What a Trip

It might have been the second game of the 1998 playoffs, but it was the first time the Kaneland Knights football team ever traveled so far. And to the chagrin of the Mahomet-Seymour Bulldogs, the Knights went back home with a win in their pocket 41-28. But not before they knew they were in a fight.

The game started like a typical Kaneland Knights football as the Bulldogs took the opening kickoff and on their series went three downs and punt after gaining just 7 yards. Kaneland, a team on a mission, started up their offence on their own 18-yard line and drove 72-yards down the field with ease. It ended when P.J. Fleck caught a 15-yard pass from Eric Delaney and ran into the endzone for the first score of the game with 6:40 left to go in the first quarter. Josh Dimitri added the extra point and Kaneland lead 7-0.

The next Bulldogs series had similar results, with only five yards gained followed by a punt. The Knights moved the ball again to the Mahomet 35, but a penalty for blocking below the waist forced a punt at midfield.

In a game with no flow, the Bulldogs took over at their own 22. The 'dogs then moved down the field to the 25-yard line just as the first quarter came to a close. On the first play of the second period, Aaron Armetta caught a 25-yard scoring pass from Nathan Bell and BANG - Mahomet was within one. However, the extra point was missed enabling the Knights to keep the lead 7-6.

Following the Mahomet score Kaneland started on their own 30-yard line. The determined Knights started a drive of their own. Midway through the drive it appeared the Bulldogs had stopped the Knights near midfield forcing Kaneland into a punting situation. But the Bulldogs were called for an offsides giving the Knights a 4th-and-1 at the Mahomet 43-yard line. The Knights went for the first down and turned to Kyle Schrader. Bang, Crack, Smash - 2 yards, and the drive was still alive.

Thanks to Schrader's first down play Delaney was able to to find Fleck again a few plays later for their second touchdown of the day. This one was from 18-yards out, but the extra point attempt was blocked by Spencer Sadler (see photo below), to keep the score difference at seven, 13-6.

On the ensuing kickoff, Mahomet drove for one first down before turning the ball back over to Kaneland on a punt. The Knights restarted their offense at their own 36-yard line. Marching down the field with a series of short passes and runs, Eric Delaney closed out the drive hitting Kyle Schrader on a swing pass for a 4-yard touchdown. Kaneland opted to attempt a two-point play, but Delaney's pass fell incomplete and with 2:37 to go the half the Knights lead 19-6.

But on their next possession Mahomet showed why they are called the Bulldogs. Starting at the 50, quarterback Nathan Bell took over as he scrambled three times for gains of 14, 11 and 4 yards. The last one wound up in the end zone with just 1:32 left in the half to cut the score to 19-12. Big holes where being opened by the Bulldog offensive line, forcing the Knights backfield to make most of the tackles.

Mahomet went for the two-point conversion and was successful as Bell hit Spencer Sadler in the end zone cutting the score to 19-14 at half.

On their first possession in the second half Kaneland was forced to punt after just one first down. Mahomet took the kick on their own 9-yard line. Shortly thereafter, Bell was hit into next week by Kyle Schrader forcing him to fumble. Colin Nolan fell on the loose ball and the Knights offense started again just 16-yards from paydirt.

Three plays and Schrader scored again. This time on a 5-yard run at 5:51 of the third quarter. Schrader also got the two-point conversion on an extra-effort run, putting the Knights up by 13 points, 27-14.

Both teams failed to score anymore until 3 minutes into the final quarter when Kyle Schrader (Mr. Everything - he even kicks on kickoffs), added his third touchdown of the day from one yard out. Kyle's score was set up by a nifty 32-yard run by brother Ryan when he broke loose from a sure tackle to just miss the endzone. The extra point made the score 34-14.

Mahomet took the kickoff and marched down to the Kaneland 31. However, the Bulldog drive was thwarted when Ryan Schrader picked off a pass at the 20 and returned it all the way back to the Mahomet 37.

Using a run-control offense, the Knights used almost four minutes to score with Ryan Schrader running the ball in from the one with just 3:39 left, (see photo below) and most Kaneland fans begun breathing easier.

Facing a 41-14 deficit and just 3 and a half minutes left in the game most teams would call it a day. Even Kaneland coach Joe Thorgesen had his backup QB and center warming up. But, the Bulldogs didn't quit. They were not going to give in. They, being a determined lot, regrouped for a final assault. And the Knights didn't know what was going to hit them.

The Bulldogs took the kickoff and returned it to midfield, giving Mahomet great field position. After Nathan Bell completed an 8-yard pass to Aaron Armetta, he kept the ball for three straight plays that covered 42 yards and a touchdown. It was the first second half score by the Bulldogs. The pass on the conversion attempt fell incomplete, still leaving the Bulldogs three touchdowns shy of a tie.

The Bulldogs had used only 1 minute to score and still had 2:40 left to work with.

Next, Mahomet attempted an onsides kick and recovered it on their own 47-yard line. A quick attack got Bell back into the endzone from four-yards out with 1:19 remaining. The Bulldogs then went for the 2-point conversion as Bell handed off to Aaron Armetta who made it in, closing the gap to 41-28.

Again Mahomet lined up for an obvious onsides attempt, this time pulling ten Knights up near the line of scrimmage to defend the short kick. The Bulldog kicker pooch kick the ball over the heads of the Kaneland up men and Mahomet's Brad Moran beat everyone to the loose ball at the Knights 29 yard line giving the Bulldogs first-and-10.

Bell then hit Armetta for a short 4-yard gain and on the next play defensive end Shawn Fuller sacked the Mahomet quarterback. Added on to the sack was 15-yard personal foul on the offense which moved the ball back into Bulldog 47. With just two downs left Bell threw two straight incompletions and the game was finally over.

"It got a little bit ridicualous at the end," said Thorgesen. "We did a lot of things that weren't very smart."

To Kaneland the Bulldogs where like a scary movie where the bad guy never dies, even when you think he's dead, somehow he keeps going and chases you again.

But in the end the guys in white won, their 25th in a row to live to face another day. But it will be long time before they get the Mahomet-Seymour Bulldogs out of their minds.

Statistically the game was surprisingly pretty even with the Knights earning 29 first downs to MSHS's 21. The Knights also had a slight advantage in yardage with 376 total yards (207 rushing and 169 passing) to 331 (185 rushing and 146 passing). The Knights had only 3 more plays than the home team, 63-60, but the offense was on the field 27 minutes compared to MSHS's 21 minutes.

Kyle Schrader lead the Knights in rushing, with 32 carries for 146 yards. Quarterback Nathan Bell was the workhorse for the Bulldogs running the ball 21 times for 128 yards, while hitting 11 of 22 passes for another 146 yards, accounting for 274 of the Bulldogs 331 yards of offense. Delaney was 13 for 21 for the Knights with 169 yards and 3 TD's. He also had a rushing TD.

P.J. Fleck kept his hopes alive in his quest to become the best pass receiver in Illinois history with nine receptions for 119 yards as he accounted for Kaneland's first two touchdowns. Shaun Wenz made it back big to the Knights starting offensive unit with three receptions for an average of 15 yards a catch.

On the defensive side, it was the Schrader's again to lead the way for the Knights, with Kyle accounting for 8 solo tackles, 5 assist and a sack, while Ryan had 9 tackles. Kurt Long playing with a smaller but still large cast on his arm had 8 tackles and three sacks generating a minus 39 yards for the Bulldog offensive.

Before the Bulldog final surge the Knights allowed only 55 yards in the second half, a far cry from the 158 yards they gave up in the first half.

"We played a lot better defense in the second half," said the normally quiet Kyle Schrader. "We really didn't make adjustments. We just got our heads out of our buts." Maybe the half time talk by defensive coordinator Rich Kearney might have helped in the removal.

"We weren't fired up enough to take them (the Bulldogs) on as hard as we should have," said middle linebacker Colin Nolin.

Next up for the Knights is Evergreen Park at Kaneland at 6:00 for round 3. Round 4 the semifinal game will be at either Spring Valley Hall or Byron, unless of course Evergreen Park wins.

Photo compliments of Mahomet-Seymour High School principal Del Ryan.

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