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Crystal Lake Central ends Hampshire's playoff hopes

Offense, defense and special teams are the three phases of football and teams looking to make a run in the playoffs need all three to be at their best.

Crystal Lake Central used all three as it secured a trip to the playoffs with a 65-20 win over Hampshire in Fox Valley Conference Fox Division play in Crystal Lake Friday night.

After failing to convert on a fourth down inside the 30-yard line of Hampshire, the Tigers' (6-2, 3-2) defense got onto the field looking to get the ball back quick. They would force the Whip-Purs to go three-and-out and block the ensuing punt, giving the offense the ball right where it turned it over inside the 30-yard line.

Quarterback Matt Decoste and running back Ryan Williams would march down to the 1-yard line before Decoste found the end zone on fourth down.

"(Decoste) has been a real big leader for us this year," Tigers' coach Matt Fralick said about his quarterback. "He gives us a lot of versatility as far as running the ball and being able to run our spread offense."

After trading the ball back-and-forth on their next possessions, the Whip-Purs finally got their offense going thanks to a pair of pass interference penalties by the Tigers.

Two big plays by quarterback Matt Bridges, ending with a 20-yard strike that was tipped into the hands of waiting wideout Jake Manning, helped get the game to within one but the Whips would miss the extra point.

What looked like the beginning of a shootout on both sides seemed to snap CLC out of a funk as it proceeded to score the next 35-points unanswered. Williams (131 yards rushing, 3 TDs) scored twice before the horn sounded, while Jack Ortner galloped 79-yards to score as well.

The scoring culminated with the Tigers' Jose Figueroa stripping and returning the opening kick of the second half 20 yards to score.

Going into halftime down four scores would get any team down, but the Whip-Purs (3-5, 1-4) came out swinging when their offense finally did see the field in the second half.

Starting from his own 20, Bridges guided the Whips down the field using another Tiger pass interference penalty along with a 56-yard pass to Xavier Bennett to get the score right back.

"I told them at half that the scoreboard doesn't matter," Hampshire coach Mike Brasile said, "It's all about heart and what kind of character you have coming back out. I told them to win the second half, win the third quarter."

Bennett took his coach's message to heart as he finished with 2 scores and 89 yards receiving, all in the second half.

Crystal Lake Central would respond in turn, this time using a defensive score to extend its lead as defensive back Bradley Garber jumped a route and returned a Bridges interception 75 yards for the score.

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