Sports
Minooka Steamrolls Past Plainfield East
Hill runs for 311 yards, five touchdowns in 54-27 game.
For a half Friday night, Plainfield East stood toe-to-toe with Minooka’s powerful offense and traded punches.
In the end, though, it was Minooka’s raw power, in particular the power in Kalvin Hill’s legs, that proved to be the difference as Minooka defeated East 54-27.
Hill ran for 311 yards and five touchdowns, offsetting the three kickoff return touchdowns turned in by the Bengals. Junior quarterback Joe Carnagio ran for 76 yards and a touchdown for the Indians (2-2, 2-0) and completed four of five passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Mike Ivlow also scored for Minooka.
Find out what's happening in Channahon-Minookawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“Our offense really clicked tonight,” Minooka coach Bert Kooi said. “Kalvin is just a special back. He is patient, reads his blocks, breaks tackles and sees the opening. And Joe Carnagio is getting better every game. He is a very coachable young man and keeps learning.
“A lot of credit goes to our assistant coaches. Frank Yudzentis has done a wonderful job with the offensive line and Bret Kooi has been terrific coaching the quarterbacks.”
Find out what's happening in Channahon-Minookawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Minooka’s defense blocked a Plainfield East field goal on the Bengals’ opening drive, and Hill scored on a 69-yard run to give the Indians a 6-0 lead. On the Indians’ next drive, Hill went 39 yards before being brought down at the 1, and Ivlow went over from there for a 12-0 advantage.
East (1-3, 1-1) answered quickly, as Myles Walters caught a 60-yard pass from Robert Zamora, then scored on a 17-yard strike from Zamora on the next play.
Carnagio then hit Luke Stovall with a 20-yard scoring pass for Minooka, and East’s Brennan Rompa returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown, making the score 19-14.
Minooka looked to take control before halftime, as Carnagio scored from two yards out with just 11 seconds left, but Aris Izarry returned the kick 82 yards for a touchdown as time expired as Minooka led 26-21 at halftime.
Midway through the third quarter, Hill scored from five yards out, but Walters returned the kick 85 yards for a touchdown, making the score 33-27.
“We have some special athletes,” Plainfield East coach Mike Romeli said. “To have three kick returns by three different guys says a lot. Give Minooka a lot of credit, though. They had a good game plan on defense and we couldn’t get much going when we had the ball. And, they just wore us down at the end with their big line.”
Hill scored from four yards out at the start of the fourth quarter, and Minooka resorted to the onside kick to avoid further returns.
Defensive lineman Walter Vesper intercepted a tipped pass and lumbered 50 yards before being brought down at the 20. Hill scored again from a yard out and after the Indians recovered the onside kick, capped the scoring with a 38-yard run.
“We’re getting better each week,” Kooi said. “We still have some things to work on, but we are moving in the right direction.”