Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
MACOMB, Ill. -- For just the third time in 29 seasons of Missouri Valley Football Conference membership, the Indiana State Sycamores reached the seven win total but in the regular season finale it was Western Illinois who held on for victory by a 34-20 count on Hanson Field.
The Sycamores fell to 7-5, 4-4 MVFC while the Leathernecks wrap up their season with a 5-7 ledger and a 3-5 mark in conference play.
Senior quarterback Mike Perish finished the game 26-of-52 passing for 355 yards. He now has 2,957 passing yards on the season -- a new school record topping the previous best of 2,741 set by Blayne Baggett in 2005. He will also finish second for single season total offense with 2,772 yards.
Robert Tonyan led the team with eight receptions for a career-high 172 yards. Kendall Walker made 14 tackles while Conlan Cassidy owned 11 stops in the contest.
The Sycamores took the opening drive of the second half and despite starting at their own 12-yard line were able to get first down on successive plays to Sampson Levingston and Chris O'Leary. Perish then found Robert Tonyan for a 27-yard reception which moved the ball near the red zone. Heidorn came on to boot a 43-yard field goal into the wind to trim the Western Illinois lead down to 14-6.
Western Illinois used a 44-yard completion from Norvell to Hi-C Scott to move inside the Indiana State five-yard line. The Sycamore defense countered with three straight stops to force Western Illinois into a 19-yard Nathan Knuffman field goal with just over eight minutes left in the third quarter to stretch the lead back to 17-6.
Aaron Killebrew answered with a 35-yard kickoff return. After that, Perish found Buck Logan for a 56-yard screen pass which moved the ball inside the 10-yard line. After Logan rushed for eight yards down to the one, he finished the drive with a one-yard scoring plunge with 6:33 remaining in the third quarter. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful and the Sycamores trailed the Leathernecks 17-12.
Western Illinois was able to reach the red zone and the Sycamores forced a long incompletion on third-and-one from the Indiana State 17. Knuffman then came on to kick a 35-yard field goal at the 2:58 mark of the third quarter which made it a 20-12 lead for the Leathernecks.
After a Western Illinois defensive stop, the Leathernecks used a 12-yard rush from J.C. Baker to reach the end zone to take a 27-12 lead. After a turnover, the Leathernecks drove 33 yards for a scoring drive capped by Norvell's 1-yd run and the Sycamores found themselves down 34-12 with 9:27 left in the game.
The Sycamores responded with a 54-yard pass completion between Perish and Tonyan which moved the ball down to the Western Illinois four-yard line. Dimitri Taylor finished the drive on a four-yard touchdown rush with 7:44 remaining to get within 34-18. Perish then found Tonyan over the middle for a two-point conversion which made it a two possession game at 34-20.
Heidorn's onside kickoff attempt was then successful as the ball took two high bounces and Tonyan came down with it to set the Sycamores up at the WIU 44. On third down, Perish found Levingston on a slant pass to advance the ball to the 33. But the Leathernecks responded with an interception at their own 10 to stop the threat.
The Sycamore defense forced a three-and-out and Mark Sewall made a fair catch at the Western Illinois 43. Perish then found Tonyan for his eighth catch of the game to move the ball down to the WIU 14.
Each team traded punts before the Sycamores nearly pinned the Leathernecks back at their own 1-yard line. The ball broke the plane of the end zone and moved the ball to the 20. On third down, J.C. Baker broke off a 60-yard rush which set up a six-yard touchdown pass from Trenton Norvell to Joey Borsellino to give the Leathernecks a quick 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the first quarter.
The Sycamores got a 38-yard kickoff return from Rondell Green and a pass over the middle moved the ball into Leatherneck territory. The drive would stall and the Osborn Umeh pinned WIU at their own one-yard line. The Western offense would move into Sycamore territory, but a chop block penalty stalled the drive and Indiana State took over at their own 12-yard line just before the end of the first quarter.
After a 41-yard punt, Western moved as far as the Indiana State 31-yard line before the Leathernecks sent their offense out for a fourth down and six. Norvell's pass fell incomplete in the end zone to stop the drive and the Sycamores took over with just over 12 minutes ont he clock before the half. The drive stalled when Perish's rush attempt was short and Umeh came on to punt to the WIU 26.
Western picked up a first down before Conlan Cassidy picked up a third down quarterback sack which set up a Phil Wilson blocked punt and Sampson Levingston recovered at the WIU 29. After a first down due to penalty, the Sycamore settled for a 35-yard field goal from Eric Heidorn to trim the WIU advantage down to 7-3 with 6:03 left before the half.
The Sycamore defense made a stop and took over at their own 26 after a lengthy Mark Sewall punt return was called back due to penalty. After a three-and-out, the wind knocked down a punt attempt and Western took over at the ISU 35. Norvell found Lance Lenoir for a 35-yard touchdown pass on the next play and the Leathernecks owned a 14-3 advantage with 2:11 left before halftime.
The Sycamores got consecutive first down receptions from Perish to Robert Tonyan and Buck Logan to move into Western Illinois territory. A pair of incompletions was followed by a pass from Perish to Tonyan for 29 yards which moved the ball down to the Western Illinois 12. A tipped ball was intercepted on third down to stop the drive and send the Sycamores into the half trailing 14-3.
