Sycamore sends Burlington to 2nd loss

Burlington Central football coach Aaron Wichman still believes that his team is a playoff caliber squad, despite losing for the second time to start the season.

The Rockets fell to Sycamore 40-9 in a nonconference game Friday at Rocket Hill.

"We still have 80 percent of our games left," said Wichman. "It is easy to get down but I told them we will go on from this and build."

The Spartans' Marckie Hayes (7 rushes, 143 yards) got his team on the board with a 46-yard run in the first quarter.

"(Hayes) is built low to the ground," added Wichman. "He has a low center of gravity. I told the kids that he looked strong on game films but I guess we didn't expect him to be that strong."

Sycamore's Ryan Bartels threw a 39-yard TD strike to CJ Compher to build the lead to 14-0 on the Spartans' next possession of the game. Then on their fourth possession Bartels connected with Eric Ray for a 5-yard pass and score.

The Rockets' Brandon Westergaard blocked the point after attempt.

Sycamore's final score of the first half came when the Rockets' Tim Maroder (3 for 11, 16 yards, 2 INTs) threw an interception that was picked off by Sycamore's Hayes for an 84-yard TD return.

The Rockets first got on the board in the third quarter on a bad snap that went over Sycamore's Trevor Mathey. Mathey picked it up and ran out of the end zone to make the score 40-2.

Wichman did see some encouragement from the game and that was the running of Evan Billek. Billek scored Burlington's only touchdown of the game on a 3-yard run to cut the score to 40-9 after the Tim Vincent kick.

"Billek ran the ball harder," said Wichman. "I was encouraged with the way he was running the ball for us."