The classic story of the tortoise vs. the hare – we all know that one, right? The hare gets off to a fast start and thinks he has the race against the tortoise won.
Thus, the hare takes a nap and the tortoise slowly but surely goes and wins the race against the hare.
Hare vs. tortoise, however, can’t be applied to what the Trojans did against the Tigers during FNL last week.
CG played the role of the hare early on, going up 29-0 in the first quarter due to two offensive touchdowns along with a blocked punt returned for a score and a pick-six the very next drive.
However, unlike the ending of the tortoise vs. hare story we know, Cary-Grove kept a steady game going throughout the second and the third quarters. CG pinned Crystal Lake Central down to a 45-0 deficit going into the fourth, finishing in a 45-14 victory for Cary-Grove.
“(It) just kind of helped with the momentum,” Coach Brad Seaburg said of the 29-0 jump. “(It) really got the team going.”
The first quarter, compared to the week one game against Burlington Central, was more of a sprint than a crawl – not only with points scored (29 in the first quarter compared to 27 in the whole game against the Rockets), but also in offensive efficiency (shorter drives, longer touchdowns).
“We had more plays that were explosive,” Coach Seaburg said. “We were able to break off long runs and combine those with getting some tough yards. Mixing those two has kind of been our game.”
Included in those “explosive plays” were a 59-yard pitch-and-run by Landon Barnett in the first drive of the contest, a 28-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Seaburg to Quintin Witt for the Trojans to punctuate the first-quarter scoring, and a Holden Boone touchdown run from 43 yards out to widen the scoring gap to 36-0 early in the second quarter.
While the offense has been busy racking up scores and bleeding the clock, the defense has kept their opponents on the field as little as possible while keeping the scoreboard comfortable enough for Cary-Grove to get out in front and stay out in front.
“It’s been great both games”, Coach Seaburg said of the defensive performance through two weeks. “We’ve gotten some turnovers, too, so that’s been big.”
One of those turnovers Coach Seaburg alluded to helped jumpstart the Trojans to take that 29-0 lead against the Tigers a week ago, which was a pick-six for ten yards. In total, the defense has forced two turnovers and gotten a turnover on downs versus the Rockets of Burlington Central and CLC.
Looking to week three, the Trojans will seek a trifecta of wins to open the season, while CG once again faces a winless opponent in the McHenry Warriors.
