Sinking feeling hits hard

Disappointment began to sink in as Rolling Meadows watched a Lake Zurich celebration from afar Saturday afternoon.

The Mustangs weren't that far from being on the happy side of a role reversal in a second-round Class 7A football game at Mel Eide Field.

But a close and hard-fought semifinal-caliber 10-7 decision ended their dreams and hopes of reaching Champaign.

"We had every chance possible," said senior receiver-defensive back Scott Wenzel of four fruitless second-half trips by Meadows into Lake Zurich territory." Every chance possible.

"We played great. We just couldn't come out with it at the end."

The Mustangs believed they would as quarterback Ben Sabal hoped to reprise an 84-yard touchdown drive he engineered in the last two minutes of the first half.

"I told him I don't know if I've seen better play out of a high school quarterback," said Meadows offensive coordinator Charlie Henry.

Chances were good for the Mustangs to open a 14-3 lead after halftime in a matchup of two teams that were ranked No. 1 in the 7A state polls this season. But their first two second-half possessions ended inside LZ territory.

"We didn't make the big play needed when we needed it," said Sabal, who threw for 209 yards in his last high school game. "The whole second half we had a bunch of chances to score and didn't.

"When you play a team like Lake Zurich … you can't miss opportunities. We had to make a couple more plays."

Because then the Mustangs would be thinking about facing Rockford Boylan next week and not facing the end of a season where they tied the school record with 9 wins.

"Spending time with them every day after school and every weekend," Wenzel said of what he'll remember.

"It's been great," Sabal said. "It's been so much fun here playing high school football.

"To know we don't get to do that any more is really a shame."