Football Completes Perfect Regular Season

The magic number for the Sterling football team on October 21 was 9. That was how many plays it took the Golden Warriors to open a 21-0 lead less than five-minutes into their regular season finale against East Moline at Roscoe Eades Stadium. The final score would end up 48-16 Golden Warriors, earning them a perfect 9-0 regular season.

Sterling took the opening kickoff and immediately seized control of the game scoring on a seven play drive that featured six runs of at least 9 yards. Senior FB Graham Hall would score the first touchdown on a 9 yard run.

East Moline would fumble on its first play from scrimmage and junior DE Colt Preston would recover at the Panther 19. On the next play, 18-seconds after his first score, Hall would rumble into the end zone again to make it 14-0.

Sterling’s defense then forced a three-and-out series, taking over on offense at the 50 yard line. On the first play, Hall would break through the East Moline line, cut left and motor 50 yards for his third touchdown of the game and 15th of the season. It was 21-0 Sterling with 7:33 to play in the first quarter.

Sterling would score three more times in the second quarter – on a 35 yard pass from junior QB Cory Renner to junior TE Michael Trobaugh, and on two rushing TDs from the Temiquel brothers. Christian scored on a seven yarder and Mason from two yards out. Freshman kicker Raciel O’Campo was perfect on all six extra point kicks and is now 21-21 on the season. It was 42-0 Sterling at halftime.

Hall (5-88) and Christian Temiquel (5-105) would combine to rush for 193 yards on just 10 carries in less than two quarters of action. Sterling limited East Moline to just two first downs and outgained the Panthers 279-73 in the first half.

East Moline would score on two long rushing touchdowns against Sterling’s defensive reserves in the second half. Junior RB Dan Megli would score Sterling’s final touchdown on a 36 yard run in the fourth quarter.

Sterling now takes its 9-0 record into the IHSA Class-5A playoffs. The Warriors first round opponent is 5-4 Rochelle.