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Plano Defense
Silences Seneca
Top Ranked Reapers Keep Irish Winless
By Bill Lidinsky
Seneca varsity high school football coach Don Brown knew he had a tough task
coming into Friday night’s game at Plano. Facing the number two ranked
team in Illinois Class 3A football, the Irish were looking at an uphill battle
against a Reaper defensive unit that had only allowed 14 points over the first
three weeks of play.
Unfortunately for Seneca, once again Plano proved to many why they may ultimately
be the cream of the crop not only in the Interstate Eight Conference, but overall
in the 3A division.
On opening night in the I-8 Small School division play, the Reapers used a stifling
defense and a balanced offensive attack to shut out the Irish 34-0 at Reaper
Stadium.
“That’s a heck of a defense they’ve got. They’re going
to be tough to beat this year because they are so quick,” Brown said.
“I told the kids that we did some good things offensively, but overall
we just couldn’t move the ball.”
Plano moved the ball almost instantaneously off their first series. On the third
play from scrimmage, the Reapers scored. Senior running back Jared Ferguson
took the handoff from quarterback Brook Bott and rambled 53-yards for the touchdown.
Sophomore kicker Kevin Jernigan knocked home the point after boot and Plano
led 7-0 with only 1:11 off the clock.
“Just like last week on the first series when I scored against Reed-Custer
it was a perfect setup with a perfect handoff, perfect fakes, perfect hole,
and perfect move at the end,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson’s modesty aside, the Reapers did execute ‘perfectly’
on the first series but stalled a bit offensively without senior standout running
back Nick Nasti, who played limited minutes in the first quarter nursing a sprained
ankle.
But it was the Plano defense that held Seneca at bay in the opening period which
ended with the Reapers up 7-0.
That defense helped Plano get on the board again in the second quarter. With
the Irish actually moving the ball for the first time, quarterback Jaret Trager
hit wideout Griffin Callahan with a pass at midfield. Callahan received a viscous
hit by Reaper linebacker Robbie LeMaster which jarred the ball loose. Plano
junior Luis Alvarado scooped the ball up and scampered 24-yards to set up the
next Reaper touchdown.
On third-and-seven from the Seneca eight, Nasti made his presence felt for the
first time in the game with an 8-yard touchdown gallop. Jernigan’s kick
was good once again and Plano led 14-0 with 3:13 to go in the quarter.
“I didn’t feel 100 percent tonight that’s for sure. But I
just tried to do what I could,” Nasti said. “More than my ankle
was the fact that my Achilles tendon was sore because I guess I strained it.
I didn’t play a down on defense tonight, but I was glad I could contribute
offensively.”
Despite the sore ankle, Nasti produced nice numbers on the night in limited
minutes on the field grinding out 111 yards on 13 carries to lead the Reapers
in rushing.
Plano would take a 14-0 lead into the locker room at the half and then extended
the advantage in the third period to 20-0 on Jernigan’s field goals of
30-yards at 8:35 and 35-yards at 4:32.
“It was good for Kevin (Jernigan) to get a couple of opportunities to
help us in the third quarter. He’s a great kicker and he showed why he’ll
be able to help us somewhere down the line in a tight situation,” said
Plano head football coach Jim Green.
With the Reapers up 20-0 late in the third period, their defense produced another
turnover off a Seneca miscue. On third down Trager’s pass was tipped by
Plano linebacker Danny Peruski and intercepted by Reaper corner Josh O’Hara.
The period ended with the same 20-0 score, but Plano was in command.
After holding Seneca on their first series of the fourth quarter, the Reapers
scored again. The three play 63 yard drive culminated on an 11-yard touchdown
run at 7:30 by Alvarado who also eclipsed the hundred yard rushing mark on the
night with 102 yards on 10 carries.
“I knew I had to step it up tonight because I didn’t know whether
Nick would be able to play. We were surprised to have him in there, but I still
felt I needed to produce tonight,” Alvarado said.
Two minutes later Bott scores on a two-yard touchdown run after Plano senior
Steve Eaves recovered a Seneca fumble off the kickoff. Jernigan’s kick
again was good to make the final score 34-0.
Plano dominated overall offense with 413 yards to Seneca’s 140. While
the Reapers rushed for 363, the Irish could only manage 45 against the stingy
Plano defense. Seneca produced only six first downs on the night.
“We had a couple of turnovers that hurt us tonight, but overall I’m
proud of our effort against such a great team,” Brown said. “Last
year they beat us here 56-0 and I walked out of this place not knowing where
we were going. But I think we asserted ourselves well against just a great ballclub
and we should be proud of that.”
One sour note for Plano was the penalties they incurred. There were 11 in all
for the Reapers totaling a whopping 105 yards. All told, two touchdowns were
called back and Plano was pulled out of several other scoring situations because
of their miscues.
“Even though we won, the penalties got to me tonight. We need to clean
that area of our game up if we’re going to contend for a state championship,”
Bott said.
With the win Plano raises their record to 4-0, 1-0 in the I-8 Small School league,
while Seneca falls to 0-4 and 0-1 in the IESS. The Reapers travel to Westmont
next Friday, while Seneca host’s Wilmington who was a 6-0 loser to Coal
City on Friday.
“I’m very proud of our effort against such a great team. We know
our backs are against the wall, but we’ve narrowed the gap in our performance
this year versus last,” Brown said. “I walked out of here in 2005
thinking what do we do next? I don’t feel that way this year. I know we’re
doing the right things and our guys are responding in the right direction. For
their sake I’d like to get them a couple of wins and hopefully we can
start that next week at home versus Wilmington.”
Brown’s counterpart echoed his feelings.
“We knew Seneca was a much improved team over last year and they showed
it tonight. Coach Brown had them well prepared and they battled us hard,”
Green said. “I believe good things will happen for them yet this year
just as I believe we’ll continue on our march toward our ultimate goal
of a state championship.”
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