Spartans dominate
By JON STYF
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jstyf@daily-chronicle.com
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| Sycamore defensive back Eric Ray (5) deflects a pass intended for Wheaton Academy wide receiver Jimmy Johnson (83) during the second quarter of the game at Sycamore High School in Sycamore on Saturday. Sycamore defeated Wheaton Academy 42 to 0. (Beck Diefenbach - bdiefenbach@daily-chronicle.com) |
SYCAMORE – Sycamore put the game out of reach with a touchdown drive just before half in the first round of the playoffs.
In the second round, the Spartans did it again. When they got the ball back with two minutes left in the half, junior quarterback Trevor Mathey went to the air and led the Spartans on a touchdown drive to take a 28-point halftime lead before rolling to a 42-0 win over Wheaton Academy in the Class 5A playoffs at Engh Community Field.
"We just did a lot of things right today and the scoreboard shows it," Mathey said. "We want to put the dagger in early and we want to go hard all game. We don't want Sycamore to be a fun place to play."
The key play of the drive was a 40-yard pass from Mathey to his cousin, Eric Ray. That play helped the Spartans (8-3) win their second game in the playoffs for the first time since 1978. Both Ray and Mathey's fathers played on that team.
Both the 1976 and '78 teams made the state semifinals before losing to Geneseo.
This Sycamore team will get its shot at making the state semifinals when it hosts 12th-seeded Montini (7-4) – who beat Marian Catholic Central 42-21 – in a Class 5A quarterfinal next Saturday, most likely at 1 p.m. at Engh Community Field.
The Spartans were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by Montini the last time they made the playoffs in 2007. Wheaton Academy was making its first trip to playoffs in just the third season since re-starting its program.
"You dream about this every year since we were freshmen," Mathey said. "The feeling is undescribable to do this in the playoffs. Freshman year, I saw that game against Montini and it was a great game too."
Mathey led the way offensively, throwing for 152 yards and a pair of touchdown on 6-for-8 passing. His two incompletions came on spikes to kill the clock at the end of the first half.
His touchdowns were for 20 yards to C.J. Compher just before halftime and a 25-yarder to fullback Joe Dougherty after halftime.
"If they are playing that many people up on the line of scrimmage, then you have to take a chance every once in awhile," Sycamore coach Joe Ryan said. "We did and we were able to take advantage."
The Spartans' healthy lead gave them a chance to rest right tackle Zach Fraedrich (ankles) and running back Marckie Hayes (hip) in the second half to prepare for next week. Justin Longua and Eric Ray came in to replace them.
Dougherty led the running attack with 116 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns while Hayes had 86 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown.
Harlan Johnson ran for 36 yards on his lone carry off a fake punt to set up Sycamore's second touchdown.
"It was just a good play call," Johnson said. "It was big, just like the points at the end of the half."
Johnson's larger role was on the defensive end, where Sycamore allowed Wheaton Academy (6-5) quarterback Brian Pell to throw for 175 yards on 16-for-36 passing but Compher picked him off once and the Spartans held him out of the endzone.
There was a running clock throughout the final 10 minutes of the game after backup quarterback Ryan Bartels ran for a 2-yard touchdown. And this week, after missing head coach Joe Ryan with the Gatorade bucket last week, Ryan left the game drenched along with defensive coordinator Randy Zeitler.
"To get a running clock in the second half of a playoff game is huge," said Johnson, who did a Lambeau leap up toward the stands as the team celebrated the victory with its student section. "It's unbelievably exciting."
Sycamore 42, Wheaton Academy 0
Wheaton Academy 0 0 0 0 – 0
Sycamore 14 14 7 7 – 42
First quarter
Syc – Hayes 8 run (Kroeger kick good), 7:03
Syc – Dougherty 3 run (Kroeger kick good), 1:36
Second quarter
Syc – Dougherty 2 run (Kroeger kick good), 6:04
Syc – Compher 20 pass from Mathey (Kroeger kick good), :22.6
Third quarter
Syc – Dougherty 25 pass from Mathey (Kroeger kick good), 10:21
Fourth quarter
Syc – Bartels 2 run (Kroeger kick good), 10:22
Rushing – Sycamore: Dougherty 16-116, Hayes 11-86, Johnson 1-36, Greer 1-23, Lalowski 1-10, Ray 4-9, Bartels 4-(-4), Totals: 38-276. Wheaton Academy: Libby 6-31, Pell 10-(-30), Totals 16-1.
Passing – Sycamore: Mathey 6-8-152-0. Wheaton Academy: Pell 16-36-175-1.
Receiving – Sycamore: Ray 2-66, Compher 2-32, Ackmann 1-29, Dougherty 1-25. Wheaton Academy: Johnson 6-73, Ritchie 5-56, Libby 1-22, Cote 3-19, Macdonald 2-11.
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