Red Devils Run Wild over Boilermakers
by Shawn Doubet-BCR
September 19, 2009
Red Devils run
over Boilermakers
By Shawn Doubet - sports@bcrnews.com
KEWANEE – The Hall Red Devils scored on their first three
possessions to jump out to a 22-0 first quarter lead against the
Kewanee Boilermakers in NCIC gridiron action Friday night and went
on to cruise to a 48-13 victory to get back to even at 2-2 and open
their conference schedule 1-0.
“We played pretty good,” Hall coach Jason Bland said. “We had a few
breakdowns, but we kept it together. It’s a good way to get the
conference schedule started. It’s good to get a convincing win
going into our big game next week against Mendota.”
One key to the Red Devils’ victory was a 5-0 take-away ratio,
which led to three Hall touchdowns. In all, Kewanee fumbled the
ball six times with five falling into Hall’s hands.
“It is nice to get the fumbles,” Bland said, “but I would like to
think that we would have been able to stop them defensively without
them turning the ball over.”
After Kewanee (0-4,0-1) failed to convert on fourth-and-10 on its
first possession, the Red Devils took possession at their own
34-yard line with 9:06 to play in the first. Seven plays later,
Bryce Quinn broke a couple of tackles to get ahead of the defense
for a 23-yard touchdown run. Tanner McCormick’s kick put Hall up
for good 7-0, but they were not done.
The Hall defense held on a Kewanee fourth-and-two to give the
offense the ball at the Boiler’s 47.
This time it took only four plays before Nathan Tucker broke free
for a 20-yard scoring run. The PAT kick attempt was broken, but
holder, and quarterback, Michael Swingel had the piece of mind to
make the “fire” call and find Quinn for the two-pointer to put his
team up 15-0. Kewanee’s next possession lasted only one play, as
the ball hit the ground, and Hall recovered.
Swingel hit Anthony Urbanski for 30-yards before Tucker fought for
a trio of three-yard runs, the last for the score as time ran out
in the first quarter. McCormick’s kick gave Hall a commanding 22-0
lead as the second quarter began. Again, the next Kewanee
possession lasted only one play, but this time it was because
sophomore standout Dantae Pryor broke several tackles and then
showed off his speed on a 56-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to
22-6.
Following a pair of punts, Tucker struck again on a 36-yard run to
put the Devils up 29-6.
The Boilermakers put the ball on the ground again on their next
possession, and the Red Devils capitalized. Tucker capped the
38-yard drive off with a five-yard run to give his team a 35-6
lead. Hall recovered another Kewanee fumble as time ran out in the
half.
It looked like the Red Devils would get the clock running as Quinn
broke free for a 79-yard return of the opening kick-off of the
second half. McCormick’s kick put Hall within one score of the
continuous clock at 42-6.
Kewanee found a way to shut the Devils down in the third quarter
and then put their only sustained drive of the game, which Pryor
finished with a one-yard run. Nick Butts’ kick cut the lead to
42-13. Rhodes Garland finished Hall’s 56-yard drive on its next
possession with a three-yard run to set the score at 48-13a
