Vandals run all over Wood River

The Vandalia football season got off to a running start on Friday, as the Vandals defeated East Alton-Wood River, 40-0.

It was a combination of Vandalia’s defense and running game that led them past the Oilers.

“I thought the kids came ready to play,” head coach John Stout said. “I though the offensive line did a great job blocking…It’s a good way to get started.”

Even though the Vandals’ running game racked up more than 300 yards and five touchdowns, it was the passing game that got them on the board in the first quarter.

After a couple of stalled drives by each team, Vandalia was finally able to start inching toward the goal line with the help of some key carries by Corey Bunker and Will Cowger. Bunker got Vandalia into Wood River territory but it was a run by Cowger that got Vandalia within striking distance.

Dropping back to pass for one of only four times in the game, quarterback Marty Johnson found Bunker open on the right side of the field. Bunker went almost untouched into the end zone to put Vandalia up 7-0 after the point after-attempt. The score came with just under three minutes on the clock, making it look as if Vandalia might not be on its way to an easy victory, like it had over the Oilers last season.

The score seemed to give Vandalia’s offense and defense a boost and put an already young Wood River in panic mode.

On Vandalia’s next possession less than five minutes later, Cowger, who was lined up at fullback, was able to break free of tacklers and rush for a 37-yard touchdown. The Vandals went up 14-0 with a little over 10 minutes remaining in the half.

For the third straight possession, Vandalia would score. This time. Drew Stewart got the call. From the Oilers 47-yardline, Stewart took the handoff and went though a hole in the left side of the line, cut toward the middle and could see nothing but end zone ahead of him. He won the footrace to the goal line. The PAT was blocked, but the Vandals still had a 20-point advantage.

The defense forced a quick three-and-out, and on the first play from scrimmage, on the Wood River 41-yard line, Bunker broke free for his second score of the game and his first on the ground. A bad snap on the PAT held Vandalia at 26-0.

Vandalia’s offense just barely had time to catch its breath on the sideline when senior Ryan Thiele intercepted an Oilers pass and took it back inside the Wood River 10-yard line with a little more than five minutes remaining until the intermission.

“The first game is always kind of helter sketler, and they’re going no huddle. Everyone’s all jacked up with a lot of nervous energy, and I thought our kids stepped up and made plays when they had to, and got us the ball back,” Stout said.

Stewart got the call on the ground again and rumbled in for a 9-yard touchdown run. Vandalia capped the off the 26-point quarter and went into halftime up 33-0.

Just a quarter before, it looked as if Wood River might hang around. Now, it looked as if Vandalia would break the half-century mark.

With the running clock in the second half, Vandalia wasn’t able to score at the same clip they had been in the first. The Vandals picked up their final score on a 1-yard run by Bunker halfway through the third, giving them a 40-0 lead.

Time flew by the second half, and the Vandalia coaching staff had taken its headsets off midway through the fourth.

Stout said that this season, the team is already making moves to avoid pitfalls of last year. Early in the season last fall, Vandalia would pull most of its starters, once they had a comfortable lead in the late third or fourth quarter. That would hurt them later in the season, when they needed their starters late in the game, but the players didn’t have the stamina to last four quarters. Friday, Stout tried to keep his starters in the game for as long as he could to build up their stamina.

As the final seconds ran off the clock, the Vandals celebrated their first win of the new season.

Bunker racked up 149 yards on 11 carries, more than 13 yards a touch, and scored three times. He caught one pass for 20 yards.

Stewart had 11 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns. And Cowger, who was used sparingly in the second half, had five touches for 21 yards and a score.

Johnson completed 2 of 4 passes for 24 yards. Daniel Bell had one catch for four yards.

As a team, Vandalia rushed for 305 yards on 35 carries.

The Vandalia defense had seven tackles for a loss adding up to 38 yards. Aaron Coney had a team-high 10 tackles. Cowger had six and Thiele had eight.

Vandalia has now beaten Wood River for three consecutive years.

Vandalia (1-0, 1-0) will stay on the road, as it travels to Carlinville (0-1, 0-1) Friday night. The Oilers (0-1, 0-1 SCC) will travel to Litchfield on Friday.

Carlinville lost last Friday to Alton Marquette, 34-21. The Cavaliers put up almost 300 yards of offense and scored two passing touchdowns, despite throwing the ball only seven times. Carlinville committed 12 penalties totaling 78 yards.

The Cavs ran the ball 39 times for 176 yards. Their defense gave up twice as many, as they allowed 394 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns.

Carlinville will continue with its run heavy package on Friday against Vandalia as it brought success last week in the form of three scores. Although the Cavs only passed the ball seven times for three catches, they racked up 110 yards through the year, showing that when they throw the ball, they air it out.

The Cavs had two turnovers, one interception and one fumble.

Last year, Vandalia beat Carlinville, 33-18. The Vandals defense held the Cavs to 130 total yards. The Vandalia offense rushed for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Vandalia also passed for more than 100 yards and two touchdowns.

Kickoff on Friday is at 7 p.m. at Carlinville. Carlinville, is about 1 hour and 45 minutes northwest of Vandalia.