advertisement

Cary-Grove runs by Batavia

Cary-Grove football coach Brad Seaburg believes in his triple-option offense.

With his team trailing Batavia 7-6 and facing a 4th-and-3 situation just across midfield in the final minute of the first half, Seaburg elected to go for it.

Junior tailback Ryan Magel received the pitch from quarterback J.P. Sullivan and took off on a 46-yard touchdown run that gave the Trojans a 14-7 lead with 20 seconds remaining before halftime.

"I don't remember that one taking a long time," Seaburg said of the decision. "That (touchdown) was huge - just huge."

The momentum turning play appeared to have a carry-over effect, as Cary-Grove (11-1) scored touchdowns on its first 2 offensive possessions of the second half on the way to Saturday's 42-21 Class 7A state quarterfinal triumph over the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (10-2) in Batavia.

"It was a big momentum changer," said Magel, who ran for a game-high 122 yards on just 9 carries and added a pair of second-half touchdowns as the fifth-seeded Trojans advance to next Saturday's semifinals against top-seeded Glenbard West (12-0) in Glen Ellyn.

"I saw the edge get set up perfectly," added Magel. "I ran around the outside, put on the jets and ran it in. (running back) Kevin Hughes and (split end) Jimmy Freskos set up the perimeter really well."

David Daigle's fumble recovery following a crunching hit from secondary mate Zachary Underwood led to Magel's 6-yard touchdown run that made it 21-7 midway through the third quarter.

After the defense forced a 3-and-out series, the Trojans extended their lead to 28-7 a couple minutes later on Sullivan's only pass of the game - a 37-yard TD strike to a wide-open Hughes in the middle of the field.

"We were able to do just enough of what we needed to do in the air," said Seaburg.

The early third-quarter surge helped make Seaburg's decision to take the wind in the first and third quarters pay dividends.

"When we decided to do that to start the game, we weren't anticipating them driving it to the goal line," Seaburg said of the Bulldogs' opening drive that ended with a combined sack by Kevin Pedersen and Alex Prendergast on 4th-and-8 from the Trojans' 12-yard line.

"In the second half, it really worked out like we were hoping it would. That seemed to be the quarter that kind of changed the game."

"We won the coin toss and deferred and they chose to take the wind," said Batavia coach Dennis Piron, whose team was making its third state quarterfinal appearance in 5 years. "That meant they were going to kick off twice to us - which is kind of risky.

"The third quarter was critical. They jumped on us down here. That's what they've done in the first half of a lot of games this year. They're a good football team."

After the Bulldogs pulled to within 28-14 late in the third quarter on quarterback Kyle Niemiec's 6-yard TD keeper, Magel capped a 7-play, 64-yard drive with a backbreaking 31-yard TD run that made it 35-14 with 10:08 remaining.

"It was exactly the same play to the other side (of the field)," said Magel.

"That was our execution of the triple option," said Seaburg. "J.P. (Sullivan) made some great reads, our blocking on the perimeter was outstanding, and then Magel just finished them off."

Despite being outgained 90-12 in the first quarter and 215-132 in the first half, the Trojans grabbed a 6-0 lead on an 8-yard TD run by junior workhorse fullback Tyler Pennington (21 carries, 90 yards) with 7:40 left in the second quarter.

Capitalizing on Prendergast's fumble recovery, the Trojans' 7-play, 38-yard drive included a 17-yard run by Hughes.

"We made plays when we needed to," said Seaburg. "We got to the quarterback and we got two turnovers."

Niemiec, who completed 24 of 39 passes for 275 yards, tossed an 11-yard TD strike to Johnny Fitch with 3:25 left in the first half to give the Bulldogs a brief 7-6 lead.

"They were physical," said Niemiec. "I was just trying to hang in there as much as possible for my team. It stinks when you end your season with a loss."

Images: Batavia vs. Cary-Grove, football

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.