Recent NIU commit Aidan Wyzard, Sycamore take top off Cahokia to finish undefeated

SYCAMORE – With his college plans solidified, Aidan Wyzard said he was able to focus more on football.

He certainly showed the NIU football team what it’s getting next season.

Six days after committing to NIU, the speedy Sycamore receiver had two long touchdown catches and a big punt return to help the Spartans knock off Cahokia 52-14 and finish the regular season 9-0 for the second time in three years.

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“It’s taken the weight off my shoulders a bit,” Wyzard said. “I can just go out and play. Everything with this team, we’re just playing with a chip on our shoulder. We just go out and fight every week. It feels great.”

Wyzard had a 39-yard reception on the game’s opening drive, the biggest gain in a 75-yard scoring drive capped by a 1-yard run by Burke Gautcher for an 8-0 lead.

After a four-and-out by the Comanches (8-1), the Spartans added a 44-yard field goal by Thatcher Friedrichs on the first play of the second quarter for an 11-0 lead.

Then the big plays really kicked in.

On the second play after another defensive stop - Cahokia hadn’t scored fewer than 26 points in a game this year but couldn’t get on the board until trailing 31-0 in the third - Gautcher launched a bomb to Wyzard, who sped past the defender and caught in stride for a 49-yard score.

The duo connected for a 27-yard deep route on the next drive and a 25-0 lead late in the first half.

In the third quarter, Wyzard also had a 26-yard put return, aided by a 15-yard penalty on the Comanches that set the Spartans up at Cahokia 6. Kevin Lee ran in one of his two touchdowns for a 38-8 lead.

Cahokia had scored on the previous drive on an 83-yard touchdown run by Correyontae Midgett. He finished the game with 97 yards on eight carries. The Comanches finished with 205 total yards of offense and only 73 through the air. They had been averaging 250 passing yards per game.

“I know they had a lot of speed but we do too,” coach Joe Ryan said. “We were able to take the top off and separate and get some early scores.”

Gautcher threw for 204 yards in the game after 178 in the first half, with 132 coming on Wyzard’s five receptions.

It’s only Wyzard’s second year playing football. He’s one of the top track athletes in the state and showed off that speed Friday.

“This season has been really strong and it took a turn for me,” Wyzard said. “It’s my second season ever playing football and I love it. I think about football all the time and NIU is willing to give me a chance and I’m very thankful for that.”

Dylan Hodges ran for 76 yards and a touchdown, while Kevin Lee had 65 rushing yards and two scores. Crewe Bartelt had a late touchdown for Sycamore as well.

Now the Spartans await their first-round playoff opponent. Brackets will be announced Saturday with Sycamore likely to earn a No. 1 seed in Class 5A after the 9-0 regular season.

“This team, we put in so much work,” Wyzard said. “I love this team with everything I have. Us seniors, everyone together, we all know how to play. We show that obviously on Friday nights, all the work we put in. I’m so happy and super proud of this team and our coaches. They’re everything. It’s amazing.”

Ryan and Wyzard both credited wide receivers coach Ryan Storto for a lot of the success with the game planning, which Ryan said was focused on taking the top off the Cahokia secondary. It’s the most points Cahokia has given up this year and only the second time they gave up more than 21. They also have three shutouts this year.

But Sycamore scored 52 points to finish the regular season undefeated.

“It’s really good, you know, because those first four did look like it was going to be that way right,” said Ryan, referring to the four one-score games the Spartans played to start the year, the first three of which needed second-half comebacks. “And then to go through the conference - I told the players to enjoy it tonight and then we splice the season and go to the second season. And that’s the hard part. There’s so many great things, you’re conference champions, you’re 9-0.

“But that next team, they don’t care.”