October 17, 2024
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Diego Garcia, Sycamore defense stymie young DeKalb

Spartans shine in 2nd half, turn 1-score game into 42-7 win

By Eddie Carifio
Sycamore's Michael Chami (left) and Owen DePauw celebrate with Diego Garcia (right) after he scored the games first touchdown during the First National Challenge game Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, in Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Sycamore's Michael Chami (left) and Owen DePauw celebrate with Diego Garcia (right) after he scored the games first touchdown during the First National Challenge game Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, in Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. (Mark Busch)

DeKALB – DeKalb ripped off a two-play, 76-yard yard scoring drive in less than 50 seconds to head into halftime against rival Sycamore down only one touchdown.

But the Spartans clamped down in the second, held the Barbs to 52 total yards of offense and knocked off DeKalb 42-7, at NIU’s Huskie Stadium, claiming the traveling trophy for the second straight year.

[ Order photos from the DeKalb-Sycamore game ]

“It was great. We worked perfectly as a team,” said linebacker Diego Garcia, who had nine tackles and two sacks, plus ran for both of Sycamore’s first-half touchdowns. “All in sync. We’ve been working all summer for it and it was great to see it come out.

“All of our hard work really paid off in the summer and it’s just great to have two years in a row,” he said.

Sycamore fans get fired up before the First National Challenge game Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, in Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Sycamore fans get fired up before the First National Challenge game Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, in Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. (Mark Busch)

DeKalb closed the first half with a 35-yard sophomore connection from Cole Latimer to Davon Grant, then another one from Latimer to Grant for 26 yards and the score.

The Barbs (0-1) trailed 14-7 at the break, but Sycamore (1-0) opened the second half with a 10-play, 73-yard scoring drive capped with a 16-yard run by quarterback Burke Gautcher, who ran for 138 yards and pair of scores.

With only four returning starters from last year, Sycamore coach Joe Ryan said he was glad to see his team respond the way it did to DeKalb’s late score.

“You never know what you’re going to get with a bunch of new guys playing a bunch of new positions,” Ryan said. “I thought they responded really well, especially in that position. Some teams don’t respond very well in those situations and I thought we did.”

DeKalb tried to answer back on the next drive but committed three penalties and ended up punting from their own 6. Sycamore took over at the Barbs’ 34 and used a systematic, nine-play drive to score with 21 seconds left in the third for a 28-7 lead.

“We played to our youth. I mean, I don’t mean that as an excuse,” Schneeman said. “You see glimmers at times but not enough consistency. So tip your hat to Sycamore. They did a great job. They came out and executed really well. There were times when we responded and times when we didn’t. I don’t think they’re 35 points better than us, but they were definitely the better team today.”

“All of our hard work really paid off in the summer and it’s just great to have two years in a row.”

—  Diego Garcia, Sycamore football

DeKalb rolled off a five-plus minute drive but couldn’t get past its own 38 to start the fourth, and Sycamore put an exclamation point on things with Gautcher’s second pass attempt of the day – the first being a 2-yard shovel pass to Tyler Curtis – that went for 55 yards to Teague Hallahan on a strike down the field for a 35-7 lead.

With the backups in for both teams, sophomore Luke Howieson scored for Sycamore.

Sycamore scored first on a 1-yard run by Garcia, capping a 51-yard drive after Talen Tate’s fumble, opening up a 7-0 lead. The Spartans capitalized in the second quarter after another DeKalb turnover, launching a 17-play drive after a Latimer interception.

DeKalb’s Davon Grant gets away from Sycamore's Tyler Curtis during the First National Challenge game Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, in Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

DeKalb’s Davon Grant gets away from Sycamore's Tyler Curtis during the First National Challenge game Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, in Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. (Mark Busch)

A personal foul on the Barbs aided the drive after Nathaniel O’Neal sacked Gautcher on a third-and-10. Garcia capped the drive with a 1-yard run, this time with 0:54 seconds left in the second.

“We felt like in the first half we were stopping ourselves,” Schneeman said. “We had turnovers, we had some dumb penalties, which is to be expected. We saw a lot of really nice things from Cole and obviously Davon and Talen. It’s there. We just have to continue to improve every week.”

The Spartans rushed for 305 yards, led by Gautcher’s 138, 64 for Dylan Hodges and 60 for Garcia. Tate led the Barbs with 25 rushing yards on 11 carries. Latimer was 17 for 25 for 184 yards, 109 of those to Grant.

Sycamore outgained the Barbs 360 to 176.

“Well, it was 14-7 at halftime, and we win 42-7, so I thought we responded really well,” Ryan said. “We talked about that at half. I get it, it wasn’t the best way to end a half, but we were still in the lead, and we were getting the ball. So we were still in a really, really good position as long as we drove and got a score. And we did.”