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DWIGHT – Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington’s improbable playoff run came to an end Saturday afternoon, as top-seeded and undefeated Farmington rolled to a 42-7 victory in the Class 2A quarterfinals.
The Farmers wasted no time taking control, receiving the opening kickoff and launching a 70-yard scoring drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown from senior running back Logan Utt.
On the ensuing possession, Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington showed early signs of promise, trusting its ground game and moving the ball into Farmington territory before stalling at midfield. Facing a fourth-and-1, Trojans head coach Luke Standiford decided to go for it. However, sophomore running back Ayden Collom was stopped short, giving Farmington excellent field position.
The Farmers (12-0) then seized all the momentum, converting the short field into points with a 2-yard touchdown reception by junior wide receiver Landon Crawford from senior quarterback Lane Wheelwright, giving the visitors a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Utt scored another touchdown in the second quarter, with Farmington converting a two-point try to put it up 22-0.
The Trojans threatened to respond to finish the half, moving the ball effectively and reaching the red zone with just under three minutes left. With a chance to score before halftime and receive the ball to start the second half, sophomore quarterback Collin Bachland’s pass was intercepted by senior safety Jerett Fauser on a jumpball to senior wide receiver Drew Anderson, finishing out the half with nothing on the scoreboard.
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The proverbial nail in the coffin came on Dwight/GSW’s opening drive of the second half. After picking up a couple first downs, a fumble near midfield was recovered by the Farmers. Farmington’s Logan Utt capitalized, scoring his third and final touchdown of the day with a 19-yard run, pushing the lead to 30-0.
The Farmers continued to showcase their high-powered offense until the final whistle, finishing with 372 yards from scrimmage. Wheelwright completed 17-of-23 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns.
The all-state quarterback made sure to give credit to his defense’s coming up with takeaways when it mattered most.
“Our defense is playing amazing right now,” Wheelwright said. “We knew we had the talent all year, but we’ve battled through some injuries, and we’re finally putting the pieces together.”
Farmington coach Toby Vallas echoed the same sentiment, emphasizing how guys have stepped up due to injuries on that side of the ball.
“We’ve had some injuries to our better players on defense, but we talked about it and just decided we could either cry about it or rise to the challenge. So many guys have stepped up in a big way. It’s been unbelievable.”
Dwight (8-4) finished the game with 179 rushing yards and 42 passing, combining for 221 yards from scrimmage. Their leading rusher was senior running back Dylan Crouch, who had sixteen carries for 77 yards.
Dwight/GSW head coach Luke Standiford expressed pride in his team’s playoff run and reflected on the future of the Trojans, noting that many starters – including Bachland and Collom – will be back next fall.
“We had young guys stepping in at key positions, and they did a great job all year,” Standiford said. “The seniors are going to be hard to replace, but the future is bright. We just need to keep building.”
Farmington (12-0) will face Palos Heights Chicago Christian (11-1) in the semifinals next week to decide who will play the winner of Maroa-Forsyth (11-1) vs. Johnston City (11-1) for the Class 2A state championship.