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The Nation Rolls Through Wilmington
Reapers Use Big Plays To Silence Wildcats


By Bill Lidinsky

Amid all the hoopla, pre game prognostication, and posturing that always seems to accompany a Plano-Wilmington matchup was the simple fact that last Friday nights game was the Super Bowl for the host Wildcats.


And why not? The Nation was breezing into town undefeated at 5-0 and ranked number two in Illinois Class 3A football, not to mention the two losses the Reapers hung on Wilmington last season that still stick in the sides of the Wildcat faithful.


In essence, Plano dethroned Wilmington in 2005 as Kings of the Interstate Eight Conference gridiron and the Wildcats saw this as possibly their only opportunity to regain the crown this season.


With pomp and circumstance akin to the NFL’s title game, Wilmington pulled out all the stops with a magnificent pre game celebration certainly designed to intimidate an opponent.


The Nation however, is intimidated by none!! And within 48 minutes they put to rest any ideas of grandeur that the Wildcats had at regaining the throne.
Behind a big play offense and a ‘Doberman’ like attack defense, Plano once again left no doubt why they are the best team in the I-8 so far this season with a 24-9 decisive victory over Wilmington. The Wildcats had once again been silenced for the second year in a row.


“I thought Wilmington prepared well for us. They were more creative tonight than they were last year in the playoffs. This season they spread it out a little more and I think they did a nice job,” said Plano head football coach Jim Green. “It’s never a ‘w’ down here until you walk off the field. But I think we asserted ourselves very well against a good ballclub.”


The Reaper offensive engine took some time to warm up going three-and-out on their first trifecta of possessions. But the Plano defense was electric, forcing the Wildcats to punt on their first three series.


Then on their fourth possession, the Nation struck with their first big play. On first-and-ten from the Plano 32 yard line, senior quarterback Brook Bott faked to senior running back Nick Nasti and handed to junior back Luis Alvarado. With the vast majority of the Wilmington defense on top of Nasti in the pile, Alvarado bolted around left tackle down the sidelines for a 68-yard touchdown run with 45 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Sophomore kicker Kevin Jernigan’s point after was good and the Reapers led 7-0.


“They focused on Nick and it made it easy for me to run. It was a simple play and it was wide open for me,” Alvarado said.


The quarter ended with the Reapers up 7-0 and once again Plano’s defense held Wilmington to three-and-out on their first possession of the second period.


With the ball on the Reaper 31, senior running back Jared Ferguson took Bott’s first down handoff after the fake to Nasti and rambled 69-yards around the left side for another apparent touchdown. But Plano was ticketed for an illegal block and the score was nullified by the penalty. And for the sixth time this year a Reaper touchdown was called back due to an infraction. The miscue temporarily changed the look of the game.


“It was just unfortunate once again that we made a big play to go up 14-0 and due to a penalty it got called back,” Green said. “It changed the whole complexion of the game for a time and it allowed them really to stay in the game for the first half.”


Three plays later Bott’s pitch to Alvarado went astray and the Reaper’s had committed their first turnover of the year, as Wilmington recovered on the Plano 36 yard line.


Seven plays later, Wilmington junior Kyle Cragg punched in a two-yard touchdown run. The Cats point after kick was wide and Plano still led 7-6 with 5:57 to go in the half.


Almost unbelievably, the Reapers coughed the ball up two plays into their next possession. Ferguson’s miscue was recovered by Wilmington at the Plano 42. Plano locked down on defense after the Wildcats moved the ball to the 17. But Wilmington junior Eric Welps connected on a 24-yard field goal with 1:47 left in the first half and the Reapers trailed 9-7 for only the first time this season.


But Wilmington’s euphoria would be short lived. On the ensuing kickoff, Ferguson had a big return to the Wildcats 49 yard line. Once again Reaper Nation asserted their dominance on the first play from scrimmage.


Bott again faked to Nasti up the middle and found Alvarado wide open down the left sideline for a 49-yard scoring strike. The point after snap was muffed and the Reapers were quickly back on top 13-9 with 1:30 left to go in the half.


“Luis was so wide open that right before I threw it, I was checking to see if there were any defenders hiding somewhere,” Bott said. “All their guys had their backs to him and he caught it in stride for an easy touchdown.”


The half ended with Plano up 13-9 and then the rains came in the third quarter slowing offensive progress a bit for both clubs.
But in the fourth quarter the Nation rose up to take what was theirs.


On the first play from scrimmage in the final period, the Reapers were facing a third-and-five from their own 36.


Bott once again faked to Nasti. With all of Wilmington once again on top of Nasti in the pile, Bott calmly hit Ferguson down the sideline with a 63-yard scoring strike at 11:50. Bott then hit Ferguson with a two-point pass in which Fergy out jumped the Wildcat defender for the conversion.


The Nation was in command now leading 21-9.


On Wilmington’s next possession, the Reaper defense took charge. After the Wildcats moved the ball to the Plano 29, senior Victor Diaz picked off quarterback Vince Vercelli on a screen pass and returned the ball to the Wilmington 32 yard line.
“Coach drew it up on defense and I was there for the pick. I thought I could’ve made it all the way for the touchdown, but we made them pay anyhow,” Diaz said.
From there Jernigan added a 37-yard field goal at 5:19 to give the Reapers the 15 point victory.


As in the previous five games Plano’s big play ability and stifling defense were the keys to victory.


“Our big play potential is huge. Teams key so much on Nick like Wilmington did tonight. But we have so many other weapons. And you saw that again with Luis and Ferg stepping up along with our defense which was outstanding for the sixth week in a row,” Green said.


Alvarado led Plano in rushing with three carries for 72 yards and one touchdown, while Nasti was limited to 33 yards on 14 carries due to the intense pressure that Wilmington put on him defensively. He has easily become the most feared running back in all of IHSA Class A football with every opponents defense keying on him so far this season.


“Every time I’ve played so far this year, I’ve been a decoy of sorts. Each team we’ve faced has stacked nine guys in the middle and tonight was no different. I knew it would be a big game offensively for a few of my teammates,” Nasti said.


Nasti proved huge on defense as well posting ten tackles and seven assists including some bone crunching efforts on the Wildcat runners.
With the win Plano improves to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the IEC Small division.


Next up is the Reaper’s Homecoming Saturday Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. versus Coal City.


The Coalers are currently 3-3 overall this season and have lost their last two in a row, including a 20-7 defeat at the hands of Westmont last Friday night at home.


Even more incentive for Plano is that Coal City gave them a 7-6 loss in week one last year at Reaper Stadium. But the tables have turned dramatically since then in the I-8 and the Nation is set to avenge last years defeat on their home turf.


“We’ve got an extra day to prepare with a Saturday game. Hopefully we can regroup a bit a get a little extra rest. We want to get the Coalers while they’re down and keep moving toward the playoffs and an undefeated regular season in the Interstate Eight,” Green said.


With Wilmington now dispatched, Coal City is next. The power shift in the I-8 can officially be punctuated with a big win on Saturday. From there it’s Dwight and Manteno to close out the regular season hopefully with a 9-0 mark and an eye on the 3A State Championship. There can only be one!!








Archive Stories

Westmont Game 9/23/06

Seneca Game 9/16/06

Seneca at Plano Preview- 9/14/06

Plano at Sandwich - 9/1/06

"Reaper Nation Vs Tribe" - 8/30/06

“Champaign or Bust”- 8/18/06

Plano Focus on Football

Fox Valley "B" League Page

Plano Sports a year in Review

Plano Hires New Bastkball Coach


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