Comets made 2021 a record-setting year

by shawn long Sports writer While the year 2021 will be known for when the Reed-Custer High School football team “burned the boats,” there were several accolades by other Comet teams worth noting. The year 2021 will also be known as the year when most Reed-Custer teams had two seasons—a shortened season in the spring and full schedules (including playoffs) in the fall. Remember in the spring of 2020 there were no boys baseball, girls softball and girls soccer and then the Governor and state health department forced the IHSA to postpone football, soccer and volleyball while golfers and tennis were allowed to play. That set up 2021, when the IHSA crunched winter sports, fall sports and delayed spring sports between March and May. Boys and girls basketball had 12-game seasons followed by a 5-game season for football and nine matches for volleyball. Thankfully the IHSA came to its senses in May when baseball and softball teams were allowed almost full schedules including playoffs. By August, when Friday Night Lights were turned back on for a full nine-game season and the Lady Comets started attacking the net, it felt like sports were back to normal. That’s when the Comets started burning the boats. Comets advance to the quarterfinals In the 42-year history of the Reed-Custer football program never had a Comet team made it past the second round of the playoffs. In fact over four decades the Comets had made the playoffs six times. The 2021 Comets changed that to seven times as they dominated teams, rattling off five in a row for starters, scoring over 50 points per game. They were handed their first and only loss of the regular season in a 21-14 dog fight with Wilmington, the eventual state 2A champions. They bounced back in a big way with a 40-plus point victory at Streator and cruised through the final four games unscathed. The Comets entered the playoffs as the #4 seed with a first round match against Peotone. And just like the two times before, Reed-Custer shut out the Blue Devils to advance to the second round where they would make quick work of Chicago Clark. That led to a quarterfinal slobberknocker against the eventual 3A state champions Bryon. The Comets had the lead all the way until the final 13 seconds of the game when Byron completed their only pass for a 19-yard touchdown to stun Comet fans. Despite that loss, they finished the best season in Comet history with a 10-2 record, besting the 1986 Comets who finished 9-2. They broke a lot of records in the process, one of which was the points record which they shattered with an impressive 503 points in 12 games. The previous record held by the 2006 Comets was 364. R-C coach Gavin Johnston was named Chicago Bears Coach of the Week after the Comets beat the Coalers for the first time since 2009 in a 33-9 stunner. Two-way lineman Kody Marschner also earned All-State honors. The football Comets gave the community a fun run, pulling together the town while hopefully setting a new standard for future Comets. Comet wrestlers place two at state Reed-Custer wrestling rattled off seven of 10 matches to start the year. That led to them sending six to sectionals and three to state. Two-time state qualifier Ryan Tribble made it all the way through the sectional at 138 pounds unscathed to earn a spot at IWCOA state. Adell Gamboa (145) powered through the sectional and ended up with a second place to earn a spot at state. And Kody Marschner (220) earned his second trip to state in his second year. Marschner claimed second place at state as he fell just short in a match with Richmond Burton’s Brock Wood during the title match. Marschner finished with a 24-3 record. Gamboa earned sixth place and finished the senior season with a 17-11 record. Tribble finished with a 20-7 record, bowing out in wrestlebacks. Pickard, Dranfeldt place at state, record set Reed-Custer pole vaulting pair Evan Pickard and Vander Dranfeldt earned a trip to state as they both did well at the sectional. Pickard cleared 4.67 meters which was not only good for third at state but it also broke Mike Eller’s 13-year school record. Pickard now holds the record for the highest pole vault which is 15’3”. Dranfeldt didn’t break any records but he did place eighth with a 4.25 meter vault. Casting Comets eighth best in state fishing For the first time in school history, a Reed-Custer bass fishing team finished in the top 10 during the state tournament which was held in May. The Casting Comets team of Eddie Gad, Ed (his father and driver) and Blake Gad landed 13 2/16 pounds of bass to place eighth during the IHSA Bass Fishing State Championships which were held at Carlyle Lake in Carlyle, IL. Seventh Lady Panthers first state appearance The Reed-Custer seventh grade girls basketball team made it to the IESA girls basketball state tournament for the first time in the history of their program. They earned wins over Morris (15-0), Peru Parkside (25-14) and Channahon (24-7) to get to the sectional championship where they would demolish Lisle, 22-4 to advance to state against a team they were familiar with Manteno. They fell by just two points to Manteno to finish thier solid, 17-6 season. ‘Porksicle’ in state competition October was a great month. The Comet football team was rockin’ and concession stand eats were also the talk of the state. Reed-Custer was one of 70 schools to be entered into the Illinois High School Association Pork & Pigskins Championship. They made it all the way to the Savory 16 where they were bested by the winner of the whole competition, Lemont. Even though they lost it was nice for the school and the town to be recognized by the state. We’re hoping grill master Jerry Curl is back for 2022 and the Comets are burning something new. Baseball Comets to Regional Championship The Comets baseball team had a good season which included a couple different winning streaks that put them head-to-head with Coal City in the regional championship game. They ended up falling 14-9 in a game that was suspended and finished the following night. Even though they lost, they gave the school and the town a taste of this group’s talent. The Comets finished with an 18-6 record. With those juniors now seniors with some additional talent from underclassmen, whose to say they can’t do it again? Softball Lady Comets surge late in regionals The Reed-Custer softball team was up-and-down all season long until the final three weeks of the season when they started to win games. That set them up for a good match in the first round of the playoffs where they blew past Momence 13-5 and put them toe-to-toe with top- seeded Seneca in the regional title game. Even though they were unable to advance, they still finished the season with a 4-18 record, having a three-game winning streak going into the playoffs. Not only that but the raw talent shown by a lot of young freshmen on the team set them up for next season. They were young and figuring it out. Now, they’ll be experienced so conference teams should look out! School Record busted on the soccer pitch The Reed-Custer soccer season as a whole went okay as they finished 5-14-1, falling in the second round of the playoffs to a good Beecher team after they beat Bishop Mac with a hat trick from Reed-Custer’s new school record holder, Danny Kuban. That wasn’t the big highlight about the season. Reed-Custer junior Kuban cemented himself in the school record books with the most goals in a season and he has a season left to break the most goals ever. Kuban got off to a slow start with a goal game here and a two goal game there but he hit his stride midway through the season with a five-goal game in their win over Wilmington. That led to the final month of the season where he kicked in 22 goals to beat out the previous record holder Kenny Lebeda, who had 16 goals. Kuban has one season left and he is 13 goals away from holding the school goals record. The current record holder in B.J. Bailey, who had 38 from 2011-14. Headrick earns first minor league win Former Reed-Custer standout pitcher and 2016 state champion Brent Headrick picked p his first win in May in a game against the Clearwater Threshers he dominated. Headrick went 4.0 innings, giving up one earned run on six hits while fanning six and walking just one to pick up the win. He ended up finishing the 2021 season with a record of 3-5 and a 3.71 ERA, fanning 88 batters in 63.0 innings. Girls state wrestling date announced The Illinois High School Association announed in late June that they had the dates lined up for girls wrestling which would take place at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington, Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 25-26. Dual Team wrestling state finals were originally scheduled for that date but will be extended and run concurrently with the girls wrestling state finals.