St. Charles N. outlasts Larkin
An 0-5 start relegated the St. Charles North football team to the role of spoiler.
The North Stars are doing pretty well in that role.
North won its second consecutive game Friday night and damaged Larkin’s playoff hopes with a 29-25 Upstate Eight River victory at Memorial Field.
“Once you’re out of the playoffs you have to look for whatever kind of motivation you can,” North coach Mark Gould said. “Obviously it’s pride, but the other one is let’s be spoiler a little bit.”
The North Stars (2-5, 2-2) led 14-6 at halftime, getting 1-yard touchdown runs from junior running back George Edlund and junior quarterback Ryan Fischbach.
The Royals (3-4, 2-2), who got a 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter from Mo Jackson, opened the second half with an onside kick, which Larkin’s Justin Banks recovered. Jackson scored five plays later on an 8-yard run up the middle. The 2-point conversion failed as North held onto a 14-12 lead.
After a three-and-out from the North Stars, Larkin used a 10-play, 52-yard drive to take the lead. The drive was aided by an encroachment penalty on North on a fourth-and-4 that gave the Royals a first down. Kyle Newquist hit Shaquille Mosley for a 4-yard score. The 2-point conversion failed again as Larkin took its first lead, 18-14.
Edlund fumbled, his second of the game, on the first play from scrimmage on the next drive. The Royals capitalized as Newquist, who was 16 of 24 for 209 yards, hit Banks on a wide receiver screen and Banks went down the sideline for a 73-yard touchdown as Larkin took a 25-14 lead with 1:21 left in the third quarter.
“I was worried. When they were getting the ball to (Banks) and he was slashes us on those bubble (screens),” Gould said. “With their speed, they get outside. We can’t match that.”
Edlund made amends. His 7-yard touchdown with 10:39 remaining combined with a 2-point conversion got the North Stars within 3, 25-22.
The North Stars got the ball back with 7:50 left and gave Edlund the ball six consecutive times. He gained 45 yards on those six carries, getting the ball to the Royals’ 10. Fishchbach connected with Garrett Johnson for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 4:50 remaining for a 29-25 lead.
“Even though we were down, and I put the ball on the ground, we never quit,” Edlund said. “He have to have confidence after mistakes. It shows what kind of team you are.”
Larkin gained 15 yards on the first two plays of the ensuing drive on runs by Jackson, who finished with 131 yards on 24 carries. But Jackson was injured on the second run with 4:06 left and did not return. The Royals had a fourth-and-1 on North’s 41 with 1:33 remaining, but was stuffed on a run attempt.
“We just didn’t put them away,” Larkin coach Mike Scianna said. “We let them hang around. They took advantage of it.”
Mosley had eight catches for 115 yards. Banks finished with seven receptions for 116 yards.
Larkin will now need two win its final two games — at Streamwood (5-2) and at home against Geneva (6-1) — and hope for some help to reach the postseason for the first time since 2006.