The Illini West football team was looking to win its second straight road game, Saturday, Sept. 28, traveling to take on LVC for its Homecoming. Illini West came home with a big win, 50-16.
Illini West won the toss and deferred to the second half.
LVC got a seven-yard run from Bryson Ferguson on first down. Dempsee Whitsitt picked up the first down with a five-yard gain. The Chargers’ Shawn Watkins Jr. and a host of other Charger defenders stopped Ferguson for no gain on first and 10. Ethan Shields was stopped after a one-yard gain. Ferguson picked up a fumble and lost six yards. The punter, Carter Sours, fielded a low snap and was forced out of bounds
Illini West’s Ethan Carlisle found Tre Neiderman on back-to-back pass completions of 26 yards and two yards on their first two plays from scrimmage. Nick Johnson gained four yards, was stopped for no gain and needed four yards and got three on fourth and four to turn the football back over to the Miners.
Miners quarterback Jackson Gibboney fielded a high snap and lost seven yards on first down. Charger Roan Jackson stopped Gibboney in the backfield for a two-yard los. Ferguson caught a six-yard reception on third down and Sours punted the football back to the Chargers.
Carlisle ran for a three-yard gain to start the Chargers’ next drive. Johnson ripped off a 24-yard run followed by a 25-yard run by Carlisle to set up a first and goal from the six-yard line. Carlisle had runs of one, two and two yards. Johnson ran it from one yard out for the touchdown to give the Chargers the 6-0 lead. Tristan Mockosch had his extra point blocked to keep the score 6-0.
The Miners went three-and-out on their next possession.
The Chargers’ next drive started at their own 20-yard line. Carlisle ran for 11 yards and Johnson followed with a nine-yard run. Neiderman caught consecutive passes of 24 and no yards. The Chargers were whistled for a false start to make it second and 15. Johnson added a two-yard gain followed by a 23-yard run from Carlisle for the first down. Neiderman took a pass reception down to the eight-yard line. Johnson took the hand off and reversed field and handed off to Max Kinnamon who ran it in from eight yards out for the touchdown. Neiderman caught a pass from Carlisle for the two-point conversion for a 14-0 lead.
Charger Jaydyn Combites hit Gibboney in the backfield and Justin Baxter recovered the fumble to give the football back to the Chargers at the Miners’ 30-yard line. Carlisle threw incomplete on first down. Carlisle ran a keeper for five yards and on third and five, hit Johnson with a 25-yard touchdown pass and Kinnamon added the extra two-points on a shovel pass for a 22-0 advantage with 6:12 to play in the half.
The Miners went three-and-out on their next drive to give the Chargers the football at the Miners’ 43-yard line. Carlisle ran for three yards and Johnson followed with a 15-yard gain to move the football down to the 24-yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Carlisle took the ball for a nine-yard keeper and Johnson added three yards to pick up the first down at the 12-yard line. Johnson took the handoff from Carlisle and reversed field and handed off to Max Kinnamon who ran it in from 12 yards out for his second touchdown of the game. Kinnamon added the two-point conversion for a 30-0 lead.
The Miners capped an eight-play, 65-yard drive with a 15-yard reception Gibboney to Ferguson and Wesson McLaren ran in the two-point conversion to make the score 30-8 at the half.
The Chargers started the second half with the football. Johnson ripped off runs of 20, eight and 25 yards to open the drive. Kinnamon had a 13-yard gain on fourth and 25 and the Chargers turned the football back over to the Miners. The Miners went three-and-out, punting the football back to the Chargers.
The Chargers got a big return by Johnson to set up great field position. Carlisle carried for 11 yards on first down. Neiderman caught a screen pass for 13 yards. Johnson punched it in from three yards out for the touchdown. Tristan Mockosch, the Chargers’ German foreign exchange student, kicked the first successful extra point in a number of years for a 37-8 lead.
On the next Miners drive, Shields went for one yard. Ferguson fumbled and it was recovered by Shawn Watkins Jr. at the 31-yard line. Johnson carried the ball for eight and five yards. After an incomplete pass on first down, Kinnamon ran off the double handoff for 15 yards. Carlisle hit Carter Sanderson for a touchdown pass and Mockosch was good on the extra point for a 44-8 Chargers advantage.
The Miners’ next drive went seven plays before they turned the football over on downs at the 37-yard line. Johnson and Carlisle had back-to-back five-yard runs. Johnson added another of seven yards. Neiderman caught a six-yard reception. Johnson ran for one and six yards. Kinnamon, off the double handoff, took it in for nine yards and the touchdown. The extra point was no good for a 50-8 score.
The Miners capped a seven-play, 72-yard drive with a Ferguson seven-yard touchdown run and he would add the two-point conversion for the final score of 50-16.
“A sluggish first quarter but we got better as the game went on,” Illini West Head Coach Jacob Calvin said after the game. “They played hard and the offense was rolling pretty good. Each week we have another guy making plays. Tristan is the first German to kick two extra points for the Chargers. He never played football, he was a soccer player in Germany. Credit the offensive line for opening up the holes today for Carlisle, Johnson and Kinnamon. And Carter Sanderson caught his first touchdown of the year.”
Stats: Johnson led the team’s ground game with 19 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Carlisle had 12 rushes for 99 yards. Kinnamon added five runs for 60 yards and three touchdowns. Carlisle was 11-16 for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Neiderman caught seven passes for 71 yards. Johnson had one catch for 25 yards and a touchdown. Stephen Sparks added one reception for nine yards and Carter Sanderson had one catch for three yards and a touchdown. Defense: Brady Blanton collected two sacks and Jaydyn Combites one sack. Roan Jackson had four solo tackles and seven assists. Johnson added three tackles and two assists. Watkins and Blanton both finished with two tackles and six assists each. Carlisle added two tackles and one assist.
