Week 1 Memorable Games

by dusty7 Fri Aug 28, 2020 9:00 am

Due to the fact we don't have games to talk about this week and following #35 post, which hits the nail on the head on how we are all feeling, I thought that creating a thread each week for memorable games in that week during past seasons.

2007 - Villa Grove at Arthur-Lovington - as a volunteer assistant at VG, this was the first game I ever coached. It started with each team running back kick returns is losing a TE and RB to season ending injuries on first play from a scrimmage, and a torrential downpour in the second half. We lost but I learned after that game to always come prepared for the rain.

2015 - Peotone vs. Lisle - my last year at Peotone and serving as the DC, we played almost a picture perfect defensive game and our new Pro I offensive moved the ball with ease. It was a great win because the previous year, we were up 21-0 at the end of the 1st and ended up losing, so it was a revenge game for us.

by Bighitter11 Fri Aug 28, 2020 10:27 am

1997 - Herscher at Clifton Central - Local Rivalry game that used to be a really big deal back then. Senior year for me scored my first High School Touchdown and we got a shutout 18-0 to start the year. Went 11-1 and got to the Quarterfinals Fun Season

2008 - Paris at Clifton Central - First game as a Varsity DC, we lost 5 coaches in the offseason, graduated a ton of starter from year before and started Sophs at 11 of 22 positions. Won 14-7 and that too ended up a fun season all the way to the Final Four before EIC beat the piss out of us.

2016 - Clifton Central at Prairie Central - Back and Forth game all night long our RB ran for school record 330 yards that night.

Good Thread Dusty

by Horsefeather Fri Aug 28, 2020 11:01 am

2007: Pontiac @ Morris- We had some great games between these two school in the 2000's. The week prior was as bizarre as I've ever seen with weather. We had to practice inside much of the week due to torrential rain, even had one practice where we ended up in a hallway due to a tornado warning.

I was special teams coordinator that year. Took the opening kick back for a touchdown, then stumbled through the rest of the game and lost 16-13. Went 0-2 to start the season then rattled off 11 straight wins to make the 5A finals where a freshman kicker from Metamora hit a 26 yard FG with 27 seconds left to knock us off.

by Head Idiot Fri Aug 28, 2020 11:17 am

2010- Cerro Gordo @ Bismarck Henning- This wasn't that good a game, but it was memorable because it was my first game as HC at CG and it was easily my weirdest game there. Before the game our parents provided the pre game meal. They chose Casey's pizza. We then rode a bus for 2ish hours to BH in 96 degree weather. There was puke everywhere during the game. We also threw the ball 53 time this game. We would have two SEASONS where we wouldn't attempt 53 passes after this.

2013- CGB @ Lena Winslow at Cuba- With the demise of Danville Schlarman in March of 13, we were scrambling to find an opponent. Neither team wanted to travel all the way to the other so we met in Cuba on a Saturday afternoon. We beat them that day and they went on to win a 1A state championship. We were 2A that year because of our coop with DeLand Weldon and their 45 students. Game took about 3 1/2 hours due to several injuries and water breaks. It was around 98/99 degrees at game time (1pm because LW refused to play at night as "they started conference play the next week" and had to get kids home). This was also the hottest I've ever been in my life. Unfortunately, this may have been our best played game beginning to end in 13.

by Bighitter11 Fri Aug 28, 2020 12:41 pm

Head Idiot wrote:2010- Cerro Gordo @ Bismarck Henning- This wasn't that good a game, but it was memorable because it was my first game as HC at CG and it was easily my weirdest game there. Before the game our parents provided the pre game meal. They chose Casey's pizza. We then rode a bus for 2ish hours to BH in 96 degree weather. There was puke everywhere during the game. We also threw the ball 53 time this game. We would have two SEASONS where we wouldn't attempt 53 passes after this.

2013- CGB @ Lena Winslow at Cuba- With the demise of Danville Schlarman in March of 13, we were scrambling to find an opponent. Neither team wanted to travel all the way to the other so we met in Cuba on a Saturday afternoon. We beat them that day and they went on to win a 1A state championship. We were 2A that year because of our coop with DeLand Weldon and their 45 students. Game took about 3 1/2 hours due to several injuries and water breaks. It was around 98/99 degrees at game time (1pm because LW refused to play at night as "they started conference play the next week" and had to get kids home). This was also the hottest I've ever been in my life. Unfortunately, this may have been our best played game beginning to end in 13.

Hey Mr RTFB did you say you coached at Cerro Gordo or Airooooo Gordo lol

by Head Idiot Fri Aug 28, 2020 12:59 pm

I know, right?

RTFB wasn't born until week 3 of '11. In '10 we were hurry up, no huddle pistol double wing. Wore arm bands, the whole bit. I was going to change offensive football. Went 4-5. After starting 0-2 in 11 and having a soph starting Qb and losing a lineman to a drinking suspension i invented the I formation (long running joke- after winning 6 in a row, the Herald and Review called our offense the "Kerley I"- my staff from then on would ask how I came to invent the I formation. I was even going to give a talk about our offense at the Jacksonville clinic entitled "How I invented the I formation and other stuff" but it got canceled).

One of my favorite games ever was in 15. We beat Argenta 53-0 and never attempted a single pass. But it wasn't Week 1.

by wolverine55 Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:18 pm

Week 1 of 2003. I was a freshmen assistant coach at Jacksonville and our varsity handled Dunlap pretty easily. Confirmed that I thought our varsity was going to be pretty darn good that year and we had a ton of juniors on that team that led the way to our semifinal appearance in 2004.

Week 1 of 2005. I had moved on to Mt. Vernon at this point and we beat Belleville East 26-0 in a game no one thought we would win. Set the tone for a quarterfinal appearance in what most expected to be a 3-6/4-5 type season...even us coaches thought we were going to be around that mark.

Week 1 of 2008. Moved back home and was coaching at West Hancock...only really memorable because it was my first game coaching for my alma mater. Mercer County handled us pretty easily.

Week 1 of 2016. Coaching at my current position, we upset rival Central Lee in a game no one really thought we would win. Set the tone for a 6-3 season, which similar to my year at Mt. Vernon, not much was expected out of us.

by Head Idiot Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:27 am

While thinking of games for the Week 2 thread I remembered this Week 1 gem.

2002- Shelbyville @ Sullivan Okaw Valley @Bethany. Going into 2002 we were young. Starting 4-7 sophs depending on the week and situation(this group would be the group that took us to 10-3 and the semifinals in 04). Were coming off an 0-9 season in which we scored 26pts the whole season. Sullivan had been decent the year before IIRC. They were not in 02. We led 31-0 with 3 minutes left in the 4th and our HC was nervous for his first win and freaking out about dumb things. For some reason I was the guy who was elected to talk to him by the other staff at times like this (he was a former Green Beret in Vietnam and I think he scared them). I go over to tell him to calm down and before I can say something he utters the greatest line ever- "We're Clueless in Seattle!! Except we're in GOD DAMNED BETHANY!!!"

I just walked away. Clueless in Seattle became a long time phrase I used when something was completely FUBAR. We won 31-0.

by OSUBucks Fri Sep 04, 2020 4:46 pm

I remember going up to Montini to play them in 2005. That was one of the hottest games I've been to. The game was tied with about 5 minutes left and we hit a long TD pass to go up. Shortly after that we got a defensive TD and got a good road win. I believe it was the following year that Montini scrapped their Offense and went to the Spread. I think that was nets first year at SHG.

by 19delta Sat Sep 05, 2020 10:18 am

2018 EPC vs. East Dubuque. EDub was not good. EPC won 28-0 but played poorly. But the kids improved every week. That EPC team beat a good Lena-Winslow team (@Lena) that had 2 D1 players and also destroyed eventual 1a state champs Forreston 34-8. EPC hosted GCMS in the 2a semis and gave them their toughest game of the year, bowing out 14-7 and ending the season 12-1.

If I was granted a football wish, it would be to have the 2014 EPC state champs play the 2018 EPC semifinalists. I think the 2018 team wins that game.

by net Sat Sep 05, 2020 11:30 am

OSUBucks wrote:I remember going up to Montini to play them in 2005. That was one of the hottest games I've been to. The game was tied with about 5 minutes left and we hit a long TD pass to go up. Shortly after that we got a defensive TD and got a good road win. I believe it was the following year that Montini scrapped their Offense and went to the Spread. I think that was nets first year at SHG.

2005 was my first year osu.

wk 1 2005-my first year as special teams coor/corners and safeties coach. we were playing at montini. afternoon game in unbearable heat. we kickoff to montini and they return the opening kickoff-my first play ever at shg- to the house. i wanted to jump off the press box. luckily, all state wr, alex reavy and 1st year player(former golfer), catches a quick slant and flies around 70yds for our go ahead td late in the 4th quarter and the defense holds on to win. we wound up 14-0 and 5a state champs. shg's first state title.

wk 1 2002-my first game as head coach at southeast hs we are playing galesburg who had 2 d1 commits. very warm beautiful saturday. we score on our first series but miss the pat. 6-0. galesburg on their first play throws a pass to their d1 wr and he goes the distance. he toasted our cb who had dubbed himself 'lock down' and had written that on his taped wrists and on his cleats. the pass was caught right in front of me and as laid on the ground in disgust i said and i quote, 'lockdown? should be broke down'. now down 7-6. but we pulled it together and went on to win 49-7.

by 19delta Sat Sep 05, 2020 1:32 pm

net wrote:
OSUBucks wrote:I remember going up to Montini to play them in 2005. That was one of the hottest games I've been to. The game was tied with about 5 minutes left and we hit a long TD pass to go up. Shortly after that we got a defensive TD and got a good road win. I believe it was the following year that Montini scrapped their Offense and went to the Spread. I think that was nets first year at SHG.

2005 was my first year osu.

wk 1 2005-my first year as special teams coor/corners and safeties coach. we were playing at montini. afternoon game in unbearable heat. we kickoff to montini and they return the opening kickoff-my first play ever at shg- to the house. i wanted to jump off the press box. luckily, all state wr, alex reavy and 1st year player(former golfer), catches a quick slant and flies around 70yds for our go ahead td late in the 4th quarter and the defense holds on to win. we wound up 14-0 and 5a state champs. shg's first state title.

wk 1 2002-my first game as head coach at southeast hs we are playing galesburg who had 2 d1 commits. very warm beautiful saturday. we score on our first series but miss the pat. 6-0. galesburg on their first play throws a pass to their d1 wr and he goes the distance. he toasted our cb who had dubbed himself 'lock down' and had written that on his taped wrists and on his cleats. the pass was caught right in front of me and as laid on the ground in disgust i said and i quote, 'lockdown? should be broke down'. now down 7-6. but we pulled it together and went on to win 49-7.

Footage of net from that game vs. Galesburg (LINK)

by Bighitter11 Tue Sep 08, 2020 4:32 pm

Week 1 of the 2012 Season was a good one as well. We opened up at Prairie Central who had Addison Bounds at QB were coming off a 2nd Round appearance in Class 4A they year before and were state ranked. We beat them 42-19. We had the ball for only 3 plays in the 1st quarter. They took 6 minutes off clock on first drive we scored on a KO return and a fumble return. They wore down in the 2nd half and we took that week 1 momentum to the final 4 that year.

by Head Idiot Fri Sep 11, 2020 1:16 pm

2012- CGB @ Danville Schlarman. This was not a good game. They were bad and we were really good- we just didn't know it yet. One of my assistants had a friend on their brand new staff and he'd told us they were going Wing T. That's what we practiced all week. Their first play they line up Shotgun 5 wide with "QUADS!!" on one side (I capitalize quads because our assistant who had been duped yelled this as loud as humanly possible across the field when they first lined up. We razzed him mercilessly for 4 years for it). I think they fumbled the snap and we recovered.

At one point in the game we ran a standard I formation counter trey and 10 defenders ended up on the right side of our formation tackling the FB while our TB jogged 45yds for the score. They were bad.

After the game were the memorable moments really. Walking out their student section (a bunch of shirtless, painted, annoyingly loud HS boys) started telling their players how much they sucked. I got offended for them and told the idiots that maybe they'd be a better football team if you'd put a shirt on and play football instead of wanting to make a jack ass out of themselves at the games.

Pretty soon after that a parent of ours comes up to me before I made it to the locker room amd asks me where the state championship was. I said Champaign, why? "Cause we're going to be playing there!!" I kind of told him to calm down.

That week in practice our kids are super unfocused and really cocky. About halfway through practice Wed I stop practice, sit them down and say "Listen. You kicked Schlarmans asses, but you can't be so satisfied beating a team that way that isn't going to have a program in three weeks." One kid says that was really mean. I told him to bet me. He did. After Week 3, Schlarman canceled their season (after Villa Grove scored like 80 on them week 2 while still having their varsity in in the 4th quarter- that was a dickhead move. Every one of our 50 kids played at least a quarter against them). I won a Diet Dew for that Nostradamus feat.

by Pike Bishop Fri Sep 11, 2020 9:48 pm

net wrote:
OSUBucks wrote:I remember going up to Montini to play them in 2005. That was one of the hottest games I've been to. The game was tied with about 5 minutes left and we hit a long TD pass to go up. Shortly after that we got a defensive TD and got a good road win. I believe it was the following year that Montini scrapped their Offense and went to the Spread. I think that was nets first year at SHG.

2005 was my first year osu.

wk 1 2005-my first year as special teams coor/corners and safeties coach. we were playing at montini. afternoon game in unbearable heat. we kickoff to montini and they return the opening kickoff-my first play ever at shg- to the house. i wanted to jump off the press box. luckily, all state wr, alex reavy and 1st year player(former golfer), catches a quick slant and flies around 70yds for our go ahead td late in the 4th quarter and the defense holds on to win. we wound up 14-0 and 5a state champs. shg's first state title.

wk 1 2002-my first game as head coach at southeast hs we are playing galesburg who had 2 d1 commits. very warm beautiful saturday. we score on our first series but miss the pat. 6-0. galesburg on their first play throws a pass to their d1 wr and he goes the distance. he toasted our cb who had dubbed himself 'lock down' and had written that on his taped wrists and on his cleats. the pass was caught right in front of me and as laid on the ground in disgust i said and i quote, 'lockdown? should be broke down'. now down 7-6. but we pulled it together and went on to win 49-7.

Not wk 1, 2003 at Galesburg when I made radio history in Know County?

Week 1 1995, SHG at Richwoods, Saturday afternoon, hottest game I think I ever coached in. A Richwoods kid hd the west injury I have ever seen and their QB was calling signals, tried to call a timeout and "spewed" all over his center. SHG lost 13-11, won our next 12, and lost the 4A state championship to Providence 22-17. One of the toughest group of kids, best defenses I ever coached.

by OSUBucks Sat Sep 12, 2020 11:03 am

Pike Bishop wrote:
net wrote:
OSUBucks wrote:I remember going up to Montini to play them in 2005. That was one of the hottest games I've been to. The game was tied with about 5 minutes left and we hit a long TD pass to go up. Shortly after that we got a defensive TD and got a good road win. I believe it was the following year that Montini scrapped their Offense and went to the Spread. I think that was nets first year at SHG.

2005 was my first year osu.

wk 1 2005-my first year as special teams coor/corners and safeties coach. we were playing at montini. afternoon game in unbearable heat. we kickoff to montini and they return the opening kickoff-my first play ever at shg- to the house. i wanted to jump off the press box. luckily, all state wr, alex reavy and 1st year player(former golfer), catches a quick slant and flies around 70yds for our go ahead td late in the 4th quarter and the defense holds on to win. we wound up 14-0 and 5a state champs. shg's first state title.

wk 1 2002-my first game as head coach at southeast hs we are playing galesburg who had 2 d1 commits. very warm beautiful saturday. we score on our first series but miss the pat. 6-0. galesburg on their first play throws a pass to their d1 wr and he goes the distance. he toasted our cb who had dubbed himself 'lock down' and had written that on his taped wrists and on his cleats. the pass was caught right in front of me and as laid on the ground in disgust i said and i quote, 'lockdown? should be broke down'. now down 7-6. but we pulled it together and went on to win 49-7.

Not wk 1, 2003 at Galesburg when I made radio history in Know County?

Week 1 1995, SHG at Richwoods, Saturday afternoon, hottest game I think I ever coached in. A Richwoods kid hd the west injury I have ever seen and their QB was calling signals, tried to call a timeout and "spewed" all over his center. SHG lost 13-11, won our next 12, and lost the 4A state championship to Providence 22-17. One of the toughest group of kids, best defenses I ever coached.

SHG had some players on that 1995 D for sure, lead by Matt Mitrione. Providence was ranked Nationally in the top 25 if I recall. Providence finally wore them down in the 4th quarter, the SHG D was just gassed at the end of the game.

by Teetime Sat Sep 12, 2020 3:04 pm

OSUBucks wrote:SHG had some players on that 1995 D for sure, lead by Matt Mitrione. Providence was ranked Nationally in the top 25 if I recall. Providence finally wore them down in the 4th quarter, the SHG D was just gassed at the end of the game.

Didn't SHG cough up the ball late in the game deep in their own territory or am I misremembering that one?

by OSUBucks Sat Sep 12, 2020 3:56 pm

Teetime wrote:
OSUBucks wrote:SHG had some players on that 1995 D for sure, lead by Matt Mitrione. Providence was ranked Nationally in the top 25 if I recall. Providence finally wore them down in the 4th quarter, the SHG D was just gassed at the end of the game.

Didn't SHG cough up the ball late in the game deep in their own territory or am I misremembering that one?

You have a good memory. SHG leading 17-15 fumbled on about their own 25 with about 2 minutes left. To say it was a tough loss is an understatement.
Here's a link to the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Zzr_dKHtA

by net Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:57 pm

Teetime wrote:
OSUBucks wrote:SHG had some players on that 1995 D for sure, lead by Matt Mitrione. Providence was ranked Nationally in the top 25 if I recall. Providence finally wore them down in the 4th quarter, the SHG D was just gassed at the end of the game.

Didn't SHG cough up the ball late in the game deep in their own territory or am I misremembering that one?

i've never felt so bad for a kid in a state championship football game in my life. christian gripper, a monstrous blocking fullback, coughed it up and provi went onto win that game.

by Pike Bishop Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:58 pm

net wrote:
Teetime wrote:
OSUBucks wrote:SHG had some players on that 1995 D for sure, lead by Matt Mitrione. Providence was ranked Nationally in the top 25 if I recall. Providence finally wore them down in the 4th quarter, the SHG D was just gassed at the end of the game.

Didn't SHG cough up the ball late in the game deep in their own territory or am I misremembering that one?

i've never felt so bad for a kid in a state championship football game in my life. christian gripper, a monstrous blocking fullback, coughed it up and provi went onto win that game.

Great kid, tough kid, I coached RB's with Bren, it was very satisfying watch Christian grow and improve as a football player and man. He went on to have a great career at MacMurray. His senior year he was on of the leading scorers in DIII.

Still no answer on the memorable wk 1 game at Galesburg your 2nd year at Southeast?.

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