CL Central boots Antioch in OT
Antioch's football team never felt comfortable, not even with a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter.
And because of the presence of Kurtis Vepley, Crystal Lake Central never felt comfortable kicking a measly 17-yard field goal in overtime.
So after an Antioch timeout, the host Tigers spotted the ball at the 8, instead of the 7. And who knew? that one extra yard proved just right.
Senior Tyler Fehring kicked an 18-yard field goal in overtime to lift host Crystal Lake Central to a 24-21 win in the teams' Class 5A state playoff opener Saturday night. Vepley got his right palm on the ball, which hit the crossbar and trickled over, setting off a wild celebration on the field among the home fans and their players, as the Tigers advanced to play Kaneland in Round 2.
“Their man off the end (Vepley) kept getting close on all the extra points,” Fehring said. “So we backed up (the field-goal try) about 3 yards. We figured if we backed it up, it would have a better chance of not getting blocked.”
“Game of inches,” a dejected Vepley said. “They won fair and square. They were the best team.”
Playing for the second straight week without its all-time leading scorer, Vinnie Holm, who on Tuesday underwent surgery on his right knee to repair a torn ACL and meniscus, Antioch (7-3) still moved the football.
Dan Arden, who scored Antioch's first touchdown during a 7-7 first half, broke off a 71-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage of the third quarter. The junior busted through a hole up the middle, then used his speed to outrun a speeding defensive back.
“Blockers, big open hole,” said Arden, who rushed 11 times for 109 yards.”
“Arden played a great game,” Antioch coach Brian Glashagel said. “Danny Arden is a real good football player.”
The Sequoits scored again on their next possession. After getting the ball at the 50 thanks a 15-yard punt into a howling north wind, the visitors needed only six plays to reach the end zone. Josh Guadarrama (16 carries, 111 yards) ran in from 4 yards out with 6:01 left in the third and the lead was 21-7.
The Sequoits weren't banking on that being enough of a cushion.
“We always have to keep scoring,” Arden said. “The defense has to keep stopping. You can never stop.”
“I don't think we relaxed at all,” Glashagel said. “Crystal Lake Central just came out and took it to us.”
Crystal Lake Central (8-2) lost a fumble that Antioch's Colin Bennett recovered the Tigers 37, but the Sequoits went three-and-out.
Crystal Lake Central followed by putting together a 13-play, 94-yard drive. Fullback Ryan Hines finished it off with a 1-yard run with 9:53 left in the fourth.
Antioch ate up valuable time with a 12-play series that included a pair of third-down conversions on passes from Tom Sears to Brett Prather, but Crystal Lake Central got the ball back with 4:10 to go.
The Tigers were relentless and smart with the game clock, and finally pulled even when quarterback Brett Schuld hit tight end Zach Seiler on a play-action pass from 23 yards out with 1:33 left.
“Crystal Lake Central's offense responded,” Glashagel said. “They kept moving the ball, kept getting out of bounds. They were stopping the clock. They were executing pretty nice.”
In overtime, Crystal Lake Central's Austin Marsden and Gage Harrah recorded tackles for loss, pushing Antioch back to the 11. The Sequoits then missed a 28-yard field goal try.
Antioch's defense stopped the Tigers at the 1, but Fehring's just-good-enough kick left the Sequoits heartbroken.
“I was telling all the seniors, ‘Leave everything you have on that field, give it 110 percent,' ” Vepley said. “This is my last year, my last game. ... I'm going to miss it a lot.”