ARGYLE - The Pecatonica-Argyle football team may have a lot of tackling drills this week after a 35-7 loss to Highland on Saturday.
Highland junior quarterback Blake Bodenstein scored four touchdowns (two passing and two rushing), but it was senior Tyler Kleist's power running that set the tone. Kleist rushed for 132 yards on 24 carries and scored one touchdown.
"We didn't tackle him very well," Pecatonica-Argyle coach Larry Green said. "He was able to run over our defense. We were in position to make some plays and we didn't do it. He's too powerful to tackle at the upper body. We needed to wrap him up at his legs."
Pecatonica-Argyle (3-4, 3-3 Six Rivers) played without a pair of two-way starters in Jared Johnson (broken hand) and Dillon Conwell (viral infection) and it showed on defense.
"Jared is our team leader," Green said. "Not having him on the field had a big impact in the game."
One bright spot for the Vikings was sophomore Alec Treuthardt, who rushed for 139 yards on 17 carries and scored one touchdown. Treuthardt helped the Vikings get off to a fast start with a 44-yard TD run in the first quarter.
"I was thinking every time we come out hard and start hard, we normally finish," Treuthardt said.
However, it was the Cardinals who finished strong, scoring 35 unanswered points. Green was excited by Treuthardt's running.
"Our offensive line did a good job of blocking initially, but they didn't get to the linebackers and they made the plays," he said. "He (Treuthardt) made a lot of plays on his own."
The Cardinals capped a seven-play, 37-yard drive with a Bodenstein's 2-yard TD run with 6 minutes, 17 seconds left in the first quarter to tie the game at 7. The Cardinals exploded for 14 points in about a 1 minute span in the second quarter. Highland followed that up with a five-play, 64-yard drive, culminating in Kleist's 7-yard TD run at the start of the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 14-7 lead. The big play of the drive was Kleist's 20-yard run, that also included a 15-yard face mask penalty on the Vikings.
"He (Kleist) got low," Treuthardt said. "I feel the key to the game was getting low and tackling him. There were times when we did it and sometimes we didn't. That is what lost it for us."
The Vikings then fumbled a pitch on the option and the Cardinals recovered at the Vikings' 31-yard line. On the next play, Bodenstein tossed a 31-yard TD pass to give the Cardinals a 21-7 lead.
The Vikings caught a break late in the second quarter when Bodenstein's 13-yard TD run was wiped out due to a holding penalty. The scoring opportunity was set up by a personal foul call on the Vikings. Penalties haunted Pecatonica-Argyle as the Vikings were called for nine for 82 yards.
Highland's Bailey Bodenstein had a 41-yard kick return to start the third quarter. Bodenstein scored on a 3-yard run to give the Cardinals a 28-7 lead.
Pecatonica-Argyle junior Jon Hendrickson was 10-of-22 passing for 89 yards. Nathan Loyd caught five passes for 26 yards to lead the Vikings.
Green isn't looking past Benton Scales-Mound (Ill.) on Friday.
"We can't worry about the playoffs," Green said. "We have to be ready to come back to play next week. Benton Scales-Mound is a lot like Highland. They will come out and hit you. If we are not prepared, the result will be the same."
Highland junior quarterback Blake Bodenstein scored four touchdowns (two passing and two rushing), but it was senior Tyler Kleist's power running that set the tone. Kleist rushed for 132 yards on 24 carries and scored one touchdown.
"We didn't tackle him very well," Pecatonica-Argyle coach Larry Green said. "He was able to run over our defense. We were in position to make some plays and we didn't do it. He's too powerful to tackle at the upper body. We needed to wrap him up at his legs."
Pecatonica-Argyle (3-4, 3-3 Six Rivers) played without a pair of two-way starters in Jared Johnson (broken hand) and Dillon Conwell (viral infection) and it showed on defense.
"Jared is our team leader," Green said. "Not having him on the field had a big impact in the game."
One bright spot for the Vikings was sophomore Alec Treuthardt, who rushed for 139 yards on 17 carries and scored one touchdown. Treuthardt helped the Vikings get off to a fast start with a 44-yard TD run in the first quarter.
"I was thinking every time we come out hard and start hard, we normally finish," Treuthardt said.
However, it was the Cardinals who finished strong, scoring 35 unanswered points. Green was excited by Treuthardt's running.
"Our offensive line did a good job of blocking initially, but they didn't get to the linebackers and they made the plays," he said. "He (Treuthardt) made a lot of plays on his own."
The Cardinals capped a seven-play, 37-yard drive with a Bodenstein's 2-yard TD run with 6 minutes, 17 seconds left in the first quarter to tie the game at 7. The Cardinals exploded for 14 points in about a 1 minute span in the second quarter. Highland followed that up with a five-play, 64-yard drive, culminating in Kleist's 7-yard TD run at the start of the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 14-7 lead. The big play of the drive was Kleist's 20-yard run, that also included a 15-yard face mask penalty on the Vikings.
"He (Kleist) got low," Treuthardt said. "I feel the key to the game was getting low and tackling him. There were times when we did it and sometimes we didn't. That is what lost it for us."
The Vikings then fumbled a pitch on the option and the Cardinals recovered at the Vikings' 31-yard line. On the next play, Bodenstein tossed a 31-yard TD pass to give the Cardinals a 21-7 lead.
The Vikings caught a break late in the second quarter when Bodenstein's 13-yard TD run was wiped out due to a holding penalty. The scoring opportunity was set up by a personal foul call on the Vikings. Penalties haunted Pecatonica-Argyle as the Vikings were called for nine for 82 yards.
Highland's Bailey Bodenstein had a 41-yard kick return to start the third quarter. Bodenstein scored on a 3-yard run to give the Cardinals a 28-7 lead.
Pecatonica-Argyle junior Jon Hendrickson was 10-of-22 passing for 89 yards. Nathan Loyd caught five passes for 26 yards to lead the Vikings.
Green isn't looking past Benton Scales-Mound (Ill.) on Friday.
"We can't worry about the playoffs," Green said. "We have to be ready to come back to play next week. Benton Scales-Mound is a lot like Highland. They will come out and hit you. If we are not prepared, the result will be the same."
