DAKOTA — It didn’t take long after the final handshakes for all Orangeville fans to storm the field in jubilation of what the Broncos had just accomplished.
The Broncos ended the Indians’ 23-game winning streak in the first round of the playoffs, 20-7.
Orangeville coach Toby Golembiewski admitted minutes after the game that he was touched by the win, and what it meant beyond the team.
“I just can’t believe it. I was in tears a little bit on the sidelines,” he said. “This is so huge — not just for the players, but for our town. Our town.
MOUNT PROSPECT — In the year of the quarterback in the NIC-10, Hononegah remained old school. And old school seldom looked as good as it did Saturday night, when the Indians ran for 381 yards in a 42-31 Class 7A first-round win over Mount Prospect.
Hononegah (8-2) didn’t even attempt a pass in the second half in winning its first playoff game since 1996.
“My line made the game for us,” halfback Brian Bean (116 yards on 14 carries) said after his first career 100-yard game. “We just had to go to the hole and our line took care of those blocks all day.”
LAGRANGE PARK — Terry Werntz threw everything Freeport had at Nazareth early, playing several of his best athletes both ways in the opening round playoff game Saturday.
The strategy worked for a quarter as the Pretzels jumped out to an early lead, but as the Pretzels tired, the Roadrunners kept putting points on the board, running away with a 63-29 win over Freeport at Nazareth Academy.
“When you’re going both ways you are going to drag,” the Freeport coach said. “That was our strategy and it looked good there for a while, but then our kids lost it.”
CARY — The Guilford Vikings used three quarterbacks, seven different ballcarriers and a slew of formations in an attempt to throw off undefeated Cary-Grove in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs Saturday.
None of it worked, and in the end the Trojans pummeled the Vikings 47-0.
ROCK FALLS — Five different players scored for Newman in its Class 3A 40-0 win over Monmouth-Roseville.
Newman scored on runs by Dugan Repass (32 yards), Shawn Bahrs (3), James Bass (32) and Kevin Ybarra (2), and Stephen Wilson scored on a 21-yard pass from Repass.
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HEYWORTH — After Heyworth outscored Polo 16-14 in the first quarter, the Marcos shut down Heyworth (8-2) the last three quarters in Class 1A action. Polo won the game 26-16.
Matt Scholl led Polo (7-3) with 135 yards and two touchdowns (6 and 11 yards) on 24 carries.
Drew Cheatham added 79 yards and a 1-yard TD on 18 rushes, and Steve Frano scored the only touchdown of the second half on a 5-yard run in the third quarter.
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STERLING — Raciel Ocampo’s 47-yard field goal in the second quarter proved to be the difference in Sterling’s 23-21 home win against Kaneland Saturday.
Both teams scored three touchdowns apiece, but the Golden Warriors’ field goal with 48 seconds left in the first half gave Sterling the edge in the Class 5A playoff game.
Sterling also scored on a 30-yard pass from Niko Rivera to Clay Hadley and 1-yard runs from Ben Minnick and Rivera. Minnick led all rushers with 85 yards on 23 carries. Rivera finished 6-of-11 for 89 yards.
CHICAGO — On the third play of its 5A playoff game against Chicago Robeson, Rochelle defensive back Shane McCluskey absolutely drilled Martinez Young on a pass reception, forcing a fumble. That was just a taste of many more hits to come by a vicious Hubs defense in a 40-13 win over previously unbeaten Robeson.
“As a 5-4 team, we had to let them know we meant business,” McCluskey said. “In the playoffs, you have to come out swinging.”
For the third time in four years, Rochelle came in as a 5-4 team and whipped a No. 1 or 2 seed.
MILLEDGEVILLE — The Missiles left little doubt that they are deserving of their No. 1 ranking Saturday afternoon, pounding Deer Creek-Mackinaw in the opening round of the Class 1A state football playoffs, 59-12.
Milledgeville scored at will, dominated on defense, and rolled to a 59-0 halftime lead over the Chiefs, rolling up more than 300 yards of offense in the first half with long runs by Carrigan Hunter, Jake Workman and Greg Fredericks.
GALENA — For Galena it was the best of times. For Aquin, it was the worst.
Galena’s Matt Hillard took the opening kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown giving the Pirates a 7-0 lead with just 13 seconds off the clock. Galena never looked back in a 49-13 victory, dominating Aquin in all aspects of the game.
The Pirates totally controlled the first quarter, putting 28 points on the board. Hillard, who gained 160 yards in the first half, accounted for three of the four touchdowns, including an 85-yard thriller down the Aquin sideline.
