Sterling’s Brady Berlin and Jack Saathoff lead passing game

Despite a 36-20 loss to Moline to open Western Big 6 Conference play last Friday, the Golden Warriors’ passing game showed it can create explosive plays.

Junior quarterback Brady Berlin threw for a career-high 229 yards on 19 of 27 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Two of those TDs went to Jack Saathoff, including a highlight-reel 28-yarder in the corner of the end zone. Saathoff finished with six catches for 91 yards. Maurice De La Cruz also had a 27-yard catch and run for a score.

“Every game this season it feels like he’s getting better and better,” coach Jon Schlemmer said of Berlin.

Berlin is 35 of 50 passing with 399 yards and seven TDs, no interceptions in three games this season.

Moline was able to pull away in the win after running for 396 yards. Marc Cary had a 45-yard rushing TD with just a second left before halftime in the game, finishing with 158 yards rushing and two scores. Sterling trailed 16-0 in the loss.

Newman’s Asher Ernst is enjoying new team, role

Playing a new position on a new team this season, Asher Ernst came up big in Newman’s 49-14 win over Erie-Prophetstown on Saturday afternoon.

Ernst, a 6-foot-3 transfer and standout basketball player for Morrison, previously played defensive end and outside linebacker. Now a safety for the Associated Press Class 1A third-ranked Comets, Ernst had two interceptions and a 14-yard reception in the Three Rivers Rock win.

“It’s definitely a new role, but I’m fitting into it great, having a great time out there,” Ernst said. “The coaches are doing a great job of putting me in the right places.”

Ernst’s early defensive play got Newman off to a good start after a slow one in last week’s 35-18 win over Mendota. Jungerman’s second rushing TD helped make it 14-0 and Evan Bushman’s TD pass to Parker Strommen made it 21-0 after Ayden Gutierrez’s PAT kick.

Newman coach Mike LeMay said Ernst has fit well on the team and has been a natural in the secondary.

“As a basketball player you can kind of see how he goes up for the ball,” he said. “He was really good on a couple of those pass plays and two really important picks, so that was awesome.”

Another Morrison transfer, Rylan Alvarado, had two rushing touchdowns for Newman. He had 50 yards rushing to lead the backfield ahead of Matthew Blackert (33 yards) and Danny Welte (26).

Dixon bounces back with 70-point outing

Landon Knigge and the Dukes bounced back in a major way following the loss to top-ranked Byron. Dixon scored on every drive in a 70-0 Big Northern Conference win over Rock Falls in its home opener.

“We had something to prove,” Knigge said. “We had to do something really good offensively and defensively. We were so psyched, so ready to go play football, and we just needed to get out there, get back in our own headspace and be a winning team again.”

Defensively, Dixon held the Rockets to just 24 yards on 28 plays and forced three turnovers.

Knigge finished with 157 yards and five TDs on just nine carries.

Through three games, he has 441 yards rushing on 41 carries for an average of 10.8 yards per attempt.

Area scoreboard

Dixon 70, Rock Falls 0

Moline 34, Sterling 20

Newman 49, Erie-Prophetstown 14

Byron 35, Oregon

Forreston 36, Fulton 28

Galena 27, Eastland-Pearl City 16

Du-Pec 55, Morrison 7

Knoxville 31, Bureau Valley 8

Amboy 56, Bushnell-Prairie City 6

Polo 30, West Carroll 20

Milledgeville 64, Ashton-Franklin Center 6