Batavia picks off Bartlett
The same two quarterbacks from Bartlett's 40-22 victory over Batavia last year returned to the field Friday night, this time in Batavia.
And what a difference a year makes.
Bartlett's Air Force-bound A.J. Bilyeu threw for 277 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions in that win last year. Batavia was ready for the rematch, intercepting Bilyeu five times — three by senior Jon Gray — to key a 35-13 victory.
“They came to play in their house, they were real riled up,” Bilyeu said. “It wasn't clicking for us tonight.”
On the other sideline Batavia senior quarterback Noel Gaspari was steady as can be, completing 15 of 23 passes for 169 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions while adding 68 yards rushing.
“We have a quarterback who doesn't lock in a receiver,” Batavia coach Dennis Piron said. “He reads defenses which is a talent. He doesn't get the respect he deserves. He checked down to his second and third options probably eight times tonight. That's an unbelievable kid there. He's just doing great things.”
So are the rest of the Bulldogs, now 4-0 in Piron's first year as coach after a 5-5 season in 2010. Bartlett fell to 2-2.
“It's a much better feeling than last year in the locker room,” Gray said. “Everyone is excited about it. We weren't given much respect but after this I feel teams will watch out and we're here to play.”
Batavia broke open a 7-0 halftime lead with a series of electrifying plays in a 21-point third quarter. Gray, now with 5 interceptions this year, started it by stepping in front of a slant pass and returning it 79 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
Sophomore Michael Moffitt followed with another interception on a deflected pass, setting up Batavia with a short field. On the first play Gaspari lofted a 19-yard touchdown pass to Zach Strittmatter to make it 21-0.
A 1-yard touchdown run by James Butler briefly got the Hawks some momentum until another Batavia sophomore, Anthony Thielk, returned the ensuing kick 99 yards to put Batavia ahead 28-7.
“Anthony is a special talent,” Piron said. “We have a lot of kids like that.”
Bilyeu (22 of 42 for 257 yards) did find Lorenzo Mitchell on a 25-yard score late in the third quarter. But Gray's third interception in the fourth quarter kept the Hawks from pulling closer, and Batavia's ground game got going to eat the clock late in the fourth quarter. Alex Moore ended the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown run with 2:33 remaining.
Batavia finished with a near perfect balanced attack of 169 yards passing and 168 rushing. Mitchell recovered a pair of fumbles for Bartlett, but the Hawks still lost the turnover battle 5-2.
“Turnovers were tough,” Hawks coach Tom Meaney said. “We didn't overcome adversity like we could have. But Batavia played very well. They were as good as we thought they would be.”
Both defenses dominated play in a scoreless first quarter. Gray went up high to win a one-on-one ball for an interception, halting Bartlett's best drive at the Bulldogs' 4-yard line.
A 42-yard run by Gaspari moved Batavia out of the poor field position. A 32-yard strike to Gray over the middle and a roughing-the-passer penalty gave the Bulldogs first-and-goal, but Bartlett's defense held and Batavia eventually missed a 26-yard field goal.
Batavia put the first points on the board on its next drive, matching 80 yards in 12 plays capped by Thielk's 26-yard burst through a huge hole up the middle. The Bulldogs converted a pair of third downs on the drive, including 245-pound Alec Lyons moving a pile forward three yards on a 3rd-and-2.
Batavia dodged a bullet just before halftime. Mitchell recovered a fumble at midfield for the Hawks with 30 seconds left in the half.
Mitchell made a one-hand grab for a 25-yard reception, and Butler scampered out of bounds at the 16-yard line with just .3 seconds left before halftime. That gave Ian Dobek a shot at a 36-yard field goal — he earlier came up just short on a 46-yard attempt — but the ball bounced off the left goal post.