Week 3 Post Game Report: Rumble on Route 50

In this Week 3 Matchup, we’re taking a look at the Rumble on Route 50 Rivalry Game between the Peotone Blue Devils and the Manteno Panthers. This is a long-standing rivalry between these two teams and this game is always a sight to see. Let’s dive into the Post Game Report for the Rumble on Route 50 Matchup. <hr /> Quick Preview Heading into the game I knew that Peotone was coming off of a domain win against Streator last week and was going to use that momentum heading into this week’s matchup. That being said, I expect the Blue Devils to pound the ball throughout all four quarters tiring out the Panther’s defensive unit. On defense, the Blue Devils are going to key on getting pressure on Caleb Borkenhagen and shooting the gaps to limit their run game with Logan Worobey. For the Panthers, they’re coming off of another tough loss where they can’t seem to get their offense going. Caleb Borkenhagen and Cole Jackson have developed a connection that is utilized whenever the Panthers need a first down. That connection is going to be one to keep an eye on heading into this matchup as it will open up the run game with Logan Worobey. On defense, look for the Panthers to shoot the gaps and stack the box. I wouldn’t be surprised if they come out in a 5-3 instead of their base defense to do so. All of this being said, I do have Peotone winning 31 to 17 against Manteno. Let’s take a look at what went down and if my prediction holds true. First Half The Manteno Panthers received the kick on the opening kickoff where they started the drive on their own 25 yard-line. The Caleb Borkenhagen and Cole Jackson connection hit it off on the first drive in the passing game and the Panthers got Logan Worobey going in the run game with a few carries as well. As the Panthers were driving down the field Borkenhagen ended up throwing an INT giving Peotone the ball on their own 18 yard-line. Peotone capitalized off of this turnover by driving down the field, with Ben Balmer and TJ Chenoweth being the primary backs, resulting in a 4 yard TD run by TJ Chenoweth to close out the Blue Devil’s first drive. This put them up 6 - 0 against the Panthers as they missed the extra point. From here on out, it was a tough battle between these two teams. Peotone’s defense got pressure on Caleb Borkenhagen forcing incompletions and resulted in 2 sacks on the half. Manteno’s defense did much of the same by shooting the gaps and forcing Peotone to punt the ball on their second drive. Peotone only had 2 drives in the first half compared to Manteno’s 3, it was a stalemate battle at the half with Blue Devils up 6 - 0 against the Panthers. Halftime Takeaways Peotone has been moving the ball down the field, their drives are simply stalling out once they get into Panther territory. The Blue Devils took a few deep shots early in the first half and would have had a TD if Tristan Weglarz didn’t get sacked. That being said, it has kept the Panther’s defense on its toes for defending against the pass. Peotone’s defensive unit has been doing a great job of getting pressure on Caleb Borkenhagen throughout the first half with [player_tooltip player_id="65775" first="Tyler" last="Hendricker"] and Austin Massat. They did give up a few big plays to Cole Jackson in the air attack and Logan Worobey in the run game. Overall, they have played a good game so far. Manteno has been using the passing attack with the Caleb Borkenhagen to Cole Jackson connection to move the chains. The Panther’s ground game has been okay so far with Logan Worobey having 6 carries for 37 yards with 14 of them coming off of a single carry. Their defense did a great job of shooting the gaps to stop the run holding the Blue Devils to 0 points in the second quarter. What to look for in the Second Half Peotone On offense, look for the Blue Devils to get Ben Balmer & Dawson Piper going heading into the second half. TJ Chenoweth has had a great game so far having 8 carries for 38 yards including a 4 yard TD run. He’s the hot hand right now so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Blue Devils continue to feed him while incorporating the other backs as well. That being said, look for Peotone to rely heavily on the run game and run the ball down the throat of Manteno’s defense. On defense, look for Peotone to dial up the pressure by calling more blitz packages. This is going to make Caleb Borkenhagen uncomfortable in the pocket and force him to make a play. Manteno On offense, the Panthers need to get Logan Worobey going early in the second half. He’s shown that he can break one for a 14 yard gain, continuing to feed him the ball with kickstart their offense and open up the passing attack. A big concept to look for heading into the second half is utilizing the screen game. This can be receiver screens, running back screens, and also half-back draw plays to slow down the Blue Devil’s aggressive pass rush. On defense, look for the Panthers to continue to shoot the gaps to disrupt the running game and to stack the box with the 5-3 defensive look. In doing so, it will plug up the gaps and force Peotone to switch to the air attack. Second Half Kickstarting the second half the Blue Devils received the kickoff where they started the drive on their own 39 yard-line. Peotone was very methodical in their approach to the second half, they had a simple mantra. That mantra was "we’re going to line up against you and are going to be aggressive up front to force the ground attack through your defense" and they did just that. The Blue Devil’s offensive line gets a lot of credit here by creating running lanes for their backs to get through the holes. This drive resulted in a 4 yard TD by Ryan Moe and a 2 point conversion by Ben Balmer to put Peotone up 14 - 0 in the third quarter. Manteno got the ball aiming to make a comeback but it was to no avail as the rest of the game Manteno went Punt, INT, INT, INT on all of their drives in the second half. Peotone’s defensive unit turned up the heat in the second half with [player_tooltip player_id="65775" first="Tyler" last="Hendricker"] & Austin Massat getting pressure on Caleb Borkenhagen forcing incompletions and interceptions (Hendricker, Lee & Jellema all having an INT). From those turnovers, the Blue Devils were able to score two more times which put the game away in the fourth quarter. This resulted in a Peotone win against Manteno in the rumble on route 50 rivalry to bring the helmet back home to Peotone. End of Game Peotone 28 Manteno 0 I had Peotone winning this matchup 31 - 17 coming into this game. I was surprised to see Manteno not put up any points in this game since they have the talent to score, they simply didn’t capitalize on their opportunities. The deciding factor in this one-sided game was the turnovers and penalties that the Panthers faced. Before those happened it was a one-score game with Peotone being up 6 - 0 at the half. Still, Peotone found a way to hold onto that lead and create a gap that the Panthers were not able to close before the clock hit zero. Game Stats Peotone <ul> <li>Ben Balmer: 16 carries for 85 yards, 1 TD</li> <li>TJ Chenoweth: 18 carries for 115 yards, 1 TD</li> <li>Dawson Piper: 2 carries for 7 yards, 3 tackles (3 solos)</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="65775" first="Tyler" last="Hendricker"]: 2 tackles (2 solos), 1 Sack, 1 TFL, 1 INT</li> </ul> Manteno <ul> <li>Caleb Borkenhagen: 15/25 for 149 yards, 4 INT</li> <li>Logan Worobey: 8 caries for 37 yards</li> <li>Cole Jackson: 5 receptions for 60 yards, 2 tackles (2 solos)</li> <li>Jack Prindville: 4 receptions for 24 yards, 3 tackles (3 solos)</li> <li>Ian Knotts: 3 receptions for 24 yards, 5.5 tackles (5 solos), 1 TFL</li> </ul> Key Takeaways Peotone <ul> <li>TJ Chenoweth can be a premier back, had the hot hand this game & showed out</li> <li>Ben Balmer with another good performance, look for his name to be in the all-conference & all area discussion</li> <li>DE’s [player_tooltip player_id="65775" first="Tyler" last="Hendricker"] & Austin Massat did not disappoint, will be dominant duo rest of the season</li> <li>Peotone’s defensive creating havoc this game (Sacks, INTs, TFLs, PBUs)</li> </ul> Manteno <ul> <li>Caleb Borkenhagen connection with Cole Jackson was impressive</li> <li>Logan Worobey is a solid back, needs more carries to have a dominant effect on the game</li> <li>Jack Prindville is a solid receiver as well as good defensive player</li> <li>Manteno’s defense held its own in the first half against Peotone’s dominant rushing attack, they got worn down in the second half & penalties extended drives for the Blue Devils</li> </ul> <hr /> Overall, this was a one-sided battle between Peotone and Manteno. The Panther’s penalties and turnovers hurt them in the second half and they couldn’t bounce back from the deficit. That being said, I wish the best to both of these teams for the remainder of the season. Peotone takes on Lisle on Friday, April 9th at 6:00 pm and Manteno takes on Streator at home on Friday, April 9th at 6:00 pm. Be sure to follow @jamaskane regarding news & information for Illinois High School Football, @PrepRedzoneIL, and @PrepRedzone.