Jacobs shows coach's style in getting Mitz his 200th

The Jacobs football team finished off visiting Grayslake Central in classic Bill Mitz style Thursday.

Leading 18-7 with 10:11 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Golden Eagles embarked on a game-clinching drive of monumental proportions. They marched 76 yards in 17 plays while taking 7:22 off the clock.

Junior Caz Zyks, who carried 18 times for 111 yards, scored the second of his 2 touchdowns on a 2-yard pitch with 2:49 to play to make the final margin 24-7.

The win was career victory No. 200 for Mitz, whose teams at Stevenson reached the playoffs each of the last 21 seasons.

Mitz and his staff took a giant step toward their 22nd straight playoff appearance as Jacobs improved to 3-1 for the first time since 2006.

"We haven't gone 3-1 in a while," Zyks said, "so to give (Mitz his 200th) at the same time feels great."

Mitz, still dripping from the blue Gatorade shower his players gave him after the game, shrugged off the importance of the milestone, saying, "I've been around a long time I guess is all that means."

He was more direct about what the win meant to the Golden Eagles playoff chances: "It's really important to get that third win. Boy, that's huge."

Grayslake Central (2-2) took the field without leading rusher Joel Valdivia, who twisted a leg in practice Wednesday, according to Rams coach Nick Goshe.

"He's a big gun out," Goshe said, "so you've got to deal with and handle the adversity, and we didn't do a very good job of that tonight. (Jacobs) ran sound stuff. They earned it. They finished their stuff. You've got to tip your hat to them."

Vinnie Culhane picked up the slack as best he could in Valdivia's absence. The senior rushed 20 times for 96 yards and caught 3 passes from quarterback Ray Beckman for 68 yards. But Culhane didn't get much help. His output of 164 total yards represented 72 percent of the Rams' offensive production.

Trailing 18-7 at halftime, Grayslake Central mounted an epic drive in the third quarter that covered 54 yards in 15 plays and took 8:29 off the clock.

However, the drive stalled at the Jacobs 16-yard line, and the Rams ended up with nothing to show for their efforts after a 33-yard field goal attempt sailed just wide to the left of the goal post.

The Golden Eagles took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter when Wright scored from 2 yards out to cap a 13-play, 76-yard drive. After Ryan Hevrdejs recovered a Rams fumble at the Grayslake Central 33-yard line, Wright cashed in 4 plays later with an 8-yard run to make it 12-0.

The Golden Eagles jumped to an 18-0 with 3:51 left in the second quarter, when Zyks took a pitch and raced 46 yards up the sideline.

The Rams made their only dent in the scoreboard just before halftime, when Beckman rumbled 13 yards to pay dirt on a keeper. That score was set up by a 49-yard reception from Culhane.

The Jacobs offensive line of John McMahon, Jake Cha, Adam Koulon, Ryan Perez and Paul Ehrlich paved the way for 197 rushing yards on 40 carries (4.9 avg.).

"I felt we got a real good push on them and our backs, Caz and Kyle (Wright), really ran hard," said the 6-foot-3, 255-pound McMahon. "Being 3-1 feels good, but we're never satisfied."