How two clutch plays helped Farmington football avoid an IHSA playoff upset
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
FARMINGTON — They’ll talk about Jonny Gibbs’ field goal around Farmington for a long time.
The senior booted the go-ahead score as the Farmers held off Lanark Eastland/Pearl City, 10-8 in the first round of the Class 2A Illinois High School Association football playoffs on Saturday afternoon.
Farmington (10-0) will now host Aurora Christian (8-2) in the second round next week.
“Got to make it,” Gibbs said of his mindset, “and if I don’t, then it’s over. … I wanted to do it.”
Gibbs lined up for a 33-yard field goal, getting an adjusted hold by Landon Crawford and put his first career field goal through the uprights with 7:02 to play.
“He’s been so consistent this year,” Farmington coach Toby Vallas said of his kicker on extra-point attempts. “… Landon Crawford said to me, ‘If you let us kick a field goal, we will make this.’ When the kids believe it, you just let them go.”
“I have so much faith in Jonny,” Crawford added, “that he’s going to get the timing right, and I have so much faith in my line that they’re not going to let the block happen.”
But the Farmington special teams wasn’t finished.
On the ensuing possession, Eastland took 15 plays and 42 yards — converting a pair of fourth downs — to reach the Farmington 6. There, the Wildcatz (5-5) sent out senior kicker Oscar Ugalde-Sanchez for a 23-yard attempt and just 16 seconds left on the clock.
Noah Passmore, however, stretched out his 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior lineman frame to get a hand on the kick, sending the ball way short and setting off an on-field celebration.
“Noah’s a kid that’d put his heart out there for you every time,” Vallas said. “Just really proud of him. You can’t take breaks on special (teams), and that’s what made it happen for us.”
The Farmers, who averaged 46.6 points in the regular season, appeared headed for another big offensive game, taking the game’s opening drive 83 yards on 16 plays. North Dakota commit Jack Gronewold finished things off with a 3-yard touchdown run.
That would be the only time Farmington found paydirt, ending its next five drives with two fumbles, a turnover on downs and two punts before the field goal from Gibbs.
“They really had a really good gameplan,” said Gronewold, who was a part of an offensive that had 296 total yards. “They had a few studs in the box. They were really hard to move. Our o-line is one of the best in the conference, and they met their match tonight, I think.
“We’ll find different run plays to work in different spots and scheme against that defense better next week hopefully.”
Eastland took an 8-7 lead thanks to Will Birchen’s 18-yard fumble return for a TD at the 8:54 mark of the third quarter. Despite giving up the eight points, Farmington did extend its streak of not allowing an offensive touchdown to 14 quarters, dating back to Week 7.
Farmington ended up allowing 234 yards from scrimmage (125 rushing 109 passing), while getting interceptions by Crawford and Noah Fleming. Passmore and Trevor Frye combined on a sack.
“Defense has phenomenal,” Vallas said. “It would have been sickening had we lost because of the performance they put on.”
Farmington freshman quarterback Carson Noy threw for 134 yards on 14-for-24 passing, finding four receivers — Gronewold (four catches, 18 yards), Crawford (three catches, 60 yards), Frye (three catches, 13 yards) and Boston Smith (three catches, 41 yards) — for at least three catches.
Gronewold added 134 rushing yards on 11 carries including a 57-yard run to help setup the game-winning kick.
Eastland senior running back Draven Zier had 28 carries for 103 yards to pace the Wildcatz.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA football scores: Farmington avoids first-round playoff upset
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos