By Fred Kroner
Sophomore Layne Rund caught two touchdown passes and ran for one score on Friday (Oct. 8) as Villa Grove’s football team dealt visiting Tri-County a 55-6 loss.
“He is confident in his routes and is coming on strong at the right time,” Villa Grove coach Heath Wilson said.
Parker Stevens rushed for two touchdowns and ran for a team-high 100 yards.
“He’s a hard runner,” Wilson said.
Daelin Price converted the placekick after seven of the Blue Devils’ scores.
Also reaching the scoring column were Liam Barr (who threw for the two TDs to Rund), Gunner Cline and Brady Clodfelder, on a fumble recovery.
Barr completed 6 of 11 passes for 141 yards.
“Our offensive line did well giving Liam time to pass,” Wilson said.
Rund was the go-to receiver, latching onto four receptions for 106 yards.
His career as a receiver will likely be short-lived. He is projected as the Blue Devils’ quarterback of the future.
Luke Zimmerman rushed for 48 yards. Cline added 35 yards on the ground.
Villa Grove has put 92 points on the board during its current two-game winning streak.
“We made some adjustments,” Wilson said. “They’re firing off the ball and executing better.
“The mentality changed and they believe (in themselves).”
Zimmerman led a defense that held the Titans to 164 total yards. He had a monster game, collecting 24 tackles (three shy of the single-game school record).
“They were keying on him and he was getting frustrated on offense,” Wilson said, “but he was all over the field on defense.”
Tyler Wilson had 10 tackles, Elijah Kiesel had nine tackles. Deandre Reinhart had seven stops. Finishing with six tackles apiece were Price and Stevens.
Villa Grove (5-2) becomes playoff-eligible and returns to action on Friday (Oct. 15) at Arcola (5-2). This week’s winner will be assured of an automatic playoff berth.
Arcola has clinched at least a share of the Illini Prairie Conference title, but Wilson has a message for his team.
“If we win out, we can share the conference title,” Wilson said. “We’re playoff-eligible, but that’s not the end goal. We want to get the sixth (win), to be sure.”
Teams with five wins are not guaranteed a spot in the postseason, though the majority usually make the cut.
