By Fred Kroner
Either the current Villa Grove football team or a former Villa Grove athlete was going to wind up a winner in the season-opener on Friday (Aug. 27).
The first-game football win went to the current Villa Grove team, which rallied in the second half to register a 26-14 victory at Fisher over a team coached by VG graduate Jake Palmer.
Fisher led 14-13 at halftime, but Luke Zimmerman and Liam Barr scored second-half TDs for the visiting Blue Devils.
The first half ended with a wild final 2 minutes. VG scored with 1 minute, 22 seconds left in the second quarter to garner a 13-8 lead, but Fisher responded and collected its one-point lead with a quick scoring drive.
The Bunnies received the second-half kickoff, but were unable to build on their momentum.
“They fumbled, and we recovered,” VG coach Heath Wilson said. “We stress that games are won or lost by who wins the turnover battle.”
Zimmerman made the hit and the recovery. He is one of nine two-way players for VG, many of whom also play on special teams.
Once the Blue Devils regained the lead (19-14) after a 22-yard scoring march in the first minute of the third period, Wilson’s game plan was simple.
“From there, we wanted to control the clock,” he said.
Zimmerman was the offensive workhorse, carrying the ball 29 times for 148 yards. Barr rushed for 38 yards in 13 attempts.
Barr completed 7 of 15 passes for 101 yards. His favorite target was Brady Clodfelder (four receptions for 68 yards and one TD). Zimmerman hauled in two passes for 29 yards.
The offense did its job, not losing possession of the ball at all, and the VG defense was up for the challenge in the second half, keeping the Bunnies off the scoreboard during the final two quarters.
“The defense kept us in the game,” Wilson said. “Our defense played well.”
Notable catalysts were middle linebacker Zimmerman, defensive end Daelin Price and defensive tackle Elijah Kiesel. Price was in on 17 tackles, Zimmerman had 14 and Kiesel ended with nine stops.
Tyler Wilson totaled seven tackles.
“We thought if we were in better shape, we’d win the game,” Wilson said. “Our guys are in great shape. If you don’t cramp (from the heat), you can stay in the game.”
Villa Grove held a 302-223 edge in total yards.
Fisher was a new opponent for the Blue Devils (1-0) as is their upcoming foe on Friday (Sept. 3), Ridgeview/Lexington (0-1), which lost a 20-12 decision in Week 1 to Deer Creek-Mackinaw. This week’s game will be the first of four in a row at home for VG.
“We don’t know a lot about them, but we do know it will be a dogfight,” Wilson said.
