Stumble, fumble, TD
Rodriguez makes turning-point play to ignite Whiting
Whiting’s Emiliano Rodriguez didn’t know he had forced a fumble.
The junior defensive end was just trying to corral Calumet quarterback Mark Flores, who had escaped the pocket following a push up the middle by Whiting defensive tackle Nick Krieger.
“I had to contain first,” Rodriguez said. “Then I saw (Flores) scrambling, so I cut back around and I guess my hand hit the ball.”
The fumble was recovered by linebacker Joel Torres and returned 55 yards for a touchdown, the clinching score in host Whiting’s 2412 Greater South Shore Conference victory over Calumet.
Rodriguez might not have known he knocked the ball out of Flores’ hands, but Torres — who also returned an interception 72 yards for a TD against Hanover Central last week — knew exactly what to do when he saw it for Whiting (7-0, 5-0).
“I had to stay in my zone (at first),” Torres said. “But once I saw the ball was loose, I just scooped and scored.”
It’s the type of play that Rodriguez and Torres have been making all season, according to Whiting coach Jeff Cain.
“Both of those kids have been playing defense exclusively and they take it to AUTO RACING: Chase Briscoe won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the new “roval” at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. The “roval” is a 17-turn, 2.28-mile hybrid road course-oval that has a 35-foot change in elevation. It was Briscoe’s first career Xfinity victory. ... Valtteri Bottas beat Formula One leader and Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to pole position for Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix in Sochi. heart,” Cain said. “That was a big defensive effort right down to the end.
“They got us on a few gadget plays, but we felt like we played pretty good defense.”
Rodriguez isn’t hard to find on the field.
The 6-4, 248-pound frame and the hair that spills out of his helmet and halfway down his back makes him easy to spot.
In his first consistent varsity action last season, Rodriguez had 28 tackles and one sack.
Between his sophomore and junior years, Rodriguez said he committed to the weight room, improving his speed and agility so he could contain nimble quarterbacks like the one he faced on Friday night.
Rodriguez entered Friday’s game against Calumet (4-2, 2-2) with 16 tackles, including a team-high 5 1⁄
2 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
He added another tackle for loss on a crucial red zone play in the third quarter and then had the sack that sealed the victory as Calumet, trailing 17-12, drove into Whiting territory in the final two minutes.
But with players like Rodriguez on a defense that’s allowed just 45 points, Cain had no qualms about giving the ball back to Calumet for that late possession.
“We really felt comfortable punting the ball there,” Cain said. “(Calumet) came out and smashed us a bit, but we found a way.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. BASKETBALL: Diana Taurasi made five 3-pointers and scored 26 points to help the U.S. beat Belgium 93-77 in the semifinals of the FIBA Women’s World Cup in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Spain. Breanna Stewart added 20 points, while Brittney Griner had 16 for the two-time defending champions, who will face Australia in Sunday’s final. Australia beat Spain 72-66 in the other semifinal.
— Edited from news services