By Craig Lang | Prairie Advocate Sports

Comets End ‘Catz Season

The first play from scrimmage foretold the tale of how the game was going to go for both squads as Sterling Newman raced out to the early lead and never looked back as they claimed the 35-12 win.

The Comets (10-1) took the ball on their own twenty one yard line and senior running back Jake Snow took the handoff and raced seventy nine yards untouched to put Newman on the board first just thirteen seconds into the game.

The Comet’s offensive and defensive lines dominated EPC all day to keep the ‘Catz off balance and another ten yard scoring run by senior back Mac Olson gave Newman a thirteen to nothing first quarter lead.

The second quarter saw EPC gain some momentum as they picked off an A.J. Sharp pass and after a four play drive junior running back Eric Schaney found the end zone from eighteen yards out to close the gap to 13-6.

Another Newman touchdown made the score 19-6 at the half.

The Comets managed to put sixteen more second half points on the board and EPC found the end zone once more as Donny Groezinger caught a sixteen yard TD pass from QB Devin Heeren for the ‘Catz final score.

Snow led all rushers in the game, carrying the football eighteen times for two hundred yards. Schaney led EPC (10-1) with nineteen carries for one hundred fourteen yards.

Heeren completed seven of fourteen passes for one hundred twenty five yards.

Sterling Newman advances to the IHSA Class 2A quarterfinals where they will travel to Momence to face the Redskins (8-3).

Panthers Top Freeport Aquin

Le-Win used their solid defense and running game to wear down the Aquin Bulldogs and claim the 48-20 second round Class 1A victory on Saturday in Lena.

Panther QB Ben Moest ran the football into the end zone from a yard out in the opening quarter to give Le-Win the seven to nothing lead. Running back Tyler Oaklet took the football in from nineteen yards out for a fourteen to nothing lead.

Aquin closed the gap on a pair of Aiden Chang TD passes, a twenty four yard score to Anthony Townsend and an eight yarder to Dean Sopcic to make the score Le-Win twenty one and Freeport Aquin twelve.

Oakley would seal the win for the Panthers as he rambled sixty three yards for the score to make it twenty eight to twelve at the half.

The Panther running backs amassed three hundred and fifty yards in the contest.

The 8-3 Panthers move on to the IHSA Class 1A quarterfinals where they face the undefeated (11-0) Blackhawks in Stockton.

E-PC v Newman Photos

Sterling Newman’s Jake Snow breaks a tackle to run the ball into the end zone during second round playoff action in Sterling on Saturday afternoon. Snow rushed the football eighteen times for two hundred yards in the Comet twenty-three point victory. (PA photo/Craig Lang)

The ‘Catz Cody Kluck (#20) runs the football during Saturday’s second round playoff game against the Newman Comets at Roscoe Eades Field in Sterling. The Comets claimed the 35-12 win. (PA photo/Craig Lang)

EPC’s Eric Schaney fights for yardage as he is brought down by a Newman tackler during Saturday’s second round playoff game. Schaney led the ‘Catz with one-hundred fourteen yards on nineteen carries. (PA photo/Craig Lang)

EPC head football coach Randy Asche talks to his players during a time-out of the contest with Sterling Newman at Roscoe Eades Field in Sterling on Saturday afternoon. (PA photo/Craig Lang)

IHSA 2nd Round Football Playoff Results

November 9

Class 1A

Le-Win 48 Freeport Aquin 20

Stockton 34 Galena 28

Class 2A

Sterling Newman 35 EPC 12

Aledo (Mercer County) 26 Rockridge 20 (2 OT)

Momence 21 Spring Valley Hall 13

Class 3A

Stillman Valley 24 Erie/Prophetstown 14

Winnebago 27 Kankakee McNamara 12

Aurora Christian 49 Oregon 20

Class 4A

Rockford Lutheran 27 Rochelle 22

Geneseo 21 Plano 0

Rock Island Alleman 35 Mahomet (M. - Seymour) 20

Class 5A

Sycamore 33 LaGrange Park (Nazareth Academy) 28

Joliet (Catholic Academy) 45 Maple Park Kaneland 8

Class 6A

Rockford Boylan 17 Cary Grove 10

Class 7A

Lake Zurich 20 Rockton Hononegah 0

Girls Varsity Basketball Schedule

November 18

Polo at West Carroll

Pearl City at Warren Tournament

Rock Falls at Sterling Newman

November 19

Eastland at Winnebago

Morrison at Galva Tournament

IHSA Volleyball Sectionals

Class 1A

At Pearl City

November 5

Stockton 2 Sterling Newman 0 (25-21, 25-13)

Rockford (Keith Country Day) 2 Erie 1 (25-8, 22-25, 25-4)

November 7

Rockford (Keith Country Day) 2 Stockton 0 (25-13, 25-14)

IHSA Class 1A Volleyball Super Sectional

At Elgin (Westminster Christian)

November 9

Rockford (Keith Country Day) 2 Elgin (Harvest Christian Academy) 0 (25-13, 25-18)

IHSA Class 1A State Finals

At Redbird Arena, Normal

November 15

Rockford (Keith Country Day) vs. Sciota (West Prairie) - 9 a.m.

New Athens vs. Strasburg (Stewardson - S.) - 10:30 a.m.

November 16

3rd Place Game - 9 a.m.

Championship Game - 10:30 a.m.

Class 2A Volleyball Sectional

At South Beloit

November 5

Oregon 2 Arlington Heights (Christian Liberty Academy)0 (25-14, 25-13)

Elmhurst (Immaculate Conception) 2 Dakota 1 (25-18, 17-25, 26-24)

November 7

Elmhurst (Immaculate Conception) 2 Oregon 0 (25-17, 25-17)

Class 2A Volleyball Sectional

At Farmington

November 5

Fulton 2 Orion 0 (25-21, 27-25)

Abingdon (A.-Avon) 2 Toulon (STark County) 1 (16-25, 25-19, 25-17)

November 7

Fulton 2 Abingdon (A.-Avon) 0 (25-19, 25-13)

IHSA Class 2A Volleyball Super Sectional

At Bureau Valley

November 9

Minonk (Fieldcrest) 2 Fulton 0 (25-23, 25-18)

IHSA Class 2A State Finals

At Redbird Arena, Normal

November 15

Deer Creek-Mackinaw vs. Elmhurst (Immaculate Conception) - 12 noon

Minonk (Fieldcrest) vs. Albion (Edwards County) - 1:30 p.m.

November 16

3rd Place Game - 12:25 p.m.

Championship Game - 1:55 p.m.

Class 3A Volleyball Sectional

At Princeton

November 5

LaSalle-Peru 2 Sterling 0 (25-20, 25-16)

Sycamore 2 Dunlap 0 (25-17, 25-16)

November 7

LaSalle-Peru 2 Sycamore 0 (25-18, 25-20)

IHSA Class 3A Volleyball Super Sectional

At Washington

November 9

LaSalle-Peru 2 Champaign (Centennial) 1 (16-25, 25-23, 25-21

IHSA Class 3A State Finals

At Redbird Arena, Normal

November 15

Chicago Payton vs. LaSalle-Peru - 4:30 p.m.

Breese Central vs. Wheaton (St. Francis) - 6 p.m.

November 16

3rd Place Game - 4 p.m.

Championship Game - 5:30 p.m.