Kaneland takes down Ottawa 49-20 in Interstate 8 matchup

OTTAWA – Kaneland had everything going for it Sept. 20 in a commanding 49-20 victory over Ottawa.

The Knights seized the early momentum after Ottawa went three-and-out on its opening possession. From that point on, the game quickly spiraled out of control for the Pirates.

In their first three possessions, the host Pirates handed the Knights a short field and significant momentum by failing to convert on short-yardage fourth downs twice near midfield. The Knights cashed in on each possession, quickly getting out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

Ottawa coach Chad Gross explained his aggressive go-for-it philosophy against a tough Kaneland team.

“We knew they could score a lot of points, so when we got to midfield, that’s a go area for us against tough teams,” Gross said. “We had to take our chances on fourth downs to keep up with them, but they made us one-dimensional in that first half.”

Kaneland coach Mike Thorgesen commended his defense for stepping up in crucial moments, effectively shutting down Ottawa’s ground game.

“I think our defense set the tone,” Thorgeson said. “We rotate a lot of guys (on the defensive line) and keep them fresh and I’m happy we were able to stop the run tonight. We’re tackling well and I’m just really pleased overall with how we’re playing defensively through these first few games.”

After getting those big stops, the Knights’ offense executed almost flawlessly, spreading the ball around and getting ahead of the sticks on early downs. Knights senior quarterback Chase Kruckenberg completed 11-of-14 passes for 162 yards and four touchdowns before Kaneland’s starters came out of the game early in the third quarter.

Thorgesen praised his offense’s balanced attack.

“Chase has been incredibly efficient so far, spreading the ball around, taking the open guy and just not forcing any issue,” Thorgesen said. “I’m really proud of his development as a quarterback.”

Five Knights receivers contributed with senior Dylan Sanagustin leading the way with four receptions for 84 yards and tacking 27 more yards on the ground.

Junior running back/defensive back Carter Grabowski stole the show in the first half, contributing on offense, defense and special teams. Grabowski had 10 carries for 68 yards and two rushing touchdowns along with a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and an interception that set his team up in the red zone.

Grabowski said it felt good to be able to contribute in every facet of the game for his team.

“It feels great, practicing hard with the team and being able to produce big when it matters on Friday,” he said. “It was a team effort tonight. Line blocked good up front and we had one or two throws under pressure, which probably were all the incompletions.

“Just all around a great performance.”

Kaneland (4-0, 1-0) is undefeated heading into a marquee Interstate 8 matchup at Morris on Friday.

Ottawa fell to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the I-8 and will look to rebound in Week 5 on the road against Sycamore, another of the league’s top teams.