Spartans still running
By JON STYF
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jstyf@daily-chronicle.com
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| Sycamore running back Joe Dougherty ran for 210 yards and three touchdowns in Saturday's 40-13 playoff win over Kaneland. (Beck Diefenbach - bdiefenbach@daily-chronicle.com) |
MAPLE PARK – When left tackle Zach Fraedrich and his Sycamore teammates ran back onto the field needing more than 70 yards to score in the final 50 seconds before halftime, they could have kneeled on the ball and been happy with a healthy lead at intermission.
What happened over that next minute, however, helped leave nothing about the Spartans’ 40-13 Class 5A playoff win over Kaneland Friday night in doubt.
“I looked at that clock and knew that, with the power we have on our O-Line, that we could pound it in with our running game,” Fraedrich said.
The Spartans (7-3) did exactly that, driving the ball all the way to the 13-yard line completely with the running game and spurred by a 39-yard Joe Dougherty run.
At that point, Fraedrich looked at his teammates and screamed “We’re getting this in. We’re doing this.”
On the next play, they did. Trevor Mathey connected with C.J. Compher for a 13-yard touchdown on his only throw of the day and the Spartans jumped out to a seemingly insurmountable 33-7 halftime lead.
“That was the best feeling to put one in and then, on top of that, we got the ball after the half,” Fraedrich said. “It was like we had the hammer and we were going to take it to them.”
Since the Spartans won 26-0 at Rochelle Oct. 2, they have defined themselves as a running team.
When they need a few yards, they run the ball. When they need a lot of yards, they run the ball. And when they need to score quick, they run the ball then to.
The Spartans, in fact, ran the ball 51 times Saturday night and attempted to pass just once.
Even in second and long and third and long situations, Sycamore went with the draw.
“I think it frustrates teams,” Sycamore coach Joe Ryan said.
It doesn’t, however, frustrate Sycamore’s running backs, who combined for 416 yards on the ground along with five touchdowns.
Joe Dougherty led the way with 210 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, getting most of that yardage off a play called counter criss cross where Mathey hands the ball to Marckie Hayes who then hands it directly to Dougherty, who was headed in a different direction.
Ryan said the team added the play – one that Joliet Catholic has used for years – this week.
The idea came from his older brother, Metamora coach Pat Ryan, who started using the play again this season.
That advice paid off as the Kaneland (6-4) defense keyed on Marckie Hayes, who still ran for 175 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 22 carries.
“It’s really a nice changeup for what we’re doing,” Ryan said. “They’ve got to play it over top because if they don’t play it over top he hits a seam and he’s gone. So now, at the very least, it’s going to slow people down on the backside. They can’t chase Marckie as much.”
For those who believe running the ball is boring, all you have to do is watch the Miami Dolphins to see that there is plenty of innovations available.
On the high school level, the Spartans have shown that adding an extra running package can make all the difference in their two best-played wins of the season.
Before facing Rochelle, the Spartans installed a wildcat set and ran all over the Hubs. And now before the playoff opener, Sycamore added the counter criss-cross and Dougherty ran all over the Knights.
This time, the innovation helped the Spartans win their first playoff game since 1985.
“We’re the opposite from the [last playoff] team in 2007,” said Fraedrich, a three-year starter on the line along with center Alex Calendo. “We fell back on our pass game then. This team, we fall back on our run game.
“If we can’t get a pass game, we can go back to that belly or that sweep or that counter to get the offense moving.”
That confidence in the run game is the reason the Spartans are feeling good heading into Saturday’s 1 p.m. matchup with No. 16 seed Wheaton Academy at Engh Community Field.
And it’s the reason the Spartans have reached this point at all.
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