September 14, 2024
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Woodstock shows fight in season-opening loss to Rochelle

Blue Streaks’ 3 second-half scores not enough in loss to Hubs

By Russ Hodges for Shaw Local
Woodstock’s Caden Thompson evades pressure from Rochelle’s Brode Metzger during Friday’s evening nonconference matchup at Rochelle Township High School.

Woodstock’s Caden Thompson evades pressure from Rochelle’s Brode Metzger during Friday’s evening nonconference matchup at Rochelle Township High School. (Russ Hodges)

ROCHELLE – Three offensive touchdowns highlighted the second half for Woodstock during its season-opening loss to Rochelle on Friday evening.

Quarterback Caden Thompson connected with wide receiver Matthew Cress for a 27-yard score during the third quarter, and running back Stewart Reuter rushed for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

The Blue Streaks finished with 296 yards on offense, but crucial mistakes in the first half, including an interception and a blocked punt, allowed Rochelle to dominate early. The Hubs rumbled for 345 yards on the ground en route to a 39-20 win.

“The game got away from us during the first half, but during the second half, we got back to doing what we’ve worked on,” Woodstock coach Mike Brasile said. “We saw some things we could take advantage of, and we put three touchdowns on the board in the second half, which was awesome.

“Rochelle won our league last year, and they have 10 returning starters on both sides. We had five or six kids on both sides playing varsity football for the first time.”

Rochelle’s Ethan Goodwin flew in for the blocked punt, which capped the first Woodstock possession of the game and led directly to a scoring drive for the Hubs (1-0), who reached the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown run from Grant Gensler.

The Blue Streaks moved the ball deep into Rochelle territory late in the first quarter, but an interception by cornerback Xavier Villalobos in the end zone killed the Woodstock drive.

Rochelle took advantage of the turnover, scoring on a 57-yard rushing touchdown by Dylan Manning, who had 107 yards on only five carries. The Hubs took the ball right back after Villalobos recovered a successful onside kick, which allowed Rochelle’s offense to retake the field and extend the lead with a 21-yard touchdown run from Gensler.

A 51-yard touchdown pass from Carson Lewis to Jack Tilton put Woodstock down 27-0 in the second quarter.

The Streaks found some holes in the running game during the second half, where Reuter did most of his damage. Reuter led all rushers with 139 yards, and Landon Stoltz added 43 yards on eight carries.

Reuter’s two touchdowns came on a 20-yard rush and a 7-yard rush midway through the fourth quarter. The Hubs also ran for two scores in the second half, with Gensler rushing for a 28-yarder and Roman Villalobos adding a 6-yarder.

“I was really proud of how our kids responded in the second half,” Brasile said. “I thought we did some growing there, and we did a nice job of maybe letting some people know that Woodstock can play some football this year. It just took awhile for us to get going against a much more experienced veteran team that took advantage of our mistakes during the first half. Our kids have a lot of grit, and they’re never going to give up. They’re a scrappy bunch of players.”

Linebacker Chase Wohlhart recorded a team-high five tackles for the Streaks, who will face the Rensselaer (Indiana) Central Bombers at home next Friday. Cress totaled 51 receiving yards on three catches, while Thompson finished 11-of-20 passing for 108 yards.