After struggling to establish the run early, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley relied on explosive plays through the air and a lockdown defensive effort to beat the Marquette Crusaders in a 1A first-round playoff matchup Saturday afternoon in Gibson City.

The first half was a battle to establish the run, with both defenses playing physical, disciplined and gap-sound in their run fits. And after a scoreless opening quarter, the Falcons were the ones who made the necessary offensive adjustments to break through.

“We wanted to run the ball heavy, but as soon as we saw how things were going after the first quarter, coaches made adjustments, and so did we,” GCMS junior quarterback Tucker Mueller said. “Sometimes it’s not just about executing during the practice week and initial game plan. Being abl

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