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Moline ran roughshod over Galesburg on Friday, with the Maroons’ 41-10 victory keeping their narrow path to the playoffs open, and setting up next Friday’s season finale at Sterling with a chance to earn their fifth win and become eligible for post season play. 

RBs Corbin Schnell (278 yards, 2 TDs, Godfather’s Pizza Moline Maroons Player of the Game) and Pablo Perez (108 yards, 3 TDs) combined for almost 400 yards.  With the Maroons up 20-3 at the half, Schnell ran 65 yards for a score on the first play of the 3rd quarter to cement their dominance with a 27-3 lead.  (Listen to Grant Dahlstrom’s play-by-play call here.)  QB Elijah Taylor later added a 24-yard touchdown pass to WR Zander Ealy.

Moline (4-4, 2-3 in WB6) plays at Sterling (3-5, 3-2) next Friday.  The Maroons would be playoff eligible at 5-4 but have a relatively low total of opponents’ wins (the main tiebreaker).  They are hoping most of the other 4-4 teams lose their season finale, moving them up the ladder.

In Week 8 this Friday night, Moline (3-4) looks to bounce back from last week’s upset at United Township to stay on track for a possible playoff berth when the Maroons take on Galesburg. Meantime, Rock Island could knock Sterling (3-4) out of the playoff picture if the Rocks can upend the Golden Warriors. UT has the week off.
Follow the hyperlinks for your favorite team’s live stream:

6:45 p.m. Galesburg at Moline Presented by Sexton Ford
7:15 p.m. Sterling at Rock Island Presented by Wheelan-Pressly

*ALL GAMES ON QCSportsNet.com*
*Crawford Company Pre-Game Show 15 minutes before kickoff*

WEEK 1
Fri 8/25
Rock Island 7 at Minooka 41
LaSalle Peru 34 at United Township 14
Moline 17 at (Carol Stream) Glenbard North 12

WEEK 2
Fri 9/1
Benet Academy 38 at Moline 7
Rock Island 7 at Dunlap 21
Sat 9/2
Chicago Muchin Prep 6 at United Township 60

WEEK 3
Fri 9/8
Geneseo 24 at Moline 21
Quincy 41 at Rock Island 7
Sterling 23 at United Township 19

WEEK 4                
Fri 9/15
Moline 27 at Quincy 34
Sterling Newman 22 at Rock Island 20 (OT)
United Township 21 at Geneseo 55

WEEK 5                
Fri 9/22                
Rock Island 10 at Moline 28
Quincy 63 at United Township 27

WEEK 6                
Fri 9/29                
United Township 14 at Rock Island 24
Moline – Forfeit win vs Alleman

WEEK 7                
Fri 10/6                
Moline 28 at United Township 42
Rock Island 7 at Galesburg 24

WEEK 8                
Fri 10/13             
7:00        Galesburg at Moline
7:00        Sterling at Rock Island
Bye         United Township

WEEK 9                
Fri 10/20             
7:00        Moline at Sterling
7:00        Rock Island at Geneseo
7:00        United Township at Galesburg

United Township scored early and often, and damaged Moline’s playoff hopes with a 42-28 victory over the Maroons, Friday night at the Soule Bowl in East Moline.  After jumping out to a 14-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, the Panthers and Maroons traded TDs the rest of the way, but always with UT up by one or two scores.  Panthers QB Matthew Kelley ran for two TDs and threw for two.  But after UT stopped Moline deep in Panthers territory late in the 4th quarter to preserve a 35-28 lead, it was Korey Randle’s dramatic 52-yard TD run with 2:10 remaining that sealed the upset win for UT (3-5, 1-4 in WB6).

Kelley was a monster for UT, running for 195 and passing for 101 more.  Moline RB Pablo Perez ran for all four of the Maroons TDs.

The loss by the Maroons (3-4, 1-3 in WB6) sets up a scenario where, if Moline beats Galesburg and Sterling defeats Rock Island next week, Moline at 4-4 would visit Sterling, also at 4-4, with the winner likely making the playoffs, while the loser would be eliminated from post season consideration.  UT is off next week before finishing vs. Galesburg on Oct. 20.

ROCKS “PUNT” AWAY GAME AT GALESBURG

The Rock Island Rocks had two defensive takeaways, four times stopped Galesburg 3-and-out (or 4-and-out), and piled up 174 passing yards — and lost 24-7 at Galesburg Friday night, largely because of five catastrophic punt formation failures.  Twice the Silver Streaks blocked punts.  On two other occasions, punter Amare Overton was surrounded by defenders and unable to kick.  And, the Rocks missed connections on a fake punt on 4th and 8 from their 19 yard line.  The defense responded after the failed punts, however, allowing only a TD when Galesburg started at Rocky’s 5-yard line in the game’s opening minutes, and a field goal when the Streaks started at the Rocks’ 12, which capped off the scoring.

Open receivers were in short supply.  The offensive line generally provided QB Jav’eion Clark-Pugh with plenty of time in the pocket.  But he was able to complete just 10-of-26 passes with two interceptions and three sacks, often because no one was open.  He was able to make several big completions in tight coverage, including a 33-yarder to Joe Allen that set up his 32-yard TD pass to Elijah Venegas, who held on to the ball despite a goal line collision with a bigger defender.  That score tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter.  But Galesburg’s only sustained drives of the game against the worn out Rocks defense resulted in a 14-7 lead to open the 3rd, and a 21-7 advantage to open the 4th, and the Rocks could not mount a comeback.  

Venegas caught 3 passes for 65 yards including the TD, and returned a punt into Galesburg territory.  He was named the Hungry Hobo Rock Island Rocks Player of the Game.  RB Garr Tarr was held to 51 yards on 14 carries for the Rocks (1-5, 1-3 in the Western Big 6).  For Galesburg (2-5, 1-3), Amarie Richardson ran for 207 yards and three scores.

The Rocks will host Sterling (3-4, 3-1), with a chance to knock the Golden Warriors out of the playoff picture, Friday night on Almquist Field.  Live coverage of Rocks Football, presented by Wheelan-Pressly, gets underway with the Crawford Company Pre-Game Show at about 7:15 p.m.