Trio of backs get hot for Forreston as it barrels into second round of 1A playoffs
The Forreston Cardinals found a way to get not one, not two, but three running backs hot at the right time of year, and they turned into a playoff victory.
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The Cardinals didn't have a 100-yard rusher all season long, but got two over 100 on the ground (Owen Mulder and Micah Nelson) on Friday, and another (Kaleb Sanders) had 97 as Forreston held on for a 20-7 win over Ottawa Marquette in the first round of the Class 1A state playoffs. Now the Cardinals fully expect to get to play Lena-Winslow in the second round. The Panthers have to get past Lutheran in their first-round matchup on Saturday first.
"Boy they sure picked a good time to get hot as a group of running backs, that's for sure," Forreston head coach Keynon Janicke said. "And I guess that tells you how well our offensive line played. We just have that fighter's mentality.
"Now we expect Le-Win."
But to get there, the No. 8-seeded Forreston (8-2) had to hold off the nine seeds from Ottawa Marquette (7-3).
Mulder had 118 yards on 15 carries; Nelson rushed for 101 yards on 12 carries with a TD; and Sanders wound up with 97 yards rushing with two TDs on 11 carries.
They all came in with over 400 yards rushing, but none had that signature moment, or game, yet this season. All three may have had them together on Friday.
"This is just what we needed," Janicke said.
Forreston, which led by a score at halftime, and pulled away with one more in the third, did not punt, and was plus-three in turnovers. The Cardinals also held Ottawa Marquette to 196 yards rushing and another 59 passing, giving up just 13 first downs, and controlling the clock most of the way.
Forreston has had to play Lena-Winslow in eight out of the past 16 postseasons. Now the Cardinals will await Saturday's winner to see if they get to again.
Le-Win won the Class 1A state title in 2010; 2013; 2017; 2019; 2021; and 2022. Forreston won it all in 1A in 2014; 2016; and 2018.
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on Twitter at @JayTaft. Sign up for the Rockford High School newsletter at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a wide variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears to youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star, and for over 30 years all together.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Three backs wear down Ottawa Marquette as Forreston cruises into Rd. 2
