Rock Island hung with heavily favored Minooka almost until halftime. Then the wheels came off, and the perennial Class 8A playoff team came away with a 49-14 win at Rocky on Friday night. Trailing 7-0, Rocks’ QB Jae’Vion Clark-Pugh threw 29 yards to Evan Ellis, then a short pass to Elijah Venegas that Venegas turned into a 22-yard touchdown scamper to tie the game 7-7 with 6:06 left in the second quarter.
The sequence that changed the game began with Minooka capping off a sustained drive with a 3-yard TD run by Chase Nurczyk with 2:03 left for a 14-7 lead. Unable to move the ball, Rocky punted, and on the next play, Minooka QB Zane Caves found Ty Couch for a 55-yard bomb to make it 21-7. Though the Rocks had the turnover edge, recovering two fumbles, they capitalized on neither, while their one mistake was a pick-six, an interception returned for TD with 5.6 seconds remaining and a 28-7 halftime score.
Minooka ground out three second half touchdown drives, while Rocky’s only answer was Venegas getting behind the defense to catch a 40-yard TD strike from Clark-Pugh. Venegas (7 catches, 104 yards, 2 TDs) and defender George Tate, who made several spectacular stops, were named Hungry Hobo Rock Island Rocks Players of the Game. Clark-Pugh finished 11-of-24 passing for 146 yards.
The Rocks were outgained 439 yards to 248, including 293-102 on the ground. Isaiss Duarte led the Rocks with 46 rushing yards. Paris Spears (12-106, TD) and Nurczyk (12-89, TD), led Minooka’s ground attack, while Caves finished 9-of-15 for 146 yards and three scores. The Rocks host Dunlap (48-0 winners over Galesburg) next Friday night.
