North Chicago’s football team didn’t have a lot of chances to win games late during its 10-game losing streak, which ended with Saturday’s 26-23 win over visiting Robeson from the Chicago Public League.
There was a 31-26 near-miss loss to Round Lake last October, but the other nine losses came by an average of 38 points, with the spreads ranging from 14 to 64.
So when Robeson took a 23-20 lead with 2:51 left in Saturday’s game, the Warhawk players, sick and tired of losing, went to work and played their best football of the last two seasons.
First, senior Unrah Smith returned a kickoff 34 yards to the Robeson 36-yard line. Then, after Damond Washington’s quarterback keeper picked up eight yards, Isaiah Washington scampered 28 for the winning score with 2:22 to play.
Robeson returned the ensuing kickoff to its own 36, but North Chicago’s defense stepped up and held Robeseon to just nine yards in four plays to effectively end the game.
Said Smith of his key kickoff return: “I knew I had to make a play. It was going to be essential if we were going to win the game. I just turned my helmet up and fought for those yards for my team.
“I haven’t won a game since my sophomore year, so it feels really good to finally pick up a ‘W.'”
Washington, also a senior, said the offense knew it had to find a way to get into the end zone late.
“I told my line that if they stuck with their blocks, we were going to score,” Washington said. “Isaiah was really tough on that touchdown run. Everybody did their jobs and we got it done. It feels great.”
Next up for North Chicago is a Friday night game at Mundelein (2-0). The Mustangs also are feeling good after opening with victories against Elgin and Elgin Larkin.
Last year, both North Chicago and Mundelein went 0-9. If North Chicago is going to win, it’s likely going to have to show more precision than against Robeson. The total number of accepted penalties on Saturday was 38, with North Chicago flagged 20 times.
Boys Soccer: Warren’s boys soccer team is off to a fast start this fall with a 4-1-1 record that includes the championship of the Barrington Classic.
The Blue Devils beat the host Broncos in a penalty-kick shootout in the tourney finals after the teams played to a scoreless draw through 100 minutes.
In the shootout, Warren won 4-2, going 4-for-5 on kicks. Barrington was 2-for-4. Blair McCormick was the winning goalkeeper and Martin Fuentes converted the game-ending PK.
In other action, Grayslake Central beat Lakes 4-3 in nonconference play. The Rams got goals from Nick Walker (2), Ethan Rockel and Trevor Veenstra.
In the Johnsburg tourney, Round Lake beat Johnsburg 5-1 and Rockford Jefferson 6-0. Bryan Gomez (3), Christofer Gomez (2), Freddie Ramirez (2), Alejandro Sotelo, Erwin Paz, Luis Mariscal and Vladimir Manriquez had the Panther goals.
Boys Golf: A the Buffalo Grove Invite, New Trier (287) and Loyola (288) finished 1-2. Lake Forest (299) was third, Highland Park (300) fourth, Stevenson (306) sixth, Vernon Hills (309) seventh, and Libertyville (311) eighth in a 15-team field. New Trier’s Andrew Huber was medalist with a 69.
Girls Volleyball: Carmel won the Ram Slam tournament at Grayslake Central, beating Wauconda 25-19, 25-21 in the championship match. The Corsairs also beat Grayslake Central, Grayslake North, Lake Park and Regina Dominican.
Girls Cross Country: Grant won the 16-team invitational at Veterans’ Acres Park in Crystal Lake as its runners finished 2-6-18-32-35.
Caitlin Shepard of Lake Zurich won the race, with Grant freshman Danielle Osmon second and Bulldog senior Madison Romig sixth. Rounding out the Grant scoring were Rachael Temple (18th), Roxanne Temple (32nd) and Lauren Troemel (35th).
Lake Zurich was ninth and Wauconda 15th in the team scoring.
Twitter: @JeffBonato
Bryan Bonato, a freelance writer for the News-Sun, contributed
WEEK 3 FOOTBALL
FRIDAY’S GAMES
East Suburban Catholic
St. Viator (1-1) at Marist (1-1)
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St. Patrick (2-0) at Nazareth (2-0)
Notre Dame (2-0) at Benet (2-0)
Carmel (0-2) at Joliet Catholic (2-0)
Marian Central (2-0) at Marian Catholic (1-1)
Fox Valley Fox
Prairie Ridge (1-1) at CL Central (2-0)
Grayslake Central (0-2) at Hampshire (1-1)
Woodstock North (2-0) at Woodstock (1-1)
North Suburban Lake
Warren (0-2) at Lake Forest (2-0)
Lake Zurich (0-2) at Stevenson (1-1)
Libertyville (2-0) at Zion-Benton (2-0)
North Suburban Prairie
Antioch (2-0) at Lakes (0-2)
Grant (0-2) at Vernon Hills (2-0)
Round Lake (0-2) at Wauconda (0-2)
Nonconference
Glenbrook South (0-2) at Highland Park (1-1)
Grayslake North (2-0) at Cary-Grove (2-0)
Lake Forest Academy (0-2) at Aurora Christian (2-0)
Maine South (0-2) at Deerfield (1-1)
North Chicago (1-1) at Mundelein (2-0)
Waukegan (1-1) at Maine East (0-2)