The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
The West Prairie-La Harpe Cyclones saw their 2003 season come to a heartbreaking end Saturday when they were ousted from the I.H.S.A. Class 3-A playoffs by the Tolono Unity Rockets 21-14. The Rockets scored a go-ahead touchdown with just 16 seconds left in the contest to secure the win and the right to move into this weekend's state quarter-finals. WP-LH concludes their season with a fine 9-2 record in their initial campaign as a new co-op.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Cyclones scored first early in the second frame after stopping Unity on a 4th down and short at their own 20 yard line. WP-LH covered the distance in only six plays with senior quarterback Chase DeCounter sneaking in from one yard out. Freshman place-kicker Matt Woolam drilled the extra-point kick between the uprights for a 7-0 Cyclone edge.
It stayed that way until late in the half when Unity hit a deep pass to set them up inside the WP-LH five yard line. The Rocket quarterback took it in from there and the successful place-kick knotted the score at 7-all.
The Rocket's took advantage when WP-LH fumbled the opening kick of the second half. Unity marched 35 yards for the go-ahead score after the turnover. With 10:09 to go in the 3rd period, the Rockets led 14-7.
The Cyclones responded to the challenge with a 17-play, 6-minute drive to tie the score. Mixing power inside running by backs Christopher Link, Stephen Butterfield, Brett Pendell, and Eric Swank with occasional trips to the edge by DeCounter. The Cyclone offensive line asserted itself. The 75-yard drive ended with a second DeCounter sneak into the endzone. Woolam was again true on the pat-kick to tie the score at 14-each.
The Cyclones continued to take control when they stopped Unity on their next series and forced a punt. Starting deep in their own end, WP-LH began on a 10-minute march down the field. Using 20 plays to cover 76 yards, the game reached a critical point when the Cyclones were faced with a 4th and 3 yards at the Unity 14-yard line. The Rockets made the crucial stop at the 4:30 mark of the game to gain possession of the ball. It was from there that Unity began their game winning drive.
The Cyclones' ball-control game plan nearly worked to pull off the upset of the highly regarded Rockets. WP-LH controlled the ball for 28 of the game's 48 minutes in helping to keep the explosive Rocket offense off the field. The Cyclones had only one penalty in the game and lost the ball on only one (although costly) turnover.
WP-LH picked up 250 yards on offense, with 242 coming on the ground. DeCounter led the way with 96 tough yards on 24 carries. Link added 46 yards and Butterfield had 39 yards, while Pendell and Swank chipped in with 28 apiece. Isaac Rogers added a single run for five yards, while Butterfield caught DeCounter's lone pass-completion for eight yards.
The Cyclone defense battled all day long and held Unity to 255 total yards. Linebackers Pendell and Link topped off the tackle chart with seven tackles each. Also on board with multiple tackle games were Jason Poulter, DeCounter, Brian Covert, Brittain Daudelin, Butterfield, Swank, Ty Huston, Matt Swanson, Ben Cox, Jon Zaehringer, and Justin Mohr. Mohr, Butterfield, Huston and Swank all had tackles for loss, while Mohr also recovered a Rocket fumble.
The heartbreaker loss not only ends the season but also the high school football careers of the Cyclone seniors. These young men endured a lot of change and adversity this year and never quit. They showed tremendous class and dignity in representing their schools and their communities this season both on and off the field. They should be commended for an outstanding effort in making this final season possible.