High up on the Kaneland Knights locker room wall, in big bold block letters are the words "Committed to Excellence". These are the words that best exemplify this years football team, as they have left little doubt that they deserve a trip to Normal Friday, when they surprised the Marengo Indians in the semi-final round of the IHSA class 3A playoffs Saturday night 41-7.
The excitement started long before game time as nearly two hundred Kaneland fans cheered their team as they boarded the buses for the 45-minute ride to Marengo. "We were nervous. But when we went through a tunnel of our fans it was like a jolt of lighting. It had a calming effect for all of us," said Coach Joe Thorgesen. "It seemed to have calmed our kids down. It calmed me down. It was great. You just got to love our fans."
As the buses pulled out a caravan of over a hundred decorated cars followed the bus to MHS, honking horns and flashing lights as they passed through Elburn. It was reported that it took nearly 20 minutes for the caravan to pass the intersection of 47 and 38.
Once at Marengo, Kaneland fans stormed the gate an hour and a half early to see their team. In the chilling cold Knights fans sat huddled together waiting for their counterparts to fill the other side of the field.
By Kickoff, the atmosphere was electric as the Marengo football field was completely ringed with people, sometimes 5 or 6 deep. Signs and banners were everywhere. And when the teams made it onto the field for the final time the place erupted. And finally the gun sounded.
Marengo fumbled the opening kick and had to start at their own 16-yard line, but three straight pass completions and the Indians were quickly at midfield. Seven plays later the Indians where on the board 7-0, complements of a Mark Dochterman end around. Marengo had marched 84 yards and only needed one third down play. It looked awful easy and had the Kaneland fans squirming in their seats.
But this was the Knights, and like superman changing in a phone booth they reentered the field a different and more determined team. A short kick and Kaneland started from their own 40. A 19-yard pass to Ryan West and the Knights were moving.
But two short gains and the Knights faced a critical third-and-eight. That's when P.J. (Phenomenal Job) Fleck dove fully extended near the Knights bench to snare a Eric Delaney rocket just before flying out of bounce. First down Knights!
After two short gains - it was 3rd and 8 again. This time it took another phenomenal play as Kyle Schrader made shoe top grab of a Delaney swing pass and the slippery Schrader shedded three tacklers enroute to the promise land 28-yards away. Thanks to Matt Gladd's toe, the score was balanced again at seven.
That's when the Knights defense drew an imaginary line on their 33-yard line, staking that third of the field as Knight country - never to be entered by the enemy again. Poor Marengo who had grandiose plans of destroying the Knights know nothing about this line.
"Our defensive line started to get a push, started to get more confidence, and started to put more heat on the quarterback. Then they got out of rhythm, commented Thorgesen.
On their next possession it was a Rusty Pozen smack plus two incomplete passes and the Knights had the ball back again. This time from 40-yards out, Schrader "the shredder" chewed up the Indian defense again, leaving the field littered with would-be tacklers, scoring his second TD in three minutes.
Meanwhile Indian quarterback Tim Moehling was not having a good day as he threw 7 passes in row without finding a home, forcing Marengo to punt again. Ryan West received the kick. He went right, then left, then right, etc. avoiding a landmine of so-called Indian tacklers for a 42-yard honey of a punt return.
Kaneland was up 21-7 with a full minute to play in the first quarter. Marengo who had not allowed any team to score more than 14 against them all year was stunned. The Knights had brought all their weaponry with them and it was no match to bows and arrows.
Next time around the Indians made to the Knights 45, before Fleck stopped them cold with a pick. But Marengo returned the favor with an interception of their own. A pair of big hits by Brian Herra and Brad Thill totaling a minus 11-yards and Knights offense when back to work.
But another Delaney pick gave the ball to the Indians. However, Moehling was having problems of this own against the blitzing Kaneland defense, throwing incomplete passes number 9, 10 and 11 in a row to bring on the punting team.
The Knights got the ball 72 yards from paydirt and it was time for "the shredder" again. Scoobie responded with gains of 5, 21, and a superb run of a screen pass for 43 yards. He had moved the ball down to the one-yard line.
From there using a full house backfield "the West scoring machine" followed a Pozen-Wallace block and Ryan had his second TD of the night. With 2:04 left in the half it was Kaneland 28 - Marengo 7.
But Kaneland was not done yet. With only a minute left in the half Delaney laid out a perfect spiral to Billy Mckeown at mid-field, an identical pass to the one that McKeown had dropped just 11 minutes earlier. This time Billy caught the ball to avoid wearing it in his helmet's ear hole, leaving the defender pounding the ground with his fist. He went for 57 total years and Kaneland was dancin' 35-7 at half time.
Not to be lost in the first half action were two touchdown saving tackles by (who else) Aaron Siebens. A tremendous one on one defensive effort by a 5'10" P.J. Fleck, who was in a war against 6'5" 230 pound All-State wide out Matt Dunker. Dunker had caught only one pass in the half - a screen. The Indians Arial attach meanwhile, was all but grounded with only five successful landings in 25 tries.
The third quarter was back and forth with Shaun Wenz making a touchdown saving tackle and West stopping a 10 play Indian drive with a pick. Fleck who hurt his ankle didn't play in second half and Moehling was able to hit Dunker three times for screens. But outside of that his passes only found green.
By the time the fourth quarter started many Marengo fans where leaving the stands. When West got his second interception of game with just ten minutes to play the Marengo stands really begun to unload. It was also the end of Moehling's high school career as back up Dan Schultz came in to finish up the game.
With 4:26 to play West scored his third touchdown of the game from 9 yards out, but only after "the scredder" gobbled up 32-yards to set up the score. From then on everybody just wanted to see the triple zeros on the scoreboard.
When they did, the entire north side of the emptied out onto the field to share in the celebration with their team. And how did "the shredder" feel at the end of the game? "I'll never forget running off the field and seeing we had as many fans as Marengo. What we've done hasn't sunk in yet."
"I'm just happy to be on one of the best defenses in the state," said super safety Aaron Siebens. "Now we're going down to show the state how we can play."
And how's P.J.? "I'll be fine. There isn't any way I'm going to miss the Championship game," says the Fleck.
The Knights defense line - Chad Herst, Anthony Parrilli, Thill and Herra, were more than impressive as they held team meetings with the Indian quarterbacks five times. Four of those five included the entire line - over 800 pounds of them. It was no wonder Moehling left the game early. The other time Poop and Pop (Herra and Pozen respectively), laid out the QB.
"Our defense was fantastic," said Thorgesen. "To hold a team like Marengo to seven points is unbelievable. That's a fine team we beat."
Matt Gladd was 4 of 5 in extra points. Schrader had 135 yards rushing 84 yards receiving and two touchdowns. West had 3 touchdowns, one on a 42-yard punt return and two interceptions.
Kaneland had 418 total yards to the Indians 219. The Tribe was 13-41 passing while Delaney was 6-13 and 179 yards.
Going into the game the Indians defense given up only 98 points all season. Kaneland scored half that much 45!
Not to be lost in the excitement was the Woodstock Marian team as they cheered on the Knights from the sidelines.
"I was very impressed with your team. (It was) another great team effort," said Kevin Landers the Marian defensive back attending the game. "(We) want to wish the best of luck to Kaneland against Harrisburg on Friday evening. I also want to thank the Kaneland players, coaches, and fans for displaying great sportsmanship."
And now we're goin' to the big dance!
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