McHenry started Friday’s Class 5A playoff game against Oswego badly and then watched it get worse after the top seed in Class 5A fumbled the opening kickoff.
Oswego recovered on the McHenry 15-yard line and proceeded to take an early lead en route to a 24-7 upset victory.
“I told them on Monday we’d beat this team,” Oswego coach Carl Hoinkes said of his 17th-seeded Panthers. “We told them all week we’ve been playing at a certain level. We caused (McHenry’s) mistakes.”
McHenry tied the game with just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter on a 3-yard pass from Nick Heinz to Rick Lanzie. But after that it was all Oswego (9-2).
Bobby Miller’s 40-yard field goal with six seconds left in the opening quarter gave Oswego the lead, and the Panthers added two third-quarter touchdowns to put the game away.
Jay Graziano was held to 51 yards in 20 carries but added a pair of touchdown runs and Heinz completed 16 of 25 for 147 yards.
The Oswego defense did its part as well, forcing two fumbles and intercepting two passes in its end zone to thwart a comeback by McHenry (10-1).
Marian Catholic 47, Kankakee 14: In Class 5A, Marian (8-3) scored two touchdowns in the first three minutes thanks to two Kankakee miscues. The Spartans added three more first-half scores to advance to the quarterfinals
Marian Catholic will play the winner of Saturday’s game between Cary-Grove and Glenbard South. Kankakee ends its season at 9-2.
“When you play the Mt. Carmels and the Providences week in and week out, you’re ready for (playoff football),” Spartans quarterback Mike Gavin said, referring to life in the tough Catholic Metro Blue.
Gavin was 9 of 9 passing for 131 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for TDs of 5, 2 and 1 yard. Deon Bradley added 142 yards rushing in 30 carries, and receiver Devon Clark scored two touchdowns, one on a 25-yard reception and the other on a 15-yard reverse.
Providence 42, Bloomington 21: Kevin Rigsby rushed for 224 yards in 19 carries and four touchdowns to lead Providence to the 5A rout.
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After Bloomington (9-2) scored in the opening minute, capitalizing on a Providence fumble, Rigsby burst 72 yards on the ensuing play from scrimmage. That set up the Celtics’ first score, Pat Flynn’s 9-yard pass to Luke Lokanc.
Providence (10-1) assumed control late in the first quarter, converting consecutive Bloomington special teams fumbles into scores. Rigsby scored on 25-yard and 1-yard runs in a 2 1/2-minute stretch for a 20-7 halftime lead.
Rock Island 17, Addison Trail 13: Ed Saldana scored on a 2-yard run and Bryce Palar had an 8-yard touchdown run to lead Rock Island (10-1) to the 5A win. Dustin Hausherr carried the ball 23 times for 276 yards and a touchdown for Addison Trail, which finished at 9-2.
PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Hubbard 12, Morgan Park 7: With 49 seconds remaining in the game, Hubbard’s defense came up big–stopping Morgan Park’s Terry Atkins on fourth-and-1 from the Hubbard 1-yard line to seal the victory at Gately Stadium.
Reginald Cribbs opened the scoring for Hubbard (9-2) with 2:37 remaining in the first half on a 1-yard run. Cribbs also had 11 tackles.
Mather 30, Dunbar 28: At Winnemac Stadium, Mather (7-4) prevailed on William Durruthy’s 30-yard field goal with 1:33 remaining. The kick came four plays after Dunbar’s Philip Wilson scored on an 8-yard run on fourth-and-6 with 3:05 left.
The winning field goal was set up by Mather quarterback Anthony Spacucello’s 55-yard option keeper that pushed the ball to the Dunbar 10-yard line.
Lane Tech 35, Robeson 7: Lane broke open the game with 21 second-half points at Lane Stadium.
Brandon Hawkins and Jeff Schnoebelen each had two touchdowns for Lane (9-2), which entered the Public League playoffs after losing its first-round state playoff game last weekend.
Curie 17, Hyde Park 12: Terrance Williams had a 47-yard touchdown run with eight minutes left in the game and also ran in the two-point conversion for the Condors (8-3). On the next possession, Curie’s Victor Adeyanju sacked Hyde Park quarterback Marcus White for a safety to seal the victory at Rockne Stadium.
Williams carried 23 times for 154 yards, 124 coming in the second half.
CATHOLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
St. Rita 39, Brother Rice 19: Michael Boyd had a big night for the Mustangs (7-4) with 30 carries for 239 yards, 152 of them in the first half, and two touchdown runs.