Stevenson’s Craig Giometti said he was “just doing his job.”
But his job had been made infinitely more difficult after the 6-foot-4-inch, 195-pound senior shanked an extra-point try in the third quarter to keep Stevenson trailing by a point. Trying mightily to refrain from thinking about the mishap, Giometti got a second chance, only this time it was 27-yard field goal with a trip to the Class 8A semifinals in the balance.
Giometti coolly stepped to ball and buried the field goal with 2 minutes 10 seconds remaining, sealing Stevenson’s 9-7 quarterfinal victory over Conant Friday night in Lincolnshire.
“It was great the coaches had confidence in me,” he said. “I just tried to keep my confidence up and go back to the basics.”
Giometti’s heroics sends Stevenson (10-2) to the semifinals?for the first time since 1996?against Saturday’s Lake Park-Wheaton North winner. Conant’s terrific run of seven straight victories ended, the Cougars finishing 8-4.
Trailing 7-6 early in the fourth quarter, Stevenson embarked on a 14-play drive kept alive by a critical 9-yard run by Matt McGrath on fourth and 1. McGrath, who finished with a game-high 95 yards, including a 17-yard third-quarter touchdown run, carried six straight times before the drive stalled at Conant’s 10.
Stevenson coach Bill Mitz said he didn’t hesitate to send Giometti in for the field goal.
“After [Giometti] missed the first one, [assistant coach] Andy [Farrissey] told me not to yell at him, that he was going to knock in the next one,” said Mitz, whose team was without leading rusher Brian Shust, who broke his leg Tuesday in practice. “And sure enough he did.”
Stevenson’s defense held Conant to only 33 yards and one first down (which came on a fake punt) in the second half and 134 for the game. Yet Conant held a 7-0 halftime lead after Evan Shy ran 15 yards up the middle for a TD with :20.6 in the second quarter. The score was set up by Tyler Rice’s blocked punt, which gave the Cougars the ball on Stevenson’s 39.
Conant could’ve gone into the break leading 14-0 but was stuffed on a fourth-down run inches from the end zone.