Sycamore defense turns Belvidere game into rout

The score was 14-14 with four minutes left in the first quarter when Sycamore running back Dylan Curtis broke free. But the defining moment of the Class 5A First Round game at Belvidere came later, on a fourth down from the 43-yard line.

Belvidere running back Nick Alvarez lined up to run up the middle. Alex VanMastrigt, the last Spartan up from the bottom of the pile, stuffed Alvarez for no gain. That stop capped a defensive series that turned a competitive contest into a blowout. Sycamore, the No. 9 seed, won the game 42-20 on Friday.

Neither team recorded a stop in the first quarter. Sycamore scored on its first three drives, while Belvidere scored on its first two. The Spartans led 21-14 with 3:59 left in the second quarter. Jackson MacDonald intercepted a pass to give Sycamore a cushion. On the next play, Caden Ralph rushed 28 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 28-14.

The momentum shifted decisively after VanMastrigt’s stop. Belvidere attempted a sweep with Mario Beasley, who had rushed 70 yards for a touchdown earlier in the game. VanMastrigt met Beasley at the line for a one-yard loss. Alvarez gained eight yards on third down, but the drive died after the fourth-down stop. Three plays later, Chaz Wright threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Ben Anderson. That was the Spartans’ fourth score of the second quarter and their third touchdown in a span of 2:42 seconds. Sycamore led 35-14 at halftime.

Both Alvarez and Curtis finished with more than 100 rushing yards. The defensive performance marks a sharp contrast to the team’s earlier struggles. Sycamore lost four of its first five games. In the first two of those losses, to Troy-Triad and Kaneland, the Spartans allowed 41 points each.

Coach Rob Stover attributes the change in tone to the effort of players like VanMastrigt. Stover described VanMastrigt as an energy multiplier for the defense. He plays with great passion, and when he plays fast and physical, the rest of the unit feeds off that intensity. Stover said he wishes he had 11 players who competed with that level of commitment.

VanMastrigt said the team had to flip a switch after its early season difficulties. He noted that the group has worked hard all year and has played very well recently. The Spartans have won four straight games since losing to Morris. They have allowed 13.5 points per game in that stretch, compared to a season average of 20.1 points per game.

Sycamore advances to face No. 1 Antioch, which is 10-0, on the road at 1 p.m. Saturday.