Morse, Sterling Bryce Grant, Fulton Braden Smargiassi, EPC Cade Nailor, Rock Falls Reilly Dolan, Morrison Braiden Soltow, Polo Zac McKinzie, Rock Falls Landen Vesley, Newman Justin Hart, Amboy Jack Munz, Milledgeville Caleb Drew, AFC Cody Penick, AFC Jacob Schafer, Dixon Calvin Sullivan, Oregon Arthur Cox, Dixon Max Lemke, Fulton Camden Bailey, Sterling Brycen Bartel, Newman

RECEPTIONS

C-A-I 200-280-3 152-241-10 85-165-10 84-141-5 67-115-6 59-123-8 57-96-5 32-70-5 40-69-5 34-75-2 28-58-1 40-116-6 19-40-3 10-27-1 17-40-3 12-17-0 32-?-?

3-5-0 4-10-1 4-6-0 2-6-0

Yards TDs 2,550 29 2,027 20 1,345 15 1,307 14 905 11 873 8 846 7 613 3 608 7 534 4 566 8 482 2 286 4 199 2 185 3 160 2 158 ?

75 1 54 1 35 1 29 0

Jared Harrison, Dixon Kale Barnett, BV Oscar Van Sickle, Dixon Tyler Christiansen, Dixon Nate Paup, BV Arthur Cox, Dixon Kaleb Plattenberger, WC Payton Moore, BV Jacob Dunk, WC Nolan Sullivan, Sterling Tyler Bruggenwirth, Fulton Austin Schroeder, Fulton Alek Duran, Sterling Lucas Peterson, EPC Dylan Leaf, Rock Falls Brady Webb, Polo Keyon Wolber, Rock Falls Michael Austin, Rock Falls Weston Sisson, Sterling Scott Spears, Rock Falls

Catches Yards TDs 67 935 15 53 961 10 49 660 7 39 359 2 32 422 2 29 320 2 28 491 4 28 231 1 27 392 6 26 388 7 25 433 6 24 242 3 23 444 5 22 455 2 21 339 3 18 349 3 18 290 4 17 278 2 14 173 2 14 153 0

Sauk Valley single-season stat leaders | 2005-2017 (new additions from last season in bold) Passing (Minimum 1,000 yards)

Rushing Year 2017 2009 2013 2016 2006 2008 2013 2006 2017 2015 2008 2006 2014 2010 2009 2014 2009 2009 2006 2010 2017 2005 2015

Player Arthur Cox Josh Vos Nick Williams Arthur Cox Daniel Saunders Cody Richardson Jake Snow Nick Vandermyde Nyrel Sullivan Brady Rude Matt Scholl Garrett Barnas Dylan Binion Joe Blessman Alex Maurer Brady Rude Michael Weidner Cody Richardson Mike Ridgway Tim Wilson Austin Schroeder Chaz Josephsen Will Konneck

School Dixon Morrison Erie-P’town Dixon Amboy Amboy Newman Morrison Sterling Newman Polo Bureau Valley Erie-P’town Newman EPC Newman Bureau Valley Amboy Dixon Newman Fulton AFC Bureau Valley

Att. 215 262 262 283 289 252 185 215 228 221 250 148 194 189 219 138 186 238 216 193 172 114 147

Yds. 2,115 2,115 2,097 2,063 1,994 1,905 1,756 1,715 1,710 1,689 1,647 1,644 1,631 1,561 1,552 1,548 1,519 1,436 1,423 1,396 1,386 1,380 1,369

TD 39 31 24 24 23 22 30 22 33 23 20 20 23 21 17 24 20 14 12 23 17 X 14

Year 2017 2012 2016 2013 2017 2016 2014 2014 2010 2016 2010 2008 2011 2005 2015 2009 2014 2006 2010 2006 2013 2015 2014

Player Noah Wilcox Jacob Mammosser Logan Pillars Jacob Mammosser Tyler Gustafson Noah Wilcox Drake Davis JD Gieson Justin Pitzer Drake Davis Danny Dennehey Carson Walker Danny Dennehey Garrett Barnas Nathan Gascoigne Tyler Renkes Deven Heeren Jared Shellhause Dylan Koeppen Garrett Barnas JD Gieson Drake Davis Brody Grobe

School Dixon Rock Falls Rock Falls Rock Falls Bureau Valley Dixon Bureau Valley Dixon AFC Bureau Valley Morrison EPC Morrison Bureau Valley Dixon Fulton EPC EPC Rock Falls Bureau Valley Dixon Bureau Valley Polo

C-A-I 200-280-3 180-268-8 160-270-4 227-385-9 152-241-10 177-280-4 94-162-10 131-247-12 127-286-23 110-188-7 91-186-4 115-208-131 96-168-7 75-125-11 142-239-9 140-251-13 99-163-10 108-205-10 114-209-10 67-127-6 113-231-13 76-140-6 71-126-8

Receptions Yds. TD 2,550 29 2,485 23 2,316 21 2,226 21 2,027 20 1,912 21 1,828 21 1,820 24 1,773 18 1,734 17 1,734 21 1,694 21 1,679 14 1,657 15 1,646 16 1,580 13 1,548 17 1,480 12 1,458 15 1,444 15 1,425 8 1,402 16 1,387 19

Year 2013 2014 2017 2015 2012 2017 2014 2016 2012 2013 2012 2014 2012 2007 2017 2014 2007 2016 2005 2008 2007 2016 2016

Player Austin Donoho Connor Cain Jared Harrison Kyle LeBlanc Jordan Harris Kale Barnett Cody Kluck Michael Berentes Alex Leaf Daegan Wharff Steven Armoska Matt Coffey Austin Babcock Randy Whitmore Oscar Van Sickle Kyle LeBlanc Tim Jacobs Bryan Herr Teddy Swan Cole Miller Anthony Wells Roger Carlson Arthur Cox

School Rock Falls Rock Falls Dixon Dixon Milledgeville Bureau Valley EPC Rock Falls Rock Falls Rock Falls Rock Falls Dixon Rock Falls Fulton Dixon Dixon Rock Falls Bureau Valley West Carroll EPC Amboy Rock Falls Dixon

Rec. Yds. TD 87 887 8 69 1,071 7 67 935 15 56 755 10 56 695 4 53 961 10 53 605 12 52 747 6 52 628 6 52 599 6 51 792 10 51 672 10 50 622 3 50 593 7 49 660 7 48 932 11 47 600 2 46 825 9 44 831 X 44 493 4 43 959 16 42 640 8 40 410 6

24 Beers on Tap… Something for Everyone!

Indoor Golf Room • Banquet Room • Video Gaming Watch all the Sterling Games on the Areas Largest Screen!

Open 7 Days a Week (Sun-Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri & Sat 11am-1am)

13464 Galt Road, Sterling | (815) 716.8915 To book your event, contact Serenia Law @ (815) 716.8969 | slaw@keggerstaphouse.com SM-ST1568240

When and where to see or hear your favorite team each week Week 1 Friday, Aug. 24

Saturday, Aug. 25

• Polo at Orangeville, 1 • Kewanee at Newman, 7 (102.7 FM)

Week 4 Friday, Sept. 14

• Eastland-Pearl City at Forreston, 5:30 • Orangeville at AFC, 5:30 • Amboy at Durand-Pecatonica, 7 (101.7 FM) • Aquin at Polo, 7 • Milledgeville at Farmer City Blue Ridge, 7 • North Boone at Dixon, 7 (1460 AM) • Oregon at Byron, 7 (95.7 FM) • Kaneland at Sterling, 7:15 (105.5 FM) • Stillman Valley at Rock Falls, 7:15 • Erie-Prophetstown at St. Bede, 7:30 • Fulton at Rockridge, 7:30 (1390 AM) • Mon.-Rose. at Bureau Valley, 7:30 (98.1 FM) • Stockton at West Carroll, 7:30 (100.3 FM)

Friday, Aug. 31

• AFC at Dakota, 7 • Genoa-Kingston at Oregon, 7 (95.7 FM) • Milledgeville at Polo, 7 • Rock Falls at Dixon, 7:15 (1460 AM) • Bureau Valley at St. Bede, 7:30 (98.1 FM) • Eastland-Pearl City at Amboy, 7:30 (101.7 FM) • Fulton at Monmouth-Roseville, 7:30 (1390 AM) • Hall at Morrison, 7:30 • Newman at Princeton, 7:30 (102.7 FM) • Rockridge at Erie-Prophetstown, 7:30 • Sterling at Pekin, 7:30 (105.5 FM) • West Carroll at Durand-Pecatonica, 7:30 (100.3 FM)

Week 3 Friday, Sept. 7

• AFC at Aquin, 5:30 • Dixon at Oregon, 7 (1460 AM, 95.7 FM) • Durand-Pecatonica at Eastland-Pearl City, 7 • Polo at Edwardsville Metro-East Lutheran, 7 • Alleman at Sterling, 7:15 (105.5 FM) • Byron at Rock Falls, 7:15 • Amboy at West Carroll, 7:30 (101.7 FM) • Bureau Valley at Fulton, 7:30 (98.1 FM, 1390 AM) • Erie-Prophetstown at Monmouth-Roseville, 7:30 • Kewanee at Morrison, 7:30 • Milledgeville at Stockton, 7:30 (100.3 FM)

Saturday, Sept. 8

• Orion at Newman, 7 (102.7 FM)

Week 5 Friday, Sept. 21

• Dixon at Mendota, 7 (1460 AM) • Oregon at Stillman Valley, 7 (95.7 FM) • Polo at Warren, 7 • South Beloit at AFC, 7 • Rock Falls at Winnebago, 7:15 • Sterling at Geneseo, 7:15 (105.5 FM) • Bureau Valley at Riverdale, 7:30 (98.1 FM) • East Dubuque at Amboy, 7:30 (101.7 FM) • Eastland-Pearl City at Le-Win, 7:30 (100.3 FM) • Kewanee at Erie-Prophetstown, 7:30 • Morrison at Fulton, 7:30 (1390 AM) • Newman at Rockridge, 7:30 (102.7 FM) • West Carroll at Galena, 7:30

Week 6 Friday, Sept. 28

Saturday, Sept. 22

• Dixon at Rockford Lutheran, 7 (1460 AM) • Polo at River Ridge, 7 • Warren at Milledgeville, 7 • Ottawa at Sterling, 7:15 (105.5 FM) • Rock Falls at Oregon, 7:15 (95.7 FM) • AFC at Stockton, 7:30 • Dakota at West Carroll, 7:30 (100.3 FM) • Fulton at Orion, 7:30 (1390 AM) • Galena at Eastland-Pearl City, 7:30 • Lena-Winslow at Amboy, 7:30 (101.7 FM) • Newman at Bureau Valley, 7:30 (102.7 FM, 98.1 FM) • Princeton at Erie-Prophetstown, 7:30 • Riverdale at Morrison, 7:30

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Friday, Oct. 5

Friday, Oct. 12

Friday, Oct. 19

Saturday, Sept. 15

• Morrison at Newman, 7 (102.7 FM)

• Amboy at Dakota, 7 (101.7 FM) • Genoa-Kingston at Dixon, 7 (1460 AM) • Milledgeville at AFC, 7 • Stockton at Polo, 7 • Winnebago at Oregon, 7 (95.7 FM) • North Boone at Rock Falls, 7:15 • Sterling at Rochelle, 7:15 (105.5 FM) • Bureau Valley at Rockridge, 7:30 (98.1 FM) • Erie-Prophetstown at Sherrard, 7:30 • Fulton vs. Riverdale, at Clinton LumberKings Stadium, 7:30 (1390 AM) • Hall at Newman, 7:30 (102.7 FM) • Orion at Morrison, 7:30 • Eastland-P.C. at West Carroll, 7:30 (100.3 FM)

• Milledgeville at Orangeville, 1 (100.3 FM)

• AFC at Polo, 7 • Dakota at Eastland-Pearl City, 7 • Dixon at Winnebago, 7 (1460 AM) • Oregon at North Boone, 7 (95.7 FM) • River Ridge at Milledgeville, 7 (100.3 FM) • LaSalle-Peru at Sterling, 7:15 (105.5 FM) • Rock Falls at Mendota, 7:15 • Amboy at Galena, 7:30 (101.7) • Bureau Valley at Orion, 7:30 (98.1 FM) • Erie-Prophetstown at Hall, 7:30 • Morrison at Rockridge, 7:30 • Newman at Fulton, 7:30 (102.7 FM, 1390 AM) • West Carroll at Forreston, 7:30

• Aquin at Milledgeville, 7 • Dixon at Byron, 7 (1460 AM) • Mendota at Oregon, 7 (95.7 FM) • Polo at Eastland-Pearl City, 7 (100.3 FM) • Warren at AFC, 7 • Rock Falls at Rockford Lutheran, 7:15 • Sterling at Sycamore, 7:15 (105.5 FM) • Forreston at Amboy, 7:30 (101.7 FM) • Fulton at Erie-Prophetstown, 7:30 (1390 AM) • Morrison at Bureau Valley, 7:30 (98.1 FM) • Riverdale at Newman, 7:30 (102.7 FM) • West Carroll at East Dubuque, 7:30

• August 23, 2018

• Amboy at Milledgeville, 7 (101.7 FM) • Oregon at Rockford Lutheran, 7 (95.7 FM) • River Ridge at AFC, 7 • Sterling at Marengo, 7 (105.5 FM) • Stillman Valley at Dixon, 7 (1460 AM) • Genoa-Kingston at Rock Falls, 7:15 • East Dubuque at Eastland-Pearl City, 7:30 • Erie-Prophetstown at Bureau Valley, 7:30 (98.1 FM) • Lena-Winslow at West Carroll, 7:30 • Morrison at Sherrard, 7:30 • St. Bede at Fulton, 7:30 (1390 AM)

Week 2

55

FOOTBALL 2018 | Sauk Valley Media

2018 Master Schedule

Sauk Valley Media • August 23, 2018

| FOOTBALL 2018

56

Follow the Golden Warriors and Comets with your hometown radio stations...all season long!

Sterling Golden Warriors

Newman Comets Station: WZZT 102.7 FM

Station: WSSQ Q105.5 FM

8/24 8/31 9/7 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/12 10/19

SM-ST1568244

7:00................A 7:30................A 7:15 ................H 7:15 ................H 7:15 ................A 7:15 ................H 7:15 ................A 7:15 ................H 7:15 ................A

Marengo Pekin Rock Island (Alleman) Maple Park (Kaneland) Geneseo Ottawa (Twp.) Rochelle LaSalle (L.-Peru) Sycamore (H.S.)

8/25 8/31 9/8 9/15 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/12 10/19

7:00................H 7:30................A 7:00................H 7:30................H 7:30................A 7:30................A 7:30................H 5:30................A 7:30................H

Here’s To A Great Season!

Kewanee (H.S.) Princeton Orion Morrison Taylor Ridge (Rockridge) Manlius (Bureau Valley) Spring Valley (Hall) Fulton (H.S.) Port Byron (Riverdale)