Neuqua Valley downs St. Charles East 49-42

This might not be popular in an election year when everyone promises to cut your taxes, but I think it's high time St. Charles East raises prices to see its football team play.

I'm not sure where the extra revenue will go - they already seem to have excellent facilities from football to baseball and everything in-between ­- but I'm sure AD Jerry Krieg can think of something.

Whatever the Saints are charging, the team is giving the fans their money's worth and then some. You think all you see with St. Charles East is four quarters of football?

It's not until after the four quarters that the real fun begins.

A week after winning a 42-41 game in two overtimes against Lake Park, the Saints somehow doubled that excitement with a four-overtime classic that ended in a 49-42 loss Friday at Neuqua Valley.

At least I think it ended. Who knows. Wes Allen might have just run in another touchdown, and the Wildcats might have converted another fourth down to keep the game alive.

"Two weeks in a row we're in overtime," Saints coach Ted Monken said. "I'm not sure I want to be in another."

Live by the overtime, die by the overtime. Or in this remarkable, draining, gut-wrenching case, die by the four overtimes.

There's a heartbreaking loss, and then there's this, a loss that ends the Saints' hopes for a repeat Upstate Eight title unless someone somehow stuns Bartlett.

"There's not much you can do," linebacker Pat Friel said. "We just didn't make plays. The whole D, we just couldn't get it done."

Neuqua converted three fourth downs on a 72-yard touchdown drive that tied the game with 1:57 left. The Wildcats again converted a 4th-and-7 in the third overtime and a 3rd-and-16 in the fourth overtime, as their passing game proved to be just a little tougher to keep out of the end zone than Allen, who was finally bottled up on the first two carries of the fourth OT after he broke tackle after tackle to score in each of the first three overtimes.

Neuqua Valley continues to be a house of horrors for the Saints, who were blown out the last two trips south before losing in the opposite fashion Friday - this time they led 21-7 at halftime and seemed in total control. Then Friel's big hit stuffed a Wildcat 4th down run early in the third quarter. Unfortunately for St. Charles East, it never extended the lead.

"This is tough place to play," Monken said. "I don't think this place has been good for a lot of people. Hopefully one of these days we'll get a win down here."

Allen did everything he could, following up his 280-yard, 6-TD effort last week with 255 yards and 6 more touchdowns.

Monken maintained his sense of humor even in defeat.

"Maybe we'll pass Ratay now," Monken said. "Ah-hah. That's what this whole thing is about, passing Ratay, not winning games."

Allen is closing in on Geneva star Michael Ratay, though it is hard to make up too much ground when Ratay scores five more touchdowns like he did Friday. With 12 in the past two weeks, Allen is up to 17 this year, still five behind Ratay's 22.

And of course Monken was joking. The Saints would give all 17 of Allen's TDs to trade their 4-2 record for Geneva's 6-0.

"It's obviously a turning point in the season," Friel said. "We can either put our tail between our legs and go home or show up next week and play again. We'll be back next week. We'll be fine."

jlemon@dailyherald.com