Downers Grove North accomplished a lot of things Saturday in its Class 8A second-round playoff game against Downers Grove South.
The Trojans scored 20 points against a defense that had allowed only 22 points all season. They also held Downers South tailback Erick Newman to a season-low 42 yards on 15 carries. However, it wasn’t enough as top-ranked Downers South beat its cross-town rival 30-20.
Downers North quarterback Tom Edwards (141 yards rushing on 33 carries) scored on the final play of the first half to cut the Downers South lead to 10-7. But Downers South (11-0) exploded for 20 points in the third quarter.
Newman threw a halfback option pass and hooked up with Richard Kent for a 46-yard touchdown reception less than two minutes into the third quarter. Kent had the ball stripped at the 1-yard line, but recovered his own fumble in the end zone for the score.
On the next series, Downers South linebacker Sam Carson intercepted Edwards and returned the ball to the Downers North 26. Four plays later Mustang quarterback Mike Sharp hit Kent for a 15-yard TD pass to put the Mustangs ahead 23-7.
On Downers North’s next possession Fred Dudek cut in front of a Downers North receiver and intercepted Edwards sideline pass and raced 52 yards for the score that put the defending state champion Mustangs ahead 30-7.
Downers North (7-4) scored twice in the fourth quarter, but an interception by Pat Sathissarat with a minute to play sealed the win.
Five-foot-6-inch, 143-pound Christian Unciano ran for 86 yards on six carries and scored on a 13-yard run in the first quarter for the Mustangs.
Bob Skolnik.
Lake Park 21, Bartlett 14
Lake Park running back Dave Hochstetter single-handedly dealt Bartlett a bitter serving of revenge Saturday.
Hochstetter scored all three of the Lancers’ touchdowns in a 21-14 victory, avenging the lone loss No. 17 Lake Park suffered during the regular season.
“They hit me and I just kept going,” Hochstetter said. “These are our rivals, and there is no way that I wanted to lose this game. Especially not in the playoffs, not to take us out of the championship. I didn’t want go out losing to this team.”
Playing with a heavily wrapped left hand, Hochstetter scored two rushing touchdowns and caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Joey Albin. Hochstetter broke the ring finger on his left hand during last week’s win over West Chicago. He had surgery on the finger last Monday, when doctors inserted pins into his finger.
Hochstetter rushed nine times for 72 yards, and caught five passes for 36 yards. Albin went 8-of-18 passing for 141 yards, while running back Mike Menotti led all rushers with 89 yards on 14 attempts.
“Dave is, by far, the leader of the offense, as well as one of the toughest kids I have coached,” Lake Park offensive coordinator Chris Roll said. “He wasn’t even sure if he was going to be able to play this game. His left hand doesn’t have any fingers showing and he caught the balls and made the plays.”
Bartlett (8-3) gave the Lancers some trouble in the fourth quarter. The Hawks converted two fourth-down opportunities, including a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brad Podge (7-of-15, 100 yards) to Steve Weigand with 5:14 left in the game to close the score to 21-14.
Bartlett had one more opportunity in the final minutes. The Hawks drove 70 yards to the Lancers 20, but Franko Shenault, who played for Bartlett last year, intercepted the ball with 1:26 left to play to seal the victory.
“We wanted this game, I think, so much more than we wanted it the last time we played them,” Hochstetter said. “No one wanted to go home early.”
Kristin Lanning.
Stevenson 16, Lane Tech 6
Stevenson senior quarterback Bobby Giannini took matters into his own hands in the Patriots’ road victory over No. 19 Lane Tech.
The three-year starter scrambled for a game-high 84 yards and a touchdown and picked off two passes from his free safety position. His defensive efforts complemented a swarming defense that yielded only 67 yards of total offense to a Lane squad that averaged over 36 points per game.
“I knew going in that I had to take it upon myself to help get the job done,” Giannini said. “Lane Tech was super-aggressive defensively so I was forced into making some things happen running the ball.”
Shutting down Lane’s potent ground game was equally as important as Giannini’s ball-control tactics on offense. Lane’s nine offensive possessions ended with seven punts and Giannini’s two interceptions. Alex Francois, who rushed for over 1,400 yards this year, was held to 27 yards in 12 carries.
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“It was our best performance of the year stopping the run,” Stevenson coach Bill Mitz said. “We really focused this week in practice on slowing down their run game and controlling the tempo and our kids did a great job of doing just that.”
Stevenson (9-2) scored touchdowns on their first possession of each half–the first coming less than four minutes into the game on a 10-yard Giannini scramble around right end. Lane’s Mark Barnhart returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards to account for the Indians’ lone score on the day, and trimmed Stevenson’s lead to 7-6. A 27-yard Craig Giometti field goal with 21 seconds left in the first half increased the Patriots’ advantage to 10-6 and a Brian Shust (11 carries for 45 yards) 4-yard plunge with 5:44 remaining in the third quarter gave Stevenson its final points.
Shust’s run capped a 63-yard drive that consumed more than half the third quarter and wore down Lane Tech (10-1).
“I didn’t think we blocked the way we could have in the first half,” Mitz said. “I wanted to come out in the second half the old-fashioned way and establish a tone for how we wanted to play the rest of the game.”
Steve Reaven.
Conant 35, Barrington 14: The Cougars (8-3) scored two touchdowns in a 12-second span midway through the fourth quarter to put away Barrington. Leon Wiggins scored on a 5-yard run with 5:24 left in the game to put Conant up 28-14. After the Cougars’ Matt Schrieber recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Scott Blecha scored on a 22-yard run to clinch the victory.
Garrett Seeger ran for 66 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries to lead the Broncos (7-4).
Class 7A
Oswego 15, East St. Louis 12: Jeff Ziemmik rushed for a touchdown and threw for another in the first quarter as the No. 20 Panthers (10-1) held on. Jeff Davis rushed for 130 yards on 27 carries to lead Oswego.
Julius Densmore’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Daryl Henry pulled East St. Louis (8-3) within three late in the third quarter. East St. Louis’ last threat was stopped when Oswego’s Kim Klatt made an interception with 4:09 left in the game.
“Our defense kept us in it because our offense sputtered a bit,” Oswego coach Karl Hoinkes said. “We’ll have to get a little better on offense, but when you’ve got a pretty good defense you can play field position especially with that wind.”
Class 6A
Mt. Carmel 34, Vernon Hills 8: Frank Lenti Jr. caught two touchdown passes as the No. 8 Caravan (10-1) rolled. Greg Owens ran for 96 yards and a TD on 14 carries for Mt. Carmel, which plays Carmel in the quarterfinals.
“We all had a job to do, and when you do your job good things happen,” said Mt. Carmel defensive back Brett Kellam, whose interception set up Dan O’Brien’s TD pass to Lenti in the second quarter. “We’re not going to worry about Carmel until Monday. We’re just trying to savor this win.”
Class 4A
Byron 42, Lisle 21: Ryan Considine scored four touchdowns, including one on a 50-yard punt return, as Byron (10-1) rolled. Considine also scored on runs of 22, 8 and 50 yards.
Kevin Crouch was 22-of-29 passing for 279 yards and three touchdowns to lead Lisle (7-4).
Driscoll 21, Montini 8: Greg Turner had eight receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown on offense, while making three interceptions on defense for the Highlanders (10-1). Anthony Gebhart rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries for Driscoll.
Rob Frytz ran for 133 yards on 17 carries and Mike Albion had six catches for 85 yards and a TD to lead Montini (7-4).
Class 3A
Immaculate Conception 35, Stillman Valley 14: Anthony Schreiber rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 109 yards and another score as the top-seeded Knights (10-1) advanced. The rout began when Schreiber scored on a 62-yard keeper on the second play of the game. Marc Recio scored two touchdowns, including one on a 35-yard blocked punt return.
Cory Meyers ran for 71 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries to lead Stillman Valley (7-4).
Wilmington 24, Spring Valley Hall 14: Sophomore quarterback Tanner Roark scored on two short TD runs and Jason Banning added a 43-yard TD run for the Wildcats (11-1).