Carter York, Burke Gautcher connection power Sycamore past Woodstock

SYCAMORE — Sycamore exploded with a big play bonanza against the visiting Woodstock Blue Streaks.

The Spartans bombarded the Blue Streaks 42-0 thanks to quarterback Burke Gautcher and his connection to receiver Carter York.

[ Photos: Woodstock at Sycamore ]

York and Gautcher connected on touchdown passes of 65 and 35 yards.

In the second quarter with the Spartans (3-0, 1-0 Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 White)  already up 14-0, Gautcher unleashed a deep bomb to York.  York had slipped behind the defense and strode into the end zone to put the Spartans up big early.

“Me and him go back to freshman year, just slinging it to him,” Gautcher said. “We had a really good connection freshman year and now we get to bring it up to varsity, which is fun.”

On the opening possession of the third quarter, Gautcher hit York again.  This time the ball was sent up from 35 yards out and hit a streaking York in stride in the back of the end zone.  That score put the Spartans up 28-0.

“We got some things going in our passing game,” Sycamore coach Joe Ryan said. “We haven’t thrown the ball much in our first couple of games, so we wanted to come out and do some things in the passing game.”

The duo connected for 130 yards on five passes and two touchdowns in the game.

Gautcher and York weren’t the only ones putting up big plays.

In the first quarter after the Blue Streaks’ second possession of the game, Aiden Wyzard fielded a punt from midfield for the Spartans, and followed some big blocks as raced down the sideline for the score.

“It was nice to see Aiden Wyzard return that punt,” Ryan said. “He is fast. It was good to see him get a score.”

Tyler Curtis carried the rushing load for the Spartans, ripping off big runs of 20 and 35 yards. He finished the game with 141 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown.

For Woodstock (0-3, 0-1), it seemed like anything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

“When you’re playing Sycamore, a lot of things have to go your way,” Woodstock coach Mike Brasile said. “You have to have some calls go your way and some balls bounce your way, but they didn’t for us today.”

The Blue Streaks fumbled the ball in early in the first quarter and receiver Charlie Gilmore picked it up and ran it near the goal line, but there was an inadvertent whistle, which blew the play dead.

Gilmore then started to get things going quarterback Caden Thompson, connecting on a 35-yard pass, but hurt his ankle on another play and didn’t play in the second half.

“A kid twisted him down awkwardly on one of our screen passes,” Brasile said. “That was unfortunate. He’s a difference maker and we have to get the ball in his hands more.”

Gilmore finished the game with 60 yards on four catches.

The Blue Streaks got a drive going in the second quarter on a 35-yard run by Max Miller, but a fumble three plays later ended the drive.

Lining up for a field goal late in the game just to put some points on the board, the Blue Streaks fumbled the snap and were left with another shutout against the Spartans.