Bureau Valley rides Goossens, right side of line to win over Sherrard

Bureau Valley trailed for 35 minutes of Friday night’s Three Rivers Conference crossover game with Sherrard.

The Storm, however, came through when it counted the most, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 2:49 remaining on a 20-yard run by Mason Goossens to rally for a 20-14 victory.

Gossens scored all three touchdowns as the Storm won for the first time this season.

BV senior lineman Ayize Martin and Goossens said the Storm played with a great, never-give-up attitude.

“This means that we’re going to keep grinding all season, no matter what. In the heat, in the snow, we’re going to keep going. Never give up,” Martin said.

“We never gave up all four quarters of the game. It’s awesome,” Goossens said.

It was Martin, the Storm’s big 6-foot-4, 270-pound lineman, best know as “Z,” who made the defensive play of the game with a blocked punt at the end of the third quarter. Elijah Endress’ return put the Storm in business on the Sherrard 10-yard line.

“I was cramping, I couldn’t do it, and I just said [heck with] it. I’m out. I’m going,” Martin said.

“That was just a huge play by one pf our best players,” BV coach Mat Pistole said. “We knew he was capable of doing that, right, so we kind of put him in that position. Man, he came through.”

Goossens said that was the play that put the Storm over the edge.

“I knew after that moment, it was our game,” Goossens said.

Goossens scored three plays later on a 1-yard run with 11 minutes remaining. The Storm were stopped on the conversion run but had pulled within 14-12.

Goossens, who did not play last year, had more tricks up his sleeve, scoring the go-ahead touchdown from 20 yards out with 2:49 left. Goossens, who rushed for 73 yards on 14 carries, added the conversion run to make it 20-14.

“We just kept running basically the same play. I just said a little prayer to the man upstairs. I just kept running, never stopped my feet. I saw the green grass ahead and it was over,” Goossens said.

“We were going to ride that right side. Jon Dybek was a man possessed, and Aidan Morris did a tremendous job [on the line], and Mason got behind them,” Pistole said. “Little Rob Novak, first-ever football game tonight. He was playing that running back position and he was lead blocking like he was 250 pounds.”

Sherrard scored late in the first quarter on a 1-yard run by quarterback Holland Anderson and again early in the second quarter on a 11-yard run by Bailey Nelson to go up 14-0.

The Tigers did not score again, as the Storm tightened their belts defensively.

The Storm also got their offensive going, mounting a 13-play, 61-yard scoring drive with Goossens having the honors with a 1-yard touchdown to make it 14-6 at the half.

Goossens said it was hard coming back from last week’s 33-12 loss at Villa Grove, but knew “we all had it in us. We just had to put forth a little more effort and tonight we showed that we could.”

Pistole and the Storm coaching staff challenged their team to pick up their game this week.

“When we turned on [last week’s] film, we just saw things that weren’t characteristic of these kids and we knew how much more they were capable of and we really challenged them. And you can see tonight they rose to the occasion and what they did,” he said.

“We talked about being more mentally tough this week and they really came out. I’m speechless. I’m so proud the way they responded this week”.

The Storm (1-1) will host Mendota next Friday to open Three Rivers Conference East Division play. The Bureau Valley JV will play at Sherrard at 5:30 p.m. Monday.