Cary-Grove beats Woodstock 30-0
Losing 9 starters from last year's team that advanced to the Class 6A quarterfinals, Cary-Grove defensive coordinator Don Sutherland wasn't sure what to expect from his 2007 unit.
The veteran coach has been pleasantly surprised.
Pitching their third shutout in the last 4 games, the third-seeded Trojans dumped No. 14 Woodstock 30-0 in a first round game of the IHSA Class 7A playoffs held at Cary-Grove's Al Bohrer Field. The game, played in a steady mist, was delayed 25 minutes in the second quarter due to a power outage.
"This summer we were putting a lot of different kids in different positions and weren't sure who was going to play where," said Sutherland. "The defense has been outstanding all season. Tonight, we made a few adjustments from last week and the kids played well."
The Trojans (9-1), winners of the 8 straight, advance to the second round and will host number 6 Chicago De La Salle. Game time will likely be Friday at 7 p.m. De La Salle defeated McHenry 36-0 Friday.
Cary-Grove's defense held Woodstock (5-5) to 50 yards rushing and only 6 first downs.
Under heavy pressure all night, Woodstock quarterback Derek Brown managed only 5 completions in 26 attempts for 76 yards and was picked off twice. Alex Maloney and Matt Nelsen intercepted passes for the Trojans.
Nelsen also had a fumble recovery and Mike Matthiesen registered a sack.
"I was able to get the interception because of great pressure by the defensive line," said Maloney. "They had great pursuit all night. I was in the right place and the ball fell into my hands."
The Cary-Grove offense, which had only 10 points early in the fourth quarter, finally broke loose for 3 touchdowns in an 8:33 span.
Kyle Gray, who scored on a 29-yard run early in the second quarter, scored from 11 yards out with 9:53 remaining. Gray ended with 72 yards on 11 carries.
"Woodstock is an underrated team and their defense played tough," said Gray, "But, we were well prepared to play and finally were able to get something going offensively in the fourth quarter."
Andrew Schuh gave the Trojans a 23-0 lead with 4:17 left on a 34-yard run and reserve running back Chris Thompson scored from 3 yards out with 1:45 left to close out the scoring.
Marcus Kerrigan kicked his third field goal in 2 games with a 27-yarder, which Gave Cary-Grove a 3-0 lead.
The Trojans, who gained 291 yards on 56 attempts, were led by Eric Chandler with 129 yards on 23 carries. Schuh added 79 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown.
"Our offense really struggled for a little over three quarters," said Cary-Grove coach Bruce Kay. "Our defense was outstanding and kept us in the game before the offense could get going in the fourth quarter. I was happy with the way our kids competed. They were well prepared and came out and played with great emotion."