Batavia knocks off DeKalb
In most cases, if your offense had run only seven plays from scrimmage midway through the second quarter, you'd figure it was fairly ineffective.
But Batavia's offense was anything but on Friday night, scoring four times in those seven plays to ignite a 40-6 Western Sun Conference rout over visiting DeKalb.
Batavia (2-6, 1-5) notched its first conference win of the season as sophomore tailback Danny Seiton caused most of the damage, compiling 184 yards rushing and notching three long touchdown runs.
"The line did a great job tonight," Seiton said. "It was all about them giving me a little hole and letting me get into the secondary, and I will do the rest."
The Bulldogs staggered out the gate when DeKalb (1-7, 0-6) took the opening kickoff and drove 72 yards for the game's first score. A 48-yard, third-down pass reception by Javon Scruggs set up a 17-yard burst to the end zone by Spencer Blank-Jones on a draw play.
Batavia struck back quickly for a 7-6 lead with a draw play of their own that sprang Brad Hartmann 41 yards for the score on the Bulldogs' second snap from scrimmage.
The next time Batavia had the ball, only one play was needed - a 62-yard run by Seiton through the left side of the line. After a Sam Schump interception gave the ball back to Batavia to open the second quarter, Seiton scampered 15 yards to score on the very next snap.
"The kids did a nice job on both sides of the ball tonight," Batavia coach Mike Gaspari said. "We got Danny (Seiton) out to that second level (of the defense), and when he gets out there he's as good as any back I have seen this year."
Quarterback Noel Gaspari fired two touchdown passes to close out the first half, hitting a diving Mike Clopton with a 3-yard bullet, and then finding David Peskind in the corner of the end zone for an acrobatic reception from 16 yards out with one second showing on the clock.
Seiton finished off the scoring with the lone second-half touchdown, on a 34-yard run off right guard in the fourth quarter.
The Batavia defense, meanwhile, was extremely stingy in forcing two interceptions, three fumbles (recovering one) and staging a goal-line stand when DeKalb had two plays from the half-foot line and could not score late in the third quarter.
The Batavia fumble recovery was turned in by senior co-captain Pete Koczmara, who was returning to action after a knee injury that has sidelined him since the second week of the season.
"This win was huge and I am very proud of this team for sticking with it," coach Gaspari said. "So much of it, at this level is what you believe and when you get off to a tough start like we did this year, the kids start to doubt themselves.
"But when it goes the other way at this level, the confidence abounds," Gaspari added. "I told the kids I felt bad that we had (a chance to beat) Glenbard South here and the same thing happened at Kaneland. We win those games, and it's a totally different season."
Seiton agreed with his coach, and made it clear where it was all heading.
"This was a big confidence booster for next week against Geneva," Seiton said of the regular-season finale against the rival Vikings. "We know it will be a tough game, but this is a big confidence booster."