Explosive run game, big first half power Winnebago past Rock Falls

Rock Falls' Kohle Bradley (11) eludes a Winnebago tackler on Friday.

ROCK FALLS – The Winnebago Indians pounded the rock consistently to build a 29-point halftime lead, then cruised to a 45-14 victory over the Rock Falls Rockets on Friday night at Hinders Field.

Winnebago took a 6-0 lead with 6:32 to play in the first quarter, as Supreme Muhammad got the edge on a toss play and raced down the right sideline for a 39-yard touchdown run.

Brandon Wiggin put the Indians up 14-0 early in the second quarter, taking a handoff up the middle, then bouncing it outside for another long touchdown run.

With 6:14 to go in the half, Muhammad scored his second touchdown of the game, a 10-yard perimeter run along the right sideline to expand the Indians’ lead to 21-0.

Logan Olson ended up as the leading Winnebago rusher, totaling 113 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Olson broke free for a 23-yard run on a late second-quarter drive, then punched in his first rushing score from 10 yards out on the next play for a 29-0 lead, as 4:14 remained in the half. That was the score at halftime.

Rock Falls' Ethan Hiland (32) leads the tackle on the Winnebago ball carrier on Friday in Rock Falls.

In the second half, Winnebago continued to roll, as Alec Weaver hit Andrew Penticoff on a deep over route for a 38-yard touchdown. The scoring play put the Indians up 36-0 with 9:52 remaining in the third.

Olson wrapped the Winnebago scoring effort with a 32-yard touchdown run with 5:55 to play in the third quarter.

Rock Falls answered with two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Two plays after a Kohle Bradley 25-yard run moved the Rockets to Winnebago’s 5, Easton Canales scored a quarterback keeper from one yard out to cut the deficit to 45-7. With 2:12 to play in regulation, Korbin Oligney scored a 7-yard touchdown run.

Muhammad finished with 80 yards rushing and two touchdowns for the Indians.

Ryan McCord paced Rock Falls on the ground with 53 yards rushing, including runs of 11 and 17 yards.

“We came out not ready to play. I think some of our kids on the team need to do some soul-searching to find out how much this means to them, and get out there and play our best,” Rock Falls coach Kevin Parker said. “We look like we’re not a very well-coached team. We look like we don’t have a whole lot of desire out there, and my answer to that is we turn around on Monday and work as hard as we can and figure out who we can get on the field and who did a good job. We’re going to find a way to give ourselves an opportunity to win a football game next week, and we’re going to do that by working hard.”