With Rich Central threatening to score late in the fourth quarter in a wild playoff game against St. Laurence, the Vikings’ sideline started chirping for a turnover.
Defensive back Antonio Elizondo heard the message loud and clear.
“We needed to make a big play,” Elizondo said. “This is what we’ve been working for since last December.”
Elizondo pounced on a bad Rich Central snap with a little more than three minutes remaining, and St. Laurence hung on for a 41-34 victory Friday night in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.
“The whole defense, we’re always aggressive for the ball,” Elizondo said of a unit that had five takeaways. “Anyone of us could have gotten that ball. I just so happened to be there to pick it up. Our defense played stout, though, right there at the end.”
The win gives St. Laurence (8-2) its first playoff victory since 1993. The Vikings advance to face King (8-2) in the second round.
“Just with the history, you don’t expect to breeze by that first game since it’s such a long time coming,” St. Laurence coach Harold Blackmon said.
It looked like St. Laurence might blow by Rich Central (6-4), which committed four turnovers in the first half. But the Olympians kept coming, erasing 20-7 and 27-14 deficits to tie it at 27 heading into halftime.
“The early turnovers definitely gave them a good cushion that we had to come back from,” Rich Central coach Terrell Alexander said. “They’re great young men. They don’t ever get down. It’s all about battling back.”
Deshawn Jones was a big reason Rich Central stayed in the game despite those early turnovers. Jones busted a 22-yard touchdown run up the middle and added a 73-yard kickoff return for a score to cut St. Laurence’s lead to 27-21.
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“They were a lot more athletic than we anticipated; a lot more physical than we anticipated,” Blackmon said.
With Rich Central keying on St. Laurence running back Fayezon Smart, Vikings quarterback Alex Martinez went to work, splashing big plays over the top of Rich Central’s defense.
Martinez went 11-for-13 for 271 yards with touchdowns passes to Robert Chayka, Alec Freeman and Levy Hamer. Martinez added 82 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
“You dream of the chance to play in the state championship or a state playoff game, and now we’re on the track to do it,” Martinez said.
Martinez continues to be the backbone for St. Laurence despite some recent tragedy. His father, Richard, passed away before a Week 7 victory against Aurora Christian.
“All the guys kind of rallied around me during a tough time,” Martinez said. “This was a really a big win. It helps take your mind off everything. Playing football with your best friends is just great.”
Rich Central quarterback Jyran Mitchell also had a big game, busting a 67-yard TD run and adding a 26-yard scoring strike to Franklin Hunt.
Logan Malloy is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.