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CARY – Cary-Grove’s starters have grown accustomed to watching the backups play fourth quarters in blowout games often with running clocks.
Jacobs was determined to not let that happen.
The Golden Eagles gave C-G its first real test of the season and trailed the No. 2-ranked team in The Associated Press Class 6A poll by one score in the fourth quarter of their Fox Valley Conference game Friday night.
Trojans fullback Nick Hissong broke his longest run of the game, a 33-yard touchdown with 5:03 remaining, which gave C-G its final 36-22 margin and let the C-G side of Al Bohrer Field breathe a little easier.
“It feels good,” C-G defensive end Nick Wojcik said. “We haven’t had a full, four-quarter game and it feels good to play a full game and see what our guys can do. Our guys did a good job at halftime, we made some adjustments. The four-man line we put in worked well and the guys did a good job with that.”
The Trojans (7-0, 7-0 FVC) usually have running clocks (a 40-point advantage) in the fourth quarter. Jacobs (4-3, 4-3) held the ball with its running game and made enough plays to keep it close.
The Eagles started the game with a 20-play, 72-yard scoring drive that consumed 8:15 off the clock. They held the ball for almost 18 minutes of the first half and were tied with C-G, 15-15, at halftime.
“Our No. 1 goal was to keep that (C-G) offense off the field,” Jacobs coach Brian Zimmerman said. “They can score in a second. Our defense did pretty well in the first half.
“They’re a very good team. We’ve been trying to tell our kids they’re a good football team. They get it, but haven’t fully gotten it yet. We are a dangerous team.”
C-G got the ball to start the second half and scored in 1:37. Running back Wade Abrams broke a 56-yard run to set up a Hissong 3-yard score.
“We had some adversity in this game,” Abrams said. “We wanted to come out at halftime like we were starting a new game and dominate that half. Having that big play right off the bat helped us jump right into it.”
Running back Drew Magel added a 47-yard run later in the quarter, but Jacobs running back Nasir Canty scored on a 6-yard run with 9:12 remaining in the fourth to make it 29-22.
C-G answered with the clinching drive, 69 yards in nine plays with Hissong scoring.
“It was a little easier, but there was still five minutes and it was a battle to stop these guys all game,” Trojans coach Brad Seaburg said. “The guys responded well. They came out in the second half, got a score, got some turnovers, really did a nice job.
“Give credit to Jacobs, they’ve got some really good players. They battled, and our kids battled well, too.”
C-G rushed only 10 times for 64 yards in the first half but had 30 carries for 259 in the second. Hissong ran for 111 yards, Magel had 85 and quarterback Jameson Sheehan ran for 78.
Jacobs running back Ben Ludlum carried 29 times for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Canty ran for 61 yards.
Cary-Grove 36, Jacobs 22
Jacobs 8 7 0 7 – 22
Cary-Grove 8 7 14 7 – 36
First quarter
J–Ludlum 1 run (Stec pass from Benner), 3:45.
CG–Abrams 35 pass from Sheehan (Hissong run), 2:22.
Second quarter
CG–Sheehan 37 run (Splitt kick), 7:58.
J-Ludlum 2 run (Rocha kick), 1:48.
Third quarter
CG–Hissong 3 run (Splitt kick), 10:23.
CG–Magel 47 run (Splitt kick), 0:20.
Fourth quarter
J–Canty 6 run (Rocha kick), 9:12.
CG–Hissong 33 run (Splitt kick), 5:03.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–Jacobs: Ludlum 29-163, Canty 13-61, Almeida 10-48. Totals: 52-272. Cary-Grove: Hissong 21-111, Magel 8-85, Sheehan 8-78, Abrams 1-56, Team 1-minus 1, Riley 1-minus 6. Totals: 40-323.
PASSING–Jacobs: Benner 1-5-2-25. Cary-Grove: Sheehan 4-6-0-80.
RECEIVING–Jacobs: Stec 1-25. Cary-Grove: Riley 2-44, Abrams 1-33, Magel 1-3.
TOTAL TEAM YARDS–Jacobs 297, Cary-Grove 403.