Libertyville over Stevenson 28-21
When the football schedule comes out each season, Libertyville always circles its date against North Suburban Lake rival Stevenson. The Wildcats just can't seem to wait to mix it up with the Patriots.
Friday night, the wait was over as Libertyville got its chance to play the Patriots for homecoming in a key division battle - except, Libertyville still had to wait, and wait.
Stevenson didn't come on the field for warm-ups and finally made its appearance just in time for the coin flip and kick off.
Some 20 minutes later, Wildcats fans had to wonder why they waited for the Patriots at all, as Stevenson rushed out to a 14-0 lead on a pair of Zach Wujcik touchdown passes.
But rather than fall into the bad habits that set Libertyville back to a 0-3 start, the Wildcats responded. And thanks to a dominant running game, Libertyville answered with 28 straight points to stun Stevenson 28-21 on Friday night.
The win brings the Wildcats back even at 3-3 overall and 1-1 in league play. Stevenson saw its three-game winning streak snapped as the Patriots are also now 3-3, 2-1 in the Lake division.
"This may be one of the bigger wins we have had here in a while," said a jubilant and Gatorade-soaked Libertyville coach Randy Kuceyeski. "All along I knew what kind of team we had here and I never lost faith in these guys."
Even though Kuceyeski never lost faith in his team, he had to wonder a little about his team early in the first quarter as Stevenson broke out to a 14-0 lead less than halfway through the opening quarter.
Rather than panic, Libertyville calmly answered the Stevenson score. Just before the quarter ended, Matt Persin hooked up with Kevin Verlee on a 7-yard scoring pass and Libertyville was just getting warmed up at 14-6.
Libertyville then turned to junior James Zotto and his blockers to take firm control of the game.
Mike Gilbert, JoJo Lachitavongs, Matt Larsen, Eric Tassler and Jon Hoffing paved the way for Zotto, Verlee and the Wildcats' running game. Libertyville as a team rushed for 170 yards.
Zotto carried 4 times on a five-play drive to bring the Wildcats even at 14-14 with 3:33 to go in the first half. Zotto was a workhorse again for the Wildcats, carrying the ball 22 times for a season-best 133 yards.
"The linemen really did all the work opening holes," Zotto said. "We really wanted to pound it and we ran it right at (Stevenson)."
Stevenson looked to regain momentum in the third quarter, but a key fourth-and-1 attempt at midfield came up short as the Wildcats stopped the Patriots on downs.
"We just couldn't make that extra play," Stevenson coach Bill Mitz said. "Then we couldn't stop them from running that end-around play and that was pretty much it from there."
Libertyville's defense finished off two key Patriots drives in the second half, one ending with a key interception by senior Jon Darling that helped set up the final Wildcats touchdown.