Nov. 15--There's nothing fancy to Cary-Grove's tried-and-true approach, but it worked like a charm once again Saturday afternoon.
The Trojans' defense turned two takeaways into 13 points, and a varied triple-option run game netted 287 yards on the ground in a 42-21 Class 7A quarterfinal road win against Batavia. The win earns Cary-Grove a semifinal matchup next weekend at undefeated Glenbard West.
"We worked a lot this week on getting the ball to the perimeter, and we executed perfectly," said Cary-Grove halfback Ryan Magel, whose three touchdown runs all came well outside the tackles. "They were really focused on stopping Tyler (Pennington) up the middle, which opened things up on the outside for me."
Magel's first score, a 45-yarder around the right end, came just 20 seconds before halftime and put the Trojans ahead 14-7. The lead doubled to 21-7 midway through the third quarter on his 6-yard run, which capped a 37-yard drive that came about after the second of two fumbles by Batavia running back Zach Garrett.
Cary-Grove (11-1) had to march only 38 yards to cash in the first of Garrett's miscues, which gave them their first score of the day, a 7-yard Pennington run midway through the second quarter.
"The second turnover was a huge turn in momentum because it gave us a two-touchdown lead," said David Daigle, whose recovery set up Magel's second scoring run. "It changed the way we played on defense because we knew we had more of a cushion if anything happened."
With Batavia (10-2) firmly focused on stopping the run, the Trojans then went to the air to push their lead to 28-7. After a Bulldog three-and-out, quarterback J.P. Sullivan completed his only pass of the day, a 37-yarder to Kevin Hughes. The closest Batavia could get thereafter was two touchdowns.
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
Player of the game: Ryan Magel, Cary-Grove, 9 carries, 118 yards, 3 TDs.
Key performers: Cary -Grove -- Tyler Pennington 22 carries, 84 yards, 2 TDs. Batavia -- Kyle Niemiec, 23 of 39 passing, 284 yards, 2 TDs; Cole Stokke, 8 receptions, 97 yards.
