Fisher, St. Charles East run by St. Charles North
There were tears and misty eyes all over Norris Stadium at the end of Friday's Crosstown Classic between St. Charles North and host St. Charles East.
Then there was Charlie Fisher.
His high school football career over like all the other seniors, Fisher frolicked amid a circle of teammates and parents.
And why not? The 160-pound quarterback ran for 183 yards with touchdown runs of 43, 1 and 74 yards to lead St. Charles East to a 23-21 Upstate Eight Conference River Division win over the crosstown North Stars. The Saints lead the series 8-4.
"This is huge," Fisher said. "This is just like last year. We had a rough season, rough start, but come North everything is off the table.
"It's a one-game season right here, and when you win it you forget everything," he said. "You won't remember all the injuries, all the losses, all the fumbles. Two interceptions, two fumbles last week by myself I'm not going to remember that, I'm going to remember this. Our teammates are going to remember this forever."
St. Charles North, which led 14-10 after three quarters, pulled within 23-21 with 1:15 left in the game on tailback George Edlund's 12-yard pass to quarterback Ryan Fischbach, like the Chicago Bears of Payton-to-McMahon, followed by Michael Schroeder's kick.
St. Charles North (2-7, 2-4) went with the onside kick but St. Charles East (3-6, 3-3) recovered. Runs by Carter Reading, Jacob Bruce and, finally, Fisher, earned a first down to run out the clock.
Carter, iffy going in with a hamstring strain, ran for 83 yards on 21 carries. The senior tailback wasn't going to miss this.
"It was my last game," he said before accepting a hug from St. Charles North's Shawn Collins. "I wanted to play with my three best friends, Tim Leibforth, Charlie Fisher and Kyle Lanthier. It's just the greatest feeling, to go out on a win. We love each other."
St. Charles East struck first when Brannon Barry recovered a North Stars fumble. After two incomplete passes Fisher scrambled 43 yards for a touchdown. Danny Muzzalupo added the extra point for a 7-0 Saints lead at 2:33 of the first quarter.
A St. Charles North player was in position to tackle Fisher, but slipped.
"We told the guys, some seasons the ball just doesn't go your way," said North Stars coach Mark Gould. "Who knows why, it doesn't. And that's kind of how it's been going. You're just about there and you slip."
St. Charles North tied it 7-7 50 seconds before halftime, capping a 10-play, 80-yard drive with Fischbach's 2-yard touchdown pass to Doug Zurbriggen plus Schroeder's kick.
St. Charles East went up 10-7 on a Muzzalupo 24-yard field goal, but North's Zach Kirby returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a 14-10 North Stars lead.
"That really takes the wind out of our sails," Saints coach Mike Fields said, "and it's like, 'Hey man, that's adversity, that's life, fellas.'
"I was so proud of them. From the beginning of the season we weren't finishing, we would have quit. We would have imploded, if you will."
Instead, Fisher led nearly an eight-minute drive to score from 1 yard out. Next Saints possession he broke a 74-yard touchdown run for a 23-14 lead with 2:29 left to play.
A 2-7 season wasn't what St. Charles North signed up for. Still, seniors like center Kyle Breith won't forget the times he shared with his buddies.
"It means the world," he said. "The brothership I have with everybody was awesome. Training with them off-season, practicing with them throughout the season, I just feel like I'm going to take these friendships to the next level. And I think football helped me with that."