Antioch passes test

On paper, Antioch's path to a 4-0 record seemed relatively painless.

The Sequoits opened the 2008 campaign by destroying four opponents that were a combined 0-16 through the first four weeks of the season. They won those games by an average of 35 points and often had their starters pulled at halftime.

So here was the $64,000 question: Heading into Saturday afternoon's North Suburban Conference Prairie Division tilt against Wauconda, how would Antioch fair against a team with a bit more substance?

Wauconda boasted a 3-1 record, a three-game winning streak and a 3-0 edge over Antioch's seniors over the last three years.

And perhaps an even better question yet: How would the Sequoits respond if they weren't able to spend the whole game coasting on Easy Street like they had become accustomed?

The Sequoits got just the answers they were hoping for.

It wasn't easy - in fact, a fourth-quarter rally was required - but Antioch showed some grit and character in coming from behind and getting a 21-14 victory to spoil Wauconda's homecoming.

The win keeps Antioch undefeated (5-0 overall, 2-0 Prairie) and sets up a mother of a showdown with visiting Grant on Friday. Grant is also undefeated (5-0, 3-0 Prairie), which means sole possession of first place in the division will be on the line.

Wauconda, meanwhile, drops to 3-2 overall and gets tagged with its first division loss (2-1).

"This was our first big challenge," Antioch senior defensive back Travis Kwielford said. "I love challenges."

That was obvious.

Kwielford clearly rose to the occasion.

He had two huge interceptions at critical times in the fourth quarter to help Antioch take control of the game.

The first pick came with 10:23 left and Wauconda stuck deep in its own territory. Kwielford came down with a Garrett Dorsey pass at around the Wauconda 35-yard line.

Four plays later - on a fourth-down play, Cameron White (13 carries, 114 yards) danced his way through a series of defenders for a 31-yard touchdown with 8:17 left. It was his second touchdown of the day.

That gave the Sequoits their 21-14 lead. It was their second touchdown in less than four minutes.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Antioch trailed Wauconda 14-7.

But on the series just before Kwielford's interception, the Sequoits scored on a seven-play drive that started with 2 minutes left in the third quarter. Steve Lorenzini (22 carries, 140 yards) ran in a 5-yard touchdown at the 11:19 mark of the fourth quarter to tie the score at 14.

After White's go-ahead touchdown a few minutes later, Kwielford went back to work.

The Bulldogs' first play of the next drive was a halfback option pass and Kwielford sniffed it out, coming down with his second interception with 8:01 left.

Antioch was able to run almost six minutes off the clock and Wauconda got the ball back with only 2:50 left. The Bulldogs moved down the field but were still 42 yards away when they couldn't convert a fourth down with 11 seconds left.

"We needed (a test) like this, a team as physical as Wauconda is," Antioch coach Brian Glashagel said.

Antioch took a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter on a 17-yard White touchdown run. But Wauconda stormed back and scored two touchdowns in the second quarter - on a 10-yard run and a 4-yard run by Colin McKenzie - to take a 14-7 lead into the halftime break.

McKenzie was a workhorse for the Bulldogs. He rolled up 165 yards on 26 carries.

"It was a great game to be involved with," Wauconda coach Glen Kozlowski said. "(Cameron) White is a really talented running back and Antioch is a talented team and they made some great plays. You've got to give them credit. They came from behind and they earned the victory.

"A defeat like this is a hard thing for us because it's in conference and we're trying to win conference. But you can live with it because there were still a lot of good things that happened for us."