Comet football heads into Regionals strong, Davis qualifies for Sectionals

BY FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com

Oakwood football is continuing to make gains.

The school capped a seven-win regular season on Friday, overpowering playoff-bound Salt Fork 33-14 in Catlin.

The win total matches the best for the Comets during the past 31 years. The 2010 and the 1993 teams each finished 7-3.

Coach Al Craig’s current squad is 7-2 heading into a Class 2A home playoff game at 7 p.m. on Friday against Nokomis, also 7-2.

“We’re pumped to host,” Craig said. “The kids go through their normal routine and you’ve got the fans on your side.”

The year’s seven-win season happened after the Comets suffered a first-game loss.

“We look at 7-2 as a stepping stone to getting the program to take off,” Craig said. “Getting to seven wins is huge.

“That first game (against Watseka) we learned a lot about ourselves.”

With the majority of this year’s starters ones who did not play significant roles in 2018, Craig said the step-up in competition was a key transition.

“We didn’t have a ton of experience coming back and they were stuck in a JV football rut,” Craig said. “They had to learn that varsity football is at a different speed.”

The Comets will carry a two-game winning streak into the postseason.

“We’re starting to click,” Craig said. “The last two games were grind-it-out games. We were able to pull ahead and keep the lead.”

The quality of play on the field is not the only area where progress is evident. The roster is also looking better.

“The Salt Fork game is the first time we had our entire team together,” Craig said.

At Salt Fork, Jack Carey’s 7-yard touchdown run, followed by a conversion kick from Caleb Lashuay, accounted for the only points of the first half.

Rhett Harrison, who passed for 93 yards, threw a pair of TD passes in the third quarter, one for 20 yards to Josh Young and the other for 44 yards to Gaven Clouse.

Clouse and Colby Smiley closed out the scoring in the final period with TD scampers covering 43 and 8 yards, respectively.

Smiley rushed for a team-high 109 yards. Clouse had 93 rushing yards and 44 yards on pass receptions.

Caide Borden led the defense with 12 tackles while teammate Kade Anderson intercepted two passes.

Oakwood will attempt to end a 12-game postseason losing streak this weekend. The team’s last football playoff win came in 1988.

The IHSA playoffs feature 32 schools in each of eight classes.

Based on enrollments, Oakwood is the 33rd smallest school which qualified for the playoffs, making it the tiniest school in the 2A division, where enrollments range from its total of 304 to Nashville’s 405.

Craig doesn’t wish his team were in a different division.

“Class 1A is very tough, too,” he said. “We’re just glad to be there.”

Oakwood Volleyball

Karsen Rupp had 10 assists and teammate Katelyn Young added eight kills and eight assists on Thursday as Oakwood closed the regular season with a 25-5, 25-13 volleyball win at Danville over Schlarman Academy.

The victory capped a stellar season for the Comets, who had a 6-9 record after 15 matches, but then proceeded to win 15 of their next 18 matches.

Oakwood carries a 21-12 overall record into a Class 2A regional tournament which it will host this week.

The Comets finished with a 12-1 record in the Vermilion Valley Conference and a share of the league title with Milford.

Aaliyah Denius contributed six kills and Madison Doan added two kills. Rupp and Alyssa Romito each totaled two service aces.

Entering the postseason, Young has team-high totals of 269 kills and 51 blocks. Denius has the most aces (27) and Rupp has distributed 270 assists.

Oakwood faces Westville in tonight’s 5:30 p.m. regional opener at Oakwood.

Oakwood Girls’ cross-country

Senior Grace Davis qualified for sectionals based on her performance in Saturday’s Class 1A regional at Tuscola.

Her 3-mile time was 21 minutes, 55.21 seconds. Davis ran 40th in a field of 74 competitors.

She will participate in the Effingham St. Anthony Sectional on Saturday, Nov. 2. The girls’ race will start at 10 a.m.

Oakwood/Salt Fork’s Vermilion Valley Conference champions did not have enough runners to be scored as a team at the regional.

The Comets’ other postseason competitors were Allie Morris (55th in 25:03.66), Cassie Fugate (58th in 25:15.88) and Katie Fritz (61st in 25:46.56).

Oakwood Boys’ cross-country

Oakwood/Salt Fork’s two cross-country runners ended their seasons in Saturday’s Class 1A regional at Tuscola.

Ethan Brewer placed 78th individually. His 3-mile time was 22 minutes, 28.40 seconds. Bryce Tucker was timed in 23:22.99 and finished in 83rd place.