Hampshire nails down its playoff spot
Consider all the rain that fell on Hampshire during its 26-0 win Friday at Larry Dale Field the result of a massive playoff bubble broken over the town of Woodstock.
Or a Round 3 knockout blow to the Blue Streaks if you will.
The Whip-Purs (6-3, 4-2), who have been treating the last 3 weeks like the playoffs, won't sweat out Saturday's IHSA postseason pairings show, as their sixth win in Fox Valley Conference Fox action over Woodstock (2-7, 1-5) guaranteed a playoff spot for Hampshire and coach Mike Brasile, who played for Woodstock's 1997 state championship team.
"It was weird coming back and looking up at that press box, the memories you have here," Brasile said. "But I'm more proud of our kids and what they've done. And it's not really about me it's about them who are excited to play with one another. It's awesome."
It's unclear if the Whips will be in Class 5A or 6A, but they executed their spread on slick and soggy grass and still made the plays they're accustomed to.
Hampshire converted on its first 3 drives and all were well traveled. It took the game's first 3:11 to go 10 plays and 69 yards, as quarterback Jake Vincent found receiver Jared Hornbeck for a 19-yard score for a 6-0 lead. Drive 2 went 9 plays and 80 yards, ending with an 11-yard Vincent pass to Xavier Bennett for a 13-0 first quarter lead. Hampshire's third score concluded with 6:12 left in the second after Jake Manning monkey-wrenched an 11-yard reverse to end a 16-play, 92-yard drive in 3:47. Not bad for a 20-0 halftime lead with a slippery football, right?
"I remember in the summer we used to dunk the balls (in water) during 7-on-7, so it was pretty wet," Vincent said. "We'd dunk the balls just in case for a wet game and so that's what I think helped."
"The summer blessed us with being very rainy," Brasile said. "We've had experience and it's all about concentration and doing the little things right and our kids really do that. And we're really exciting to see what they do next week."
Vincent racked up 183 yards in the air on 14 of 25 throws with 3 TDs and 1 interception. Hornbeck caught 6 passes for 92 yards and 2 TDs, his last a 25-yard strike in the third. Bennett grabbed 4 catches for 37 yards while Daniel Tuzak led the Whips in rushing with 46 yards on 7 carries.
"Everybody was blocking for each other and making good routes," said Hornbeck, who helped the Whips outgain the Streaks 362-203 in total yards. "Jake was throwing some good balls."
Woodstock's Nick Sundberg rushed for 45 yards but its passing game saw 2 interceptions, 1 by Jared Lund and another by of course, Michael Kruse, who snagged his eighth overall and third in 2 weeks.
"He's got to be leading the state or something," Brasile said. "He's just been a great kid for us, a quiet team leader who loves the game and is such a ball hawk and such a great kid."