Dixon pulls away from Johnston City in win: Week 7 Sauk Valley football notes

For a half Friday, it looked as if Dixon’s offense would score well below its season average in a road game against Johnston City.

But after four quarters, the Class 4A second-ranked Dukes finished another blowout in a victory over the Indians, ranked fifth in Class 2A.

Dixon (7-0) scored 34 points in the second half of the 40-14 win after leading 6-0 at the break.

Cullen Shaner passed for 180 yards and two touchdowns, and Landon Knigge ran for 127 yards and two scores in the win.

For the season, Shaner has thrown for 1,205 yards and 19 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He has completed 88 of 130 passes, good for a 68% completion rate. His 437 yards rushing are second on the team to Knigge’s 691.

Defensively, Dixon has forced 15 turnovers and allowed just three passing touchdowns and five rushing TDs. Opponents are averaging just 2.35 yards per rush.

The win over Johnston City was Dixon’s first win over a ranked opponent this season, setting the stage for Friday’s tilt against Byron (7-0), the defending state champion and top-ranked team in Class 3A. The Tigers have won 21 straight games. Their last loss came in 2022 in the state semifinals against eventual state champion IC Catholic. They beat Winnebago 64-0 on Friday.

It’s a matchup of the top two scoring offenses and defenses in the Big Northern Conference.

Newman continues to roll after sixth straight win

The Comets have yet to allow more than three touchdowns in a game following the 28-14 loss at Princeton in Week 1. The defense was stingy yet again Friday in a 35-7 win over Riverdale to clinch the outright Three Rivers Rock title. Daniel Kelly had eight tackles, including three for loss, in the win. He is the team’s leading tackler this season, making 67 solo tackles and 28 assisted. He also has four interceptions and returned two for touchdowns.

Tied for ninth in the latest AP rankings in Class 1A, the Comets (6-1, 5-0) hit the road to Kewanee this week before finishing the season against undefeated Monmouth-Roseville, ranked sixth in 3A. Newman has its sights set even higher after clinching a spot in the playoffs.

“It’s fun to win it. We haven’t won it in a while,” Kelly said of the conference title. “[But] the season’s not over yet, so it doesn’t really mean a whole lot. It’s fun that we got it. It’s a good thing that we got it, but we still need to continue to improve.”

Sterling falls to No. 2 Quincy

The Blue Devils might be the top-ranked team in Class 7A this week after beating the Golden Warriors 63-6 in the Western Big 6 Conference matchup. Sterling (4-2, 3-1) had its four-game win streak snapped after being held to a season-low 77 yards passing. It also gave up 616 yards on defense, including 327 yards passing and three touchdowns from Quincy QB Brady Little.

Ryan Gebhardt’s two field goals were all Sterling converted on offense in the loss. Gebhardt has been a reliable kicker this season, making 9 of 10 field goals with a long of 47 yards. He is 12 of 13 on PAT attempts and has accounted for 39 points this season.

Sterling can bounce back at home in a winnable game against Rock Island (1-6, 1-3) before finishing the regular season at Moline.

Oregon rushes for more than 500 yards in fourth win

The Hawks have won four of their past five games after a 55-19 win over Rock Falls on Friday. Rushing for 533 yards on 49 carries, Oregon (4-3, 4-3) was led by 161 yards and a touchdown from Logan Weems. Keaton Salsbury added 102 yards and two TDs on seven rushes.

“If you can run the ball for 8, 9, 10 yards a pop, it’s going to make the game super easy,” Weems said. “It’s nice to know we can rely on our line, they block really well. Even if it’s not the designed hole, you know there’s always going to be one to run through, and there’s never going to be people in your face in the backfield.”

Sauk Valley area scoreboard

Dixon 40, Johnston City 14

Forreston 20, Hazel Green Southwestern (Wis.) 16

Lena-Winslow 35, Eastland-Pearl City 18

Stockton 54, Morrison 14

Durand-Pecatonica 60, Fulton 36

Erie-Prophetstown 32, Orion 28

Quincy 63, Sterling 6

Milledgeville 40, South Beloit 0

Polo 68, Christian Life co-op 6

Hiawatha 62, Ashton-Franklin Center 20

Amboy 68, Peoria Heights 0

Illini West 34, Bureau Valley 7