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Football notes: Vandals can become playoff eligible

Following this Friday’s game against Hillsboro, the Vandals hope to be playoff eligible.

Carrying a 4-1 record into the game, Vandalia will be in search of its fifth win to put a check mark next to the season’s first big goal.

“That is one of our goals, and then we start working for seeding after that,” said coach John Stout. “It’s a big game for us on Friday night.”

Hillsboro (1-4) is without star running back Brady Lynch, who tore his ACL last spring, and the team has struggled this season. Luke Cerutti (537 yards and seven touchdowns) and Gavin Twitty (536 yards and two touchdowns) have picked up the slack in Lynch's absence.

Each has had one breakout game on the season, with Cerutti rushing for 308 yards and five scores against Gillespie, and Twitty securing 229 yards and two touchdowns against Roxana.

Stout said that containing the run game will have to be the defense’s No. 1 priority.

“Cerutti hurt us last year running from the fullback slot, so we’ll have to be ready to play defense and be able to tackle,” he said.

Hillsboro quarterback Matt Tommazzoli has attempted 24 passes, completing two of them for just one total yard.

The game begins at 7 p.m. at Mark Greer Field.

Jockeying for position

The South Central Conference standings got jumbled once again last week, with Southwestern upsetting Pana, one week after Pana upset Carlinville.

There is still a three-way tie at the top of the standings, with Vandalia, Carlinville and Greenville each holding 4-1 records. Seven SCC teams have at least two wins this year, and all 10 of them have at least one.

Big JV win

Vandalia's junior varsity football team put on an offensive showcase at Litchfield on Monday, winning big, 64-20.

The victory was the first of the season for the Vandals, who are 1-4.

The next game is next Monday at Hillsboro at 6 p.m.

PATs

In the first three games, the only point-after touchdown kick that Vandalia failed to make resulted in a two-point conversion.

But in the past two games, senior Ryan Ambuehl has failed to convert on three in each of the past two games.

Stout said that it’s partly a mental problem and partly a mechanical problem.

“Ryan said at halftime that he is thinking too much,” Stout said. “On the last touchdown of the first half, his steps were all started too soon.

“When he just ran through and kicked it, he was fine.”

Ambuehl is a good enough kicker that he should get his kicks sorted out by the time the big games at the end of the season come around.

Scoring summary

Friday, Sept. 21
vs. Litchfield
First quarter
•VHS: 9:39 – 49-yard run by Alex Newsom (Ryan Ambuhel kick failed).
•VHS: 4:31 – 17-yard run by Ambuehl (Ambuehl kick).
Second quarter
•VHS: 9:23 – 5-yard run by Newsom (Tim Ritchey for two points)
•VHS: 1:10 – 24-yard pass by Ritchey to Ambuehl (Ambuehl kick failed).
Third quarter
•VHS: 2:54 – 24-yard pass by Ritchey to Luke Smith (Ambuehl kick).
•LHS: 0:20.5 – 26-yard fumble return by Cole Blankenship (kick blocked).
Fourth quarter
•VHS: 10:18 – 22-yard run by Ambuehl (Ambuehl kick failed).
•VHS: 3:46 – 15-yard run by Ambuehl (Ambuehl kick).

Around the SCC

Last week
Vandalia 47, Litchfield 6
Carlinville 58, Staunton 37
Greenville 58, Roxana 26
Southwestern 14, Pana 7
Hillsboro 33, Gillespie 28

Standings
•Vandalia, 4-1
•Carlinville, 4-1
•Greenville, 4-1
•Pana, 3-2
•Staunton, 3-2
•Southwestern, 2-3
•Gillespie, 2-3
•Hillsboro, 1-4
•Litchfield, 1-4
•Roxana, 1-4

This week
•Vandalia vs. Hillsboro
•Carlinville vs. Gillespie
•Greenville vs. Pana
•Roxana vs. Litchfield
•Staunton vs. Southwestern

Vandalia senior Luke Smith (right) wraps up a Litchfield player last Friday for one of his team-high eight solo tackles.

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