Coal City tops Sandwich

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SANDWICH -- Sandwich's football team will have to wait at least one more week to become playoff eligible for the first time in six years.

The Indians fell to Coal City 35-14 in Interstate Eight Large action Friday, dropping Sandwich to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in conference. The game turned on a fateful two-play swing in the second quarter.

Up 7-0 on Nick Futrell's 1-yard touchdown run in the first, the Indians were knocking on the door again early in the second. Facing a 4th-and-goal from Coal City's 4-yard line, the Indians decided to pass for the first time in the game. But Jordan Beckwith's pass was tipped and intercepted by Kevin Gabehart, who took it 100 yards for a tying touchdown.

"You hope that your seniors will be playmakers, and he's a playmaker," Coal City coach Lenny Onsen said. "He's an outstanding young man.. He made a big play when we needed a big play and that was really what got us going. They were in a goal-line situation, so we were very fortunate to get the interception."

On Sandwich's next play from scrimmage, the Indians lost a fumble that led to another Coalers score and completely changed the complexion of the game.

"Instead of us being up 10-0 or 14-0, we're down 14-7," Sandwich coach Derek Avery said. "We can't afford to do that. We're not good enough to do that. They're too good of a program to do that. That drive where we turned it over hurt because we took it the distance of the field. We can second-guess it all we want. They made a play, we didn't.

"It's disappointing. I thought we'd play a little bit better tonight, but they're a good team."

The Coalers (4-2, 2-1) stuck the dagger in at the start of the second half. They received the second-half kickoff and marched 62 yards in eight plays and pushed the lead to 21-17 on quarterback Colt Smith's 2-yard touchdown run.

After Sandwich failed to convert a fourth down on its next possession, Coal City embarked on another backbreaking drive. This one covered 76 yards in 11 plays, capped by Smith's 22-yard touchdown pass to Alec Smith on a 4th-and-two.

But after the game, the focus was on Gabehart's interception return and the crippling effect it had on the Indians' chances.

"We were doing great," Sandwich senior Tim Schmitt said. "They couldn't stop us. We decided to go for it and Jordan made a mistake. You can't blame him for this loss. They didn't win by one touchdown. You can't blame him. We just kind of lost it as a team."

The Indians now shift their focus to next week's game at Peotone, another chance for them to reach the five wins needed to become eligible for the playoffs for the first time since 2002.