Rolling Meadows 31, Schaumburg 14
The scoreboard didn't quite say it all after Friday's Mid-Suburban League crossover football game at Schaumburg's Gary Scholz Stadium.
Rolling Meadows did nothing to jeopardize its No. 1 rating among the state's 7A schools by beating the host Saxons 31-14. The score was 31-8 until Schaumburg scored with 22.3 seconds left in the game.
What the scoreboard didn't say, however, was how even the game was statistically.
Meadows (2-0) outgained Schaumburg (0-2) by just 16 yards (386-370), had 1 more first down (20-19) and ran 5 fewer plays on offense (61-56).
"We said we didn't want to get beat by a big play," said Meadows coach Doug Millsaps. "We kept telling ourselves not to let a 5-yard pass become a big play."
Schaumburg quarterback Cody Logsdon accounted for 278 yards total offense, rushing 13 times for 74 yards and completing 18-of-27 passes for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back Mick Trimarco rushed for 92 yards on 16 carries.
The Mustangs got on the board first thanks to a huge play by senior flanker Trevor Fritz, who took a handoff and raced 65 yards for a touchdown with 9:14 left in the first quarter.
"I had my hand on (lineman) Tim Grant's back and pushed him into a block, and Ty (Kirk) and Kevin (Serna) set up their blocks downfield," said Fritz, who also threw a touchdown pass in the second quarter. "Mikal (Johnson) led the way."
Johnson scored a pair of touchdowns and gained 137 yards in 18 carries, including six of 10 yards or more.
Schaumburg took a brief 8-7 lead when Logsdon drove the Saxons' 79 yards in 3 plays right after Fritz' touchdown. Logsdon burst up the middle for 49 yards and hit successive completions to Dan Slowik for 9 yards and Eric Hauser for 21 and the touchdown.
Mike Valenti's 2-point conversion gave Schaumburg the lead.
Meadows went ahead for good on Serna's 26-yard field goal with 3:42 left in the first quarter and opened up some daylight in the second quarter with Kirk's catch of a halfback pass from Fritz, which was his third TD pass on that play dating to last season.
Twice Meadows turned back Schaumburg scoring threats in the second half. Stan Pheatau's interception stalled a drive on the Mustang 10 in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Meadows defense stiffened when Schaumburg had first-and-goal from the 3. Paul Hames sacked Logsdon on fourth down on the 19.
"Bottom line, we need to finish our drives," said Schaumburg coach Mark Stilling. "It's a four-quarter game, not a two quarter game, but we did play better in the second half. We need to play full football games."