David and Goliath

They're by far the smallest school in the conference. So small in fact they are a Class 2A school. They dress only four seniors in a team of only 15 total players outside of sophomores who change uniforms after the sophomore game. Nine players go both ways. They have only 6 uninjured players on the bench. And they have more band members (which includes a dressed football player) than football fans. Yet, week after week, they hit the gridiron with the same intensity of a state champion. They are call the Westmont Sentinels.

The entire Westmont team getting ready for their final game.

With injuries and other happenings, Westmont coach Jim Walker has his hands full just putting a football team on the field each week. "We have about 400 kids at this school and we started with about 22 or 23 kids on the team. But, each week we play the numbers game. This is a black and blue conference. Every week it's very competitive and people are going to get hurt. There's never a game that we can look at and say we are going to be OK."

Therefore, Walker approached the Knights visit from an interesting viewpoint. "I told my kids to look at this game as a privilege. You rarely get to play the best team in the state, I told them. And anything positive they do is really going to get noticed.

It was truly a game of David vs Goliath and this time David didn't win.

The game was only one quarter long. And at the outset Westmont got everyone's attention as they moved the ball downfield after receiving the opening kickoff.

The Sentinels came out in a shootgun offense and hit their first and third passes for 11 yards each. Quarterback Dan Barrett then connected on his third pass in four plays for 6 yards and the Sentinels had moved 28 yards in just four plays and were on the Knights 37 yard line.

But, that was the end of Westmonts good fortune as they lost 36 yards in next two plays thanks to a P.J. Fleck sack for a minis 10 yards and a muffed snap from center for another minus 26 yards.

The Knights then went to work and did what they do best - score points - and that they did in rapid succession:

2:58 - Kyle Schrader, 15 yard run
3:32 - Kyle Schrader, 19 yard Interception return
7:22 - P.J. Fleck, 18 yard reception
8:56 - Ryan Schrader, 24 yard reception
11:15 - P.J. Fleck, 52 yard punt return (thanks to a tremendous block by Mike Merfeld that took out two Sentinels to allow P.J. to turn the corner)

So, by the end of the first quarter, there was no doubt Kaneland was going to have it's 23rd straight victory and it's second undefeated season in a row.

The next time the Knights had the ball they scored again making it 6 for 6 against the out matched Sentinels as Kyle Schrader scored his third TD of the afternoon from 9 yards out to make it 42-0 with 7:01 left on the second quarter clock.

That was the end of the starting team. And that was the end of the first half scoring.

In the fourth quarter Westmont recovered a Kaneland fumble at the Knights 25 yard line and with the help of a fourth down phantom pass interference call in the end zone the Sentinels were able to score. Senior fullback/Quarterback/Middle linebacker/Defensive back Kris Entler crossed the goal line from 5 yards out.

"I'm happy for him" said Entler's dad. "That will make his day. Just to score on you guys (Kaneland) gives these kids a lot to be happy about."

Rogers scoring his TD.

In the fourth quarter Ben Rogers broke free for a nice 49 yard run to push the score back up to 49-7.

Then with just 58 seconds left on the clock Merfeld picked up a bad Sentinel pitch and ran 18 yards for yet another Kaneland touchdown.

That last score was quite interesting as it was the first time to anyone's knowledge that Kaneland has ever scored over fifty points or scored more than seven touchdowns. Coach Joe Thorgesen then showed one of the classiest moves ever to be witnessed on the gridiron as he called for the 2-point conversion and told QB David Issel to take a knee to keep from scoring anymore points.

That's when Kris Entler's dad got up to go down to the the field and turned a said, "You guys are one classy outfit. I wish you luck in winning the State Championship. We'll be pullin' for yea".

Problem was Josh Dimitri who had kicked all seven extra points for the Knights could have set a school record had be been given the chance to kick his eighth extra point.

Well, maybe he'll get a chance in the playoffs, as the Knights open against Wilmington next week-end.

The sophomore Knights took on a Westmont team that had only two wins prior to hosting the Knights. Both teams played some really strong defense and it showed on the scoreboard as the Sentinels lead 12-0 with just 1:17 left in the game.

But a bad snap from center by the sentinels carried the punter into the endzone where he was downed by Joe Heyob for a safety.

Then with 23 seconds left Wayne Shaw caught a Doug Robinson pass in the endzone from 25 yards out and the Knights closed the margin to 12-8.

But Kaneland's onsides kick was not successful and Knights season was over.

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