Football Notebook: Spring season already nearing end for many, including Fieldcrest

As quickly as it arrived this 2021 spring football season is about to conclude for a handful of teams.

Most conferences decided for themselves how many of the IHSA-permitted six games during this COVID-19-delayed and reduced season their schools would play, with considerations such as the number of student-athletes available to fill rosters and overlapping seasons weighing heavily in those decisions.

So, while many schools just hit the halfway mark of a six-game slate, others are preparing to wind down their seasons and transition completely into traditional boys spring sports such as baseball, tennis and track and field.

The Illinois Central Eight, which includes Streator, has only two games remaining. The Heart of Illinois is playing only a four-game schedule, meaning this Friday’s home game against El Paso-Gridley will be the last of the season for the state-ranked and undefeated Fieldcrest Knights, who knocked off fellow state-ranked powerhouses Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley in Week 1 and Eureka on Saturday night.

Friday’s matchup with EPG will be the only game this season the Knights play under their own lights at Veterans Stadium.

It’s a good bet Fieldcrest will be ready.

“Our family rises above, all 11 guys we have on the field and honestly all 40 guys that we have on this roster,” said head coach Mike Freeman after the win in Eureka. “This [win over Eureka] is the best thing other than Gibson [City-Melvin-Sibley] and then last week against Dee-Mack and then this week at Eureka and then next week against El Paso[-Gridley].

“It just keeps getting bigger and bigger, and our football family is embracing that.”

– J.T. Pedelty

Surprise proves costly for Crusaders

A big turning point in Marquette Academy’s 36-14 loss at Princeville on Friday night came not on an offensive or defensive play, but on a kick.

The Princes had just gone ahead with a 30-yard touchdown run by fullback Hunter Boland and a PAT kick from RJ Ahten. On the ensuing kickoff, Ahten dropped in a perfect onside kick that caught the Crusaders napping.

It was recovered by Princeville’s Job Feucht right at the 50-yard line to give the hosts the ball right back. Six plays later, Boland scored again, this time from 10 yards out to make it 22-8 less than four minutes after it had been tied at 8.

– Charlie Ellerbrock

Area standouts make FND Team of the Week

Three area players – all on defense – were nominated for and selected to the Week 3 Friday Night Drive Team of the Week.

La Salle-Peru defensive lineman Levi Reed (2 1/2 quarterback sacks, 6 tackles for loss), Fieldcrest defensive lineman Zach Cremer (1 1/2 quarterback sacks, 1 TFL) and Hall linebacker Dominic Guerrini (1 sack, 2 TFLs, kickoff recovery) all were voted to the FND team after strong Week 3 performances.

Voting opens Sundays and runs through Monday evening weekly at FridayNightDrive.com.

– J.T. Pedelty

Rough day for Miller, Pirates

Ottawa junior quarterback Braiden Miller, who had been extremely efficient passing through the first two weeks, spent most of Saturday’s loss to Morris trying to avoid DEs Devin Bailey and Matthew Luke, and his numbers suffered because of the pressure. Miller was 6 of 18 for 57 yards with two INTs after completing 27 of 38 for 277 yards and no INTs over the first two weeks. It didn’t help that OHS lineman Ethan Swords missed time after re-injuring his ankle.

Despite the disparity in overall yardage (Morris 396, Ottawa 132) and yards per offensive run play (Morris 69 plays, 5.7 per, Ottawa 45 plays, 2-9 per) in the 35-6 home loss, the time of possession was remarkably close (Redskins 24:27, Pirates 23:33).

– Charlie Ellerbrock

Positives, but too many ‘negatives’ for Bulldogs

Throughout the season, the Streator Bulldogs have shown flashes of an efficient attack with big-play potential that new head coach and former all-state quarterback Kyle Tutt envisions his offense becoming.

Consistency moving the ball forward on a snap-to-snap bases, however, has eluded the Bulldogs with penalties and negative plays preventing the offense from building momentum. Of 47 offensive snaps in Thursday’s home loss to Herscher, 21 went for zero or negative yards.

The Bulldogs finished with 117 yards (99 rushing, 18 passing) on those 47 plays.

– J.T. Pedelty

Fighting Irish defense shows solid improvement

After having the start of its season pushed back a week, Seneca opened against offensive juggernaut Clifton Central two weeks ago and allowed 62 points and 465 total yards (11.6 yards a play), and the Comets converted on all five third-down situations.

Friday night in their home opener, the Irish defense showed vast improvement and was pretty solid despite an overtime loss to Watseka. Seneca held the Warriors, who had scored 76 points in their first two games, to 14 in regulation, 242 total yards (4.5 a play), 2 of 10 on third down and they forced seven punts. The hosts also made the visitors earn their two first-half scores, forcing 10- and 11-play drives to find the end zone.

Seneca’s “D” will face another challenge this week as Momence comes to town after scoring 50 points last week.

– Brian Hoxsey

FCW sees changes of Week 4 opponent

Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland’s scheduled 8-man game this Friday against North Fulton has been canceled.

Instead, the Falcons – who missed their Week 3 game due to COVID-19 protocols – scheduled a visit to Champaign St. Thomas More for Saturday. A few hours later they were forced to alter their plans again, now they are playing Hanover River Ridge at 6 p.m. Friday in Flanagan.

FCW is 1-1.

– J.T. Pedelty