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Ihry, Waubonsie Valley step up

Waubonsie Valley worked the next-man-up approach like a charm.

Starting linebacker Max Ihry hadn't played offense since Week 2. Spelling injured tailback Tony Durns on Saturday, he began with a 72-yard run to set up the Warriors' first score and a 7-yard run for the game-winner to end District 204 rival Metea Valley's first playoff run, 21-14 at Dick Kerner Stadium in Aurora.

“He was helping me out on some of the plays because I was so dodgy because I had only been practicing it for a week,” said Ihry, who ran for 110 yards with fellow junior Rodney Gee adding 47 in place of Durns, who ran 3 times before resting. “Words of encouragement really helped out. So hopefully we'll see him back next week running the ball more,” said Ihry, holding the game ball.

No. 1 seed Waubonsie Valley (9-1) moves to the second round in Class 8A, at 1 p.m. Saturday, hosting No. 4 Naperville Central (8-2), revisiting a season opener the Warriors won 20-6.

Durns' counterpart, Mustangs tailback Bryson Oliver, began as he left off when No. 8 seed Metea Valley (5-5) lost to Waubonsie 38-37 on Oct. 3. Oliver's sixth carry was an 8-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 first-quarter lead. At the end of the first quarter, he had run for 81 yards, but midway through the second quarter he limped out of a pile. His ankle retaped at halftime, Oliver returned to compile 24 carries for 109 yards, ending his senior season at around 1,700 yards rushing.

“Bryson's been our heart and soul all year and for him to get banged up like that in this game ... All the work he did was for this game, and I feel bad for him. He wanted to be back in there, but he wasn't 100 percent, and that's tough,” said Metea coach Ben Kleinhans.

Speaking of tough, Ihry's 72-yard run put the ball at the Metea 3. From the 1-yard line quarterback Zack Bennema rolled over a defender to create a 7-7 halftime tie.

Waubonsie led 14-7 at 7:35 of the third after Nick Porte recovered a fumbled punt. Bennema looked left, threw right on a 48-yard streak to Will Buford to set up Bennema's 1-yard keeper between center Tyler Caldwell and right guard Bailey Burns.

Metea countered on Kelvin Givantt's interception and 42-yard return, capitalizing to tie at 8:13 of the fourth quarter on Kyle Mooney's 5-yard pass to Nick Dodson.

Next time out, Metea couldn't convert on fourth-and-1 at Waubonsie's 46, Warriors nose tackle Nick Horn and linebacker Luke Marzano stuffing Oliver.

“We get after it,” Warriors coach Paul Murphy said. “Our problem is third-and-long. Teams seem to complete passes on third-and-long, but you get in a running situation, fourth-and-short, our kids will battle you.”

Waubonsie converted its own third-and-long, a 25-yard screen pass to Gee, and moved to Metea's 7-yard line. Working away from Metea defensive end Erin Morgan, who had 2 sacks, Ihry followed fullback Ryan Berg's kick out block off right tackle Quinton Zielke to put Waubonsie up 21-14 with 2:58 to play.

“Looking back at it,” Mooney said, “there's probably three plays that we could have had back and would have changed the outcome of the game. But Waubonsie's a great team, so they deserve it.”

Images: Metea Valley at Waubonsie Valley football playoff round one

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