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Tri-City Register
Storm romp past Riverton in home finale
By Byron Painter
Editor
Sangamon Valley football coach Michael Lee and his Storm squad were finally on the right
side of some breaks Friday night.
In a season filled with injuries and illness that led a possible, if not likely, playoff team out of
the postseason, the Storm took out some frustration on the Riverton Hawks and Michael’s
brother Josh in a 41-14 Sangamo Conference triumph.
On this night it was the Hawks, and not the Storm, to lose a touchdown to a penalty and then
a few plays later see their opponent score, and on multiple occasions a few inches’ difference
not only meant first downs but a key touchback late in the second period.
“Finally a couple of bounces went our way,” said Michael Lee, whose team is 3-5 (2-5). “I was
disappointed with our first quarter intensity.
“We were ready to go vs. Williamsville and Auburn but we were not quite running on all
cylinders early, though it was tough to prepare for their option and their backs,” he continued.
“But they really got after it after halftime and ramped up their intensity.”
“That is not a two-win football team over there,” said Josh Lee, who said his team ran into a
‘buzzsaw.’
After seeing the Storm in person last week at Auburn and watching the Williamsville film from
Week 6 (when SV lost 20-6 but lost a potential tying score late in the game because of a penalty
and two plays later watched the Bullets return an interception for a score), Josh Lee knew it
might be a long night.
Add to that a decimated squad with little depth, and the Hawks were in for an uphill battle.
But it was Riverton (1-7, 1-6) that had the first scoring chance, as after holding the Storm to a
three-and-out, Alex Behrens had the first of many long returns in the game and set up the
Hawks at the 39.
Riverton got to the SV 11 (QB Will Schneider had the key play, a 26-yard scamper) before
stalling; the Hawk kicker, Spencer Pulliam, was held out because the soccer star had a
regional game Saturday afternoon, and without his leg at his disposal, Josh Lee’s bunch
eventually turned the ball over on a fourth-down interception in the end zone by Eric Leonard.
The Storm needed only four plays to score, Dan Rentschler doing the honors with a nifty 62-
yard scamper. Casey Lyon’s boot made it 7-0 with 3:40 left in the opening period.
Riverton responded with a nearly six-minute that went 60 yards, Jacob Morrison covering the
final 17 2:09 into the second period. Jon Debowey made the PAT.
With Debowey kicking off as well, the Hawks tried an onside/squib type kick (as it did every
time), and the Storm took over at the Riverton 44 and scored four plays later when Nick Craig
went in from the 29. The PAT was blocked by Blake Garcia (his first of two blocks), but the Storm
still led 13-7.
Riverton punted after a three-and-out, then the Storm got into Hawk territory before Brad
Nilhas recovered an SV fumble on fourth-and-long.
Riverton punted again, with Behrens doing the honors; his kick took a fortuitous bounce and
basically stopped at the 1. Spencer Woodward went to down it and slid into the end zone
without full control of the pigskin, so the Storm took over at the 20 instead of the 1.
SV marched down the field and scored on the final play of the half as Craig scored on a
naked bootleg from the 4.
The Riverton sideline went ballistic after it appeared that a Storm player moved early on the
TD, but to no avail.
Rentschler then scored on the conversion run to put SV up 21-7 at intermission.
The Hawks appeared to have scored to start the second half when Zach Yoggerst returned
the kickoff for a score, but a holding penalty was called.
On the Hawks’ first play, a bad pitch led to a fumble that was recovered by Austin Klaus at the
Riverton 22.
Five plays later and overcoming a holding penalty in the process, Rentschler scored from the
5 at the 9:57 mark, and after Lyon’s PAT, SV led 28-7.
“That was a huge turnaround,” said Michael Lee.
Casey Acree picked off Schneider in the end zone to snuff out the next Riverton drive (which
started at the SV 30 thanks to a monster return from Yoggerst), then the Storm chewed up
nearly six minutes in their 95-yard drive, Rentschler covering the final 13.
On the second play of the fourth period, the Hawks’ Corey Korinek recovered a fumble;
Riverton then went 49 yards in four plays, with Schneider scoring from the 3.
The play before, Schneider, after eluding the pass rush, found Yoggerst free up the middle
for a 40-yard pass.
Debowey once again nailed the PAT.
Craig completed the scoring with a 22-yard scamper with 7:12 remaining.
The Storm finished with 349 yards rushing in 47 tries, with Rentschler (26 for 216) and Craig
(seven for 101) eclipsing the century mark.
For the Hawks, Schneider passed for 66 and ran for 84 yards, with Morrison adding 32.
Riverton finished with 199 yards of offense.
“After the first quarter, we did a good job of attacking,” said Michael Lee, who complimented
the Riverton backfield. “You have to stay with your responsibility against the option.”
Behrens led the defense with 11 tackles, while Debowey tallied seven and Morrison six.
Aaron Bennett, the T-C student who missed four games because of a staph/MRSA infection,
returned in his last home game and finished with 11 tackles, Andrew Urbanowicz adding nine
and Shane Hiser seven.
Josh Lee said his team’s effort was “one of the best for four quarters” all season, but it was
not nearly enough.
Sangamon Valley 41, Riverton 14
R 0 7 0 7 — 14
SV 7 14 14 6 — 41
First quarter
SV — Rentschler 62 run (Lyon kick), 3:40
Second quarter
R — Morrison 17 run (Debowey kick), 9:51
SV — Craig 29 run (kick blocked), 9:06
SV — Craig 4 run (Rentschler run), 0:00
Third quarter
SV — Rentschler 5 run (Lyon kick), 9:57
SV — Rentschler 13 run (Lyon kick), 2:27
Fourth quarter
R — Schneider 3 run (Debowey kick), 9:54
SV — Craig 22 run (kick blocked), 7:12
R SV
First downs 11 18
Rushes-yards 33-133 47-349
Passing yards 66 49
Comp-Att-Int 7-12-2 4-12-0
Penalties-yards 3-24 8-46
Time of possession 22:22 25:38
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: Riverton, Morrison 9-32, Schneider 20-84, Woodward 4-17. Sangamon Valley,
Rentschler 26-216, Craig 7-101, Urbanowicz 4-9, Bennett 2-8, Leonard 1-7, Acree 1-4, Wickline
1-(-4), Wanless 1-2, Talbert 4-6.
Passing: Riverton, Schneider 7-12-2 66. Sangamon Valley, Craig 4-12-0 49.
Receiving: Riverton, Behrens 3-9, McCloughan 2-11, Yoggerst 1-40, Patterson 1-6. Sangamon
Valley, Acree 2-31, Leonard 2-18.
By Byron Painter
Editor
Sangamon Valley football coach Michael Lee and his Storm squad were finally on the right
side of some breaks Friday night.
In a season filled with injuries and illness that led a possible, if not likely, playoff team out of
the postseason, the Storm took out some frustration on the Riverton Hawks and Michael’s
brother Josh in a 41-14 Sangamo Conference triumph.
On this night it was the Hawks, and not the Storm, to lose a touchdown to a penalty and then
a few plays later see their opponent score, and on multiple occasions a few inches’ difference
not only meant first downs but a key touchback late in the second period.
“Finally a couple of bounces went our way,” said Michael Lee, whose team is 3-5 (2-5). “I was
disappointed with our first quarter intensity.
“We were ready to go vs. Williamsville and Auburn but we were not quite running on all
cylinders early, though it was tough to prepare for their option and their backs,” he continued.
“But they really got after it after halftime and ramped up their intensity.”
“That is not a two-win football team over there,” said Josh Lee, who said his team ran into a
‘buzzsaw.’
After seeing the Storm in person last week at Auburn and watching the Williamsville film from
Week 6 (when SV lost 20-6 but lost a potential tying score late in the game because of a penalty
and two plays later watched the Bullets return an interception for a score), Josh Lee knew it
might be a long night.
Add to that a decimated squad with little depth, and the Hawks were in for an uphill battle.
But it was Riverton (1-7, 1-6) that had the first scoring chance, as after holding the Storm to a
three-and-out, Alex Behrens had the first of many long returns in the game and set up the
Hawks at the 39.
Riverton got to the SV 11 (QB Will Schneider had the key play, a 26-yard scamper) before
stalling; the Hawk kicker, Spencer Pulliam, was held out because the soccer star had a
regional game Saturday afternoon, and without his leg at his disposal, Josh Lee’s bunch
eventually turned the ball over on a fourth-down interception in the end zone by Eric Leonard.
The Storm needed only four plays to score, Dan Rentschler doing the honors with a nifty 62-
yard scamper. Casey Lyon’s boot made it 7-0 with 3:40 left in the opening period.
Riverton responded with a nearly six-minute that went 60 yards, Jacob Morrison covering the
final 17 2:09 into the second period. Jon Debowey made the PAT.
With Debowey kicking off as well, the Hawks tried an onside/squib type kick (as it did every
time), and the Storm took over at the Riverton 44 and scored four plays later when Nick Craig
went in from the 29. The PAT was blocked by Blake Garcia (his first of two blocks), but the Storm
still led 13-7.
Riverton punted after a three-and-out, then the Storm got into Hawk territory before Brad
Nilhas recovered an SV fumble on fourth-and-long.
Riverton punted again, with Behrens doing the honors; his kick took a fortuitous bounce and
basically stopped at the 1. Spencer Woodward went to down it and slid into the end zone
without full control of the pigskin, so the Storm took over at the 20 instead of the 1.
SV marched down the field and scored on the final play of the half as Craig scored on a
naked bootleg from the 4.
The Riverton sideline went ballistic after it appeared that a Storm player moved early on the
TD, but to no avail.
Rentschler then scored on the conversion run to put SV up 21-7 at intermission.
The Hawks appeared to have scored to start the second half when Zach Yoggerst returned
the kickoff for a score, but a holding penalty was called.
On the Hawks’ first play, a bad pitch led to a fumble that was recovered by Austin Klaus at the
Riverton 22.
Five plays later and overcoming a holding penalty in the process, Rentschler scored from the
5 at the 9:57 mark, and after Lyon’s PAT, SV led 28-7.
“That was a huge turnaround,” said Michael Lee.
Casey Acree picked off Schneider in the end zone to snuff out the next Riverton drive (which
started at the SV 30 thanks to a monster return from Yoggerst), then the Storm chewed up
nearly six minutes in their 95-yard drive, Rentschler covering the final 13.
On the second play of the fourth period, the Hawks’ Corey Korinek recovered a fumble;
Riverton then went 49 yards in four plays, with Schneider scoring from the 3.
The play before, Schneider, after eluding the pass rush, found Yoggerst free up the middle
for a 40-yard pass.
Debowey once again nailed the PAT.
Craig completed the scoring with a 22-yard scamper with 7:12 remaining.
The Storm finished with 349 yards rushing in 47 tries, with Rentschler (26 for 216) and Craig
(seven for 101) eclipsing the century mark.
For the Hawks, Schneider passed for 66 and ran for 84 yards, with Morrison adding 32.
Riverton finished with 199 yards of offense.
“After the first quarter, we did a good job of attacking,” said Michael Lee, who complimented
the Riverton backfield. “You have to stay with your responsibility against the option.”
Behrens led the defense with 11 tackles, while Debowey tallied seven and Morrison six.
Aaron Bennett, the T-C student who missed four games because of a staph/MRSA infection,
returned in his last home game and finished with 11 tackles, Andrew Urbanowicz adding nine
and Shane Hiser seven.
Josh Lee said his team’s effort was “one of the best for four quarters” all season, but it was
not nearly enough.
Sangamon Valley 41, Riverton 14
R 0 7 0 7 — 14
SV 7 14 14 6 — 41
First quarter
SV — Rentschler 62 run (Lyon kick), 3:40
Second quarter
R — Morrison 17 run (Debowey kick), 9:51
SV — Craig 29 run (kick blocked), 9:06
SV — Craig 4 run (Rentschler run), 0:00
Third quarter
SV — Rentschler 5 run (Lyon kick), 9:57
SV — Rentschler 13 run (Lyon kick), 2:27
Fourth quarter
R — Schneider 3 run (Debowey kick), 9:54
SV — Craig 22 run (kick blocked), 7:12
R SV
First downs 11 18
Rushes-yards 33-133 47-349
Passing yards 66 49
Comp-Att-Int 7-12-2 4-12-0
Penalties-yards 3-24 8-46
Time of possession 22:22 25:38
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: Riverton, Morrison 9-32, Schneider 20-84, Woodward 4-17. Sangamon Valley,
Rentschler 26-216, Craig 7-101, Urbanowicz 4-9, Bennett 2-8, Leonard 1-7, Acree 1-4, Wickline
1-(-4), Wanless 1-2, Talbert 4-6.
Passing: Riverton, Schneider 7-12-2 66. Sangamon Valley, Craig 4-12-0 49.
Receiving: Riverton, Behrens 3-9, McCloughan 2-11, Yoggerst 1-40, Patterson 1-6. Sangamon
Valley, Acree 2-31, Leonard 2-18.
Issue Date: Oct.21, 2010