W. Aurora goes for 2 to defeat West Chicago
Nate Zinzer was the personification of a play-maker Friday night. The 5-foot-4, 130-pound West Aurora junior caught 3 touchdown passes, only to save his best for the final minute of the game.
Zinzer caught a 2-point conversion from Josh Campbell with 50.5 seconds to play and capped his remarkable game with his second interception of the night as West Aurora outlasted West Chicago 29-28 in DuPage Valley Conference football action in Aurora.
"This is crazy, just unbelievable," Zinzer said moments after he personally put an end to the Blackhawks' three-game slide. "They had to go deep. There was only 50 seconds to play, and I saw the ball in the air. I thought (West Aurora cornerback Matt Souvannasing, with whom he collided) was a (West Chicago) receiver. Thank God I got it."
West Chicago (1-5 overall, 0-4) scored on four consecutive second-half touchdowns, gaining 250 of its 275 yards and 17 of its 18 first downs after the intermission.
Zinzer had given West Aurora (3-3, 1-3) a 14-0 lead at the break with an electrifying 61-yard touchdown reception down the left side late in the first and another 6-yard out with less than a minute to play in the second.
But it could have been even worse for West Chicago.
West Aurora was cited for 7 infractions for 75 yards in the opening half, including Lassiter Tyson having his 58-yard romp called back.
After a three-and-out by the West Chicago defense to begin the second half, the Wildcats' offense finally mustered some fluidity.
Joshua Stein engineered the four straight scoring drives--interrupted by Zinzer hauling in another 60-yard strike from Campbell late in the third quarter as the Wildcats' option attack gained traction.
Matthew Zajac, who slashed his way for a game-high 113 yards on 16 carries, and Bradley Wilson were able to exploit the Blackhawks' left side throughout the second half.
"All the credit goes to the offensive line," Zajac said. "We started doing everything right. We stuck with what was working."
Wilson had the first of his two scores to halve the Wildcats' deficit midway through the third quarter, only to see Zinzer burn West Chicago to restore the Blackhawks' two-score cushion.
But Stein would connect with Scott Strachota from 34 yards out on the Wildcats' ensuing possession, and Wilson tied the game early in the fourth after RJ Kobriger recovered an onside kick.
Stein then directed West Chicago 85 yards in 8 plays, scoring on an 18-yard keeper with 2:39 to play. But Zinzer would break the Wildcats' resolve, beating the defense to the right corner after Brandon Warren plunged in from 2 yards out.
"I don't know if I've ever done that before," West Aurora coach Buck Drach said of his decision. "(Zinzer) comes from a long lineage of tough kids. For a junior playing both ways he is pretty phenomenal."
"I probably would have done the same thing (as Drach)," West Chicago coach Paul Reinke said.