Football: Warriors Hold Off Kaneland, Morris Next

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Ball control on offense was a big part of Sterling’s strategy to slow down Kaneland’s high-powered, spread-option offense in their IHSA class 5A playoff opener Saturday at Roscoe Eades Stadium in Sterling. The Golden Warriors executed that strategy effectively, and recorded a 23-21 win over the Knights to set up a meeting with Morris in the second round next weekend.

Sterling ran 61 offensive plays compared to Kaneland’s 45 and the Warriors controlled to clock for nearly 30 of the games 48 minutes. Sterling had scoring drives of 6, 10, 13 and 16 plays. Excluding a one-play drive and the end of the second quarter, Kaneland had just seven possesions in the game, and Sterling's defense made stops on four.

After falling behind 7-0 early in the second quarter, Sterling scored the games next 16 points. The Warriors tied the game on Niko Rivera’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Clad Hadley with 8:38 to play before halftime. Hadley made an acrobatic catch in the end zone, fighting the ball away from a Kaneland defender.

Sterling took its first lead first lead on Raciel Ocampo’s 47-yard field goal with less than a minute to play in the second quarter. Sterling took over on offense after a Kaneland missed field goal attempt and marched 54 yards in 10 plays to set up Ocampo. It was Ocampo’s seventh field goal of the season in nine attempts. He is three-for-four from 40+ yards.

Sterling took a nine-point lead (16-7) after a 13-play, 64-yard touchdown drive to start the third quarter. The drive consumed over half of the third quarter clock. It nearly ended after three plays, but Sterling’s Corey Judd broke free for 17 yards on a draw play on third-and-11 to keep the drive alive. Ben Minnick capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge. A bad snap on the conversion kick resulted in a failed two-point run by Ocampo.

Kaneland answered back late in the third. Knight QB Joe Camiliere, who passed for 246 yards and two touchdowns, ran the ball in from nine yards out following a 44-yard punt return that set the Knights up with a first and goal.

Sterling took the ensuing kick off and executed one of its best drives of the season. Taking over at their own 32 with 41-seconds left in the third, the Warriors launched a methodical march down the field that consumed the next 8:15 of playing time. On the 16 th play of the drive, on fourth and goal from inside the Knights one, Rivera snuck into the end zone to give Sterling a 23-14 lead with 4:26 to play.

It looked like Sterling would be able to ice the game away after Kaneland turned the ball over on downs deep inside its own territory. But Sterling was unable to get into the end zone and a bad snap on a short field goal attempt gave the ball back to the Knights at their own six-yard line. Camiliere then marched his team down the field and into the end zone with 41-seconds to play to pull the Knights within two.

Out of time outs, Kaneland was forced to try an onside-kick, which was recovered by Sterling’s Dylan Eilers to preserve the Golden Warrior victory.

Sterling takes a 9-1 record into the second round at Morris. The Redskins are 6-4 after a 37-12 first round win over Chicago-Manley. It’s the first-ever meeting the two schools in football, one year before Morris joins the NCIC-Reagan. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Saturday, November 8 at Morris High School.