Wildcats find a way

Wheeling seemed out.

But the Wildcats weren't down Friday night as they rallied from a 13-0 deficit to score a stunning 14-13 victory over visiting Rolling Meadows in the Mid-Suburban East opener for both clubs.

Outplayed and virtually shut down all night by Meadows (2-3, 0-1), the Wildcats overcame their own mistakes to score a win not only over the Mustangs but over seemingly devastating adversity itself.

Two contrasting sequences set up their scores, the first ignited by a 44-yard kickoff return by Michael Barton after Meadows had scored to go ahead 13-0. That left Wheeling with a 5-play, 41-yard drive capped by quarterback Matt Holmes' 9-yard option run, on which he bulled over for the final yards and added his own extra point kick.

The incredible, bizarre second sequence, with time running down, was set up by an 90-yard, somewhat penalty-aided drive that seemed would put the winning points on the board as Holmes (60 yards rushing, 64 passing) directed the Cats downfield, mostly on his own legs. But when an exchange between him and halfback Leo Hicks went astray, Thomas Davidson of Meadows fell on it at the 5 with 4 minutes left and all seemed lost for the Cats.

Until, on the next play, Jim Garropolo's pitch to Daquan Edwards was broken up by Tony Brzezniak and Wheeling's Michael Zimmer out-fought everyone for it, and the winning score when Holmes converted the extra point.

"I was in the right spot at the right time," said a beaming Zimmer afterward. "Tony (Brzezniak) made a great play to disrupt the pitch," on a play that had bedeviled Wheeling all night.

"Tony is very tenacious," said Wheeling coach Dave Dunbar, who still had faith after the fumble by his offense. "We told (the kids) to be patient, don't get discouraged."

Meadows left the stadium that way though, after seemingly having the victory in its hands. Garropolo's overall play and Edwards' hard running, including a 52-yard TD bolt in the second quarter, had enabled the Mustangs to maintain the upper hand most of the night.

But 7 penalties, all at critical times, for 70 yards, plus 2 turnovers, including the fumble in the end zone, destroyed the Mustangs.

"A missed point after, missed assignments defensively, turnovers, it's been that way every week," said Meadows coach Doug Millsaps, whose team is a few seconds and even fewer plays away from being 5-0 overall.

But the Mustangs couldn't finish off the Cats (3-2, 1-0), and it cost them.

At halftime, said Zimmer, "Coach Dunbar just preached what he always preached. We don't quit."