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Storm Hockey

Rock Island managed just one first down until late in the first half, while Sterling scored seemingly at will on the way to a 47-14 win over the Rocks, Friday night at Sterling.  With the win, the Golden Warriors (5-3, 4-1 in Western Big 6 play) become playoff eligible, while the Rocks (1-7, 1-4) have one game remaining against Geneseo (4-4, 1-4), one of the three teams the Rocks beat in their 3-1 stretch run last year.

Only an opening-drive 20-yard scramble by QB Jae’Vion Clark-Pugh kept Rock Island from going 3-and-out on their first five possessions, while Sterling scored a TD on each of its first five drives, adding a blocked punt out of the end zone for a safety, building a 37-0 lead with 5:11 remaining in the second quarter.

After that, the Rocks offense got going, advancing the ball from their 20 to the Sterling 20 before Clark-Pugh’s pass was picked off at the Golden Warriors’ 10 yard line.  After gaining their first defensive stop, the Rocks drove 53 yards in 5 plays, capped off by Temar Hudson’s 4-yard TD run.  On those two drives, Clark-Pugh went 6-of-9 for 72 yards.

In the third quarter, Sterling added a field goal, and a touchdown on an 18-yard interception return for a 47-7 lead with 6:29 left in the period, triggering a continuous clock the rest of the game.  Following the kickoff, Hudson broke several tackles on his way to a 60-yard TD scamper.  He finished with 98 yards on 11 carries and was named Rock Island Rocks Hungry Hobo Player of the Game.  WR Elijah Venegas, returning after a one-week absence, totaled 62 yards on 8 catches.

Facing the unbeaten St. Regis Ramblers at Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United Township rallied from a 15-point deficit to tie the game in the fourth quarter.  Then, after falling behind by 7, scored with 2 seconds remaining, but could not convert their two-point conversion try.  As a result, the Panthers suffered their third heartbreaking defeat of the season, 36-35 on Friday, leaving their hopes of landing their first playoff berth in 23 years hanging by a thread.

To make the playoffs, the Panthers (3-5) must win against Galesburg next Friday and hope there are somewhat fewer than 256 teams in the state who finish the season with 5 or more wins.  UT does have one of the highest totals of playoff points (opponents’ wins), which gives them a chance to squeak in at 4-5, IF there are any openings.  Going into Friday’s action, 182 teams already had 5 or more wins.  If 74 more schools get there in the final two weeks, UT has no chance.  Last year, WB6 foe Sterling got in at 4-5 and won their first round game.

Trailing 22-7 in the third quarter, UT got a 32-yard TD pass from Christian Peterson to Bandi Diarra to pull within 22-15.  Then, down 29-15 in the fourth, the Panthers evened the score at 29-all on a 4-yard run by Isaiah Navarrette (followed by a blocked extra point), and, after the defense recovered a fumble, a 10-yard pass from Peterson to Cohen Parsons and a two-point conversion run by Navarette with 5:41 to play.

The Ramblers scored to go up 36-29 with 2:41 left, but the Panthers mounted a last-ditch drive that culminated with a 10-yard throw from Peterson to Jasiah Massey with just :02 remaining on the clock.  Rather than attempt the extra point kick to send the game to overtime, the Panthers chose to go for the win.  But Navarette could not get to the outside, attempted to reverse his field, and was trapped in the backfield.

Peterson finished 25-of-34 passing for 299 yards and four TDs, two of them to Massey, who compiled 112 yards on 10 catches.  Navarrette finished with 94 yards on 16 carries.

The Moline Maroons committed 15 penalties.  They were intercepted twice.  They were gashed by a 27-yard TD run on their opponent’s first possession.  They managed just one score the entire second half.  Oh yeah, and the Moline Maroons rolled to a 40-7 win at Galesburg on Friday night, setting themselves up for a season finale that could earn them a home playoff game and sole possession of second place in the final Western Big 6 standings.

After Maroons QB Eli Taylor threw a 21-yard TD to Alex Rubingh on the opening possession of the game, the Silver Streaks answered with that TD run by Jamar Range, the conference’s leading rusher who entered the game with more than 1,100 yards for the season.

A barrage of Moline offense soon followed.  In less than 13 minutes, the Maroons got touchdown runs of 12 yards by Corbin Schnell, 13 yards by Drew Vandevoorde, 8 yards by Marc Cary following a fumble recovery on kickoff coverage, and 39 yards by Vandevoorde, giving Moline a 33-7 halftime advantage.  Coming into the game with one score on the season, Vandevoorde earned Godfather’s Pizza Moline Maroons Player of the Game honors.

Cary added an 11-yard TD run in the third quarter to cap off the scoring, but the real story of the second half was the Maroons’ defense, which held Range to -4 yards on five carries, and 23 yards on 13 runs for the entire game.  Cary wound up with 86 yards on 14 carries, while Taylor finished 12-for-15 for 172 yards despite the two picks.

The Maroons (6-2, 4-1 in WB6 play) finish the regular season against Sterling (5-3, 4-1) at Browning Field next Friday night.  A win would put Moline at 7-2 and in line for a possible home game in the opening round of the playoffs, while clinching second place in the conference, behind only #2 ranked (in class 7A) Quincy, who finished their conference slate 6-0, beating Geneseo 55-18.

It’s Week 8 of our 11th high school football season. United Township (3-4) tries to get an early start on securing a playoff berth with a huge 5:00 p.m. contest at 8-0 Eau Claire (WI) St. Regis. Meantime, Moline (5-2) sets its sights on a possible home playoff game, as the Maroons visit Galesburg. And, Rock Island (1-6) goes for two straight wins with a matchup at Sterling. Here are the links for Friday’s games:

4:45 p.m. United Township at Eau Claire St. Regis
7:00 p.m. Moline at Galesburg
7:00 p.m. Rock Island at Sterling
Panthers presented by Van Hoe Funeral Home; Maroons presented by Sexton Ford; Rocks presented by Wheelan-Pressly