Crystal Lake, IL — Jacobs looks forward to Class 7A playoffs after win over Crystal Lake South By Bill Freskos October 21, 2023 at 12:37 am CDT Link to original article: https://bit.ly/3SfmSxd Crystal Lake South started fast with a 90-yard kickoff return touchwdown on the first play of the game, but it was pretty much all Jacobs after that. The Golden Eagles scored the game’s next 35 points and cruised to a 42-20 Fox Valley Conference victory Friday night at Ken Bruhn Field, notching their fifth consecutive win heading into the playoffs.. Running back Tyvon Boddie ran for 99 yards and a career-best four touchdowns as Jacobs (6-3, 6-3 FVC) did their best to improve their seed for the Class 7A bracket. The IHSA will announce its 256 playoff teams in eight classes Saturday night. Fullback Caden DuMelle ran for 92 yards and running back Joey Scrivani added 79 yards as Jacobs ran for 286 as a team. Boddie made sure to give all the credit to his offensive line. “They were doing their thing and we were just trying to execute,” Boddie said. “We were a bit lackadaisical in the first half, but we got it together in the second.” On the other side of the ball, Jacobs’ defense stuffed South’s ground game early, forcing the Gators to heavily rely on their passing attack for most of the night. Crystal Lake South managed just 7 rushing yards, putting the ball in the air more than 30 times in their late attempts to mount a comeback. Jacobs coach Brian Zimmerman had high praise about the performance of his defense. “In my four years here, this defense is probably one of the best that I’ve coached,” Zimmerman said. “We have a lot of veteran starters and it shows.” Jacobs’ defense has limited its opponents to just 47 points in their last four games. South’s offense just couldn’t find a rhythm and struggled to stay ahead of the sticks, unable to match Jacobs’ time of possession. Notably, the Gators managed only 12 offensive plays in the first half. South’s coach Rob Fontana explained his team’s overall inefficiency on offense and why they had to rely so heavily on their passing attack. “We were just trying to be more explosive and score,” Fontana said. “They’re juggernauts offensively and they eat up the clock.” The Gators’ playoff chances were ended in a loss to Cary-Grove last week. Now, Jacobs will be in the 7A field for a third consecutive year and heads in with some steam. The Eagles have outscored their opponents 210-73 since Week 5.