Big second half helps Schaumburg survive

Schaumburg watched a 13-point first quarter lead disappear as Hersey and quarterback Steve Nelson scored 21 unanswered points for an 8-point halftime lead Friday night.

But the Schaumburg (2-1) defense pitched a shutout in the second half and quarterback Anthony Iannotti spurred the offense in a 30-28 Mid-Suburban League crossover comeback victory over host Hersey in Arlington Heights.

"Our kids did a nice job of keeping themselves focused at halftime," said Schaumburg coach Mark Stilling. "I was proud of our guts in the second half, but we have to find a way to play for 48 minutes on both sides of the ball."

Iannotti completed 20-of-25 passes for 281 yards and 3 touchdowns. The senior found junior Diante Hackler for 2 touchdowns, including a 51-yard score with 4:09 remaining in the third period to narrow the deficit to 28-27.

"At halftime the coaches challenged us, we weren't playing our game," said Iannotti of the 28-20 deficit.

Iannotti found Josh Spandiary for a 6-yard score and Shepard Little (19 carries, 144 yards) scored on a 70-yard run to give the Saxons a 14-0 advantage.

But Nelson scored on a 26 yard run to narrow the Hersey (0-3) deficit to 14-7.

Iannotti answered by finding Hackler (4 receptions, 96 yards) for a 15-yard score to give the Saxons a 20-7 first-quarter lead.

But Nelson, who combined for 341 total yards by going 20-of-28 for 212 yards through the air and adding 129 yards rushing, led the Huskies on 3 straight scoring drives. The junior found sophomore Chris Polinski for a 14-yard score, then he added two 1-yard scores to close out the first half.

Nelson started the third quarter with a 61-yard run that put the Huskies at the Saxons' 15, but two plays later Schaumburg safety Mike Valenti made a key interception.

Adam Syvertson's 21-yard field goal gave Schaumburg a 30-28 lead with 9:53 remaining, and Hersey missed a 34-yard field goal on its next possession, allowing the Saxons to escape with the victory.