Woodstock North tops Hampshire

Missed opportunities helped do in Hampshire Friday night.

The Whip-Purs got inside the red zone 3 times in the first half, but came away with only 6 points. A goal-line stop by Woodstock North turned the momentum in the Thunder’s 34-12 win in Fox Valley Conference Fox Division action in Hampshire.

The Thunder (6-2, 5-1) clinched a playoff berth for the first time in program history, while Hampshire was left to wonder what might have been.

Jeff Taylor scored 4 times for Woodstock North.

Hampshire opened the game with a 15-play drive, scoring on a throwback pass from fullback Tyler Crater to quarterback Kyle Anderson.

After Crater’s interception on Woodstock North’s first series, the Whips got to the 10-yard line but were stopped on downs. After Woodstock tied it on Taylor’s first TD, Hampshire threatened again. But the Thunder stuffed Chase Lundry on fourth-and-goal from the 2.

To add insult to injury, the Thunder offense then drove 99 yards, taking the lead on Taylor’s 5-yard run.

“We took what they gave us and moved the ball pretty well early on,” said Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh. “When we got stopped on the goal line, that was obviously a big (turning) point there.”

In all, Woodstock North scored 34 unanswered points before Nick Antonacci got Hampshire back on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter.

Woodstock North controlled the line of scrimmage and also took advantage of its speed to the outside. The Thunder, which completed only 1 pass, averaged 11 yards per rush attempt in the first half and finished the game with 358 yards on 48 tries.

Lundry finished with 73 yards for Hampshire (1-8, 1-6), while Anderson added 60 and Antonacci finished with 51.

“We’ve been infamous for slow starting on the road,” said Woodstock North coach Jeff Schroeder. “But to be honest, that had nothing to do with it tonight. Their kids came out and they played, they played hard.”