Huntley-Batavia shootout: One for the ages

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COMMENTARY

It took a couple of days to step back from Friday's 70-63 Batavia loss to Huntley in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs to truly realize what a historic game I had just witnessed.

I've told everybody that would listen since then that I've never seen anything like that in the 10 years I've covered high school football. Now, it finally dawned on me that people who have covered games for 60 years hadn't seen anything like this.

There are two other games in state history that have seen scoring like this, neither of them playoff games. In 2002, Freeport Aquin topped Eastland-Pearl City 78-74. That is the highest scoring game in state history.

But it also means that Batavia is second on the all-time list for points scored by a losing team. Then last season, Jacobs beat Larkin 75-58 in the season-opener. That is tied for second with Friday's game for the most points ever scored.

There was one all-time state record set in this game, and it was rushing yards gained by Huntley. With all apologies to Batavia defensive coordinator Dennis Piron and his unit, it was an amazing performance by the Red Raiders, gaining 700 yards on 54 carries.

The old state record? Belleville West gained 699 yards against Sparta. In 1942. Seriously. The former playoff record was 633 yards gained by Metamora. But that was on 67 carries. Come on, Metamora! That's all you've got?

And the 700 yards were just my calculations. All of the yardage totals in this piece are from my notes. After watching film, the teams may submit numbers to the IHSA that vary slightly from these. But in most cases, the record was set by so much that the exact total will not change that. Just a public service announcement from me to you, the loyal readers.

There were plenty of playoff records shattered by both teams in this game. The combined totals of 61 first downs, 1,339 total yards, 133 total points and 916 total rushing yards (yes, that means Batavia ran for 216 in the loss) all set playoff records.

Huntley's totals of 700 rushing yards, 709 yards of total offense (Yeah, they went all of 1-for-2 passing for nine yards, but who can blame them when they ran for 700?) and 10 rushing touchdowns are playoff records for any class.

Add in Huntley's 27 rushing first downs and Batavia's 34 overall first downs, and you have a pair of Class 6A playoff records.

Let's put that in perspective. The Bulldogs set a Class 6A record with 34 first downs. And they gained 639 total yards. And they lost the game. Amazing. Batavia quarterback Jordan Coffey threw for 414 yards by my count.

I've seen him up over 430 in some accounts of the game. That would give him the Class 6A record for most passing yards in a game. The 414 puts him third in 6A history.

The current record holder? St. Viator's Dante Warren, who threw for 429 in 2006 against Batavia. That was the first game Coffey appeared in as a varsity quarterback, throwing the game-winning touchdown to Alex Warner in relief of injured Alex Schroeder as the Bulldogs marched to the state title game. And it's another game I covered. Amazing how things come full circle.

My favorite part of the covering the game from Batavia's sideline was in the third quarter. Batavia's J.R. Kabba scored a touchdown from 10 yards out with 9:52 left to cut the Huntley lead to 35-28. The next play, Huntley's Brett Kleckner broke an 80-yard touchdown run. Then the next play, Coffey hit Mark Briden for a 65-yard touchdown. So, within 28 seconds the score was 42-35.

Coffey ripped off his helmet when he got to the sideline and asked me, "Were there just touchdowns on three straight plays?" Yes, Jordan, there were.

Coffey looked shocked. But nothing will ever shock me again after covering that one.