BLOOMINGTON — On Friday night, Tim Blackburn-Kelly smothered a punt midway through the first quarter.
“I was definitely angry,” the St. Joseph Ogden wide receiver and cornerback said. “You can’t play like that, especially in a big game like this. I definitely lost my mind for a moment.”
Bloomington Central Catholic quarterback Valshun Pauw’s helmet was ripped off just before halftime after he intercepted his Hail Mary attempt.
“It’s okay,” Mr. Blackburn-Kelly said. “That’s not what he meant.”
Troubled by injuries, he limped to the Spartans’ sideline twice.
It didn’t matter. Next play. Next play. Next play.
The players are given an overview of how SJ-O coach Sean Skinner wants the Spartans to perform, focusing on the moment. The third play of the third quarter symbolized that.
Spartans quarterback Cody McKinney passes Blackburn just past midfield at Bill Handman Memorial Field as SJ-O holds a 24-13 lead over Bloomington Central Catholic. =He threw a pass in Kelly’s direction. The ball deflected into the air, with Blackburn-Kelly nearby. It looked like there was a chance of an interception by the hosts Saints.
It wasn’t. Blackburn-Kelly didn’t think about the frustrating moments they endured in the first half. All he cared about was making that particular play.
Then he grabbed the ball out of the air and used his speed to get past the Saints defense for a 57-yard touchdown reception.
The lackluster second half start that SJ-O has had for most of the season was absent this Friday night. A key reason the Spartans defeated BCC 38-19 to remain undefeated and earn the program’s 34th playoff berth with its first win over the Saints since the fall 2021 season.
When Blackburn-Kelly was an eighth-grader, he wasn’t one of the multiple playmakers the Spartans (6-0) relied on this season. An offense that the Saints (3-3) couldn’t find an answer to when they tried to slow things down, or a defense that couldn’t break through except for a few plays.
“The message we sent at the beginning of the game was one play at a time. I didn’t want them too high, I didn’t want them too low, I wanted them to be in the here and now on every play,” Skinner said. spoke. “If we can master that, if we can do that, I think we can be the best team we can be.”
So far, the Spartans are pretty good. But the goal isn’t just to make the playoffs.
“It’s a great win,” SJ-O senior wide receiver Tanner Seams said. “We haven’t had anything like this in a long time. We haven’t had a start like this since 2015. We were conference champions that year, and we’re not quite there yet, but that’s what we’re aiming for.” ”
A dynamic offense and improved defense make it more likely that Pontiac (0-6), Rantoul (1-5) and Paxton Buckley-Roda (6-0) remain on the schedule.
“This is about us,” Skinner said. “If you take care of yourself and do your job, you’ll get better.”
SJ-O led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, and BCC took advantage of Blackburn-Kelly’s sluggish punt with Power’s first 3-yard run of the game with 4:43 left in the first quarter. scored a touchdown. However, the talents of SJ-O junior quarterback Cody McKinney and fellow senior wide receiver Coy Taylor began to emerge in the second quarter. In the quarter, with the Spartans leading 14-7 with 8:35 left in the half, Taylor sprinted under a well-thrown ball from McKinney and dove into the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown pass. .
“I think anyone in my position would appreciate it,” McKinney said. “I’m really grateful. The receiver made a big play at a critical moment.”
In the second quarter, BCC senior wide receiver TJ Larson made an acrobatic one-handed catch while flipping the ball toward himself in the air, before McKinney added a 5-yard touchdown run with 5:21 left and SJ Larson -O’s lead increased to 21-13. He ended up running down the sideline for a 67-yard touchdown catch with 7:43 left before halftime, cutting SJ-O’s lead to 14-13. However, the Saints missed the extra points, and SJ-O senior kicker Charlie Schmitz (who made all five extra points) made a 27-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the second quarter to give SJ-O the lead. This increased to 24 points. 13.
Blackburn-Kelly then headlined the third quarter with a highlight-reel play that gave SJ-O a 31-13 lead with 10:56 left in the quarter. Seams then scored his second touchdown of the night, making it 38-13 in favor of the Spartans with 6:33 left in the third quarter.
McKinney led a parade of stats staff for the Spartans, scoring all five of his touchdowns. He completed 19 of 27 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns, gaining 27 yards on 12 carries and scoring quickly.
“The first week, I felt a very uncomfortable feeling in my pocket,” McKinney said. “Now I felt like I could step up and play. I just felt calm and composed.”
So are Taylor and Seamus. Taylor was as dependable as ever, finishing with 10 receptions for 135 yards. Seams wasn’t far behind with seven receptions for 88 yards.
Junior running back Wyatt Wirtz also played a key role, especially in the fourth quarter as the Spartans bought time and tried to pull off a three-point victory. Wirtz had 123 rushing yards on 26 carries.
The Spartans’ defense also played well. Senior safety Collin Toomey thwarted a promising BCC drive with a one-handed interception, and the Spartans held the Saints to 258 yards of total offense.
“The problem here is not just attacks,” McKinney said. “Our defense is good. Last year they gave up a lot of points. This year they have something to prove and they’re proving it.”
One play at a time.
“It says a lot about us,” Blackburn-Kelly said. “We’ve had teams in the past where we’ve been in situations like this, something bad happened, and then we had four or five bad plays. This team really doesn’t blink. If there’s one bad play, But we just kind of got to know each other and made sure the other person was awake and had a good head.”
That’s exactly how Skinner and his coaching staff want the Spartans to play.
“That’s what we’ve been talking about,” Skinner said. “I don’t care if I make a perfect block or miss a block. I don’t care if I make a catch or miss a catch. The most important play is the play now. How I respond to it.” I don’t want to, but I think our kids took it very well.
“Credit to the kids for buying into that idea, and they’re starting to understand how important it is.”
