Rochelle uses ground game to knock Johnsburg from Class 4A playoffs

JOHNSBURG – It may be easy to predict, but it’s incredibly difficult to stop Rochelle.

The Skyhawks had two opportunities against the Hubs this season and struggled in different ways, the second being a 34-22 loss in the Class 4A second round Friday night.

Unlike the first meeting – a 60-34 Hubs thumper back in Week 3 – 15th-seeded Johnsburg protected against the big play and managed to hang within one possession most of the game. But this time it was the barrage of little 4- or 5-yard runs on third down that marked the end of a 6-5 season.

Regardless, Johnsburg coach Sam Lesniak couldn’t be prouder of the effort his kids showed in their bid to reach the quarterfinals after starting 1-3.

“They played with heart tonight,” Lesniak said. “They battled to the last snap, and you could see it in their eyes. There was a mentality going into the game. They wanted to make sure they did everything they could to give themselves a chance.

“That was a physical game there.”

Rochelle (9-2) couldn’t be stopped on this night, controlling the clock and watching the Skyhawks slowly bleed. The Hubs totaled 342 total yards of offense, all on the ground, and were an impressive 10 for 11 on third down while never punting.

Eric Metzger led that attack with 158 yards rushing while Garrett Gensler had 95 yards and two scores.

“That’s just the deal. If we are able to execute and clean things up and staying on or ahead of schedule, then it’s a tough offense to stop,” Rochelle coach Kyle Kissack said. “We can sit on the ball and like in the first quarter eat up eight minutes. But that only happens if you are staying ahead of schedule.”

Despite that attack, the Skyhawks managed to hang close by matching Rochelle in the first half. A.J. Bravieri threw two touchdown passes in the half, the second of which was a 20-yarder to Braden Olson and gave Johnsburg a 16-14 lead with 3:51 to play in the half.

Rochelle answered right before the half with a big 35-yard chunk play from Metzger and added a 12-yard scoring run from Gensler in the third quarter following a critical turnover to make it 28-16. Still, Johnsburg made one final push early in the fourth as a 4-yard touchdown run by Jake Metze pulled the Skyhawks within 28-22 with 6:52 to play.

However, the ensuing onside kick failed, and Rochelle scored eight plays later to all but lock up the contest.

“We lost today, but I’m so proud of this team,” said senior offensive lineman and captain Jacob Welch. “We played way better than Week 3 against them last time. We were more physical. We cared more. We played our tails off. There is nothing for me to be upset about.”