Byron buries North Boone in Big Northern battle

By Chris Johnson

Sports Correspondent

There are some big issues for teams playing in the Big Northern Conference this season and the Byron Tigers could be the biggest. On Friday night, Sept. 16, the North Boone Vikings paid a visit to Byron and found themselves looking at a scoreboard that showed they gave up almost 60 points in the first half. North Boone scored once in the first and once in the second quarters, but that would be it. There was no offense for the Vikings to run, Byron took it away.

The Byron backfield broke free as Bryce Scheffler led the way to start the day, carrying the ball eleven yards for the first quarter score. The extra point kick was good. Byron was in front 7-0 with 8:09 to go in the period. The Vikings first score came on the ensuing drive as Hayden Corson corralled a pass from Britton Morris from three yards away. The Vikings could not convert on the extra point attempt. The lead was one for Byron, 7-6. Over the next minute and a half, the Tigers turned it up a bit, as they scored twice beginning with a break away run by Scheffler for 50 yards. With the extra point kick and 4:48 to go in the first, Byron had the touchdown advantage back, 14-6.

Trying to move the ball against the Byron defense has proved to be difficult. Following the Scheffler midfield scamper, the Vikings found themselves surrendering the ball. Less than a minute later, Justin Martinez broke the plane and Byron grabbed the 21-6 lead.

In the second quarter Nolan Bielskis got the scoring going as he found room and ran the ball in from five yards away. With forty seconds elapsed in the second quarter the lead jumped to 28-6, Byron.

North Boone’s final score came on the following drive. After working the ball inside the Byron red zone, Nathan Nelson collected a pass offering and scored from three-yards away. A failed extra point run attempt kept the two-touchdown edge in place, 28-12.

At the 5:22 mark in the second quarter, Byron got back on the board. Martinez powered through his line and in from three yards away. The Trevor Kortiz kick made it 35-12 Byron.

Less than two minutes later, at the 3:37 mark in the period, Scheffler got some room and ran for a 15-yard score. Byron then held a 30-point edge, 42-12.

Another defensive stand gave the ball back to the Tigers and with 2:01 to go in the half, Ricky Messling carried it across. The nine-yard score and extra point kick stretched the lead to 49-12.

The numbers showed that the next score by Byron, before a Vikings tally would mean the non-stop clock would join North Boone, when they took the field in the second half.

With time nearly elapsed in the second quarter and following another tough stand by the Byron defense. The Tigers got the ball back with some time to do something.

The running game came through again. Scheffler ran the ball across for the fourth time in the half, after he collected a pass from quarterback Brandon Elsbury and ran 34 yards. With 21 seconds before halftime, the Tigers were in front 56-12.

Byron scored at the 9:24 point in the third quarter, as Messling ran it in. In the fourth quarter, with just seconds removed, the Tigers finished the night on a three-yard run by Mason Snodgrass. The Byron lead was 69-12.

Scheffler carried the ball six times and scored three times on the ground, while averaging over 18 yards a carry. With his touchdown catch, he ended the night with four total tallies in the books. Martinez carried the ball nine times for 121 yards. He scored two on the ground. Messling, in more focused late game play, scored twice on his 54 yards on the ground. Bielskis averaged almost eight yards a carry on the night. Koritz connected on eight extra point attempts in the first half.

Byron moved to 4-0 with the win and stayed in a tie with the Genoa-Kingston Cogs for first place in the Big Northern Conference.

The Cogs beat Winnebago on Friday night 35-20. Dixon, who began the night tied with Genoa-Kingston and Byron leading the pack, fell in their Friday night game. Rockford Lutheran toppled the Dukes 38-21.

The Tigers travel to Rock Falls this Friday night, Sept. 23. The Rockets are 3-1 this season with wins over Rockford Christian, Mendota and Oregon to its credit. Three teams which carry an overall mark of 5-7 into week five of the season.

Byron will have to face 1-3 Oregon on Friday, Sept. 30 in Byron. On Oct. 7, the Tigers play in Mendota before heading back on the road in week eight to face former Pecatonica Indians Head Coach Brett Frederick and the Rockford Christian Royal Lions. The season closes at home for Byron against Winnebago.

Trevor Kortiz kicks off after a Byron touchdown in the second quarter of their homecoming game against North Boone Friday, Sep. 16. Byron won the game 69-12.