Logan High School running back Raekwon Tillman rushed for more than 1,119 yards and 16 touchdowns in the regular season.
He exploded for 223 yards and four touchdowns in the Rangers’ 34-13 rout of Evansville/Albany in the opening round of the WIAA Division 3 playoffs.
So last week’s 26-yard performance against second-seeded Reedsburg was somewhat of an anomaly.
He proved that by returning to his old ways Friday night against Mount Horeb/Barneveld. He led the Rangers’ rushing attack with 146 yards on 19
carries. Logan defeated
the Vikings 35-20 to advance to the program’s first WIAA semifinal.
The Rangers (10-2) will play Monona Grove (12-0) at 7 p.m. Friday in Baraboo for a chance to play for a state championship on Nov. 22.
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For Tillman, it was nice to find a little more room to run against Mount Horeb/ Barneveld, but he’s never been one to focus on statistics.
“The way I look at it, if they’re going to stop me or if I’m going to have a bad game like (last week), hopefully someone else on my team can excel because of that,” said Tillman, a senior.
That other person was Aric Elmore, who scored twice and helped the Rangers rally from a 10-0 halftime deficit against Reedsburg.
Elmore and Tillman were both integral parts of the Rangers’ win over Mount Horeb/Barneveld, combining for 276 yards rushing and two TDs. Elmore also returned an interception 59 yards for a score.
“We know we have some playmakers on the team that can do stuff,” Elmore said. “We show it every Friday night what we can do.”
They’ve also struck fear in just about every coach who has had to scheme against these two game-changers.
“None of that happens without our (offensive) line,” Logan coach Casey Knoble said. “They physically wore (Mount Horeb/ Barneveld) down and that was the game plan.”
Logan’s offensive line, which entered the season undersized and inexperienced, has jelled this
season and has become the backbone of the offense and both Tillman and Elmore are reaping the benefits.
“We have a lot of confidence and we trust one another,” said Tillman, who has rushed for 1,514 yards and 20 TDs this season. “We just have to keep fighting.”
Tillman and Elmore will look to make a few more electrifying plays next week when the Rangers meet up with Monona Grove with a trip to Camp Randall and a spot in the WIAA Division 3 championship on the line.
“A great game is a win,” Tillman said. “Twenty-six yards or 300 yards, the win is all I’m trying to get.”