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Week 8 VermilionValley football wrapup

Posted by: Fred Kroner

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 5:16 PM

There will be no shortage of storylines this week as the teams in the Vermilion Valley Conference play their football regular-season finales.
Can Salt Fork conclude the first 9-0 regular season since the Catlin and Jamaica schools formed their all-sports co-op more than a decade ago? Only Oakwood/Armstrong-Potomac stands in the way in a game that will be Senior Night in Oakwood.
Can Milford's 4-4 team become playoff eligible with a victory at Hoopeston Area, which is trying to end its second consecutive season with a win over the Bearcats?
Can favored Westville prevail on the road in the annual Coal Bucket game at Georgetown-Ridge Farm?
Can Bismarck-Henning continue its late-season surge and win a fourth consecutive game in the season-ender for both the Blue Devils and Schlarman in Danville?
In all four cases, the schools are playing their biggest natural rivals. In all four cases, coaches believe anything can happen.

Westville

The Tigers (6-2) remain a fixture in the state rankings, holding onto the No. 9 spot in Class 2A. Coach Guy Goodlove's team is operating on a five-game winning streak, including last week's 41-0 verdict over Hoopeston Area.
In the most recent game, quarterback Matt Maser's three completions all went for touchdowns to Dustin Billings.
Of his last 27 completions -- which covers the entire winning streak -- 11 have resulted in TDs.
Billings quarterbacked the Tigers during the majority of last year's drive to the Class 2A state title game. Goodlove isn't surprised how effective he has become as a receiver.
"From playing quarterback, he understands how to read defenses," Goodlove said. "When we come to the line of scrimmage, we have receivers who are able to make calls and determine their own route. He has the ability to take what the defense gives."
Westville has held the edge in recent games against G-RF though the Buffaloes lead the all-time series, 45-32-9.
This decade, however, Westville has won eight of nine meetings (with one matchup occurring in the playoffs).
What that data means to Goodlove is that his players had better be wary.
"In 1997, we were 1-7 and had no business winning, but we won 42-32," Goodlove said. "When people say you can throw out the records (when these schools play), it's true.
"The Coal Bucket is a special game and anything can happen."
With the playoffs a certainty for the Tigers, Goodlove would like to take momentum into the postseason. That means improving the quality of play.
"Every week we've prided ourself in taking a step forward," he said. "Last Friday was not one of the better games we've played.
"We want to go into this week taking a big step forward. We need to get back on track."
Dusty Zaayer led the Tigers' defensive effort against Hoopeston. He recorded nine solo tackles and had an interception. Teammates picking off passes were Brandon Pratt (who scored three TDs) and Kane Atwood.

Georgetown-Ridge Farm

The Buffaloes (3-5) had hoped for a chance to become playoff eligible this week with a win, but that prospect was lost last week when G-RF dropped a 26-18 decision at Bismarck-Henning.
Despite the setback -- which occurred when the Blue Devils overcame an 18-12 deficit in the final 5 minutes -- coach Jason Baccadutre said, "we played better than the previous week. In general, there was much more effort.
"Everybody was giving a little more and didn't take as many plays off as we have done in the past."
Alex Pratt rushed for 93 yards and quarterbacks Robert Parker and Chase Vire combined to pass for 132 yards.
In seven of eight games this season, both G-RF quarterbacks have completed passes. Each has two 100-yard passing games to his credit.
Baccadutre plans to take advantage of both signal-callers on Friday.
"They bring different aspects to the game and it's nice to change it up and make the defense think about different scenarios," Baccadutre said.
Statistically, the quarterbacks are virtually even. Parker has completed 43 passes for 535 yards. Vire has connected on 41 passes for 487 yards.
They've each scored two rushing touchdowns.
One of the pass-catching headliners is freshman Korie Vire, the only squad member with receptions in every game.
Chase Vire also figures prominently into the passing attack when he's not behind center. He leads the Buffaloes with 21 receptions and 251 yards.
Baccadutre looks at this week's game as his squad's lone playoff contest.
"We're going against a playoff-caliber team at the end of the season and we'll see how we do," he said. "It's a tall order. They are fast all over and can get to the ball."
Pratt (84 tackles), Chase Vire (80) and Brandon Herrin (75) are G-RF's defensive leaders for the season.

Milford

The Bearcats ended Oakwood/Armstrong-Potomac's playoff hopes with a 21-20 overtime victory last week. It was the school's third one-point game this season and the first the team won.
Whether the team's playoff points will be sufficient to earn Milford a playoff berth if it wins this week is not the issue, as far as first-year head coach Nate Albaugh is concerned.
"We are excited to be in the playoff picture," Albaugh said. "It's pretty much a 50-50 shot the way it stands.
"We've made it clear to our kids our chances are zero if we don't win on Friday. We are preparing as hard or harder than we have for any game."
Against Oakwood/A-P, Kyle Evans rushed for a team-high 74 yards and teammate Ryan Kunce had 61 yards rushing to go with 32 receiving. He reached the end zone both ways.
The rushing TD came on a 59-yard scamper that lifted the Bearcats into a 14-0 second-period lead. Kunce scored on what Albaugh called "a trick play."
The coach tries to add at least one new wrinkle each week.
"Some we don't use, but it not only keeps our opponents off-guard, but it also helps our guys be prepared for trick plays so they're not caught off-guard," Albaugh said.
Milford committed five turnovers last week, while forcing none.
"I'm happy to say that we were able to find ways to score, but that (turnover total) is what kept the game close," he said.
For the first time this season, the Bearcats have put together back-to-back victories in their quest to reach the postseason for the first time since 1997.
The school has endured 10 consecutive sub-.500 seasons.
Albaugh has no idea what will transpire on Saturday when the IHSA makes its postseason announcements, but he has a good idea of what to expect on Friday.
"There won't be any letdown," he said. "For all we know, it's our last game and we want to play football and come out firing. We hope to play better and with more passion than we've had all year."

Hoopeston Area

The Cornjerkers (0-8) have struggled to score points this season, losing by shutout in three games, including 41-0 last week to Westville.
However the team has shown big-play potential, led by electrifying Cody Eells.
Hoopeston Area has averaged 48.8 yards on its eight scoring plays this season. That mark includes a 6-yard TD run. The team's shortest score otherwise was a 25-yard pass play.
Eells has scored a team-high five TDs and his average scoring play has covered an impressive 64.8 yards.
"We really haven't settled into any given offensive set," Hoopeston Area coach Jeff Ohlemeyer said. "I'd like to be able to establish the run, but we didn't feel we could run effectively against teams that are bigger and more physical."
In those games, the team has employed a spread offense.
Though it's not backed up statistically, Ohlemeyer said sophomore quarterback Tate Compton had "his best throwing game," against Westville.
Compton finished 14 for 42, but Ohlemeyer pointed out, "in the first half, we had eight or nine drops."
Juniors Eells and Jason Leigh have been the primary targets. Ins the past two games, Eells has hauled in 14 passes and Leigh has 11 receptions.
Against the Tigers, Compton was involved in all 56 of the Cornjerkers' non-punting plays from scrimmage. He ran the ball (or was sacked) 14 times and passed after the other 42 snaps.
Hoopeston will recognize its 10 seniors on Friday and Ohlemeyer will try to get each into the game.
Among the athletes playing in their final games are Logan Foster -- who has the team's only interception -- Vincent Watson and James Zollar.
All have been sidelined with injuries and Ohlemeyer expects Foster will undergo surgery on a knee during the offseason.
Defensively, senior Shane Thompson and freshman Robbie Irvin had seven tackles apiece against Westville.
Irvin is one of numerous ninth-graders who have received varsity playing time this season.
"One nice thing is that the freshmen finished their season undefeated (4-0)," Ohlemeyer said. "It has been very positive on the lower levels.
"Our JV was 4-4 and was two touchdowns from being 6-2. We hope that bodes well for the future."

Salt Fork

The Storm made Schlarman its eighth straight victim, scoring all of its points in a 50-6 triumph in the first half. Salt Fork is ranked third in the state among Class 1A teamns.
Last week's outcome on the field followed an impressive series of workouts.
"Last week was our best week of practice," head coach Brian Plotner said. "The kids were very focused and came out with a purpose.
"For the second consecutive week, we started showing improvement."
J.D. Learnard -- the Vermilion Valley's passing leader with 1,288 yards -- completed 9 of 9 passes for 161 yards. Five went for touchdowns, with Sean Nicholson hauling in three of the scoring strikes and Chris Wills latching onto the other two.
"J.D. did a nice job of distributing the ball," Plotner said. "We had four receivers catching balls."
Lance Hubbard and Joe Pratt also had receptions.
The Senior Night victory saw the Storm receive significant contributions from several of its unheralded seniors.
"Jack Cunningham, Ethan Wyer and Reese Smith have been valuable members who give us all kinds of help on the Scout Team," Plotner said.
Against the Hilltoppers, they stood out on the field.
Smith, in particular, had a memorable game.
"He had three solo tackles on kickoff coverage," Plotner said, "Ethan and Jack each had several tackles."
Salt Fork's top tacklers last week -- with seven stops apiece -- were Matt Ford, Cody Nicholson, Sean Nicholson and Caleb Williams.
Plotner has been impressed by this week's opponent, Oakwood/Armstrong-Potomac.
"Despite their record, they are a playoff-caliber team," Plotner said. "We know this is a team that's three points away from being 6-2. We are fully aware that they will give their ‘A' game."
In particular, Plotner has tremendous respect for the Comets' top rusher, senior Brady Leeman.
"Brady is a tremendous athlete and I voted him the No. 1 returner in the conference for a reason," Plotner said. "He's a kid any coach would love to have.
"He runs the ball hard every play and keeps his feet driving. He is the focal point of their running attack and their running attack is extremely strong."
Two Salt Fork players who sat out last week with injuries, Cody Rohour and Timmy Thomas, are each expected to be available for Friday's contest.
Plotner said he'll take all of the help he can get for the Comets.
"With our low playoff point total, we're not guaranteed a home game if we're 8-1," he said. "We need a win to ensure home field advantage."

Oakwood/Armstrong-Potomac

The Comets have been victimized by close games. Three of O/A-P's five losses have been by one-point margins, including last week's 21-20 loss to Milford.
"We've lost them in three different ways," O/A-P coach Gary Denhart said.
In the OT loss to the Bearcats, the Comets had possession second and scored on a 6-yard pass from Taylor Walsh to Leeman, cutting Milford's lead to 21-20.
The Comets went for a two-point conversion and Denhart felt good as the play developed.
"Alex Cundiff was wide open and when Walsh threw, I signalled good," Denhart said, "but Kunce made a play, and covered so much ground, it was amazing. It was a jaw-dropper."
Kunce deflected the pass and preserved Milford's victory.
Oakwood/A-P has lost three games in a row, a stretch Denhart called, "a rough three weeks."
Denhart doesn't plan any emotional motivational speeches for this week.
"Anything I can say has already been said," he said. "This has to come from within. I hope the kids can enjoy their last game.
"If we play our best for a whole game, we'll be OK."
Leeman is the No. 1 rusher in the Vermilion Valley (1,103 yards), a total which ranks him fourth among all area athletes. He stands sixth overall in scoring with 104 points.
Another standout for the Comets has been junior defender Trace McClintock. Two weeks ago, Denhart matched him up with Westville's Billings and the 6-foot-4 senior had 39 receiving yards. Last week, McClintock went against Kunce and limited him to 32 yards receiving.
"The idea was to take Kunce away from them and we did," Denhart said, "but they are not a one-dimensional team."
McClintock had an interception against Milford, his team-leading third. Sophomore Arlen Kerst had an interception to go with eight tackles, a total one behind team-leader Corey Pankow.
"Corey had a solid game," Denhart said. "He has been our defensive rock."

Bismarck-Henning

The Blue Devils (3-5) opened the season with a five-game losing streak. That opposition includes four foes who have secured playoff berths and a fifth (Milford) still in contention.
In the past three weeks, B-H has been one of the area's hottest teams, totaling 97 points in three wins.
The team showed its grit and determination last week, rallying against Georgetown-Ridge Farm to pull out a 26-18 win.
"It was very satisfying," coach Mark Dodd said. "We were down by six with 5 minutes to go and were able to take the game away from a team we did not match up well with. We had trouble with their speed."
Freshman Reed Collins ran 44 yards to create an 18-18 tie, which was broken on sophomore Ian Park's extra-point kick.
After senior Jordan Abbott recovered the subsequent squib kick, B-H scored again with senior Brian Clapp reaching the end zone on a fourth-down run. Senior Ian Marx was the team's top ground-gainer, rushing for 130 yards.
In pressure situations, the Blue Devils excelled.
"We converted 5 of 6 fourth-down plays in the game," Dodd said. "Our confidence is pretty high right now."
On the drive for the go-ahead score, junior quarterback Michael Grant hooked up with sophomore Kyle Lamm for a 28-yard gain and a first down on a third-and-8 play.
"Grant completed a couple of passes that were key," Dodd said.
With a coaching change taking place at Schlarman last week, Dodd said that creates uncertainty entering this week's 7 p.m. game against the Hilltoppers at Drummy Field.
"It's a little bit of a mystery as far as what's going on," he said. "We don't know whether to expect them to do what they've been doing or come out in something completely different.
"They have some talented kids who have missed games and are back and we're trying to prepare for anything."
Against G-RF, the Blue Devils' defense was led by junior end Luke Thornbsbrough (12 tackles) and Collins, a freshman linebacker, (11). Clapp had an interception, his team-leading third.

Schlarman

Jeff Willaman will remain in charge of the Hilltoppers (1-7) for the second week in a row. He replaces his brother, Jay, who last week requested personal leave.
"It impacted all of us as a team," Jeff Willaman said. "It was a very tough situation for me to swallow."
Schlarman lost at Salt Fork 50-6 last week, but was without quarterback Heath Goodwin and rushing leader Vinnie Miller.
Miller, who had a bruised knee, will return this week on both platoons. Goodwin, recovering from a concussion, is listed as "day-to-day," by the coach.
In his first game as head coach, Jeff Willaman said, "I saw a little better hitting than what we've done."
Senior Steven Kutz was shifted from free safety to linebacker and responded with a career-high 16-tackle performance.
"We were trying to give Salt Fork a little bit of a different look and stop the run as much as we could," Jeff Willaman said. "Putting an extra person in the box, we did a little better job stopping the run, but as good as Salt Fork is, they figured out other ways to beat you.
"Their skill players are very skilled and Mr. Learnard had an exceptional game (completing 9 of 9 passes)."
Sophomore Mallory Lampkin led the Hilltoppers with 70 yards rushing. Senior James Cook gained 50 yards. Junior Solomon Crenshaw scored the Schlarman TD on a kickoff return.
Besides Kutz, other top tacklers were juniors Anthony Drake (13) and Kyle Golden (12).
Jeff Willaman doesn't expect Schlarman to be overmatched against B-H like it was against Salt Fork.
"We believe we are in line with them athlete-for-athlete and we believe we have a speed advantage," Jeff Willaman said. "The kids are excited to play on Senior Night. This is a very winnable game for us."