Dixon boys win sectional cross country title: Saturday’s Sauk Valley Sports Roundup

Boys cross country

Dukes advance to state as a team: Dixon continued its chase for a Class 2A state title after winning the Lake Villa Sectional with 44 points. Dean Geiger (14:47.95) took third and Averick Wiseman (14:56.32) was fifth for the Dukes.

Kaneland’s Carson Kaiser (14:16.0) took first, and Belvidere North’s Judah Binger (14:41.8) was runner-up individually.

Dixon’s Keegan Shirley (7th), Ethan Carter (15th) and Westin Conatser (17th) rounded out the scoring for Dixon.

Sterling’s Charles Johnson took 37th to wrap up his season.

Class 1A Sherrard Sectional: Oregon’s Daniel Gonzalez was the top area finisher as he took 12th in 15:47.6 to advance to state. Amboy’s Henry Nichols also advanced after taking 15th.

Other locals to advance to state were Rock Falls’ Ian Finney in 23rd and Erie-Prophetstown’s Braeden Punke in 24th. West Carroll’s Roscoe Davies took 35th, and E-P’s Nathan Punk was 38th.

Forreston’s Landon Graden took 64th.

Girls cross country

Dixon’s Daniela Lovett takes third: Lovett advanced to state after clocking a 17:29.35 finish as the only Duchess to advance. Sterling was led by Sophia Davis, who took 73rd as a freshman.

Class 1A Sherrard Sectional: Rock Falls’ Kat Scott ran a personal record 19:16.2 to take 16th and advance to state. She was the only area runner to qualify. Oregon freshman Anya Anaya took 31st, and E-P’s Rozlyn Mosher was 34th. Ashley Rodriguez was 38th, and Brenna Burlack was 40th for the Rockets. Newman’s Grace King was 102nd.

Football

Farmington 10, Eastland-Pearl City 8: The game came down to the final play as the Cougars lined up for a 17-yard field goal to win it. The kick was blocked as 14th-seeded EPC (5-5) nearly pulled off the win against the 10-0 and third-seeded Farmers.

Draven Zier ran for 104 yards, and Deaken Hofmaster threw for 106 yards and was picked off twice. Will Birchen returned a fumble for a touchdown to go with five tackles and a sack.

Milledgeville 66, Meridian 16: The state runners-up ran out to a 66-0 lead at halftime to open the playoffs. Kyson Francis threw three TDs and Spencer Nye threw another in the win. Nye led the Missiles with 105 yards and a score on 11 carries. The top-seeded Missiles will face eight-seeded South Beloit (8-2) in the quarterfinals.

Aurora Christian 37, Erie-Prophetstown 12: The 11th-seeded Panthers (6-4) fell in their Class 2A playoff opener against the sixth-seeded Eagles (8-2). E-P trailed 23-0 at halftime in the setback.

West Carroll 42, West Central 8: The Thunder (8-2) won their eight-man playoff opener for the second straight year and advance to face second-seeded South Fork (10-0).

Lena-Winslow 48, Forreston 22: The Cardinals fell in their Class 1A playoff opener against the third-seeded Panthers (9-1). Forreston, seeded 14th, finishes the season 5-5. The setback was closer than Forreston’s Week 1 50-12 loss in the regular season.

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