Max Miller’s 92-yard TD run caps Woodstock victory over Ottawa

WOODSTOCK – All Max Miller wanted to do – all he needed to do – was gain three yards for a first down.

Instead, the Woodstock senior broke through the line of scrimmage and found himself in the clear. By the time he stopped running – 92 yards later – the Blue Streaks had turned a precarious one-point lead into a 14-6 Kishwaukee River-Interstate 8 White Division victory over Ottawa on a windy Saturday afternoon at Larry Dale Field.

“It was designed to get me outside, but I got a great wham block from Landen (Stoltz) on their linebacker and there was a huge hole for me,” Miller said. “I just ran as fast as I could. I was hoping nobody would catch me from behind and cause me to fumble.”

Miller’s run was the game’s longest play and turned an otherwise mediocre day into a 12-carry, 143-yard performance as the Blue Streaks (3-6, 2-4) capped a solid end-of-season run that saw them win three of their last four games.

“This game was like a metaphor for our season. We started 0-5 and just got better,” Woodstock coach Mike Brasile said. “Today, we started terribly and did not execute well, and then found something in the second half and just simply executed better.”

Woodstock, in fact, managed a meager 28 total yards in the first half – and fumbled the ball away twice – but came out in the second half and put up 160 yards on the ground with Miller’s 92 accounting for a bulk of that effort.

Blue Streaks defensive tackle Andrew Ryan sealed the verdict after Miller’s long run with a quarterback sack in the game’s final seconds.

Ottawa (3-6, 1-5) found considerable offensive success, rushing for 99 yards and passing for 186, but only managed to score once – a 56-yard pass from Colby Mortensen (11 for 15, 187 yards) to Ryder Miller (two receptions, 56 yards) on its opening drive of the day.

The Pirates hurt their own chances with penalties, racking up more than 100 yards in assessments.

“It was an uncharacteristic game for us in terms of penalties, and that was an issue with us today – hurting ourselves,” Ottawa coach Chad Gross said. “We had a lot of opportunities to get points, but couldn’t seem to put them on the board. (Woodstock) made a good call [on Miller’s run] and ended up making one more play than we did.”

Woodstock took a 7-6 lead early in the third quarter when Caden Thompson ran in from the 1 with 7:20 to play in the period. Ottawa looked poised to take the lead in the fourth quarter when it took the ball from the 11:49 mark down to the 2:01 juncture. However, it fumbled on the Woodstock 2 and the ball was recovered by Edgar Arana III. Three plays later, Miller busted loose for his critical score.

“A game like this helps us set the tone for next year,” Brasile said. “Back in 2019 we beat North in an upset in the last game of the season and that set us up for a 4-2 season in the 2020 [Covid spring] season. I’m hopeful this sparks us in the same way.”