The Times Week 2 Football Notebook: Big numbers for Ottawa, Marquette; Sandwich-Plano back and a big one

Ottawa’s point total in its 41-0 victory over rival Streator in the programs’ 102nd meeting Friday night was near the top of the charts in the all-time series.

The Pirates’ 41 points are tied for the seventh most in a game against the Bulldogs. The contest marked the third-highest margin of victory for Ottawa over Streator – with a 54-0 win in 1968 and a 53-0 triumph in 1913 holding the top two spots – and third-highest point total in a shutout. It was also the Pirates’ 18th shutout of the Bulldogs in the series.

First quarter sets the tone for Marquette: If Marquette had its confidence shaken with a Week 1 running-clock loss at Aurora Christian, it didn’t take the Crusaders long to get it back in their home-opening 56-6 win over Madison in Week 2 … with a little help from the visiting Trojans.

A 22-yard return of the opening kickoff by Pete McGrath and a first-down 19-yard burst by Jacob Smith sent the hosts to their first TD of the season, a 7-yard run by Smith. The MA offense rolled to 411 total yards from there, while the defense got a little help from Madison’s nine penalties for 50 yards – eight for 45 yards on offense – in the first quarter alone. The Trojans finished with 12 momentum-stopping penalties for 70 yards, making it easier for the Cru defense to limit the Trojans to minus-1 yard rushing on 17 tries and 84 yards overall.

Plano, Sandwich ‘mirror images’: Plano coach Rick Ponx said he’s been trying to downplay this week’s game at Sandwich, the 112th meeting of the War on 34 and first since 2019, but the veteran coach doesn’t need to be reminded what’s at stake Friday. This will be the programs’ first meeting since Ponx’s first season at Plano. Sandwich, which won that game 36-7, leads the series dating to 1897 by a count of 55-52 with four ties.

“We’re excited to play in it,” Ponx said.

There are similarities between the two 2-0 teams besides the small batch of real estate separating the two schools.

Both hang their hat on running the football. And both have game-breakers out of the backfield, Simeion Harris for Sandwich and Waleed Johnson for Plano. Johnson ran for 210 yards in Friday’s 29-0 win over Manteno, and that doesn’t count a 40-yard touchdown called back on a penalty. Harris, a junior, has gone over 100 yards in each of Sandwich’s first two games.

“I think we are mirror images of each other,” Ponx said. “Offensively we have superstar kids who can score and break it from anywhere on the field. Both defenses fly around to the football and pursue hard. I think it’s an evenly matched game. If I was making the line, it would be a pick-’em. Very good teams, well coached. I think our kids expect to win, and they expect to win, too. We have to go in and take care of the football, no penalties, simple stuff.”

Mortenson eerily solid again against Streator: Last year as a junior, Ottawa quarterback Colby Mortenson helped lead the Pirates from down 14 points to a 42-14 win against Streator, as he went 11-for-13 passing for 146 yards.

He was a huge factor again in Friday’s Pirates victory, this time more with his feet after scoring four touchdowns, but he again completed 11 of his 13 passes, this time for 157 yards.

It is also believed that Mortenson’s four rushing TDs are the most in a game for an Ottawa quarterback. The only possible player who may hold the record would be Clarence Leipold, who scored six touchdowns against Morris in a game in 1912, but research has yet to find if all of Leipold’s scores were by rushing, if he may have thrown/caught some, or if he played the quarterback position in the game.

A numbers game for Crusaders: The sizable crowd on hand for Marquette’s Gould Stadium opener witnessed the battle between two schools with the smallest enrollments still playing 11-man football. According to the IHSA, Marquette is playing with a student body of 154; Madison of 155.

Strong second half a bit of redemption for FCW: Aside from an 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the first half of Friday’s 20-17 loss to St. Thomas More was a rough one for the Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland Falcons.

Case in point: By half’s end, two-thirds of FCW’s 21 offensive snaps went for no gain or negative yardage, including a pair of drops – one in the end zone – by junior receiver Connor Reed.

While they didn’t ultimately get the win, Reed and his Falcons teammates redeemed themselves in the second half. FCW outgained the Sabers 177-7 in second-half yards from scrimmage, with 43 of those coming on a TD completion from QB Seth Jones to Reed, who finished leading the team in receiving.

“I just kept telling Connor, ‘Hey, move on, next one you’re going to get,’ " FCW coach Todd Reed said of his son, “and I told Seth, ‘Come right back to him.’ We thought we had a mismatch with him and the DB that was on him at times, and that’s where we wanted to capitalize with his speed.

“He never gave up. You’ve just got to fight through those drops and keep plugging away.”