Though the Maroons kept fighting until the end, ultimately it was key turnovers that cost Moline a chance to make the playoffs, in a 22-17 defeat at Sterling in Friday night’s season finale. According to Steve Soucie of Friday Night Drive, who tracks playoff possibilities closely, all 5-4 teams in the state will make the playoffs, so Moline (4-5, 2-4 in WB6) would have gotten into the Class 7A postseason with a win. Ironically, Sterling (4-5, 4-2) DID make it in Class 5A, according to Soucie, with a strong non-conference schedule tipping the balance their way.
Cale Ledergerber opened the scoring with a 5-yard run to make it 7-0 Sterling in the 1st quarter. The Maroons answered with a 42-yard TD pass from Elijah Taylor to Zander Ealy to tie the score with 0:49 left in the opening period. Taylor, though, was intercepted with the ball returned for a touchdown with 3:12 to go in the 2nd, and it was 13-7 Sterling at the half.
After a Sterling field goal, Pablo Perez gave the Maroons a 6-yard TD run with 5:43 left in the 3rd to make it 16-14. In the 4th quarter, Charlise Martel put Moline in front for the first time, 17-16, with a 20-yard field goal with 8:43 left. But on their first play after the kickoff, Sterling QB Drew Nettleton threw a pass that receiver Dylan Ottens was able to rip away from the Moline defender and go 62 yards for the score to make it 22-17 Sterling. A Golden Warriors interception with just over a minute left sealed the victory.
Perez finished with 123 yards rushing, giving him 972 for the season, including his 14th touchdown of the year. Corbin Schnell ran for 58 yards and ends the year with 714 yards on the ground.