Woodstock falls short in physical battle against Rochelle

ROCHELLE – Woodstock coach Mike Brasile was proud of the effort his team gave Friday when the Blue Streaks kicked off the 2022 season against Rochelle.

Looking for a more competitive battle after losing 60-22 to the Hubs last season, Woodstock fought valiantly throughout the evening, with senior quarterback Jackson Lyons scoring on a fourth-down, 17-yard touchdown rush to bring the Streaks to within one possession during the second half.

Despite limiting Rochelle to no rushing touchdowns, Woodstock’s comeback effort fell just short, with the Hubs holding off the Blue Streaks, 14-7.

“Our defense played its tail off,” Brasile said. “They came out here and hit them. We knew that this was going to be a physical game, and our kids were up to the task. I’m really proud of how our defense played tonight. I thought our offense sputtered at times and we had a few key turnovers during the first half that ended drives for us. We have to shore up those mistakes.”

The Blue Streaks (0-1) forced back-to-back turnovers on downs to stymie the Rochelle (1-0) offense during the first quarter. But a fumble late in the first quarter allowed the Hubs to take over in prime field position. Rochelle took its first lead early in the second quarter, where quarterback Hayden Inman connected on a 21-yard touchdown pass to David Gerber.

Woodstock forced its third turnover on downs halfway through the second quarter, but the Streaks gave the ball right back after Rochelle safety Grant Gensler intercepted a pass from Lyons near the sideline. The Hubs capitalized on the Woodstock mistake, with Inman finding running back Trey Taft over the middle for a 39-yard touchdown. Running back Garrett Gensler ran in the two-point conversion, allowing Rochelle to take a 14-0 halftime lead.

“We can’t go down 14 points and expect to come back, especially against a ball-control offense like that,” Brasile said. “I think we can move the ball, but we have to come out much stronger on offense. Our kids were hitting on defense and they never backed down. Every single one of our kids has the heart of a Blue Streak and they hit them hard. I’m proud of how the kids played.”

Woodstock’s third and final turnover came just before half, when Gensler snagged his second interception of the game on a deep pass over the middle. The Streaks slowly turned the tide in the third quarter, blocking a punt to set up the offense with tremendous field position. On fourth-and-1, Lyons cashed in with his touchdown run to make it a one-score game.

A flurry of penalties stalled a promising Rochelle drive in the fourth quarter, allowing the Streaks to force another turnover on downs and earn one more chance to tie the score or take the lead. Woodstock marched the ball down near the Rochelle red zone, but Hubs linebacker Brock Metzger tracked down Lyons for a short gain on fourth down to seal the victory.

Aiden Johnson led the Woodstock defense with nine tackles, including three tackles for loss, while Caden Monti added eight tackles and Andrew Ryan recorded seven. Lyons totaled 155 yards for the Streaks, who host Limestone for a nonconference game next Friday.