BLANCHARDVILLE - Darlington senior Jeff Reichling looked like a human battering ram in gashing the Pecatonica-Argyle defense in the Redbirds' 47-19 win Friday night.
Reichling rushed for 175 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns as the Redbirds dominated the line of scrimmage.
"We wanted to come out this week and prove last week wasn't a fluke," Reichling said after the Redbirds jumped out to a 14-0 lead against Platteville last week before the Hillmen rallied. "They (Pecatonica-Argyle) are a high powered team. We had to play well to beat them."
The Redbirds (1-1) rolled up 412 total rushing yards.
"I don't think the line could have blocked any better tonight," Reichling said. "There was huge holes for the running backs and all the running backs had to do was give a little extra effort. We pounded the ball up and down the field whenever we wanted."
The Vikings (1-1, 1-0 Six Rivers) marched 62-yards in 10-plays on their opening drive, which culminated in senior Lee Vlasak's 11-yard TD run.
The Redbirds answered with an eight-play, 68-yard drive capped off by Reichling's 4-yard TD run.
Reichling recorded a sack on the Vikings' next possession, which helped force a turnover on downs at the Redbirds' 15-yard line. The Redbirds drove 85-yards in six plays, culminating in Alex Erickson's 17-yard TD pass to Tanner Andrews. Darlington senior Nik Geissbuhler ran in a two-point conversion to give the Redbirds' a 15-7 lead.
Reichling also set up another touchdown drive by converting on fourth-and-one from the Vikings' 40-yard line, with a 6-yard run. Reichling punctuated the drive with a 3-yard TD run.
In a sudden momentum shift with 2 minutes, 38 seconds left in the first half, Pecatonica-Argyle's Andy Bohlman appeared to score a touchdown on a 6-yard run, but fumbled into the end zone where the Redbirds recovered.
"If we don't fumble the football and score that touchdown and don't have a penalty, it's a different game and a different attitude at halftime," Pecatonica-Argyle coach Larry Green said. "Those penalties and that play were probably the turning points in the game."
The Redbirds cashed in on the turnover with Reichling rumbling 51 yards on the next play. Then Carson Crist scored on a 23-yard TD run.
"They (the players) all know each other," Darlington coach Scott Zywicki said. "That adds to the rivalry. Basically, our first two games we played playoff teams."
Pecatonica-Argyle quarterback Milton Kurschner then delivered a 35-yard pass that was tipped and caught to set up the Vikings next score. With 37 seconds before halftime, Kurschner connected on a 20-yard TD pass to Vlasak that cut the Redbirds' halftime lead to 27-13.
The Redbirds' first drive in the second half set the tone with Erickson scoring on an 18-yard TD run.
The Vikings' first two possessions in the second half were derailed by interceptions.
Vlasak, who added a 53-yard TD run, rushed for 127 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns rushing and one receiving. Kurschner was 10-of-16 passing for 145 yards.
"The game is won in the trenches," Green said. "They just came off the football low and we didn't. They took it to us."
Reichling rushed for 175 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns as the Redbirds dominated the line of scrimmage.
"We wanted to come out this week and prove last week wasn't a fluke," Reichling said after the Redbirds jumped out to a 14-0 lead against Platteville last week before the Hillmen rallied. "They (Pecatonica-Argyle) are a high powered team. We had to play well to beat them."
The Redbirds (1-1) rolled up 412 total rushing yards.
"I don't think the line could have blocked any better tonight," Reichling said. "There was huge holes for the running backs and all the running backs had to do was give a little extra effort. We pounded the ball up and down the field whenever we wanted."
The Vikings (1-1, 1-0 Six Rivers) marched 62-yards in 10-plays on their opening drive, which culminated in senior Lee Vlasak's 11-yard TD run.
The Redbirds answered with an eight-play, 68-yard drive capped off by Reichling's 4-yard TD run.
Reichling recorded a sack on the Vikings' next possession, which helped force a turnover on downs at the Redbirds' 15-yard line. The Redbirds drove 85-yards in six plays, culminating in Alex Erickson's 17-yard TD pass to Tanner Andrews. Darlington senior Nik Geissbuhler ran in a two-point conversion to give the Redbirds' a 15-7 lead.
Reichling also set up another touchdown drive by converting on fourth-and-one from the Vikings' 40-yard line, with a 6-yard run. Reichling punctuated the drive with a 3-yard TD run.
In a sudden momentum shift with 2 minutes, 38 seconds left in the first half, Pecatonica-Argyle's Andy Bohlman appeared to score a touchdown on a 6-yard run, but fumbled into the end zone where the Redbirds recovered.
"If we don't fumble the football and score that touchdown and don't have a penalty, it's a different game and a different attitude at halftime," Pecatonica-Argyle coach Larry Green said. "Those penalties and that play were probably the turning points in the game."
The Redbirds cashed in on the turnover with Reichling rumbling 51 yards on the next play. Then Carson Crist scored on a 23-yard TD run.
"They (the players) all know each other," Darlington coach Scott Zywicki said. "That adds to the rivalry. Basically, our first two games we played playoff teams."
Pecatonica-Argyle quarterback Milton Kurschner then delivered a 35-yard pass that was tipped and caught to set up the Vikings next score. With 37 seconds before halftime, Kurschner connected on a 20-yard TD pass to Vlasak that cut the Redbirds' halftime lead to 27-13.
The Redbirds' first drive in the second half set the tone with Erickson scoring on an 18-yard TD run.
The Vikings' first two possessions in the second half were derailed by interceptions.
Vlasak, who added a 53-yard TD run, rushed for 127 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns rushing and one receiving. Kurschner was 10-of-16 passing for 145 yards.
"The game is won in the trenches," Green said. "They just came off the football low and we didn't. They took it to us."
