Coal City Miners take on Chanooka Braves

The Coal City Miners Superlights fell short against the Chanooka Braves by a score 31-14 on Sunday, Aug. 24. In the first quarter the defense came out swinging for the Miners. The defensive line forced a massive 10-yard fumble loss. Oakley Parks delivered a clutch stop, forcing a fumble and turnover. Provance showed grit on the line, pushing through for a key loss.
For special teams Henry made a standout save on the front line, keeping the Braves from breaking through.
The offense began to find rhythm in the second quarter. Ryder Delk powered through with a 45-yard gain, leading the “Big Boy” offense. Oakley Parks followed up with a 10-yard QB keeper. Another solid 5-yard gain kept the chains moving. Despite the effort, the Miners trailed 0–18 at halftime.
The 3rd quarter was a quiet quarter with no major highlights reported.
Offense ignited late in the 4th quarter when Oakley Parks broke loose for a thrilling 40-yard touchdown run. The “Big Boy” offense added another 40-yard touchdown to close the gap.
Defense held strong as Jacob Thill made a crucial 3rd down stop for a loss. Henry forced a run inside, setting up Oakley for a key tackle. Provance and Caleb both fought hard on the line, forcing losses. Oakley added another 3rd down tackle for a loss, showing relentless pursuit.
In the Lightweight game in a gridiron clash dominated by defense, the Coal City Miners emerged victorious over the Chanooka Braves in a thrilling overtime finish Sunday afternoon.
For four quarters, neither team budged, as both defenses showcased grit, discipline, and relentless pressure.
The Miners' defensive unit stood tall from start to finish, with standout performances from Cole Watson, Eddie Gergits, Adam Calderon, Brady Loughran, Aaron Evans, Oliver Edmonds, Mikey Tworek, Brayden Plata, Jacob Harris, Elliot Munsell, and Cooper Lardi. Their effort kept the Braves scoreless through regulation.
With the scoreboard frozen at 0-0 at the end of regulation, the game advanced to overtime, where each team was granted a chance to score from the 10-yard line.
Coal City capitalized on their opportunity when quarterback Cole Watson powered through with a keeper for the game's first and only touchdown. Watson then connected with Aaron Evans for the crucial extra point, giving the Miners a 7-0 edge. The Miners defense held the Braves on their opportunity to score in overtime with Gergits delivering a clutch sack on the final play to end the Braves comeback hopes.
That single score proved decisive, as the Miners’ defense once again held firm to deny the Braves on their possession, sealing the hard-fought win. It was a true battle of wills, but in the end, the Miners' toughness and execution in crunch time made the difference.
The Miners JV delivered a dominant performance this weekend, defeating the Chanooka Braves with a decisive 22-12 victory. From the opening kickoff, the Miners showed strong teamwork and determination on both sides of the ball.
Coal City’s offense led by Bainen Durkee controlled the pace of the game, putting up 22 points with impressive runs by Drake Figgie, Austin Newman and Abraham Agurrie, heading down field with the offensive line paving the way. Meanwhile, the defense held firm, with great stops from Collin Ness, Brody Bitner, Drake Heath and many others limiting Chanooka’s scoring opportunities and forcing critical turnovers that swung momentum in the Miners’ favor.
The varsity team lost 24-0. The team fought hard but couldn't get things going. Ryan Carpenter, Easton Horath, Jase Varju, and Nolan McKinney play well. The team looks forward to working on things over the holiday weekend and getting ready for Manteno.