R-B breaks through to state

Richmond-Burton running back Jack Dechow runs past Stillman Valley defenders in the first quarter of their IHSA Class 4A semifinal Saturday in Stillman Valley. R-B won, 40-28. (Daniel J. Murphy - dmurphy@shawmedia.com)

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STILLMAN VALLEY – The Rockets’ student section finally could exhale as it poured onto the field.

A proud Stillman Valley team, looking for its third consecutive state title-game appearance, made Richmond-Burton earn it Saturday afternoon.

But in the end, the Rockets celebrated their first trip to the state championship game since 1992 with a thrilling 40-28 victory at Stillman Valley in the IHSA Class 4A semifinals.

“It’s great for our kids,” R-B coach Pat Elder said. “It’s great for our community. It’s great for the classes that we’ve had ahead of us that have been so close. They set the standard and these kids rose up to it. It’s a great opportunity.”

After reaching the semifinals in ’08 and ’09 and the quarterfinals a year ago, the ball finally bounced the Rockets’ way – and they finally broke through to state.

R-B (12-1) will play Rochester (11-2) for the state title at 7 p.m. Friday at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium in Champaign. Rochester trounced Charleston, 41-13, in the other semifinal Saturday.

“This is unreal,” R-B nose guard Henry Robison said. “We finally did it. We’ve been right there four years in a row and we’ve finally busted the door down.”

It wasn’t easy. The host Cardinals (10-3), who erased a three-touchdown deficit, threatened to take the lead for the first time when they took possession with 3:57 left in the fourth quarter.

The R-B defense got the stop it needed when a big hit on Stillman Valley running back Eric Boettcher popped the ball loose. Andrew Straight welcomed the bouncing fumble into his lap and raced down the sideline for the dramatic go-ahead score that made it 34-28 with 3:16 remaining.

“I got a Sunday hop on that one,” Straight said. “I looked straight ahead and there was nothing but open field, so I was going for it.”

The big-play unit came through again moments later when Robison hauled in his second interception off a tipped ball. Two plays later, quarterback Matt Malecki (14 carries, 91 yards, 2 TD) sealed the Rockets' long-awaited trip to Champaign with a 27-yard TD run with 2:57 to play.

“I was just thinking about getting a couple yards and running the clock down,” Malecki said. “But then I saw an opening and I just went.”

The Rockets had taken the once boisterous Stillman Valley crowd out of the game when Robison pulled down his first pick in the opening quarter. The unlikely interception led to Malecki’s first rushing touchdown of the day – a 17-yard TD off a naked bootleg to make it a 21-0 bulge.

But the Cardinals injected some life into the big home crowd when quarterback Jeff Cialkowski hit Boettcher on a 60-yard scoring pass to put Stillman Valley on the board.

Cialkowski then hooked up with Jordan Tanaglia on a 32-yard scoring strike on the final play of the first half to close the gap to 21-14 at the break.

After Kinsella’s 1-yard TD run increased the advantage to 28-14 early in the third, the Cardinals fought back with scores on their next two possessions to even the score and set up the dramatic final four minutes.

“It was a great high school football game between two teams just trying so hard to get downstate,” Stillman Valley coach Mike Lalor said. “That’s the great thing about these state semifinals – it’s usually not over until that last whistle.”