By Fred Kroner
Villa Grove had difficulty moving the ball (109 total yards) on Friday (Oct. 15) at Arcola and suffered a shutout loss for the first time this season, 28-0, to the Lincoln Prairie Conference champion Purple Riders.
A steady rain created wet field conditions and hampered Villa Grove.
“It took half of our game,” Blue Devils’ coach Heath Wilson said. “We try to be 50-50 with the run and pass.
“When we tried to pass the ball slipped out of our hands. In the running game, there weren’t many cutback options.”
Villa Grove quarterbacks Liam Barr and Layne Rund each completed three passes. Barr threw for 38 yards and Rund passed for 34 yards.
Barr, a senior, has thrown for 745 yards in seven games.
Season rushing leader Luke Zimmerman (658 yards in seven games) was limited to 42 yards on 11 carries. Zimmerman is a junior. Sophomore Brady Clodfelder had three receptions for 48 yards.
Two of Arcola’s TDs came on runs of 65 and 32 yards.
“Our defense kept us in the game,” Wilson said. “They scored on two long runs.”
Arcola scored 14 points in each half.
The team’s defensive leaders were senior Elijah Kiesel (11 tackles), Zimmerman (eight tackles), Barr (four tackles), Clodfelder (four tackles), Rund (four tackles), Stevens (four tackles) and Tyler Wilson (four tackles).
The Blue Devils were forced to deal with adversity twice in the game’s first few minutes.
A 70-yard run by Parker Stevens was negated by a holding call. VG senior lineman Daelin Price was injured on the second play of the game and was unable to return.
Price is also Villa Grove’s placekicker.
Villa Grove (5-3) returns to action on Friday (Oct. 22) at Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond (4-4), which needs a win to become playoff eligible.
“Hopefully we can get a win to get a better playoff seed,” said Wilson, whose team is playoff-eligible. “It’s their Senior Night and will be like a playoff atmosphere.”
