Lockport needed lightning to strike twice on a last-minute drive Friday night. It did, and the No. 13 Porters rallied to upend Neuqua Valley 13-10.
Trailing 10-6 midway through the fourth quarter, Lockport stopped Neuqua Valley (6-4) on three straight tries from the 1, taking possession with 4 minutes 34 seconds to play. Moments later, Steve Walker hit Spencer Jensen on what appeared to be an 80-yard touchdown pass play.
But a holding penalty wiped out the score. Walker then completed three passes, driving Lockport to the Neuqua Valley 38. He then hit Jensen, who caught a 36-yard TD pass just before halftime, for a 38-yard score, with 1:53 left in the game.
“It was the ugliest football game I can imagine us playing,” Lockport coach Bret Kooi said.
The Porters (9-1) had two turnovers deep in Neuqua Valley territory, including a Walker fumble at the goal line late in the third quarter. Walker was 20-of-29 for 282 yards and Jensen caught eight passes for 182 yards.
“I was happy that we had the ball and the defense made so many great stops,” Walker said. “We work on our two-minute offense every day and that gave us the advantage.”
The Wildcats (6-4) tried to rally, but the Lockport defense recovered a fumble with 30 seconds left to preserve the win.
— Ken O’Brien
Bartlett 31, Willowbrook 0
The third time was the charm as Bartlett claimed its first postseason victory in its five-year history, routing the visiting Warriors (6-4).
The Hawks (7-3), who had lost in two previous playoff appearances, had a big night from senior quarterback Brad Podge, who scored two rushing touchdowns and passed for two more.
“The first Bartlett win in the playoffs,” said Podge as he proudly held the game ball aloft after the game. “This [ball’s] going into the trophy case.”
The biggest scoring drive was the Upstate Eight co-champs’ first, when they marched 94 yards in 21 plays and chewed up 9:36 in a span that began late in the first quarter. Podge wrapped it up with a 7-yard keeper with 4:50 left in the half.
— Jack McCarthy
Wheaton North 42, Streamwood 20: Zach Ullrich ran for two touchdowns and passed for 125 yards and a TD for the No. 2 Falcons (10-0). Nate Hardwick added two TDs for Wheaton North.
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Hinsdale Central 38, Homewood-Flossmoor 7: The No. 4 Red Devils fell behind 7-0, but Brad Bower ran for two scores and passed for one as Hinsdale Central (10-0) rallied. Brian Grzelakowski had 151 yards and two TDs on 20 carries. Freddie Barnes had a 1-yard TD run just 2:31 into the game for H-F (5-5).
Lincoln-Way East 40, Brother Rice 7: Greg Gerritsen scored three rushing touchdowns as the No. 14 Griffins (9-1) scored 33 points in the second half to break open a game that was tied at 7-7. Matt Oskielunas added a 84-yard TD run for Lincoln-Way East. Brother Rice (6-4) scored on Pat Harrigan’s 60-yard interception return.
“We had a slow start in the first half,” Gerritsen said. “In the second half, we just stuck to our game plan and ran a lot of power plays. We were able to wear them out.”
Barrington 30, Warren 6: Quarterback Garrett Seeger rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and also hit Anton Steinhart on a 23-yard scoring play as the Broncos (7-3), seeded seventh, knocked off No. 2 seed Warren. Mike Bialas added 107 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries for Barrington, which ran for 335 yards. Matt Brocki’s 78-yard touchdown run was all Warren (8-2) could muster.
York 23, Larkin 12: Andy Shields passed for a touchdown and ran for another to lead the Dukes (7-3). Shields finished with 80 yards rushing and 85 passing. Brad Lee scored both touchdowns for Larkin (6-4).