South Elgin rallies to beat Neuqua, stay undefeated

The football teams from Neuqua Valley and South Elgin are beginning to make a habit of playing nail biters.

For the second straight season, the Upstate Eight Conference schools battled to the end of the fourth quarter. And for the second straight year, South Elgin emerged with a hard-fought victory.

Trailing 14-10 entering the fourth quarter, the Storm scored the final 11 points and their defense stymied the Wildcats' last two drives to preserve a 21-14 victory in a contest between Valley Division heavyweights at Millennium Field in Streamwood Friday.

South Elgin, ranked No. 5 in Class 8A entering the game, improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in division play.

"This is huge," Storm coach Dale Schabert said. "You get to that point where you're 4-0 and there are still some people wondering if you're that good or if you can play. I don't know where it comes from, but kids listen to it. But they brushed it off, we all did as a staff. These kids are good football players."

Neuqua Valley coach Bryan Wells agreed with that sentiment after his team dropped to 3-2 overall, 1-1 in the UEC Valley.

"South Elgin's defense played well," Wells said. "We had our opportunities to get some things and didn't get it done. I've got to hand it to South Elgin. They played very well. Their defense played a whole lot more aggressive than they've shown to this point. They did a nice job."

The Storm defense held the Wildcats to 222 total yards and sacked Neuqua Valley senior quarterback Jeff Samuel on seven occasions, including twice apiece on the Wildcats' final 2 drives.

South Elgin led 10-7 at halftime, but the Wildcats took their first lead of the game with 2:32 left in the third quarter, when T.J Rhattigan followed Joey Rhattigan's seal block for a 3-yard scoring run.

The Storm answered on its next possession with a 36-yard field goal by junior kicker David Reisner. His boot, center cut, capped a 10-play drive.

The South Elgin defense held the Wildcats to three-and-out, thanks to a pass breakup by Kyle Rodriguez, who knocked the ball out of the hands of senior Dan Melendez (5 catches, 75 yards) as the two fell to the turf. Rodriguez also made an interception in the first half.

The Storm offense went back to work following a punt and drove 57 yards in 6 plays for what proved to be the winning touchdown. With Neuqua Valley's defense playing Cover-2 against South Elgin's five-wide formation, quarterback John Menken (9-of-21, 235 yards) found room to run. The senior rushed three times on the drive for 38 yards, including a 20-yard draw play.

"They were so worried about that deep ball that I just saw the middle of the field open up, and I just took off," Menken said. "Coach told me if they vacate the middle of the field, just take off with it and I did."

"We were trying to stay two-deep over the top," Wells said. "I might have, could have gone one-deep. At some point in time it's pick your poison. Either way, I didn't like it."

Menken capped the drive with a play-action pass to running back Adolfo Pacheco. The junior was wide open and rumbled past one defender 18 yards with 8:42 left in the game. Menken connected with Domico Failla for the 2-point conversion pass and a 21-14 lead.

The Storm stopped the Wildcats' ensuing drive, thanks to back-to-back sacks by senior defensive end Andre York.

"I just kicked it up because we needed a stop," York said. "It was tough. They were big and they were strong."

Samuel was thinking the same thing.

"They were fast," he said. "I've never been hit like that before. There was nothing I could do."

South Elgin had a chance to put the game away but lost a fumble at the Neuqua 36-yard line with 1:34 to play.

But the Wildcats couldn't gain any traction on their final drive due to consecutive sacks by DeVonte Green and Jake Randich. An illegal procedure penalty pushed the Wildcats back to their own 37-yard line on 4th-and-26 with 11.6 seconds remaining. Samuel launched a deep pass for Melendez, but the timing pattern fell incomplete.

Menken took a knee to end the game and start the celebration on South Elgin's homecoming night.

"Some people were doubting us, saying 'You haven't played anyone, you beat Metamora and they're (Class) 4A,'" Menken said. "When you beat Neuqua Valley, especially on your homecoming, I think that's making a statement right there, going 5-0."