Even in defeat, Seneca stronger heading into postseason: The Times Week 9 Notebook

More from the Week 9 sidelines across The Times area, including notes on Seneca, Marquette, FCW, Ottawa and Streator.

Loss should only make Irish stronger

Seneca’s Week 9 loss to Durand-Pecatonica, the first regular-season defeat since Oct. 8, 2021, certainly wasn’t what the team was hoping for when it scheduled the Class 3A powerhouse for the final week of the season.

It was, however, an opportunity for something that has been rare for Seneca in recent years – a tension-filled, competitive regular season contest filled with close-game situations. The Fighting Irish acquitted themselves well at it, too, fighting back from a halftime deficit to take a third quarter lead before eventually falling 33-22 to the Rivermen.

It’s something that should only help the 8-1 Irish as they head into the Class 2A postseason, starting with Friday’s home game against El Paso-Gridley (6-3).

“A good regular season, and we’re really looking forward to the playoffs,” Seneca coach Terry Maxwell said. “We’re pretty confident we can hang with whatever comes our way.

“I’m just really proud of this team and how they’ve improved all year. It’s been really fun to coach this group. I think a lot of people had maybe different expectations for this group with such a [large turnover]. Replacing seven guys up front is difficult. These guys have just been awesome, stepped up, almost our whole defense is new, the seniors have been leading.

“It’s been a great season so far, and I’m looking forward to seeing what these guys can do in the playoffs.”

Nice moment as Durbin passes 1,000

Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland junior Leelynd Durbin’s fourth quarter 8-yard touchdown against Galva on Friday was followed by an unusual amount of excitement.

That was because Durbin’s third TD of the game put him over 1,000 rushing yards on the season. He’s at 1,006 yards after finishing with 145 on 12 carries in the Falcons’ 49-12 win .

“I knew I was pretty close, but I didn’t know the exact number I needed,” Durbin said of the milestone. “This wasn’t really a goal I had for myself this season, but once I reached around 500 yards and we still had four games to play, it kind of became my goal as long as we were still winning games.

“I’ve had so many carries this season where I’ve not even gotten touched, and that’s because my offensive line always does a great job. I couldn’t have reached my goal without them. They were really solid tonight.”

As Durbin started to walk to the locker room after ringing the victory bell, there was a yell of, “Hey, Durbin!” from behind. It was Galva junior Cyrus Hurd, who himself had a solid game with 35 yards rushing and 94 yards passing.

“What’s this I hear about 1,000 yards? That’s really cool, man,” Hurd said.

Unsought streaks continue for Ottawa, Streator

The close of the season did not end the unwanted losing streaks for Streator or Ottawa.

Streator’s 3-6 campaign – while one win better than the 2-7s of the previous two years – was the Bulldogs’ seventh consecutive losing season. Streator has only one .500 season, 5-5 in 2017, since the program’s lone playoff win in 2008, when the Bulldogs finished 7-4.

Ottawa’s 1-8 mark is the program’s worst since a five-year run of going either 1-8, 0-9 or 0-6 (COVID spring season) from 2016-20. The Pirates were 3-6 a year ago and 5-5 and in the Class 5A playoffs in 2022.

Injuries costly in Marquette’s Week 9 loss

The injury bug Marquette had successfully swatted away throughout the season finally bit them in Friday’s Week 9 loss to Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington.

Grant Dose, the Cru’s leading rusher who was held to just 23 yards, had to come out with a leg injury late in the third quarter but returned to limp through the rest of the game. Jaxsen Higgins, who in the first quarter caught a 40-yard TD pass from Anthony Couch, went down with a knee injury on a 10-yard carry late in the second quarter and had only one carry thereafter.

And senior lineman/placekicker Sam Mitre had his leg rolled up in the first half and was clearly not 100% in the latter half. His injury played into Marquette’s decision after its fourth quarter TD with 4:44 left pulled it within 21-20. With Mitre hurt, the Cru went for two instead of a tie, and the Trojans’ Caiden Nelson picked off Couch’s throw at the goal line.

The good news, all are expected back for Friday’s 1A playoff opener at Rushville-Industry.

Playoff days, times set

Here are the scheduled kickoff times for opening-round IHSA playoff games across the area this weekend:

4A: #13 Sandwich (5-4) at #4 Wheaton Academy (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday

3A: #13 Oregon (5-4) at #4 Princeton (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday

2A: #10 El Paso-Gridley (6-3) at #7 Seneca (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday

2A: #12 Dwight/GSW (6-3) at #5 Momence (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday

1A: #13 Marquette (5-4) at #4 Rushville-Industry (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday

8-Man: #10 Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland (6-3) at #7 West Carroll (7-2), 1 p.m. Saturday

5A: #13 Morris (5-4) at #4 Troy Triad (7-2), 6 p.m. Saturday