The Beloit Daily News covered a wide circulation area spanning all rural southern Rock County townships and the northern Illinois region - and reported on games directly from the sidelines - even in cold/rainy weather.
Went as far as utilizing a pencil to make notations in the midst of rainy nights and bundling up in cold weather. The press box is an area I rarely was at and strived to catch all the plays the same way players observed them.
My coverage of high school football took me to Palatine, Ill. and spanned to the northwest in Janesville, Wis. in less than five years.
Using the run to set up the pass, Fremd
High eliminated
November 4, 2006
By Jason Arndt
The News-Sun
PALATINE - Using the run to set up the
pass, Fremd High eliminated visiting Stevenson 20-14 in a IHSA Class
8A second-round playoff game here on Friday. Vikings' quarterback
Mark Tolzien completed 9 of 16 passes for 181 yards and 3 touchdowns
to help his team move into the quarterfinals with a 10-1 record.
Both
teams traded touchdowns in the first half - with Fremd striking last
when Tolzien hooked up with Anthony Sarella for a 41-yard TD pass as
time ran out in the second quarter to tie the game at 14-14.
Tolzien helped the Vikiings open the
scoring with 11:33 left in the second quarter when he tossed a
25-yard TD pass to Tyler Perna for a 7-0 lead.
The lead was shortlived, as Stevenson's
Geoffrey Matthews came up big on a pair of three-down conversion runs
before Dan Dowd powered in from 2-yard out for touchdown to tie the
game at 7-7.
Matthews (16 carries, 85 yards)
continued to come up with key plays offensively for the Patriots with
two runs to move the chains on fourth down in Stevenson's final
scoring drive of the first half.
Matthews found the end zone himself
from 5-yards out to wrap up the drive to give Stevenson a 14-7 lead
with just over a minute to play, but it was enough time for Tolzien
to put the game-tying touchdown on the scoreboard before halftime.
Fremd took the opening kickoff in the
second half and kept possession of the football for close to seven
minutes before Tolzien fired a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jake Smith
on a 4th-and-16 play.
The extra point kick failed, but
Stevenson (8-3) wasn't about to capitalize in the final period.
The Patriots had a golden opportunity
to tie the game late in the fourth quarter when they marched 76 yards
down to the Fremd 4-yard line, but Dowd (25 carries, 137 yards)
fumbled and the Vikings were able to recover the football with 3:59
to play.
Fremd was then able to run out the
clock by converting on a key third down play to end Stevenson's
season.
Dowd leads Pats to big win
October 28, 2006
By Jason Arndt
The News-Sun
LINCOLNSHIRE - Runing back Dan Dowd
scored four touchdowns to help Stevenson High's football team power
past visiting Lane Tech in an IHSA Class 8A playoff clash on Friday.
After scoring four times in the first half, Dowd came down with an
ankle injury midway through the third quarter. Stevenson coach Bill
Mitz said he is not worried about Dowd's injury and should be able to
return to action next week.
Dowd scored an amazing four touchdowns
in the first quarter to help Stevenson (8-2) build a commanding 35-7
lead. Dowd found the end zone on runs of 1-, 7-, 25- and 1-yards.
Stevenson took advantage of a pair of
Lane Tech interceptions to score twice in the opening period.
Patriots' quarterback Kevin Murtha was
also picked off twice in the first half, but he was able to hook up
with Grant McNamara on a 12-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter
to take a 35-14 lead into halftime.
Murtha threw yet another interception
in the third quarter which put Lane Tech in scoring position but Lane
Tech fumbled the ball on the insuing play.
Lane Tech was unable to get
anything done on offense with 21 of it's points coming in special
terams and defensive positions including a 97-yard kickoff return by
Lane Tech defensive back Chris Anton to tie the game at 7 early in
the game.
Stevenson, who advanced to the Class 8A
quarterfinals last season, will travel to Palatine Fremd next weekend
for a second-round playoff contest. The Vikings are the No. 3 seed in
the upper Class 8A bracket, while the Patriots are the No. 6 seed.
Dietrich continues his amazing
interception streak
October 21, 2006
By Jason Arndt
The News-Sun
LAKE ZURICH - Michael Dietrich
continued his amazing interception streak for Lake Zurich High's
football team on Friday, as the Bears stunned visiting Stevenson 35-7
in a North Suburban Conference Lake Division finale. Dietrich has had
picks in six straight games for Lake Zurich (8-1 overall, 5-1 in the
NSC Lake) - including three interception returns for touchdowns.
The junior defensive back had two picks
on Friday - including a 37-yard return for a score - which helped the
Bears reel off 35 unanswered points. Lake Zurich broke a 7-7 tie at
halftime with a 28-point second half.
It was all Stevenson early with a
punishing running attack, as Dan Dowd capped a 54-yard scoring drive
late in the opening quarter with a 1-yard plunge for a 7-0 lead.
Lake Zurich tied the game at 7-7 when
Kyle Skarb countered with a 2-yard TD run with 3:42 left in the first
half.
The Bears took the lead for good on
their first series of the second half when Matt Blanchard ripped off
a 61-yard touchdown run for a 14-7 lead.
Lake Zurich added two more lengthy TD
runs of 55 yards by Adam Simpson and 72 yards by Jon Janus over the
next 10 minutes to build a commanding 28-7 lead with 11:46 left in
the game.
Dietrich then picked off Stevenson
quarterback Kevin Murtha on the Pats' ensuing possession and race in
for a score for the final margin of victory.
Bees earn first win
October 14, 2006
By Jason Arndt
The News-Sun
WAUCONDA - Zion-Benton High's football
team dented the win column for the first time this season, crushing
Wauconda 41-14 here Friday night in a non-conference game. The loss
drops Wauconda to 3-5 overall and knocks them out of playoff
contention. Jeremy Williams rushed for 251 yards and scored on runs
of 7, 55 and 36 yards to lead the Bees' first real offensive
explosion of the season.
Wauconda, which has the area's leading
rusher in junior fullback Brad Wisniewski (32 carries, 152 yards, 1
touchdown) fell behind 28-0 at halftime and never got back into
contention.
Zion's defense played brilliantly,
sacking Steven Kent three times. Kent threw more than 20 times, but
could complete just seven for 85 yards.
Zion's other touchdowns came on a
6-yard pass from Tyler Garbett to Deon Harper, an eight-yard run by
Detrick Washington, and a fumble recovery in the end zone by Tom
Handyside.
No comments:
Post a Comment