Raiders' season ends in OT
Cameron White is dangerous enough within the confines of a playbook.
On an ad-lib the Antioch senior is just plain scary.
Improvising his way through eye-popping plays, White led the Sequoits to a 28-27 overtime victory over Glenbard South in the Class 6A quarterfinals Saturday in Glen Ellyn.
White, who rushed for 137 yards, actually threw the go-ahead touchdown in overtime. Taking a pitch from quarterback Matt Romani, White swept right but couldn't find an open receiver.
He switched fields, avoided tacklers and found Romani open for a 14-yard pass.
"It was a fluke," White said. "It was designed to go right, but I just rolled out left and saw Matt Romani in the end zone and threw it up to him."
Glenbard South's Trace Wanless threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Austin Teitsma to pull the No. 6 Raiders (9-3) within 28-27, but the extra point went wide left to end the game.
Advancing to the semifinals for the third time, No. 2 Antioch (12-0) will play at No. 1 Lemont (12-0) for a berth in the 6A title game.
"It's exhilarating, it's crazy," Romani said. "The coaches talked all season about the playoffs, but this is so much more than what they said."
With 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the score tied 21-21 and Antioch at the Raiders' 4, the Sequoits seemed assured of a game-winning touchdown or field goal.
But on second down Teitsma hit White and forced a fumble. After the Raiders' Alex Pulos recovered the ball - Antioch's fourth turnover - the game went to overtime.
"Our kids really battled," said Raiders coach Dan Starkey, whose team lost to three unbeaten semifinalists this season. "It took a great team to beat us, and they found ways to win."
The Raiders opened a 14-0 lead on a 72-yard run by Curtis Ford, who rushed for 139 yards, and a 12-yard run by Wanless, who added 110.
Antioch tied it by halftime, the first score set up by White's long kick return and the second by his 64-yard punt return. Steve Lorenzini scored from 4 yards out and White added a 1-yard scoring run.
Wanless' 3-yard burst briefly gave the Raiders a 21-14 lead early in the third quarter.
One of White's biggest plays came on the next possession. He fumbled a pitch in the end zone and was nearly tackled by several defenders for a safety but somehow escaped to the 2-yard line. It kept alive a 97-yard drive capped by DeVonte Miller's game-tying 26-yard touchdown run.
"We had a lot of opportunities to stop them, and we didn't do it," said Raiders senior Ryan McKean. "But we battled the entire game, and I'm proud of our team."