Hubs football team upsets Johnsburg to reach quarterfinals

Rochelle earns rematch with Morris on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.

John Shank
Posted 11/4/17

Hub head coach Kevin Crandall knew his offense would need to score points to beat undefeated Johnsburg Saturday night.

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Hubs football team upsets Johnsburg to reach quarterfinals

Rochelle earns rematch with Morris on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.

Posted

JOHNSBURG — Hub head coach Kevin Crandall knew his offense would need to score points to beat undefeated Johnsburg Saturday night.

Not only did the players provide the offense, but the defense stepped up just as big, as the Hubs stifled the Skyhawks passing game en route to a convincing 35-16 win in the second round of the IHSA Class 4A playoffs.


“This was just a great effort all the way around,” Crandall beamed after the victory. “I figured we needed five touchdowns to have a chance and we got that, but forcing four turnovers was also huge for us. We stressed execution on both sides of the ball and these kids were nearly perfect all night. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”


Playing on its wet and muddy home field, Johnsburg put the Hubs on their heels in its first possession by using its passing game to move the ball down the field. Skyhawk quarterback Adam Jayko threw a variety of short, quick screen passes in the flat and over the middle to take the ball down into Rochelle territory.

On second down and seven he hit Brody Frazier with a short pass that turned into a touchdown when two Hub tacklers collided that enabled Frazier to slip away and run 15 yards to the end zone.


The PAT kick was no good, but the high-scoring host team had a 6-0 lead just two minutes in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, though, Hub junior Eddie Villalobos found seam up the middle on the return and ran the kick all the way back to the Johnsburg 35-yard line to give the Hubs excellent field position in their first possession.


After a 13-yard run by junior Brandon Johnson took the ball down to the 23-yard line, the running game stalled and Rochelle was looking at a fourth down and 10 to go. Johnsburg stuffed the line with defensive backs in an effort to close down the Hub backs, so a play action fake called worked to perfection when Hub quarterback Noah Mershon tossed a TD strike to Ehren Metzger who had raced away down the middle and caught the pass on stride in the back of the end zone.


Villalobos’ PAT kick was good and just like that at the 7-minute mark of the first quarter the Hubs had taken the 7-6 lead and turned the momentum.


“Answering their (Johnsburg’s) first score was important for our confidence and setting the tone that we came to play,” said Crandall, who is in his final season as Hub coach and athletic director.
A big defensive play on Johnsburg’s next possession gave the Hubs another big boost.


On second-and-6 from their own 36-yard line, Johnsburg’s Jayko dropped back to pass but was flushed from the pocket and tried to escape up the middle when he was popped hard by a Hub defender. The ball squirted straight up in the air and was snatched by lineman Kyle Eyster who took it back to the 33-yard line.


Rochelle wasted little time taking advantage of the turnover, as Metzger and Alex Harvey both rushed for 7 yards each on the next two plays. Harvey then rambled 15 yards down to the 2-yard line and the big senior back capped off the drive by plunging into the end zone for another Hub TD. Villalobos added his second PAT kick of the night and Rochelle held a 14-6 first quarter lead.


Trailing by eight for possibly the first time all season, undefeated Johnsburg went back to its short passing game to move the ball into Hubs’ territory as Jayko completed five passes and got the benefit of a late hit call on a receiver.


On third-and-7 from the Hub 29-yard line, Jayko went away from the dink passing and threw deep to the end zone. Jayko over threw his receiver, however, and Metzger was there to pick the ball off and give the Hubs the ball back at the 20-yard line.


After two first downs all on the ground, the Hubs had the ball near mid-field and were looking to add to their lead. But a third and four run resulted in a fumble that Johnsburg recovered at their own 46-yard line to start the second quarter.


With Rochelle pretty much shutting down Johnsburg’s running game and containing the Skyhawks' short passing game to small gains, Jayko tried to go long again for a quick strike and it backfired.
On second down and seven from the 49-yard line, Jayko launched a bomb down the right sideline that again was overthrown and intercepted by Rochelle’s Brendon Danekas at the Hubs’ 19-yard line with 8:17 left in the half.


The defenses of both teams settled in and maintain control for the rest of the second quarter. Johnsburg made one more push at the end zone late in the half, but with less than a minute to go and the ball at the Hub 26-yard line, the Hubs defense held strong and forced an incomplete pass on fourth down to end the threat.


Rochelle held its 14-6 lead for much of the third quarter until Johnsburg managed to advance the ball down to the Rochelle 10-yard line. But the Hubs tightened up by stopping a run for no gain and then knocking down two straight passes in the end zone to force the Skyhawks to settle for a field goal to make it 14-9 with 4:18 to play in the period.


“Keeping them out of the end zone was big for us there,” Crandall said.


The defensive stand seemed to energize the Hub offense and Rochelle once again took advantage of a nice Villalobos kickoff return.


Starting from right at midfield, Rochelle gained just three yards on two runs, so on third down and seven Crandall turned to another play action pass call that looked like a replay of the earlier touchdown. Mershon found Metzger once again streaking down the middle of the drawn in Johnsburg secondary for a 36-yard completion that took the ball down to the 10-yard line.


Metzger then took a hand-off on the very next play around the left end all the way in for a touchdown to give the Hubs a 21-9 lead after Villalobos added the PAT kick.


To their credit, the Skyhawks did not go away at point, and actually began mixing in more running plays that helped them keep the ball moving. Johnsburg executed a 3:20 drive that culminated in a 1-yard TD run by Jesse Mercado. Jayko’s PAT kick was good and with 11:00 to go in the game, the Hubs held a narrow 21-15 lead.


While two big passing plays were key in Rochelle’s early points, the Hubs turned to their bread and butter running game to put Johnsburg away in the final frame.


Starting from their own 30-yard line, Rochelle’s backs took turns pounding ball against a worn down Skyhawks defense. After Harvey gained five yards on two straight rushes, Metzger ripped off a 15-yard run just past mid-field and then Johnson break away around right end for a back-breaking 41-yard touchdown run. Villalobos converted another PAT kick and the Hubs had some breathing room at 28-15 with 7:33 to play.


A scrambling Johnsburg offense seemed out of sync as time was running down and Rochelle’s pressure forced a quick four-play series that included a James Kerfin sack and ended on an incomplete pass on fourth down from Johnsburg’s own 38-yard line.


Rochelle quickly put nails in the Johnsburg coffin, pounding the ball on the ground against a exhausted and defeated home team. Harvey ran for 13 yards, followed by a 15-yard gain by Metzger that took the ball to the 10-yard line.

Four plays later Harvey crashed in across the goal line and Villalobos’ PAT kick made it 35-16 with just 3:34 left. Johnsburg’s final offensive possession ended quickly when on their first play from scrimmage Metzger put an exclamation point on the playoff victory when he picked off Jayko for the third time of the night.


“I was a little surprised they ran the ball as much as they did in the second half and he (Jayko) seemed off a little tonight, but our kids really played well,” Crandall said. “They (Johnsburg) pretty much platoons all their players and we’ve got seven or so kids playing both ways the entire night. This win is a real credit to their effort and dedication.”


The Hubs will play in Morris this Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. in the third round of the playoffs. The Redskins edged out Rochelle in an exciting 34-30 shootout game last month that was played in Morris. Advanced ticket sales information will be released on Monday.