Sycamore 20, Glenbard South 14
Despite negative 6 yards of total offense in the first quarter…
Despite junior quarterback Kevin Marshall, who had been averaging nearly 143 passing yards per game, not completing a pass until the third quarter…
Despite committing 3 turnovers…
Glenbard South had a shot on the game's final play to spoil Sycamore's playoff bid and ensure itself of a first-round home playoff game.
But when Marshall's pass from the Spartans 15-yard line sailed high of Will Hill and Jon Holland in the end zone, Sycamore (5-4, 4-3 Western Sun Conference) had secured a 20-14 win and snapped the Raiders' four-game winning streak.
"We came out flat, sluggish, whatever adjective you want to use," Glenbard South coach Dan Starkey said. "Our guys can't think that they can just show up and win. We have to play our game or we get beat."
The Raiders (6-3, 4-3) received the ball back at their own 38-yard line with 34 seconds remaining following a Spartans punt. After an incompletion, Marshall connected on a 47-yard gain to Holland who was tackled at the Sycamore 15-yard line with 5.7 seconds left.
When Marshall's pass fell incomplete at the back of the end zone, Sycamore's celebration began.
"Our kids came out and played extremely hard," Spartans coach Joe Ryan said. "I wouldn't say we wanted it more, we just made a few more plays."
Sycamore overcame 5 turnovers, including 3 in a five-minute stretch of the fourth quarter in which Glenbard South also turned the ball over on successive possessions. Raiders junior linebacker Louis Erkins returned an interception 53 yards and recovered a fumble during the sloppy stretch.
"We didn't play as well as we have the last few weeks," Erkins said. "They were fighting for a playoff spot and took advantage of us playing flat."
Glenbard South's only score after a Sycamore turnover came on Marshall's nifty 27-yard TD scramble following Erkins' fumble recovery at the Spartans' 28 with 3:16 left in the game.
Mike Oratowski, averaging nearly 80 yards rushing per game and more than 7 yards per carry, had only 3 carries for 5 yards before gaining 30 yards on 2 carries in the final minute of the first half which the Spartans owned 14-0.
Marshall missed on his first 8 pass attempts before finding Holland on a 33-yard TD pass with 8:08 left in the third quarter. The Raiders looked inspired on this opening drive of the second half, but Sycamore wrestled back the momentum driving 70 yards on 8 plays on its next possession to push its advantage to 20-7 following a missed point after attempt.
Sycamore quarterback Nick Anderson finished 11 of 15 for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns while also rushing for 87 yards. The Spartans accumulated 315 yards of total offense compared to Glenbard South's 209.