Sterling’s Gebhardt kicking down records: Week 9 Sauk Valley football notes

Sterling junior Ryan Gebhardt has been a reliable piece of the team’s offense this season.

Touchdowns may be preferable in the red zone, but Gebhardt’s consistency as a kicker has helped ensure the Golden Warriors end up with at least three points on numerous occasions.

Kicks that are long out of range for many high school kickers are expected to be made by Gebhardt, who also plays soccer.

Gebhardt hit a 40-yard field goal in the first quarter Friday at Moline and was 4 for 4 on extra points. He also kicked a 47-yarder this season.

“He’s just such a good weapon for us,” Sterling coach Jon Schlemmer said. “And he gives us such good field position at times.”

Gebhardt now holds the program’s career record for field goals at 17 after hitting his season-record 11th this year. Tony Diaz held the previous career record of 16. Diaz is a 2017 grad and member of Sterling’s Hall of Fame Class of 2022 as a soccer player and kicker.

Gebhardt is 11 of 13 on field goals and 22 of 23 on extra points this season for a total of 55 points. Only Kaedon Phillips has accounted for more points this season with 72 on eight receiving touchdowns, two punt return scores and two rushing TDs.

No. 13-seeded Sterling (5-4) hits the road to face No. 4 seed Wheaton St. Francis (7-2) on Friday to open the Class 5A playoffs.

Dixon sharp in finale: The Dukes were on point to close the regular season last week at North Boone ahead of a home playoff game Friday against Marengo. Dixon went up 48-0 at halftime Friday and went on to hold North Boone to 93 total yards and six first downs. QB Cullen Shaner was 5-of-9 passing for 110 yards and three touchdowns, one each to Eli Davidson, Gabe Rowley and James Simpson. He also had a rushing score. Landon Knigge ran for 107 yards and two scores on 10 carries, and Owen Belzer added two more TDs.

It was Dixon’s second shutout of the year and eighth time allowing 14 points or fewer. The Dukes have allowed seven points or fewer five times.

The Shoe still fits: Seniors for Fulton and Morrison did not have the chance to play for the Wooden Shoe traveling trophy until this season. Prior to Fulton’s 41-7 win Friday over the Mustangs, the trophy last had been up for grabs during the 2021 spring season.

The Steamers and Mustangs were part of the Three Rivers or Big Rivers conferences when the Shoe was played for. Fulton left the Three Rivers for the Northwest Upstate Illini in time for the 2021 fall season and had no out-of-conference games available to continue the rivalry. That changed with this season being Morrison’s first in the NUIC.

The Shoe had been sitting inside the Steamers’ trophy case for more than three years until it made its way Friday to Steamer Field, awarded at midfield to the Steamers after their win. It was a rare scenario when the final football game of the season had a trophy-hoisting moment that did not involve a state championship.

Created in 1977, the trophy pays homage to the Dutch heritage of both communities, located about 10 miles apart along the Lincoln Highway.

“It’s a big deal to get that Shoe, and that meant a lot to our guys,” Fulton coach Patrick Lower said. “To these kids, and these communities, there’s a lot of friendships and a lot of cousins playing cousins and all that kind of stuff. For us to be able to do that and end this season on the right note, and have our head held high as we walk off of the field, it’s a special night.”

The Wooden Shoe is one of two traveling trophies that currently are contested in the Sauk Valley. Polo and Milledgeville, which play in the Battle of the Blacktop, have the other; Polo has that trophy after beating the Missiles 30-14 on Oct. 4. Fulton also has been involved in another traveling trophy series, with Newman for the Rev. Matt VanderBleek Trophy, but that series has been inactive since Newman won in 2019.

Newman positive after loss: The Comets are focused on regrouping after Friday’s 21-0 loss to Monmouth-Roseville. Newman was held to just four first downs and got shut out for the first time since a 20-0 loss to Princeton in Week 3 last season.

“We knew coming in it was going to be a tough game for us, but it’s good we had this game,” senior tailback Cody McBride said. “It [stinks] losing in Week 9, the last game of the regular season, but it definitely shows us going into the playoffs what we need to work on and change. Watching film’s going to be rough, but we’ll see what we need to get better at. It’s good to have this game before the playoffs.”

Newman is set to face Chicago Hope Academy in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs at 1 p.m. Saturday.

“It’s definitely a bad taste in our mouths, and it gives us a lot of motivation,” McBride said. “We knew it was going to be a good challenge, but now going into the playoffs, it’s win or go home. So having that mentality going forward will help us, I think.”

Sauk Valley scoreboard

Dixon 55, North Boone 0

Monmouth-Roseville 21, Newman 0

Moline 45, Sterling 31

Oregon 57, Athens 14

Fulton 41, Morrison 7

Lena-Winslow 58, Forreston 30

Eastland-Pearl City 42, Dakota 12

Princeton 64, Erie-Prophetstown 14

Winnebago 35, Rock Falls 32

Bureau Valley 47, Hamilton Warsaw 34

Milledgeville 58, Hiawatha 28

West Carroll 36, South Beloit 26

Amboy 64, Bushnell-Prairie City 6