Miners win three vs. Manteno

The Coal City Miners Superlights fell to Manteno Wildcats, 20-12. In the first quarter Oakley Parks opened with a couple of solid 5-yard runs. Jacob Thill made a standout tackle for a loss, setting the tone early. Jacob Thill made a standout tackle for a loss, setting the tone early.
In the second quarter Parks broke through with a 10-yard run. Merik delivered a huge 10-yard sack. Cardosi followed up with a tackle for loss.
Special Teams: Kade executed a perfect onside kick, recovered by Schmitz momentum shift.
The third quarter was a quiet quarter with little movement. Two strong defensive stops kept the Wildcats from pulling away.
Parks applied containment pressure in the fourth quarter, leading to a massive 4th-down tackle by Merik. Thill continued to dominate in the middle, anchoring the defense.
Special Teams: Oakley recovered a clutch onside kick with 2 minutes left. Despite the late opportunity, the Miners couldn’t capitalize. Oakley Parks showed grit on both sides of the ball. Merik and Thill were defensive powerhouses.
Special teams delivered two successful onside kicks—rare and impressive.
Despite a strong defensive showing and flashes of brilliance, the Miners fell short in the final minutes. A tough loss, but plenty of bright spots to build on.
Lightweight Miners blank Manteno 13-0. They powered past Manteno on Saturday with a strong all-around effort, earning a 13-0 shutout victory.
Cole Watson set the tone offensively, leading the Miners in both rushing and passing. He found the end zone twice, scoring once on the ground and once through the air. His passing touchdown was hauled in by Eddie Gergits, who led the receiving corps and gave Coal City an important cushion.
The Miners’ defense was equally impressive, keeping Manteno off the scoreboard and sealing the shutout. Oliver Edmonds, Eddie Gergits, and Cole Watson all played key roles in shutting down drives and making stops throughout the game. Adam Calderon sealed the edge shutting down the outside runs as well.
With the win, the Miners continued to show their balanced attack and defensive toughness as they push forward in the season.
Coal City Miners JV defeated Manteno Wildcats 21-13. In a hard-fought JV matchup, the Coal City Miners came out on top with a 21-13 victory over the Manteno Wildcats. The Miners showed grit on both sides of the ball, capitalizing on key opportunities and maintaining a strong defensive front late in the game to secure the win.
Defense was on point with flowing to the ball for many great stops! Tj Wagner with the first safety of the season with a sack in the end zone. Abraham Agurrie, Drake Figgie, Austin Newman, Kamden Martino with stops on the outside runs.
The offensive line was on point to pave the way for the running backs, Bainen Durkee refusing to go down while advancing the ball. Austin Newman for a 20 yard reception for a touchdown. Abraham Agurrie with amazing runs down the field. Coal City’s offense found the end zone three times, while the defense held firm when it mattered most, preventing a late Manteno comeback. It was a solid win for the Miners as they continue to build momentum this season.
The Miners Varsity edged Manteno, 37-8. The team was firing on all cylinders. On offense, Ryan Carpenter scored two touchdowns and Easton Horath scored one touchdown. We were pleased with the way our offensive line blocked led by Blake Jones, Logan Miller, William Rodriguez, and Xavier Banks. Defensively, Evan Koziowski sacked their quarterback to record our first safety.
Gryson Johnson came up big on a interception for a touchdown. Our special team played outstanding in all aspects. Zack Babcock returned a kickoff for a touchdown and kicked the extra point. The team showed up to play and showed what they are capable of doing. We look forward to continue our success against Plano on Sunday.