| An Okie-dokey win for JCA |
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By DICK GOSS Sports editor Herald News
They called it "Okie".
Whatever, it was a whole lot better than merely okey-doke.
The Joliet Catholic Academy defense, understandably overshadowed by a Hilltopper offense being compared with the best ever in these parts, employed a near-perfect plan Saturday night in eliminating Rock Island 33-7 in a Class 6A state quarterfinal at Memorial Stadium.
The Hilltoppers (11-1) will travel to unbeaten Normal Community next weekend -- likely on Saturday afternoon -- for a clash between the top-rated teams in 6A.
Rock Island's belly-option offense had put up big numbers all season long, but "Okie" greased the skids for the Rocks' equipment turn-in day.
"We put in a new defense for this game; we called it Okie," JCA senior defensive tackle Ryan Stockman said. "It was designed to stop their run. They have big, fast backs."
"I was worried about these guys," JCA coach Dan Sharp said. "I love our three backs (Tyler Hudetz, Brandon Geiss and Connor Krisch), of course, but theirs are just about that good.
"Cory (McLaughlin, the defensive coordinator) and our defensive staff came up with a great scheme. Even Gordie (Gillespie) pitched in on the scheme to stop the belly series. They did some great teaching. Everyone was in tune.
"Sometimes we were in our four-man line, sometimes we shifted into a three-man line. That seemed to bother them. We played good, disciplined defense, which you have to do against the belly series."
JCA was in the unfamiliar and uncomfortable position of leading only 12-7 at halftime. But when the bell rang for the second half, the defense got everything headed in a fresh new direction.
Rock Island (10-2) received the second-half kickoff. On third-and-4, a heavy rush forced Rocks quarterback Ben Sparkman to intentionally ground the ball. A short punt put the Hilltoppers in business at the Rocks' 38, and eight plays later, Krisch crashed into the end zone from a yard out to make it 18-7. The key in the drive was Krisch getting 2 tough yards on fourth-and-a-foot from the 7.
On the Rocks' next series, Sparkman was rocked. Linebacker Josh Greenback came clean on a third-down blitz, leveled Sparkman and forced a throw that outside linebacker Jake Stockman intercepted at the Rock Island 44.
"I didn't get to see the interception," Greenback said. "I crushed the quarterback and was trying to help him up when I heard the crowd noise. Then I knew we intercepted it."
"I was lined up over the nose," Ryan Stockman explained. "He (Greenback) went to the back side and nobody touched him."
The Hilltoppers' offense, with a pep in their step, raced onto the field, and on the first play, quarterback John Ruettiger connected with tight end Sean Sheppard on a 44-yard touchdown pass. Holder Tim Bennett shoveled a pass to Hudetz for the two-point conversion, and JCA suddenly was up 26-7 with 6:16 left in the third quarter.
"It was momentum and intensity," Greenback said of the defensive stands on Rock Island's first two second-half possessions. "We were playing on pure adrenaline."
"I don't have a voice left," Ryan Stockman said.
So where did that all come after a relatively lackluster first half?
"The third quarter was all our seniors, especially our captains," Sharp said. "They fired up the whole group. They talked about this being their last game on this field. They said, 'How do we want to leave it?' I'm so proud of them."
JCA would score again on its next possession, marching 72 yards in seven plays, largely on the legs of Ruettiger, who ran enough successful bootlegs to finish with 80 rushing yards in 7 carries. That more than atoned for a subpar passing night -- 3-of-10 for 64 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Of course, Hudetz has been on a role. Last week against Crete-Monee, he rushed for 282. He solved Rock Island for 218 in 19 carries, giving him an even 500 yards in two games.
Krisch chipped in with 88 yards in 20 carries, all of which helped relieve the pressure of not having fullback Brandon Geiss at 100 percent. Geiss broke his second carry 33 yards for a touchdown, two plays after Hudetz went for 34, to give JCA an early 6-0 lead.
But otherwise, Geiss, with a cast on his right hand, had difficulty holding onto the ball. No matter. Hudetz, Krisch and Ruettiger more than compensated as JCA rushed for 429 yards and totaled 493, slightly better than the amazing 475 average through their first 11 games.
After the Hilltoppers got on the scoreboard first, they threatened to score again after Hudetz's 56-yard run to the Rock Island 28. But on fourth-and-4, Ruettiger's pass to Sheppard near the goal line was a little high and fell just off his fingertips.
Shortly after a Rock Island interception, the Rocks' Charles Nunn, the second man through, broke a 42-yard touchdown run. The successful conversion gave Rock Island a 7-6 lead with 2:01 left in the first quarter.
"The TD play went into mine and (Nick) Clancy's gap," Ryan Stockman said. "We had those B and C gaps. We knew we couldn't give them the fullback, and Josh (Greenback) and Alex (Foreman) took him away."
Exclude the 42-yard scoring run, and Rock Island netted just over 100 total yards against a JCA defensive unit that consisted of tackles Foreman and Ryan Stockman, ends Kyle Kleeman and T.J. Barrett, inside linebackers Clancy and Greenback, outside backers Jake Stockman and Josh Mander, cornerbacks Nick Ratajczak and Mike Budzinski and safety Trent Earl, who just returned this week from injury.
Hudetz's 58-yard return of the kickoff after Rock Island went ahead put JCA in position to regain the lead, and the Hilltoppers delivered with a six-play, 34-yard scoring drive capped by the first of three Krisch touchdowns.
They had the lead, all right. But until the defense stopped a long march that reached the JCA 17 in the second quarter and then provided the oomph in the third quarter, things were a little testy.
Now, they are back to Normal. Next weekend, in fact.
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