Richmond-Burton dominates Murhpysboro for Class 4A state title

DeKALB – Richmond-Burton defensive lineman Nick Ross succinctly described what the Rockets often did best.

“It’s stressed every week that a fast start’s essential,” Ross said. “(Head) coach (Mike Noll) says, ‘Everybody has a good plan until they get punched in the nose.’ If you come out of the gate and put up 14 like we did, it’s going to be effective.”

The Rockets delivered a couple haymakers to Murphysboro with two first-quarter touchdowns and never let the Red Devils get in the game. R-B played as it had all season, with a relentless offense and rock-solid defense on the way to a 50-14 Class 4A state championship victory Friday night at Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Stadium.

R-B finished off its first 14-0 season in school history for its second football state title. The Rockets won the Class 2A championship in 1992. Friday’s title was the first in Noll’s 30-year coaching career.

“Whether we play at home, play on the road, we get off the bus ready to go,” Noll said. “That’s important. (Murphysboro) wanted to possess the football, bleed the clock, we needed to get points on the board.”

R-B scored on its first eight possessions and racked up 370 total yards.

“It’s something we’ve been doing all year,” center Matt Hood said. “We got really good at being prepared to play. I’m just really proud of these guys. It speaks volumes to what we did in the offseason. We spent an incredible amount of time in the weight room.”

It was equally frustrating for the Red Devils’ offense. Murphysboro quarterback Jamarr McZeke said the Rockets just overpowered the Red Devils (11-3).

“Every time we handed the ball off, they were there,” McZeke said. “They had great closing speed in the gaps and got to our plays fast.”

R-B led, 17-0, at halftime and Noll was a little concerned about two Murphysboro drives, even though they ended with no points. R-B’s Nick Legnaioli then returned the second-half kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. Legnaioli looked like he would be run out of bounds around Murphysboro’s 40, but Landon Jacoby got him one more block and he cut back to the middle of the field and scored.

“The kickoff return team did a great job creating a gap for me to run through,” Legnaioli said. “Landon got me that last block where I could cut back in. They did a great job.”

R-B went on to score 27 points in the third quarter and take a 44-0 lead.

“Nick Legs is an unbelievable athlete,” fullback-linebacker Dalton Wood said. “I’m so happy to have him as a teammate and friend. To have him run that one back was icing on the cake that we were going to win state.”

STAR OF THE GAME

Nick Legnaioli, Richmond-Burton, jr., RB-LB

Legnaioli carried six times for 97 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran back the second-half kickoff back 87 yards for a touchdown that made it 24-0.

QUICK STATS

Richmond-Burton 50, Murphysboro 14

Murphysboro 0 0 7 7 – 14

Richmond-Burton 14 3 27 6 – 50

First quarter

RB–Legnaioli 14 run (Legnaioli kick), 6:09.

RB–D. Wood 1 run (Legnaioli kick), 2:01.

Second quarter

RB–FG Legnaioli 25, 4:25.

Third quarter

RB–Legnaioli 87 kickoff return (Legnaioli kick), 11:44.

RB–D. Wood 7 run (Legnaioli kick), 8:15.

RB–Anderson 8 run (Legnaioli kick), 5;05.

RB–Guajardo 31 run (kick failed), 2:20.

M–Clark 92 kickoff return (Attig kick), 2:03.

Fourth quarter

RB–Legnaioli 63 run (kick failed), 11:50.

M–Clark 5 run (Attig kick), 3:04.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–Murphysboro: Clark 17-71, Caraway 8-45, Hoppenstadt 11-42, McNitt 6-33, Kirkwood 2-8. Totals: 49-188. Richmond-Burton: D. Wood 13-106, Lengaioli 6-97, Anderson 8-61, Guajardop 1-31, B. Wood 2-12, Heaney 1-2. Totals: 31-307.

PASSING–Richmond-Burton: Huber 3-5-0-63. Murphysboro: McZeke 6-13-1-64.

RECEIVING–Richmond-Burton: D. Wood 1-44, Hutson 1-11, Petersen 1-8. Murpnysboro: Hoppenstadt 3-38, Kirkwood 1-11, McNitt 1-8, Meade 1-7.

TOTAL TEAM YARDS–Murphysboro 252, Richmond-Burton 370.