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Cary-Grove dumps Jacobs to clinch playoff berth

The Cary-Grove football team faced the Tin Man dilemma Saturday.

Idle last week due to the McHenry District 156 teachers strike that handed the Trojans a forfeit win, it remained to be seen if they would look rusty after 14 days between games or well-oiled following two weeks of practice reps.

Apparently, Trojan blue doesn't rust.

Cary-Grove's opportunistic defense set the tone early and often in its homecoming game against Jacobs, and the Trojans used their running game to pull away for a 51-20 Fox Valley Conference Valley Division victory.

Cary-Grove junior linebacker Kevin Pedersen sacked Jacobs quarterback Chris Katrenick on each of the Golden Eagles' first two series, the Trojans snagged 4 interceptions and they recovered a special teams fumble to win the turnover battle 5-1.

"Two weeks of practice, really the whole team came together," said junior defensive back David Daigle, who hauled in 2 interceptions. "We just repped, repped, repped until we finally mastered it."

Jacobs (5-2, 1-2) found itself in a 21-0 hole less than nine minutes into the game. After Pedersen and Cary-Grove forced a three-and-out on Jacobs' first series, the Trojans began their initial drive 40 yards from the end zone. A 16-yard run by Kevin Hughes set up Tyler Pennington's 1-yard touchdown.

The Cary-Grove (6-1, 2-1) defense again handed its offense excellent field position when Daigle picked off a pass at the Jacobs 25-yard line that was tipped by linebacker Ben Getka.

The Trojans, who clinched a playoff berth with the win, overcame a penalty and cashed in 6 plays later when quarterback J.P. Sullivan spotted Hughes open in the center of the field for a 26-yard touchdown pass.

Junior Zack Underwood got the ball right back for Cary-Grove on the ensuing kickoff when he stripped the ball carrier and recovered the fumble at the 20-yard line.

"I ran the field as fast as I could and saw a big opportunity," Underwood said. "That ball was out and I ripped it out, and I popped on it right away."

Pennington burst through the middle of the line for a 15-yard touchdown run 4 plays later and Collin Walsh's point-after kick staked Cary-Grove to a 21-0 lead with 3:13 left in the first quarter.

"Not a very good performance by us at all," Jacobs coach Bill Mitz said. "Right with the opening kickoff, it started right there. Hats off to them. They're going to come out raring to go. They were and we weren't. That's all you can say."

Just when the Golden Eagles began to fly straight, they were knocked off course. After advancing 77 yards to the Cary-Grove 6-yard line in 15 plays, Katrenick's pass was picked off at the 1-yard line by Pennington, who played both ways at fullback and linebacker.

"I dropped back in coverage and my responsibility was the curl or inside route, and he just threw it right to me," Pennington said.

Max Skol snuffed out the next Jacobs drive with another interception, but the Golden Eagles finally dented the scoreboard on their following possession. They marched 55 yards in 8 plays, capped by a 5-yard pass from Katrenick to junior Nicholas Washington to draw within 21-6 with 2:21 left in the half.

The Trojans responded by taking a 24-6 halftime lead on Walsh's 33-yard field goal at the horn. They then blew the game open by scoring the first 3 touchdowns of the second half. Pennington scored on a 10-yard carry, Skol powered through the goal line on a 6-yard run and junior Ryan Magel took a pitch to the right side and sped 38 yards down the sideline to extend the lead to 45-6 with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Cary-Grove offense rushed for 394 of its 461 total yards. Pennington led the way with 27 carries for 153 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Magel finished with 68 yards on 6 carries.

However, this victory was earned by a ball-hawking defense that set the offense up with great field position.

"Katrenick, he's a great quarterback, to pick him off (four) times and get a fumble as well just speaks to what our secondary and our defense can do," Cary-Grove coach Brad Seaburg said. "I think it all started with the pressure, though. I think Kevin getting pressure on (Katrenick) really forced him into some situations where he was uncomfortable, and that's what we need to do."

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