Blake Kersting catches early TD, Yorkville ‘D’ makes it stand in shutout of Minooka

YORKVILLE – Yorkville didn’t allow a first down until midway through the second quarter and came up with a huge stop on a fourth down to shut out Minooka, 7-0, on Friday.

The Foxes (7-1, 3-1) scored their lone touchdown early in the second quarter and made it hold up for a Southwest Prairie Conference West Division victory on a rainy Senior Night in Yorkville.

“Our defense has been the story all year for us, and I can’t say enough good things about them,” Yorkville coach Dan McGuire said. “Minooka is a great team and anytime you can be in a ballgame and compete against a program like that you are doing something right.”

Minooka (5-3, 2-2) had more first downs in its opening drive of the second half than it had in the entire first half, but Yorkville defensive lineman Jake Davies and linebacker Blake Kersting combined to deny the Indians on a 4th and 1 on the Yorkville 24-yard line.

The Indians wouldn’t put together another drive like it.

“We went in and saw what they were trying to do so came out with a different package for that and it opened up some things and we started moving with the ball,” Minooka coach Matt Harding said. “As you get down towards the goal line, obviously defenses change, it gets a little bit tighter, there’s not as much room down there and they came out with a fourth down stop, and their kids are tough. Their seven is one of the best probably around.”

The Foxes had a chance to make it a two-possession game late in the third quarter, but Hudson Fiene’s 30-yard field goal attempt sailed right. Fiene would bounce right back from his miss, booting a 46-yard punt that pinned the Indians down at their own 8-yard line with 3:06 remaining in the third quarter.

A tremendous 33-yard reception by Connor Chrisensen on a pass from Gavin Dooley had the Indians driving midway through the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t convert a 4th down and 6 on their 36-yard line and they wouldn’t get the ball back as Zeman led the offense in eating up the final 6:23 of the game.

Zeman helped set up the lone scoring drive of the game, which was a quick one.

The Foxes won the battle of field position throughout the first half and started their scoring drive on their own 49-yard line after Minooka punted to open the second quarter. Zeman’s provided the prelude for the score, rushing for 15 yards to the 18-yard line before Michael Dopart connected with senior Kersting in the corner of the end zone with 10:23 remaining in the second quarter.

“I think our quickness frazzled them a little bit and then we put Blake in the corner,” Zeman said. “He’s a receiver that can do that in the corner of the end zone.”

Kersting, who also played a huge role at linebacker, thought he might be see the ball come his way.

“As soon as the play was called I knew there was a good chance it was coming to me,” Kersting said. “So my job was just get open find the ball and catch it. It’s kind of what I just did.”

The Indians didn’t get a first down until Dooley found senior Joseph Partridge for a 9-yard reception to convert a third down midway through the second quarter.

They’d convert another on their next drive before getting the ball right back after Troy Hudak recovered a punt at the Yorkville 37-yard line with 1:09 left before halftime. They attempted four pass plays, all incomplete, including on fourth down with the Foxes pressuringDooley to throw the ball away.

“I thought our defense had a pretty solid game besides a couple misreads,” Harding said. “They kids played hard and it’s the outcome that happens.”