Week 4 Matchup: Peotone vs Lisle Post Game Report
In this Week 4 Matchup, we’re taking a look at Peotone Blue Devils against the Lisle Lions. Both of these teams are physical upfront and are aggressive in all aspects of the game. That being said, let’s dive into the…
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Continue ReadingIn this Week 4 Matchup, we’re taking a look at Peotone Blue Devils against the Lisle Lions. Both of these teams are physical upfront and are aggressive in all aspects of the game. That being said, let’s dive into the Post Game Report for the Peotone Blue Devils and the Lisle Lions.
Quick Preview
Heading into this game Peotone was 3-0 where they had all of the momentum and confidence heading into this game. Lisle, on the other hand, came into the game 1-2 where they have struggled as of late to get things going on offense. Peotone has their premier four back rotation that is looking to dominant this inconsistent Lisle defensive unit. That being said, don’t think this is going to be an easy win for the Blue Devils as Lisle is a good team and will come out giving Peotone their best shot all four quarters of this game. I had Peotone winning this game 31 – 21 in a trench warfare battle, let’s see if my prediction came true or if I was wrong.
First Half
Staring off the game the Blue Devils received the opening kick and started their drive at their own 33-yard line. Lisle was ready for the Peotone’s offensive attack forcing the Blue Devils to punt on a 3 and out. Lisle got the punt starting their drive with good field position on the opponent 48-yard line. The Lions were methodical in their run game approach marching down the field to score and get a two-point conversion to go up 8 to 0. With the Blue Devils getting punched in the mouth it was a wake-up call for them as this game isn’t going to be a walk in the park for them, they need to respond well and come out swinging. On the Blue Devil’s next drive they took a play-action shot which resulted in Tristan Weglarz throwing an interception giving the ball back to Lisle on Peotone’s 35-yard line. With this great starting field position, the Lions were able to capitalize and score again going up 16 to 0 against the Blue Devils in the first quarter. For the rest of the half, the Lisle Lions completely shut down the Blue Devil’s run gam forcing them to punt on their last three drives to close out the half and they scored again to go up 24 – 0.
Halftime Takeaways
Peotone can’t get anything going on offense, their run and pass game has been shut down by Lisle throughout the first half. The Blue Devil’s defense got punched in the mouth on the opening drives of the game, but have don’t a good job getting a turnover to slow down Lisle’s offense giving them momentum heading into the second half.
Lisle sucked the life out of the Blue Devils at the start of the game. They eliminated Peotone’s run game at the get-go forcing them to pass which resulted in an interception and the remaining three drives in the half to stall out for a punt. The Lions are getting pressure on Tristan Weglarz and have shut down Peotone’s offense. Lisle’s offense came to play punching the Blue Devil’s defense in the mouth on their two opening drives of the half. Their last drive to close out the half had errors that will look to be corrected in the second half.
What to look for in the Second Half
Peotone needs to get their run game going as it’s the focal point of their offense since it has been non-existent in the first half. Look for screenplays as Lisle is very aggressive and attacking every time the ball is snapped so the Blue Devils can get a fast one on them. On defense, look for Peotone to shoot the gaps hard and stack the box. Lisle is getting too much yardage on each play, to counteract this Peotone needs to send pressure early and often to disrupt Lisle’s offense.
Lisle needs to continue to pound the rock as it has been working so far for them. Look for one to two play-action deep shots coming out of the second half to get a quick one on Peotone. On defense, look for the Lions to continue to shoot the gaps and bring pressure. They have most of the momentum in this game, their biggest enemy is themselves at this point by being cocky and forcing plays (as seen with the INT thrown between multiple Peotone defenders).
Second Half
Lisle received the second-half kickoff starting their drive at their own 17-yard line. Peotone’s defense came to play in the second half forcing a punt but the Blue Devils couldn’t get away from the turnovers and mental mistakes. They ended up throwing another INT to Lisle, fumbling the snap on their punt the next drive, and fumbling the ball on the following drive as well. Now the reason this is very important is that the Blue Devil’s defensive unit created two fumbles from Lisle to give Peotone the ball back with a chance to come back into this game. What is important to note here is that the Blue Devils had multiple injuries in the second half at key positions which also played a role in not overcoming the deficit. That being said, Lisle in essence ran out the remaining time on the clock before Peotone got the ball back with less than a minute remaining which at that point the game was over. Lisle was very impressive with this win and is going to be a team to watch for their last game of the season.
End of Game
Lisle 24 Peotone 0
Heading into this game I knew that Lisle was a good team and that they were able to put up points. They play very aggressive and physical just like Peotone does so I knew it was going to be a street fight through all four quarters. What I didn’t anticipate was Peotone’s offense getting shut down for most of this game. Lisle did a great job keying on specific players on the Blue Devil’s offense, shooting the gaps, and bringing pressure with all 11 players. Hats off to Lisle coming off of a tough loss to showcase that they can compete with dominant teams such as Peotone and win those games. For Peotone, this is going to be a learning experience as they move onto 3A powerhouse Wilmington next week at home for their final game of the season.
Game Stats
Peotone Blue Devils
- Ben Balmer: 15 carries for 59 yards, 1 INT, 1 fum. recovery
- TJ Chenoweth: 10 carries for 28 yards, 10 tackles (3 solos)
- Joel Lee II: 14 tackles (8 solos), 1.0 sack, 1 fum. recovery
Lisle Lions
- Cole Campbell: 10 carries for 84 yards, 2 TDs
- Gabe Quinones: 1 reception for 11 yards
Key Takeaways
Peotone Blue Devils
- Without the run game, they aren’t able to get things going well for the rest of their offense
- Their defense got punched in the mouth and responded well in the second half
- Injuries took a big toll on making a comeback in this game, something to keep an eye on for next week’s matchup
- Falling to 3-1 interested to see how they respond against 4-0 Wilmington next week who just came off of a great win against Coal City
- Blue Devils might not have taken Lisle seriously at the start of the game as they got shut down completely on offense and got dominated on defense on those first two drives
- Light at the end of the tunnel, can use this as a learning experience and grow from it heading into next week
Lisle Lions
- They are better than their record indicates
- Physical & aggressive football team, not afraid to take on their opponents
- Streetfight mentality all 4 quarters of the game
- Came out aggressive punching Peotone in the mouth and didn’t let up
- Great team win, look to use this momentum into next week’s matchup
Overall, this was a one-sided battle between Peotone and Lisle. The Blue Devils’ 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 Wilmington at home on Friday, April 16th at 6:00 pm and Lisle takes on Streator on Friday, April 16th at 6:00 pm.
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