Waubonsie Valley powers past Neuqua Valley to the football quarterfinals
Waubonsie Valley coach Paul Murphy said Max Ihry would run the ball until he dropped. Unfortunately for Neuqua Valley, Ihry didn't drop.
The senior running back ran all eight plays - plus a 15-yard pass interference penalty - of the Warriors' 81-yard, game-winning touchdown drive.
Ihry took quarterback Jack Connolly's handoff from the 3-yard line and met a defensive lineman a yard deep in the backfield, great penetration. Ihry took the blow and bulled in with 6:15 left to play.
"I got stood up, I just kept my feet chopping, I just spun out of it and found a way in," Ihry said.
Lee Bell's kick gave No. 30 seed Waubonsie Valley a 21-14 lead that secured the second-round Class 8A victory over the 19th-seeded Wildcats. Waubonsie hosts next week's quarterfinal against No. 6 Naperville Central, a 49-22 winner over Warren on Friday.
One might say the game-winning drive was all Ihry, but Ihry wouldn't.
"The whole team played with heart, the whole team played amazing today, so I don't think it should be put on a single person because it was a team win," said Ihry, who ran 36 times for 190 yards behind offensive linemen Brandon Porter, Corey McKnight, Tyler Caldwell, Quinton Zielke and Dan Dominiak.
Waubonsie Valley (7-4) recovered from a 14-0 deficit. Neuqua Valley (7-4) opened the scoring on Jack Stankoven's 51-yard pass to Brett Borske at 10:18 of the first quarter. The Wildcats went up two scores on Nick Osikowicz's 2-yard run at 8:05 of the second.
Typifying a mindset that beat No. 3 seed Edwardsville, Waubonsie Valley didn't pack it in.
"When they believe that they can win they will fight tooth and nail to find a way to get it done," Murphy said. "Just look at the teams we've beaten, we've beaten nothing but quality football teams all year long. It's about believing - and they believed."
Waubonsie gained momentum 1:20 before halftime on Connolly's 15-yard option keeper to pull within 14-7.
"We ran that play all night. Usually it was a give to Max," said Connolly, who completed 5 of his 7 passes for 62 yards.
The Warriors kept the mojo when they marched 81 yards on the first possession of the third quarter to tie 14-14. Throwing on the run from 9 yards out, Connolly found Jake Schroeder dragging the end zone at 5:06 of the third.
"It definitely gave us a lot of momentum coming out after halftime and being able to score before they were able to," Warriors center Caldwell said. "It definitely took a lot of wind out of them, that's for sure."
Stankoven passed for 234 yards, including 64 to Borske and 42 to Owen Piche, but Waubonsie's defense allowed but 82 yards rushing led by DeVaughn Welch with 32.
"We struggled to establish the run," said Neuqua coach Bill Ellinghaus. "Give credit to their defense. And we had a hard time stopping Max. He's a horse. He runs hard."