Week 7 Memorable Games

2001 - Monticello vs. Clinton - possibly my one shining moment in high school. We were playing at Clinton, we needed a win to stay alive for potential playoff contention and our HC always told us that "nothing good has ever came out of Clinton," HI, you may or may not agree with his statement. As the season progressed, our coaches started to rely on the Juniors more than the Seniors but this game us Seniors got a lot of playing time. We were up 7-0 and it was basically a 3 and out for both sides. However, we went double tight and I was the TE, we ran our bread and butter play action, 32 Dump, one TE stays for 1 second to sell the run then goes down the seam, I was about 10 yards deep, caught the ball, took two steps, and had a wide open field in front of me and scored a TD to go up 14-0. As we were leaving on the bus one or our more colorful plays shouts, "looks like something good is finally coming out of Clinton."

2009 - Peotone vs. Sandwich, also known as the clincher because we became clinched being conference champs with help from other teams. I have mentioned this team various times already. Much of the game escapes me because I pretty much the entire first half dealing with a Sign-out sheet issue with one of our JV kids but I do remember the final drive. We had 2 huge pass plays late in the 4th quarter. First one was about mid field, QB had a ton of time to throw and placed the ball perfectly to our number 2 or 3 WR, who made a great catch on our sideline. Next play he lobs one up in the back corner of the end zone, our stud WR goes up and grabs it and we win the game 14-10. Our QB that season was really good at placing the ball where only our guys could catch it and they did a great job going up and getting the 50/50 balls all season. Once again, this was a game where it was spitting rain the entire game and was a sloppy mess by the end of the game. Here is a highlight video of that game, good stuff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiMpkCnSiZQ&ab_channel=pizzlestuff

2013 - Peotone vs. Coal City - on our homecoming we had to face the Coalers who are always a challenge and this was one of the most talented teams I have had to opportunity to coach. It was a back and forth game in the 1st half and we basically stuck with out Spread/Trips formation. At half time one of our assistants pleaded with the HC to go with a TE to help us with run support. For whatever reason, Coal City never adjusted and put an additional man in the box and we were able to run all over them. To this day, I still can't imagine why they did not adjust.

Connor Sweeny made the play of his life to keep that drive alive with that first catch you reference. They ran the Wing-T and always ran it really well. Our defense just grinded it out and we were fortunate to win the game. Again, we were an average team that overachieved for 4 weeks. But it was a fun 4 weeks of the season, that's for sure. Had a fun staff then as well...great memories.

2005--Mt. Vernon vs. Cahokia--I don't remember if Cahokia came into this game undefeated or not but we were 6-0 and this game was essentially the conference championship as we had upset Althoff earlier in the season. What sticks out to me is when me and the other assistant who were the booth coaches went over the Cahokia sideline asking where in the pressbox we sat, we were met with confused looks by everyone we asked. Maybe visiting coaches don't normally go to the press box at Cahokia? We never really did get an answer to this question but were eventually given a spot to sit. We ran an inverted wishbone and they ran a double tight I formation and this was one of the most physical games I've ever seen. Another tidbit is we forgot our ballbag but fortunately had one football that a QB brought to use for warmups and our game ball, lol! We won on a last-second FG and as we were driving to put ourselves in position for it, I leaned over to the other assistant and said something like, "You know, given the friendliness towards us, we may not want to be over here if we win this game..." So we were walking back to our sideline as we kicked the game winner.

2008--West Hancock vs. Rushville--this is memorable because of what could have been. We beat Rushville 46-33 on this night and played by far our best game of the 2008 season. I don't think we could have done any damage in the postseason, but we at least should have made it. Instead, we didn't play as well the next two weeks, losing both games by a total of 7 points, and ended up at 3-6 when we should have probably been able to flip that to 6-3 had this team lived up to its potential. The 2008 version of WH is one of those teams that had great kids but no real leadership and it showed.

2012--Keokuk vs. Williamsburg--Williamsburg is a pretty traditional power in Iowa and this season is one of the few years they placed them in the same district as us. We had a talented senior class but due partially to a tough schedule and partially due to some defensive deficiencies, we entered this game at only 3-3. Again, a game of what might have been as even with a loss we played our best game of the year. Our QB, who is the younger brother of former Iowa QB James Vandenberg, passed for nearly 400 yards and completed passes to 8 different WRs. We had a WR who for various reasons was eligible for the first time all year this game and he caught something like six passes for almost 180 of those yards. We ended up losing 33-27 as we couldn't really stop their running game, but in this case that was due more to their talent than our defensive weaknesses. Again, it was a great game so very memorable for that reason but also memorable because we knew we were talented yet were only 3-4 after this loss.

dusty7 wrote:2001 - Monticello vs. Clinton - possibly my one shining moment in high school. We were playing at Clinton, we needed a win to stay alive for potential playoff contention and our HC always told us that "nothing good has ever came out of Clinton," HI, you may or may not agree with his statement.  As the season progressed, our coaches started to rely on the Juniors more than the Seniors but this game us Seniors got a lot of playing time.  We were up 7-0 and it was basically a 3 and out for both sides. However, we went double tight and I was the TE, we ran our bread and butter play action, 32 Dump, one TE stays for 1 second to sell the run then goes down the seam, I was about 10 yards deep, caught the ball, took two steps, and had a wide open field in front of me and scored a TD to go up 14-0. As we were leaving on the bus one or our more colorful plays shouts, "looks like something good is finally coming out of Clinton."   

There were more than a few reasons we didn't like Monticello.

That being said, there wasn't a rivalry on our part as football was about the only we lost to them in when I was in school (90-94).

2012- CGB @ Bunker Hill- this was not a good game. One of the biggest mismatches I was ever involved in. However the peripherals made it memorable. I told you last week that the day after our huge win at Villa Grove I met their assistant coach to trade film and he appeared clueless that we were any good. That was a little jarring and was my first insight into one of the weirdest programs I'd interact with in my CG time.

Anyway, I go back to CG and start watching the film. We used to meet at 9am Saturday morning and watch the film in our "film room" in our locker room. It was an old closet in the back with some old couches. Guys would bring donuts, jokes were told and over 3 hours we'd hash out a plan. About 3 minutes into the film we could all see we could sleep walk to a running clock on these guys and joke time goes into OT as we're still pretty hyper from the night before. One of my old school assistants took exception to this and yells "We still have to prepare for these guys!" I just calmly look at him and say "Coach, I know what you're saying, but we could running clock these guys with our JV". He got mad and left.

It was a Saturday game because of travel and we used the week to take some time off and have some lighter practices to prepare for the post season. We get to BH and standing outside our locker room is 2 kids in jerseys with OL numbers. Their legs are super skinny. One of my linemen asks if they have a squat rack anywhere in town. I think at least one was a starter. We go out to the field to set up the camera (my job as HC for some reason ) and the visitors side of the booth's window was a piece of blue corregated cardboard.

Pregame, I head over to their sideline to give them their film back and as I'm walking over they've got a kid kicking kickoffs warming up. As I'm walking, it's not going well and a coach watching pushes the kid out of the way and says "Here, this is how you do it" and proceeds to start taking reps kicking. I never saw the kid take another rep. I think to myself what I would do to an assistant that did that. Game starts and I see the guy with a headset. They call TO on 2nd down and it becomes apparent he's their HC. On 4th down it's 4th and 25 and they go to punt. Their punter misses the ball completely and our DE picks it up and runs it in for a TD. That's indicative of how the game went. We won 63-6 and it is the only game in 2012-2013 that our TB didn't gain 100yds. I think he ended with 75ish.

On the way home I'd set it up for us to go to a pizza place in Litchfield to eat. We get in, it's set up, I talk to some people and by the time I go to eat there's 3 pieces left. Later found out that a few of our younger crapheads (and that's an honest assessment- I kicked most of them off the team the next year) ate almost an entire pizza each. Then, for some reason, our bus driver takes the back way home through Pana and it takes us over 3 hours to get home. I think I finally got to eat something about 7pm.

Head Idiot wrote:

dusty7 wrote:2001 - Monticello vs. Clinton - possibly my one shining moment in high school. We were playing at Clinton, we needed a win to stay alive for potential playoff contention and our HC always told us that "nothing good has ever came out of Clinton," HI, you may or may not agree with his statement.  As the season progressed, our coaches started to rely on the Juniors more than the Seniors but this game us Seniors got a lot of playing time.  We were up 7-0 and it was basically a 3 and out for both sides. However, we went double tight and I was the TE, we ran our bread and butter play action, 32 Dump, one TE stays for 1 second to sell the run then goes down the seam, I was about 10 yards deep, caught the ball, took two steps, and had a wide open field in front of me and scored a TD to go up 14-0. As we were leaving on the bus one or our more colorful plays shouts, "looks like something good is finally coming out of Clinton."   

There were more than a few reasons we didn't like Monticello.

That being said, there wasn't a rivalry on our part as football was about the only we lost to them in when I was in school (90-94).

I completely understand that hatred for Monticello in the area. Our coach also hated Maroa and would tell us they had no respect for us country club kids. I have family in both Maroa and Clinton and knew what he was saying was not true. Maybe it was his way of motivating us but I think it was more his perception because he coached in the 80s and 90s when Monticello was fairly successful in football during that time and he struggled to match that success with superior athletes in my opinion.

The concept that Maroa would view Monticello as "country club kids" is pretty funny.

I went to Clinton at a rare time in their history. My class had a combined 28-7 football record our four years through the various levels, we won a boys basketball regional our Jr & sr years, girls bball won regional i think our soph, Jr & sr years, track won sectionals our jr & sr year I think, cross country won a regional our jr year maybe and baseball won a regional our jr and sr year. Wrestling won regional our soph, jr and sr year and we got 2nd and 4th in state my jr and sr year.

I honestly thought that was how we did things at Clinton. I didn't pay attention to HS sports when I was younger and really didn't when I was at college in Monmouth (before scorezone and the internet really). When I came back in 2000, we were really successful that year across the board. It was really jarring for me in 2007 to go back and see from the inside what had happened to that place.

I went back last year to Clinton for my daughter's volleyball game. I was really kind of surprised how many of the banners for sports success were from 1990-1994. Again, I just thought that's how it was supposed to be.

2009 BCC @ Mahomet - BCC had beat us the year before in a tough contest when both teams were undefeated. BCC went on to win the state title and came to our place the following year with a 20-win streak. We had a rough start to the year - we lost to a quality Rochester team for the first time in many years and then were upset by Marshall in our first home game leaving us 0-2. We managed to recover and entered week 7 4-2. BCC was heavily favored, but we managed to upset them in a mud bowl 14-5. We took an intentional safety at the end of the game to preserve the win.

OldTitan wrote:2009 BCC @ Mahomet - BCC had beat us the year before in a tough contest when both teams were undefeated. BCC went on to win the state title and came to our place the following year with a 20-win streak. We had a rough start to the year - we lost to a quality Rochester team for the first time in many years and then were upset by Marshall in our first home game leaving us 0-2. We managed to recover and entered week 7 4-2. BCC was heavily favored, but we managed to upset them in a mud bowl 14-5. We took an intentional safety at the end of the game to preserve the win.

Beating the Bloomington Area All Stars is always a good day.

2020 Week 7 will probably go down as memorable if for no other reason than it's our last regular season game already...

wolverine55 wrote:2020 Week 7 will probably go down as memorable if for no other reason than it's our last regular season game already...

Why?

It's how Iowa shortened things for COVID. We do get to play next week as everyone gets into the playoffs this year. Just a weird feeling that we're 3-2, it's only Week 7, and it's the last regular season game already.

wolverine55 wrote:It's how Iowa shortened things for COVID.  We do get to play next week as everyone gets into the playoffs this year.  Just a weird feeling that we're 3-2, it's only Week 7, and it's the last regular season game already.

That is weird.

It also doesn't make any sense. Why shorten it if you're already underway? Oh well.

dusty7 wrote:

Head Idiot wrote:

dusty7 wrote:2001 - Monticello vs. Clinton - possibly my one shining moment in high school. We were playing at Clinton, we needed a win to stay alive for potential playoff contention and our HC always told us that "nothing good has ever came out of Clinton," HI, you may or may not agree with his statement.  As the season progressed, our coaches started to rely on the Juniors more than the Seniors but this game us Seniors got a lot of playing time.  We were up 7-0 and it was basically a 3 and out for both sides. However, we went double tight and I was the TE, we ran our bread and butter play action, 32 Dump, one TE stays for 1 second to sell the run then goes down the seam, I was about 10 yards deep, caught the ball, took two steps, and had a wide open field in front of me and scored a TD to go up 14-0. As we were leaving on the bus one or our more colorful plays shouts, "looks like something good is finally coming out of Clinton."   

There were more than a few reasons we didn't like Monticello.

That being said, there wasn't a rivalry on our part as football was about the only we lost to them in when I was in school (90-94).

I completely understand that hatred for Monticello in the area. Our coach also hated Maroa and would tell us they had no respect for us country club kids.  I have family in both Maroa and Clinton and knew what he was saying was not true.  Maybe it was his way of motivating us but I think it was more his perception because he coached in the 80s and 90s when Monticello was fairly successful in football during that time and he struggled to match that success with superior athletes in my opinion.  

I take exception with that statement. LOL

1997 Paxton Buckley Loda at Clifton Central.

It was our Senior Night we were undefeated and ranked 4th and for whatever reason we started off real slow on offense. They hit us for 2 Deep scoring plays in the first half had a 6-4 WR that just out jumped our CB and took it the rest of the way. We finally put together a scoring drive in the 4th quarter to tie the game at 16. We already lost our Backup QB to a broken thumb that game. Or QB gets an elbow injury that he is struggling to even take the snaps. Bighitter was much more little those day and was Emergency QB but I didnt have to go in. We went to 3 Overtimes and won on a FG 19-16

general maximus wrote:

dusty7 wrote:

Head Idiot wrote:

dusty7 wrote:2001 - Monticello vs. Clinton - possibly my one shining moment in high school. We were playing at Clinton, we needed a win to stay alive for potential playoff contention and our HC always told us that "nothing good has ever came out of Clinton," HI, you may or may not agree with his statement.  As the season progressed, our coaches started to rely on the Juniors more than the Seniors but this game us Seniors got a lot of playing time.  We were up 7-0 and it was basically a 3 and out for both sides. However, we went double tight and I was the TE, we ran our bread and butter play action, 32 Dump, one TE stays for 1 second to sell the run then goes down the seam, I was about 10 yards deep, caught the ball, took two steps, and had a wide open field in front of me and scored a TD to go up 14-0. As we were leaving on the bus one or our more colorful plays shouts, "looks like something good is finally coming out of Clinton."   

There were more than a few reasons we didn't like Monticello.

That being said, there wasn't a rivalry on our part as football was about the only we lost to them in when I was in school (90-94).

I completely understand that hatred for Monticello in the area. Our coach also hated Maroa and would tell us they had no respect for us country club kids.  I have family in both Maroa and Clinton and knew what he was saying was not true.  Maybe it was his way of motivating us but I think it was more his perception because he coached in the 80s and 90s when Monticello was fairly successful in football during that time and he struggled to match that success with superior athletes in my opinion.  

I take exception with that statement.  LOL

Hahaha, I bet you would. Don't get me wrong, your era with Hancock, Zvonar, Swartzentraub, German, and many other great players were phenomenal, too bad they had to deal with Althoff two years in a row. However, I would take the '97 and '98 teams with Streigel, Beccue, Schmink, and Marker over them but they got beat by Central A&M on a questionable call, similar to what happened with Fulton in '91.

wolverine55 wrote:2020 Week 7 will probably go down as memorable if for no other reason than it's our last regular season game already...

Are they having a full playoff?

Are some of the big schools still not playing. Iowa City, Des Moines?

Iowa City schools returned to action last week, but I'm not sure about the Des Moines schools yet. Yes a full playoff, so the teams that make it to the championship game will end up playing 5-6 playoff games. Due to odd numbers some teams will receive a first-round bye.